September may be the harbinger of fall, but this month is still bringing the heat with interactive local art shows, an immersive traveling exhibition and one of the year’s most engaging art events: the Chalk It Up sidewalk chalk festival.
Immersive art experiences
The annual Chalk It Up! chalk art and music festival transforms Fremont Park in Midtown Sacramento over Labor Day weekend. Now in its 35th year, the Chalk It Up! festival is a Sacramento tradition that began in 1991, with artists and community members taking over the park for three days, Aug. 31-Sept 1. Inspired by the 16th-century Italian street painting tradition, called “Madonnari,” the festival turns sidewalks into colorful murals.
Over 150 artists will create on site, giving the public a chance to interact with the artists and watch their artwork evolve. Live music all day long, local vendors and the opportunity to participate with free sidewalk chalk are some of the perks of attending this free community event put on by a local nonprofit of the same name.
If you missed out on Burning Man, or just want to catch the vibe here in Sactown, here’s your chance. The Midtown Association’s Urban Dreams Art Experience placed 16 large-scale art pieces and sculptures throughout Midtown and the surrounding areas, and these sculptures, up to 20 feet high, are on view through September’s Second Saturday.
If seeing unique contemporary art isn’t enough of a reason to get out of the house, Midtown Association is also offering visitors a chance to win $500 in gift cards to Midtown businesses. More information on the Urban Dreams Art Trail Pass and a map of locations is available online.
After checking out some exciting public art, get ready to be enveloped in the work of a master with the traveling exhibit “Monet: The Immersive Experience.” Head to West Sacramento for this visually stunning exhibition using 4K digital mapping to project Monet’s masterpieces onto 15,000-square-foot screens with a 360-degree view. Sit and enjoy the views from inside of Claude Monet’s most beloved paintings, while custom light and sound installations bring you further into the ambiance of Monet’s works.
Learn about the artist’s life with educational displays, interactive exhibits and VR to round out the experience. The visiting exhibit runs through Sept. 29 inside the Exhibition Hub building located at 31 15th St., West Sacramento.
Over at the Crocker Art Museum, check out the work of another master with “Arts, Letters, and Power: Van Dyck and the Portrait Print.” You’re likely already familiar with the work of Anthony Van Dyck in some way; if you’ve ever painted with Van Dyke brown paint or made a Van Dyke print in the darkroom, then you’ve already experienced this 17th-century painter and printmaker’s contributions to art.
Known especially for his authentic yet refined portraits of the elite, Van Dyck’s style defined the portraiture of his time. The exhibition displays his stunning portraiture of key players in the European educated and ruling class during his time. The exhibit, which is on display through Oct. 12, gives viewers a chance to familiarize themselves with skillfully executed traditional art that has had a lasting impression for centuries.
Associate curator Sarah E. Farkas writes, “Arts, Letters, and Power celebrates Van Dyck’s remarkable skill and savvy,” adding that he leveraged “dynamic and innovative poses to give us a sense of each sitter’s unique character.”
Local art
On the local art scene, several exhibits usher viewers into the 21st century, featuring artwork that highlights personal narratives through multimedia and natural elements.
Axis Gallery in Sacramento is hosting two exhibitions from Sept. 5-28, with a joint Second Saturday opening reception on Sept. 13 from 5–8 p.m. In the main gallery, “Tom Betthauser: California 2140” explores possible futures through a collection of maps, sculptures and paper media. Described as “a show about possible futures, maybe,” this interactive multimedia exhibition is an open invitation to all to “brainstorm about the future.”
Also showing at Axis, “Joanne Tepper Saffren: Trees” is a study of Folsom’s ancient oak trees through the historical cyanotype photographic process and an alternative plant-based process called anthotype. Anthotypes are prints on paper made using pigment from natural materials and the power of the sun, creating ethereal and ephemeral works that are impermanent and reflective of the natural materials used to create them. A portion of the proceeds from Saffren’s limited-edition cyanotypes will benefit the Sacramento Tree Foundation.
Over at Prism Art Space, two exhibits will be on view from Sept. 6-26 that also highlight natural elements while bringing something unexpected. “Silent Symphony” is an exhibition of mixed media paintings, relief prints and stained glass art by Joha Harrison, Meg Myers and Henry Parada. According to curator Justina Martino, “viewers can perceive the rhythms and harmonies of music through color, texture, shape and line.”
Also showing is Sunroop Kaur’s solo exhibition, “ਕੋਇਕੋ ਲ (Koel)”, dubbed an “immersive darkscape” by the artist. The installation explores themes of family, identity and “unearthing light from moments of rupture and repair” through dramatic lighting and elements of cultural and personal significance such as the koel bird and gilded family portraits. A reception will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 5-8 p.m.
Worth a drive
Get into the spirit of fall with Vacaville Museum’s fascinating historical and cultural exhibit, “The Art of Death,” which runs until Nov. 15. The exhibit, sponsored by Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, examines mortality through art, history, science and culture, with contributions from local Solano County artists. The museum will also host a Death Industry Panel on Sept. 18.
Whether immersing yourself in the art canon or expressing yourself with sidewalk chalk this September, Sacramento offers plenty to inspire and spark creativity as we head into the fall.
This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Hmong Daily News, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
By Marie-Elena Schembri
