A very cool place to explore and zone out and just quiet out the cluster in my mind. They also…read morerecently added more tables and chairs for working and studying. Staff are super nice and will help you if you need anything. They have a gift shop on the first floor perfect for picking up a gift~ I enjoy coming here often because they do have new art on display all the time. So you can enjoy the classics (non rotating long staying pieces) and new ones. Highly recommend this gem of an art gallery!

We came to Davis today to participate in the: California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic…read moreArts (CCACA). I love this event and we come to it every year from the past x number of years. This year they gathered 99.9% of all the student exhibits into the old Whole Foods store across the street from John Natsoulas Gallery. It was a perfect location. Instead of searching all over Davis trying not to miss and exhibit it was all in one place this time. It put off a differnt vibe, which was unique of course. The connivence was great, but I do miss having them divided up so you could focus on one school a a time. This new format has its pros and cons. I love the student exhibits of this Conference the best. You can sign up for demonstrations and lectures if you want, I haven't yet, but many people do and it's a wonderful opportunity. Schools all over California visit. The farthest school we came across is San Diego, but there may be farther schools. Both High Schools and Collage participate. I love them both. Some of those High School students are amazing and out do the Collage Students. All students come and look around for further inspiration. Years ago I used to dabble in ceramics. As a kid I loved taking Ceramics classes in the Community Center. As an adult I used to go to Verge Gallery of the Arts and participated in their open ceramics studio, which I loved. I really should get back into it. I had fun back in the day. There were several schools that created chains out of class. I found that really fascinating. I'd like to try that technique out. One of the Walnut Creek exhibitors crocheted a basket out of yarn and dipped it in Slip (LiquId Clay), and stuck a balloon it it so when it dried it would be poofy. It was so facinating.

Very small (no cost) gallery in downtown Davis with three neat exhibits and some items for sale…read more The exhibits right now are Slice: A Juried Exhibit of Regional Art; Rochelle Mason Focus on Nature: Beyond Eden & Wildcats of the World; and Exhibit it! A Community Art Exhibit. All of them had interesting and beautiful pieces, some of which are for sale. We were greeted by Cindy when we arrived. After spending time in one of the rooms, she asked our thoughts and we discussed for a few before going to the next. Would definitely visit again.

I attended the 30th Annual Pence Gallery Garden Tour 2023 in Davis. I heard about it through one of…read morethe garden hosts - Janey & Jason Santos, who are popular garden YouTubers in the area. Their garden was more beautiful in person, and it was a pleasure to walk through it... along with the other gardens. The Pence Gallery itself is very nice. We stopped by because we had will call tickets for the garden tour. The lady at the front desk was very friendly and welcoming. She gave us a little goodie bag which we appreciated. The place was clean and organize, it was also serene and relaxing. As for the garden tour event, the description on the Pence Gallery website said there would be 7-10 gardens. Sadly, there were only FIVE + a stop at the gallery, and it literally took us less than two hours to do the whole tour. We definitely would have planned our morning differently had we known there were only five gardens. Hoping they offer more gardens next year! Other than that, we had a good experience at Pence Gallery and their garden tour event.

What a great shop to buy local! I was on my way to a birthday lunch for two friends and needed a…read moresmall "something" to finish off each of their gift bags! I found these beautiful, hand painted mole-skin notebooks that was perfect! I found painted scenes that spoke to each of their loves and personalities! The gal at the checkout was very helpful in wrapping my items for gift giving and she even marked the bags for me so that I would gift the correct bag to the proper recipient. I can't wait to head back over to browse again for myself. The prices seamed quite reasonable and the art selection wonderful.

A must stop when in Davis. There are so many little pieces of art to purchase. The art changes…read moreregularly and I'm always on the look out for the perfect gift. I am always checking out the ceramics to see if they have one of my little doggy. One day I'll see the one and it will be mine. The location is good, near the other art galleries.

It's a smaller museum but take the time to visit. It's free! There are also student docents around…read moreto tell you more about the exhibits. Located close to the parking structure on the south side of UC Davis campus by the Mondavi performing arts center and the campus visitor center. Great clean bathrooms!

Nowheresville? Just a bunch of fields and cows? Think again, mon frère. As a proud Aggie, I can…read moretell you there's more than meets the eye. For example, feast your eyes on the new-ish Shrem museum, right on the edge of campus. New to Davis? This museum is directly across the street from UCD's visitor and conference center on one side, and the campus concert hall (wine-named Mondavi Center). High-tail it over to the museum and keep your wallet in your pocket -- it's free. It's 30 minutes or so you won't mind giving up. A fun mix of modern art that is always changing, so i won't date my review here. At the very least, it's a beautiful space with some thought-provoking installations every time I'm in town. I believe there's some kind of rule that all the artists have some connection to UC Davis. Davis hates cars, so the adjoining parking lot is about $10, during the week only. Weekends? Cars galore, no charge. Inspiring!

Interesting hodgepodge. I would prefer to see more than the line of paintings. However, this may…read morenot be the theme of the gallery and simply personal preference however, for what it is, it is an interesting visit.

Located in the scenic Davis Cemetery and Arboretum the Gallery is a hidden gem of Davis…read more Exhibitions feature both international and celebrated local artists. Receptions are held every second Sunday from 1-4:00pm. It's a nice way to spend your afternoon.

The Davis art center offers a variety of eclectic cultural arts classes. For instance the first…read morestudio to the left of the entrance is where three-dimensional art and ceramics class are held. Although I don't take 3-dim art classes here it looks like it would be rewarding to create beautiful mosaics from huge chunks of clay and chipped glass while listening to cool retro background music. There are dramatics classes who rehearse outside behind the stage for the "theatre in the park" productions. There are music classes, singing classes, and a variety of cultural dance classes. As an Added bonus... All DAC dance studio floors are solid tongue and groove wood. Did I mention that wood dance floors are almost nonexistent in Northern California? With that said its the floors that drew me to the Davis art center, as any respectable rhythm tapper would. As a community non profit organization taking classes at the DAC should not burn a hole in your octet book. Plus 1 star for that. Enrollment fees & tuition fees are nominal compared to a private studio plus you automatically become a member of the DAC after enrolling in a class. You should really check this place and take a class for fun. Go ahead and dust off that old Yamaha instrument in the back of your closet...you won't regret it. After all cultural arts classes give your mind an opportunity to create while making new friends from the community.

My first experience here was a dazzling evening of drumming with my dear friend Mamadu. This was…read moretruly a enriching and cultural gathering for all ages. I brought my Kambala djembe and jammed until the sun set. Djembe masters like Mamadu are rare these days and I was fortunate enough to have networked with him through the Sacramento drum circle rhythm community. There are people of all ages and backgrounds who share a collective interest in rhythm and the origins of music. The djembe is the roots! I will be back!

A wonderful furniture experience and have purchased many pieces from Design House. Quality and…read morebeauty is their specialty!

NOT BUY AGAIN: window coverings. At first good service: in-home visit with good suggestions. Talked…read moreabout buying in three stages and ordered the first, which was 4 window blinds and two coverings for sliding glass doors. All installed just fine and the coverings look and function great. But then I could not get them to return my calls or answer emails - I wanted a receipt for the purchases and had been told they'd provide a new quote for some special coverings. Finally had to go to the store in person to ask for the receipt. Never did get the quote. I can't understand why my 3 or 4 calls and two emails were never answered. For the second stage and special purchases, I'll go elsewhere. The coverings are 4 stars and the service is one star. BUY AGAIN: Hunter Davis window covering are very nice.

So today I was here for my 1st graders field trip…read more Funny story, I found this amazing science center, while googling the words, "inexpensive science field trips." Lo and behold the science center was super cheap to attend for two classes, and the exhibits are very engaging and fun! Anna, Bradley, and David, made our experience fun and exciting! I've done a lot of field trips, in 27 years of teaching, but this one is one of my absolute favorites! I feel like their spot is totally slept on and underrated, we need to usher in more educators to take their kids here for their field trips! They're a non-profit and need our help to stay open! So spread the word and let's keep this learning gem, open longer! Science Exhibits: 20/10 Customer Service: 20/10 Quality of the Programs: Amazing! Overall: 20 out of 10!

We are members and absolutely love this place. My kids have taken camps here over summer and…read morethroughout the school year and we also had my five year olds birthday party here...they always want to return for more. They recently re did the science center and it is such a well done space. The kids enjoy all the interactive stuff as well as the animals. The membership is really great bc you get access to free events - like private times, meet Santa / holiday party, and discounted birthday parties and camps.

Drive past it so you know where to go, but park in a "C lot" on la rue. A stroller may be necessary…read moreto get from parking lot to entrance. "A" parking is for faculty and staff until 5pm. 35260 for a hint on the parkmobile app. You'll prob need parking for 1 hour. Cut through the parking lots and building walkways to get to Bohart. Museum (I think "open lab" is a more apt name) is on the ground floor, wander til you locate the door. Entrance is free. Have an idea about what bugs you would like to request to see. They have a small case for live/preserved bugs that you can hold, but if you come without ideas you might find it a little underwhelming with young ones. Ideal for kids who can safely hold a bug or glass jar without dropping or shaking. The staff is kind and knowledgeable. The room is small, you may like a mask on hand. They have a gift shop area and they have bug nets you can borrow.

Bugs are cool! Betcha didn't know that the seventh largest worldwide collection of them in No…read more America is nearby at UC Davis. They also boast the second largest mosquito collection -- shhh, don't tell Bill Gates! This was my second visit, this time with kids on a field trip. The collection is vast -- so extensive that they have installed rolling bookcases to house the specimens. Our 45 minute tour led us through some of the cases and then on to live specimens which included a giant millipede, hissing cockroaches, a scorpion, black widow, tarantula, walking sticks, and a leaf bug. Our group of little bookworms with ants in their pants was enchanted! The museum is open to visitors from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Wise people call first before they go to ensure the museum is available. While there is a small charge for tour led groups, the museum is free for general admission. But don't be a stink bug; put some money in the donation box.

Fond memories of this scenic walk as it was one of our family's places to escape during the Covid…read moreshut-down. We visited the Arboretum more recently, and it was just as serene and beautiful as we remembered. From the Davis Commons, there is an entrance to the trail which follows a small creek to the UC Davis campus. The beginning is paved, so you can even push your baby along in a stroller. Along the way are plants and flowers of different varieties, small bridges, a grove of towering trees, and mallard duck couples obviously bonded for life! There is plenty of shade, benches, and spots to rest, but the full loop is about 3.5 miles, which would also make for a phenomenal run with Mother Nature.

Spent my Saturday afternoon here. It was a bit windy & cloudy but there was some sun off and on. It…read morewas so nice to just be outdoors. People were out walking, jogging, enjoying a picnic, reading, etc. parking was a challenge but I parked in the parking structure nearby the Mondavi center. Beautiful views and loved how busy this place was as everyone came out to enjoy the view & some sun.