Yolo County’s artists and farmlands will be front and center in the Yolo County booth at the State Fair. The booth’s theme is inspired from YoloArts Art & Ag project, an artist to farm visit program in its 11th year.
Paintings and 3D artworks will be on display in the Yolo County booth in the County Exhibit Area at the California State Fair opening July 13 and running through July 29 at Cal Expo.
“The Yolo exhibit highlights local artists and how agriculture and the Yolo landscape inspire creativity and innovation,” said Janice Purnell YoloArts associate director. “This fits in perfectly with this year’s State Fair theme of create, inspire, and innovate.”
Alongside the art will be some of Yolo County’s specialty farm products such as nuts, wine, olive oil, honey and fresh produce, many with labels that are works of art on their own. The burgeoning brewery business in Yolo County will also be featured with the display of a collection of “growlers” (glass jugs for draft beer) each with unique logo art.
A large (8’ x 12’) print of an original oil painting by Phil Gross of Davis will be the artistic centerpiece of a booth featuring the artwork of 23 Yolo County artists. A native of San Francisco, Gross is a 50-year Yolo County resident. He recalls that “as a kid my parents took me to the state fair every year” and the County Exhibits were a favorite of his to wander around. He also recalls that he used to come home with “a big bag of brochures and trinkets from visiting all of the county booths” at the fair. When asked to submit artwork for the exhibit Gross was honored to have his work chosen.
“I love that it’s come full circle and now I get to help represent Yolo County’s beauty through the lens of art,” Gross recently stated.
The booth features a barn replica with art on display inside, a documentary video by Gross on YoloArts’ Art & Ag Project and a video of county farmlands by local videographer Mark Jones. Three public artworks featured are from YoloArts’ permanent Art & Ag Project collection.
Artists, along with Gross and Jones, whose work will be featured in the booth are:
Pat Coletti Allosso, Steve Beckley, Kenny Calhoun, Kate Childers, Danielle Collins, Matt Connors, Dee Conway, Lynne Cunningham, Trina Drotar, Rhonda Egan, Alan Fishleder, Linda S. Fitz Gibbon, Claire Haag, Laura Hanke, Sandra Jennings Jones, Diane Mohar, Philippe Plouchart, Susan Raines, Yvonne Roque, Alejandro Rubio, and Tracy J. Thomas.
The California State Fair runs July 13-29.