John Natsoulas Art Gallery

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Location

521 1st St. (Corner of E Street, across from Davis Commons)

Hours

Wed-Thu: 11:00AM-5:00PM

Fri: 11:00AM-10:00PM

Sat-Sun: 12:00PM-5:00PM

Phone

(530)756-3938

Fax

(530)756-3961

Email

mailto:art@natsoulas.com

Website

http://www.natsoulas.com

The John Natsoulas Art Gallery, now called the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, is the largest of the Davis art galleries. Situated downtown, it is an important part of our local art scene. They also operate the Log Cabin Gallery in the former Boy Scout Cabin.

Anyone is welcome to walk in whether they are looking to purchase art or not, so don't feel uncomfortable about going inside. Many people treat it as a museum with free admission. All art galleries are like this. Come back often because the shows changes nearly monthly. You can check out what they're currently showing on their calendar.

The John Natsoulas Gallery does not hold openings coincident with the ArtAbout. That is, they are open, but no receptions. Their opening receptions (wine and club soda type) are held on Saturdays, often on the Second Saturday.

This newly remodeled building (a former fraternity house) has a cafe and a small bookstore downstairs and four floors of art (five counting the roof). Be sure to visit all of the floors because the artists featured on the different floors are often very different. Also, be extra sure not to miss the back staircase. It is covered floor to ceiling with beautiful paintings.

Personally, John especially likes Jazz music and figurative expressionist art -though he appreciates a wide variety of genres and is open to all forms of art. Not just the visual arts, but the Arts in general.

Read a story with photos in Davis Life Magazine.

In 2009 they converted some of their downstairs space into a cafe, and built outdoor seating too.

They offer various coffee drinks, a few juices and frozen drinks, bakery items (from off-site, like Starbucks and other non-bakery cafes do).

A couple frozen yogurt places are just around the corner, just FYI.

The John Natsoulas Gallery sponsors more events than any other Davis Gallery. These have included:

• Workshops with noted artists
  

• Music performances, from jazz to alternative rock (i.e. The Six Organs of Admittance).
  

• Performance art shows
  

• Major conferences
  

• Beat Generation and Beyond
  

• The California Conference for the Advancement for Ceramic Arts (CCACA)
  

• The California Landscape conference and the The Art of Painting in the 21st Century
  

• The Davis Jazz Artists Festival
  

• Other events
  

• Blue Moon Literary and Art Review release parties
  

• Green Car Gala
  

• Tromp-l'œil
  

• Valentines show

Friday (February 10, 2006) KDVS Public Affairs Host Andy Jones and longtime Davis resident and UWP Lecturer Brad Henderson co-hosted a poetry book release party at the Gallery. Andy and Brad read their work, and signed copies of Split Stock, available now via John Natsoulas Press. It wasn't a rumor, all the hippest, artsiest, and best-connected locals were there.

Sacramento Valley's 5th Annual Landscape Conference 2007
The program featured plein air painting demonstrations by eminent Sacramento Valley landscape painters: Gregory Kondos, Chella, Deladier Almeida, Philippe Gandiol, and Marie Terese-Brown.

1st Annual Davis Jazz Festival 2007
The First Annual Davis Jazz Artists Festival comprised of both performances of music and art. Performances were led by: Nancy Ostrovsky, UC Davis Jazz Combo, Davis High School Jazz Band and Combo, Adam Jenkins and The Ganbare Spirits Ensemble, Dream Door, Capital Jazz Project and much more.

2007-04-14: The first annual Green Car Gala, the picnic day evening electric vehicle showcase.

John Natsoulas was alleged to have sold forged paintings in order to fund his gallery's 12,000 foot, $1.5 million expansion in 2000, according to a front-page October 15, 2006 article in the Sacramento Bee newspaper. Natsoulas settled a 2005 lawsuit with Henry Villierme, a once-famous abstract painter, who claimed that Natsoulas sold his paintings as works by the famous Richard Diebenkorn by forging Diebenkorn's signature on Villerme's work. Neither Natsoulas nor Villierme would comment to the Bee regarding the settlement, but others involved in the case backed the suit's allegations.

Fresno collector George Blair said he received the fraudulent paintings from Natsoulas, including one used as collateral for a loan he gave Natsoulas to fund his expansion. Blair said the paintings were bought for $175,000 and $180,000. The faux-Diebenkorn paintings were so well-done that no one questioned them until Villierme's son saw an advertisement for them. However, Blair does not believe that it is conclusive that Natsoulas himself forged the signatures.

• Very interesting. Now, it would seem Villierme is famous again. At least in Davis. As for Natsoulas physically taking brush to canvas and forging the signatures...it just goes to show he is an artist at heart. — SolidSender

Many of the events are free or charge enough to cover costs. John is a businessman, but he also cares greatly about building the greater Davis art scene -this shows in the plethora of events he holds. —SteveDavison