A ceramic-mosaic mural created by a team at UC Davis was recently installed at the Matthiasson Winery in Napa.

The insect-themed mosaic was spearheaded by two faculty members/ artists in the Department of Entomology and Nematology and an artist/retired lecturer in the Department of Design. “The Secret Life of Vineyards” fuses art with science, showcasing the diversity of life in an organic vineyard ecosystem.

The project sprang to life in a spring quarter class, Entomology 001, “Art, Science and the World of Insects,” taught by Professors Diane Ullman and Emily Meineke. Ullman, founding co-director of the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, described the project as “a collaboration between students and instructors in ENT 001; community members from Davis, Woodland, and Napa, and Matthiasson Winery; and the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program. Gale Okumura greatly assisted with the design and also helped train students in the ceramics technique for creating their artwork.”

In a joint statement, Ullman and Meineke related that the Secret Life of Vineyards “was designed to reflect the ecosystem within and around an organic vineyard as it progresses from early spring to harvest. A Cabernet Sauvignon vine is the centerpiece of the mural, shown from the first bud in the spring to harvest time in the autumn. The artworks include more than 80 arthropods (insects, spiders and centipedes), several bird species, mammals (bobcat, deer, rabbits, squirrels, a pocket gopher), a gopher snake, mycorrhizal fungi and even earthworms. The work is an ode to the importance of biodiversity and balance in the ecosystem in which wine vines are grown and reflects the passion of the Matthiasson Winery for sustainable viticulture.”

The mural, installed in June and July on an outer wall of the Matthiasson Winery Building and Tasting Area, measures 10 feet wide by six feet in height, and weighs an estimated 600 to 800 pounds. The insects on the mural range from beneficial insects to notorious pests. They include lady beetles that feast on aphids, and the glassy-winged sharpshooters that feed on plant fluids.

“This visual representation aims to raise awareness of a world that often goes unnoticed but is essential for maintaining the overall health of these vibrant ecosystems,” Meineke said.

The project will be unveiled at an invitational celebration on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at the winery.

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The Mondavi Center’s new season is set to begin next month, bringing back familiar faces and introducing new acts for the 2023-24 season.

Returning acts include the Alexander String Quartet, violinist and conductor Joshua Bell, Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis and fiddler Mark O’Connor. Marking their Mondavi Center debuts include viola da gamba player Jordi Savall and Grammy-winning jazz singer Samara Joy.

The season is set to include a whole host of different acts including orchestra, chamber music, dance, studio jazz, film and music and family matinees, among many other exciting performances.

For more information about the upcoming season or to buy tickets, visit https://www.mondaviarts.org/events-and-tickets/.

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The Woodland Camera Forum will present a free photography “scenic road trip” digital show, “Traveling Down Hwy 395 in Eastern California”, by photographer O. Truman Holtzclaw.

The presentation is open to the public, and travelers and photographers are encouraged to attend.

This photo tour will take attendees from the Historic Ghost town of Bodie in the North to the Historic Ghost Town of Cero Gordo of the South.

In between the presentation will make stops at Conway Summit, Mono Lake, Devils Postpile, Bishop’s Petroglyphs, Law’s Railroad Museum, White Mts. Bristlecone Pines, Death Valley’s Eureka Sand Dunes, Alabama Hills and Cero Gordo.

The digital show will be held on Monday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m., at Norton Hall, located at 70 Cottonwood St.

Center Stage is a column exploring the arts in and around Yolo County.