John Natsoulas Gallery hosts student photography

By Bram Goldstein,

HUB Staff Writer–

Coming off Highway 5, the first passing glimpses of Davis, California are not exactly appealing: fast food, motels, and worst of all, an ill-placed tunnel that accounts for some of the worst traffic in Davis.

Once through the often-halted tunnel, lucky travelers come upon scenic E street, which introduces Davis’ newfound art renaissance.

This introduction comes in the form of the John Natsoulas Gallery, a five-story building which is practically a skyscraper. The gallery, whose entrance is decorated with a larger than life light-up statue, is known to display the works of Yolo County’s many talented artists.

During Davis Artabouts, people with a taste for the arts flock to the gallery admiring, and on sometimes, buy the locally made sculptures and paintings.

John Natsoulas, the man who brings the name and the fame to the gallery, also owns the old boy scout cabin across the street, which he rents out for art shows.

In recent years, Natsoulas has lent the cabin to Davis High art teacher, Doug Wright. Wright uses the space to display the best works of his photography students for a couple of days towards the end of the school year. Natsoulas has also opened up a room on the third floor of the gallery this year for Wright to display DHS students’ work.

The final portfolios of Wright’s students do not disappoint the high standards set by the other tenants of the gallery, as the carefully developed photos manage to captivate the viewer.

Despite the fact that they are black and white, the photos each convey a colorful scene in one still shot.

The photos, whose finite details, excellent composition, and intriguing themes succeed in engulfing their stereotypical simplicity, sell for 10 to 30 dollars at the portfolios final showing on May 26 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.