Chico Articles

Some artists illustrate what they see. Others reflect what they remember. Still others depict what they dream.

For Northern California artist Cynthia Schildhauer, her inspiration lives somewhere in the layers. Art lovers can experience her textured, mixed-media paintings at an exhibit this summer at the Plumas Bank …

At Plumas Bank’s Chico branch, the walls tell a serene story about Northern California. Sunlit creeks wind through watercolor landscapes, riverbanks glow with shifting light, and quiet moments from the natural world unfold across the bank’s interior.

The paintings — created by local artist Lenn Goldmann — are on display through May as …

Artists often talk about where inspiration begins. In Chico, it’s everywhere — along the shaded paths of Bidwell Park, beside the slow curve of Big Chico Creek, and in the engaging conversations that spill out of studios and galleries around town.

That environment has guided local artist Judy Kane for decades, shaping work that blends …

Before digital art was a concept — before Pixar, Photoshop, or even Macintosh computers — Rick Vertolli was already dreaming about how technology and creativity could intersect. Now a Chico-based painter and retired animation professor, Vertolli’s career has bridged decades of tech innovation and artistic evolution.

His latest work, …

The connection between art and community isn’t just important; it’s fundamentally transformative. Americans for the Arts, in fact, highlights a long list of research-backed arts impacts, a few of which include:

The arts instill community trust and cohesion.Arts-rich neighborhoods are the top 25% in terms of safety.Arts participants are …