With the unveiling of the UC Davis ceramic-mosaic mural, The Secret Life of Vineyards, life in a Napa Valley organic vineyard is no longer "a secret."

The 10 x 6-foot mural, which graces an outer wall of the Matthiasson Winery on Dry Creek Road, Napa, depicts 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, according to the three project leaders, UC Davis distinguished professor Diane Ullman and assistant professor Emily Meineke, both of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, and retired lecturer Gale Okumura of the Department of Design.

The project is the culmination of a spring quarter class, Entomology 001, “Art, Science and the World of Insects,” taught by Professors Ullman and 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."

"This mural is a perfect example, showing how UC Davis and the Napa Valley community joined together to create a work that will inspire generations," UC Davis Chancellor Gary May told the crowd. "It's not just the colors and textures that draw you in. There's a fascinating story here about sustainability and environmental stewardship. It's about the connectedness of insects, microbes and humans that are at the heart of Napa wine country--and the world beyond. As you look at the mural, you'll see how the ecosystem in an organic vineyard progresses through the harvest season. The artwork contains more than 80 insects, mammals, several bird species and so many other creatures that contribute to biodiversity and balance in the ecosystem."

Also in his address, Chancellor May discussed how UC Davis "is on the leading edge of innovation in the wine world. One of the first things visitors see as they enter our campus is a 120-acre vineyard that's used for grape breeding programs, rootstock trials and other research. Our researchers are conducting groundbreaking research that will help vintners manage the effects of climate change and develop drought- and pest-resistant rootstocks. We are also developing the winemakers of the future. Our Teaching and Research winery is home to state-of-the-art technologies for studying fermentations and the science that goes into winemaking. This sense of innovation applies to all parts of a UC Davis education. This includes the Art/Science Fusion Program. By showing the connections between the natural world and the creative mind, this program inspires change and innovation in learning for people of all ages."

Praising the Arts/Science Fusion Program, the chancellor said the program "helps advance some of UC Davis' key goals, which are outlined in the university's 10-year strategic plan, titled 'To Boldly Go.' That first goal is to provide an educational experience that prepares all our students to address the needs and challenges of a diverse and changing world. The type of course that produced this mural helps advance this goal, by connecting art and science to enhance student learning in a truly innovative way. Another key goal is for UC Davis to be a role model for diversity. This program's strategy for teaching always includes community engagement, which attracts diverse students and fosters inclusivity through hands-on learning and collaborative teamwork. I also appreciate how the Arts/Science Fusion Program fosters community engagement."

In her presentation, Professor Ullman described the project "a testimony to the power of collaboration, community effort, creativity and collective will. This expressive, beautiful and educational artwork celebrates the synergy created when art meets science, and people observe the world around them with fresh eyes, testing their ideas and transforming those ideas into new concepts and new insights, and then share their epiphanies with others through design and art."

Ullman noted that the general education class, "Art, Science and the World of Insects," was founded in 1996. It's been taught ever year since, "attracting students from every major offered on the UC Davis campus," she said. 

The course--"taught with the notion that patterns, harmonies, symbols, and perceptions are shared across borders and disciplines--creates accessibility and inclusion for people that would otherwise fear science, or fear art," Ullman told the crowd. "Not only does this paradigm provide a new and innovative classroom learning experience, it creates collaborations between different kinds of students and the community."

The concept of an art/science paradigm "opened the door for students and community members to interpret the scientific endeavors of the campus and science of entomology," said Ullman, praising the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences "that supports this innovative method of teaching and extending knowledge to the public."

Ullman and Meineke, both entomologists and artists, said the process of creating the art began with research. They launched the project with a visit to the vineyard, resulting in "many discussions between Jill and Steve Matthiasson, Gale Okumura, Emily Meineke and me. After learning a great deal from the Matthiassons about sustainable and organic growing of a vineyard, about their passion for biodiversity and creation of rich ecosystem around the vineyard, we began to design."

After advancing from research to a primary design, "the next step was to translate our research into visual narratives using design principles we learned from Gale," Ullman said. "With our designs in hand, the process of fabricating the artwork from clay began. Clay is a rich material with great memory, coming from the earth near Davis. In our classroom, every piece is used, recycled and carried forward."

"Once all the pieces of have been sculpted, glazed and fired in a kiln, assembly of the mosaic begins," Ullman related. "Everyone, students and community members contributed to assembly and grouting of the mosaic—truly a mosaic of human intention, creativity and will. We mixed our own grout and each color is custom designed after experimentation and consideration. Most artists would ask for 6 months to a year to complete a project of this size and scope. We completed the process in a mere 10 weeks, the scope of a quarter at UC Davis."

Ullman said that the 83 UC Davis students involved in the project "worked hard, learned about entomology, and the interactions between insects and people."

Meineke, an urban landscape entomologist, was unable to attend the Aug. 16th unveiling. Meineke and her husband Joe Kwon just "brought our newest Aggie, Genevieve Se Hwa Kwon into the world," Ullman told the gathering. 

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 vineyards 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 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 professors credited artist Amanda Larson of Half Moon Bay "with the engineering and building of the hanging system, as well as the installation."

Resources:

• UC Davis Mural to Be Unveiled, news story, published Aug. 8, 2023, on the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology website
• PowerPoint detailing the project from start to finish. This includes artist statements.