This epidode of Hello Davis! features Brett Lee of the Davis Downtown Business Association talking with John Natsoulas.
John Natsoulas is a well-known figure in the arts community of Davis, California, best recognized as the founder and director of the John Natsoulas Gallery in downtown Davis. Since opening the gallery in 1986, he has helped establish it as one of Northern California’s important spaces for contemporary art. Located on First Street, the gallery functions not only as an exhibition venue but also as a cultural gathering place where artists, writers, musicians, and community members come together.
Before launching the gallery, Natsoulas was involved in international human-rights work with Amnesty International, where he advocated against the imprisonment and torture of political prisoners in parts of Africa. His interest in social issues carried into the arts when he organized the “Artists for Amnesty” exhibition in 1986, using art as a way to raise awareness and support for human-rights causes. That same spirit of activism and community engagement has remained a theme throughout his work in Davis.
Over the decades, Natsoulas has become an energetic promoter of artists and arts education. Through exhibitions, lectures, poetry readings, and publications—more than 300 art books and catalogs—his gallery has supported artists from UC Davis and beyond, particularly in areas such as contemporary ceramics, Beat-era art, and California Funk Art. Events such as the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art (CCACA) and the Transmedia Art Walkhave helped position Davis as an active and influential center for visual arts in the region.
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