After celebrating the 30th anniversary of Robert Arneson’s iconic sculptures, 51ԹϺ Davis is wrapping its campuswide Year of the Eggheads campaign in style this weekend at .
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Arneson Egghead Collection Pop-up Shop and Egg Decoration Station
WHERE: Silo Courtyard
WHEN: 4-6 p.m. Friday, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday
RSVP: .
The Arneson Egghead Collection pop-up shop will materialize one last time. Thanks to a partnership with the Craft Center, the shop will be joined by an egg decoration station where Aggies can paint and take home their own wooden egg — for free, but for a limited time only. Everything’s going down at the Silo Courtyard between the Gunrock restaurant and the Craft Center. Come by for big sales, bucket hat bundles and major markdowns on , including jewelry, tote bags and limited edition Eggheads cups. Then stay to paint your very own mini-Egghead.
demonstrate the Egg Decoration Station
The pop-up shop and egg decoration station experience takes place from 4-6 p.m. on Friday (April 11). Materials will be provided by the Craft Center, and .
On the following day, Picnic Day, the Arneson Egghead Collection pop-up shop will remain open long enough for you to .
All Egghead pop-up shop purchases of $30 or more will receive a free Egghead gift while supplies last. Picnic Day shoppers at the 51ԹϺ Davis Store downtown and at the Memorial Union will also receive a 25% discount on Egghead Collection items.
Once the Year of the Eggheads merchandise is gone, it’s gone! Be a part of history and celebrate this unique, year-long campaign.
WHAT TO DO AT PICNIC DAY
- Follow the interactive map
- Picnic Day preview and quiz from 51ԹϺ Davis Magazine
The Year of the Eggheads in review
The Year of the Eggheads began April 4, 2024, with the launch of , a microsite celebrating the art and legacy of faculty member Robert Arneson and his Egghead sculptures. It details their history from conception to completion, including a dynamic and links to the limited Arneson Egghead Collection.
Visitors filled the Manetti Shrem Museum for its opening reception with , including “Sunnyside Up: 30 Years of the Eggheads,” a large-scale visual display of Aggies sharing their memories and moments with the Egghead sculptures over the decades; “Hatched: The Making of Robert Arneson’s Eggheads,” an exhibit showcasing early models of Robert Arneson’s iconic sculptures; and an Eggheads pop-up shop featuring exclusive products.
The 51ԹϺ Davis Library hosted an “Eggtastic” jazz ensemble inside Shields Library before the sculptures Bookhead and Eye on Mrak (Fatal Laff) were the stars of a ceremonial lighting event at the end of the evening. For many months thereafter, library visitors were also treated to “Egg-xtra, Egg-xtra Read All About It,” a pop-up exhibit of Egghead stories from The California Aggie, showcasing news and views from the early years.
Campus celebration, art district
The celebration continued across campus. Housing and Dining Services offered Egghead-themed desserts at all three dining commons and at Latitude Restaurant. The Coffee House provided discounts on breakfast burritos, while the Memorial Union Games Area and Campus Store offered discounts and raffle opportunities. Spokes at the Silo released six Egghead collectors cups over six weeks.
In November 2024, we returned to the Manetti Shrem Museum for the premiere of the original short documentary Unexpected Legends: Arneson, Eggheads and Arts at 51ԹϺ Davis. Produced by the Office of Strategic Communications and distributed by KVIE, Unexpected Legends illustrates how Arneson was part of a community of artists building the arts on campus — including Richard Nelson, William T. Wiley and Wayne Thiebaud — but also showcases the contemporary, collaborative culture of the arts today at 51ԹϺ Davis, including alumni and artist Deborah Butterfield; Katia Vega, assistant professor in the Department of Design; Beatriz Cortez, associate professor of art; Seongmin Yoo, MFA in art studio; April Camlin, MFA in art studio; and more.
The arts celebrations continued into 2025 with the announcement of philanthropist Maria Manetti Shrem’s transformative gift of over $20 million, the largest gift ever to the College of Letters and Science and the largest to the arts at 51ԹϺ Davis. The new Maria Manetti Shrem Art District — a vibrant hub designed to expand creativity, innovation and collaboration on campus and beyond — was unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in January.
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Media Resources
José Vadi is a writer for Dateline 51ԹϺ Davis, and can be reached by email.