The Dancing Pigs

The famous Dancing Pigs are located outside Peet's Coffee in The Marketplace shopping center. They were designed by Davis artist Donna Billick, and the eyes were done by Heidi Bekebrede. The inspiration for the piece, says Billick, comes from the following nursery rhyme:

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, dancing a jig;

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done.

I know the Albertson's atrocity has the reputation of being the worst sculpture in Davis, but my vote goes to the pigs. A close second is the pair of Hulk hands in Central Park by the same, dare I use the term, "artist". I don't get the sense from the Albertsons ugliness that it's seriously trying to be "ART". It may be ugly, but at least it's not pretentious. This cutsy bit screams "I am SOOOOOOO art." I'm sure every 3rd grader in Davis just loves the 3 little pigs. And the Hulk hands are almost worse: "I am sensitive, caring, ART." Who is the Billick person and how does she get away with this crapola? —GusTavo

2007-04-23 23:38:05   Donna is actually a very talented artist, GusTavo. Take Entomology 1 with a ceramics lab and you'll be introduced to her amazing large-scale ceramic and mosaic creations installed all over the United States. —EliseKane

2007-09-14 20:36:50   Having worked on the VOE 2007 Legacy, which took at least six hours with 120+ people working, this must've taken an unbelievably long time. The other oak the Entomology 1 class did is pretty cool, too. =) —KokoSorensen

2008-04-15 16:12:54   I'm sorry if this comment offends anyone, but I must say these pigs are a blatant eyesore. I hated them when my first saw them at age 3, and I hate them now. I've seen Donna's other work and I do agree she's a good artist, but not every star has a hit with everyone. —thelonepiper555