14th Annual

Davis Jazz Beat Festival

October 23 - 24, 2026

In honor of the incredible legacy of Beat poets, musicians, and artists, the John Natsoulas Gallery will host a two-day event dedicated to the arts that defined a generation in the Bay Area. Join us to experience live music, poetry readings, and performance painting! All events will take place at the John Natsoulas Gallery or across the street at the Davis Commons.

All ages are welcome and the admission is free!

Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest

We are excited to bring back the Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest at 14th Annual Davis Jazz Beat Festival to keep the spirits of the Beat Generation alive. The poetry contest seeks to find the up and coming writers who embody the sense of counter-revolution and anti-establishment that reflect the spirit of William Burroughs’s Naked Lunch, Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl“ and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. Participation is free for everyone. Submission is limited to three poems, and entries must be submitted by October 8.

Submissions can be sent to [email protected]

Schedule of Events

Friday, October 23

Location - John Natsoulas Gallery

5:30 pm - Linda Bair Dance Group Performance

6:00 pm - Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest Award Announcements*

7:00 pm - John Natsoulas, Ted Fontaine, Tony Novelozo, CJ Borges, and More!

7:30 pm - Tongo Eisen-Martin Poetry Reading

*Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest
Winners and 20 poets will be chosen to be in the Jack Kerouac Poetry Contest review (art and poetry publication), in conjunction with the 14th annual Davis Jazz Beat Festival. With cash prizes and publication for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Honorable mentions will have the opportunity to read alongside Dr. Andy Jones and Tongo Eisen-Martin.

Saturday, October 24

Location - Davis Commons Stage

2:00 pm - Davis High School Jazz Band, with painter Adam Forfang

3:00 pm - Sacramento State Jazz Band, with painter Laura Hohlwein

4:00 pm - Quiet Nacho, with poet Brad Buchanan and painter Lacee Hodge

5:00 pm - Jimmy Toor Trio, with poet and painter Philippe Gandiol

6:00 pm - Geo Harpistry & Saxophonist Camille Kerani & DJ Salenie, with TBA painter

Location - John Natsoulas Gallery

7:15 pm - Nancy Ostrovsky Performance Painting

8:15 pm - Rooftop Dance Party

Sponsored by

James A. Kidd Foundation for the Arts

The Artist Tree

Davis High School Jazz Band

Jimmy Toor Trio

Sacramento State Combo Band

Quiet Nacho

Performers

Musicians

GEO x Salenie with Camille Kerani

GEO and Salenie are a dynamic DJ-harp duo based in the Bay Area. They blend traditional harp with upbeat electronic jazz and more, and they are known for performing at Super Bowl LX. Camille Kerani is a genre bending saxophonist from Berkeley, who has emerged as one of the most unique voices in contemporary jazz.

Ted Fontaine Trio

Adam Forfang

Painters

Philippe Gandiol

Philippe Gandiol is an award winning Northern California painter who was born and raised in France and immigrated to the United States in his early 20’s. He pursued an independent program of study taking classes in France, San Francisco, and Sacramento and with several renowned West Coast painters. Philippe likes to paint a variety of subjects like landscapes, cityscapes, still life, and figures “en plein air” or in the studio.

Adam Forfang is a dedicated visual artist from San Pablo, California whose work is deeply influenced by his surroundings. His art ranges from capturing atmospheric landscapes to exploring color and composition in still lifesand portraits. In addition to his artistic practice, Forfang has taught art for over 15 years, spanning from elementary to college levels.

Laura Hohlwein

Laura Hohlwein is a contemporary abstract painter working in Northern California. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Vermont College and an M.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Art from Transart Institute in Austria. She is also an educator and a published poet.

Nancy Ostrovsky

Nancy Ostrovsky was born in North Africa and lived in various countries in Asia. Her early influences in Asia permeate her work in a way that is uniquely original. Her paintings reflect some of the reflections of growing up in different Asian countries particularly Taiwan, the Philippines and Bangladesh. Living in these countries, left images and reflections about universal themes of human aloneness and human interactions that take place everywhere and in all cultures.

She has exhibited her work across the world, and she is considered a premiere pioneer in the field of “painting to music” performance art. Nancy is a master at improvising with paint; she uses the immediacy of the musicians, the music and the environment to record the performance. She has collaborated with countless musicians of the highest caliber in significant venues around the globe. Ostrovsky uses the immediacy of the musicians, the music and environment to create performance that are highly original and innovative.

Dr. Andy Jones

Andy Jones has taught for the English Department and the University Writing Program at the University of California, Davis, since 1990. Originally trained as a poet and interpreter of poetry, Andy has taught classes at UC Davis on TS Eliot, the Poetry of the Beat Generation, and Close Reading of Poetry, as well as the Advanced Poetry Writing Workshop.

Since 2000 Dr. Andy has hosted “Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour” on radio station KDVS. He organizes and runs the bi-monthly Poetry Night at the John Natsoulas Gallery every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month.

Poets

Tongo Eisen-Martin

Originally from San Francisco, Tongo Eisen-Martin is a poet, movement worker, and educator. His curriculum on extrajudicial killing of Black people, We Charge Genocide Again, has been used as an educational and organizing tool throughout the country. His book titled, "Someone's Dead Already" was nominated for a California Book Award. His book "Heaven Is All Goodbyes" was published by the City Lights Pocket Poets series, was shortlisted for the Griffins Poetry Prize and won a California Book Award and an American Book Award. His latest book “Blood On The Fog” was named one of the New York Times poetry books of the year. In 2020, he co-founded Black Freighter Press to publish revolutionary works. He was San Francisco’s eighth poet laureate.