Patrons of Trader Joe’s in Menlo Park have long seen Michael Denning behind the counter, punching the cash register and bagging their groceries.
Now they can see what he does when he’s off the clock by dropping by Cafe Zoe in Menlo Park, where an exhibit of Mr. Denning’s artwork is on display.
A collection of his collages and photographs will be shown through July, with a reception scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at the cafe, located at 1929 Menalto Ave., in the Willows neighborhood.
In addition to creating his own artwork, Mr. Denning volunteers in Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall, teaching kids to make art as a way to change their lives — just as it helped him change his own life, he says. A Half Moon Bay resident, he is a recovering drug addict, clean for five years, he adds.
He studied art at Brooks College in Sunnyvale early on his road to recovery, and a large collage he created during that period is permanently installed in Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall’s courtroom waiting room. Its theme, he says, touches on addiction and recovery.
Most of the collages in the Cafe Zoe exhibit are reflective of the style of art he focuses on when working with the youth in juvenile hall — art that makes powerful statements about life’s journey and challenges.
“The majority of my art is meant to provoke thought,” Mr. Denning says. “It’s to make people strive for change, to want to do better in their lives. It’s to make them want to strive to create something for themselves.”
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