Pizza Art

We started an art contest in the mid-1980s and have continued the tradition every few years or so since then. We now have over 300 pieces of Zachary’s pizza art from the past three decades! The winning artwork decorates the walls in all five of our restaurants. We love the art and the artists and are excited and honored to be able to share some of the art on our website!

Retro-style poster with fiery text saying It Came From... Zacharys Chicago Pizza. Features two flying pizzas and a surprised woman looking up. The background is colorful and chaotic, with a vintage sci-fi/horror theme.

Gaytha Watley

2005

This poster was inspired by Betty Page, Sci-Fi movies & pizza. Gaytha is a tattooer at Sacred Rose Tattoo in Berkeley. She also paints in oils and watercolors, and enjoys ceramics and sewing. “This piece was made with pen & ink. I sketch out the shapes in a light pencil, and build up an outline from there. I color it from light to dark, to keep the light colors from smudging.”

Colorful artwork of a person in bed, dreaming of a large pepperoni pizza. Text reads Dreaming of Zacharys Pizza. The room is filled with stars, a dresser with fruit, and a window showing a crescent moon.

Lauren Ari

2009

“Lauren’s art roars out of the deepest part of her psyche and arrives with great tenderness into the world… Fiercely honest, playful, erotic and provocative, she speaks directly to what is still unfettered in all of us, our wild, free, animal selves.” – Alison Luterman, poet

When I’m lucky -when I trust the processes- I experience a flow and receive what feels like a gift. Although my work is personal, I believe it taps into the universal, and I am looking to connect with others and myself more deeply. These are words I associate with my work: intuitive, awake, unstuffed, humorous, rhythmic, disturbing, engrossing, sexual, figurative, colorful, unique and complex. It is my hope that you will enjoy experiencing the work as much as I enjoy making it. – Lauren Ari

laurenari.com

A colorful painting of a butterfly with yellow and red wings. Above it is a sun with Zacharys written inside. Below, flowers in red, white, and blue, a bee hovering, and a brown rabbit are set against a blue sky background.

Pizza Butterfly

Emma Ruth, age 6

2012

“When I first mentioned the art contest to Emma (she was six at the time) her immediate response was “C’mon, let’s get started!” She then began producing sketches. One of these had a couple of butterfly’s, but originally with more normal butterfly wings with pizza slices as the wing pattern. I made the suggestion the design could be strengthened by having the wings BE pizza slices, and the final composition was arrived at!”

Retro sci-fi poster titled Forbidden Pizza features a robot holding a pizza. It advertises pizza with titles like Psycho Spinach and Bleu Velvet Cheese, with a UFO and alien landscape in the background.

Bill Crews

2009

Silhouettes of two men in a dramatic noir-style setting. One holds a steaming pizza at a doorway, while the other stands in a spotlight. Text reads Its in the Pie. The background suggests an urban night scene.

Pete Davis

2001

Illustrated poster titled Zacharys Deep Dish Pizza features a muscular man holding two steaming pizzas with World Famous and Champion on his belt. The background is red and orange with cartoon style typography.

Weightlifter

2005

Chuck Waite

Colorful mural featuring a stylized figure in traditional attire pointing toward a vibrant circular design with a sun face. The text Zacharys is above and In Any Age is below the circle. Brown background enhances the designs vivid colors.

Mayan Calendar

1990’s

Artist Unknown

Pop art style image of a woman and man about to kiss. Speech bubble from the man reads, I think Im falling in love! Zacharys Chicago Pizza is written in the top left corner.

ZAK WILSON

1992
I’m a big fan of pop art and wanted to create something in that style. The Roy Lichtenstein look fit the vibe of the idea. That and I wanted to win some free pizza. (The first time I ate Zachary’s) had to be in the mid 80’s sometime. A good friend worked at the Solano store so I was turned on to Zachary’s Pizza early in the game. That same friend is now one of the owners.

I’m a native of Berkeley and have been in the Bay Area my whole life. Aside from the cost of living what’s not to like about the Bay Area? All my immediate family is here. Good weather, culture, sports, food (hint, hint…). It’s one of many amazing places in the country…but this one happens to be home.

Colorful, whimsical illustration of people with pizzas on their heads. One holds a sign reading A pizza party in every box! The word Zacharys is featured prominently. A person cradles a cat with a slice of pizza, surrounded by stars and vibrant colors.

Party in a Box

2009

Lauren Ari

A man in a suit and bowler hat holds an umbrella, standing with his back facing the viewer. He gazes at an abstract artwork featuring dynamic red, black, and white swirls. The name Zacharys is at the top, with Its a matter of taste below.

Hannah de Vries

2015

My name is Hannah de Vries and art has been my passion from a very young age. My entry was inspired by a famous Norman Rockwell painting called “The Connoisseur.” I alluded to the uniqueness of Zachary’s Pizza by making comparisons to the historical context behind Abstract Expressionism of the 1940’s, a subject that I have studied in school. I worked tirelessly for about three days at a wonderful art gallery called ArtU4ia in downtown Martinez to complete this piece. The most fun I had working on it was by far doing the drip pizza; I loved getting messy and wild with the house paint!

I always loved seeing the art that hung on the walls at the Zachary’s College location, and I aspired to enter their art competition for years! Once the Pleasant Hill location opened up closer to my home town, I finally took the opportunity to create something that I was proud to call my own.

Illustrated poster for Zacharys Chicago Pizza. A red bicycle with pizza wheels is set against a landscape with greenery and a tall clock tower. BERKELEY CALIFORNIA is written at the bottom.

Red Bike on Campus

2009

Carolyn Jaegar

Cartoon of a person with exaggerated, large hair and blue glasses holding a big pizza. Text reads Big hair! and BIG pizza! at the sides. The name Zacharys is written at the bottom.

Craig Mcintire

1999

Colorful abstract painting featuring the bold word Zacharys in gold against a blue background, with swirling patterns and bright shapes in red, green, yellow, and orange surrounding it.

Starry Night

2005

Beata Engl

Silhouette of a howling wolf in front of a red crescent moon with the word Zacharys in red across the wolf. Perko is signed in the bottom right corner. Background is white surrounded by black.

Eric Perko

2015

A painting of a black and white dog sitting on a pink armchair, holding a slice of pizza in its mouth. The background is green with the text: Harrys a lucky dog he gets Zacharys!.

Lisa Hayle

2005

“I heard about Zachary’s Pizza through friends who also mentioned the awesome annual poster contest, which they had won in the past with an entry featuring their two adorable poodles. Soon after, I tasted the deep-dish yumminess for the first time…. I first saw Harry in 2002, while working briefly at the East Bay SPCA in Oakland. It was love at first sight.” – Lisa Hayle

Colorful underwater scene with a dolphin, pufferfish, purple fish, and pink seahorse surrounding a large clam with a pearl inside. Text reads Precious as a Pearl and Zacharys with bubbles and seaweed accents.

Naumi Emoto, 13 years old

2012

A vintage-style poster with the text The joy of eating Zacharys Chicago Pizza is why we come back again and again. Features illustrations of a smiling woman and man enjoying slices of pizza topped with pepperoni.

Marvin Ehrlich

2012

“My name is Marvin Ehrlich. May 29th, 2014, I will be 89 years old. It makes me happy to win a Zachary’s poster contest at my age. The right question is 75% of the solution. “What makes Zachary’s so successful?” became “The Joy of eating a Zachary’s pizza is why we come back again and again” (illustrated with a woman and a man joyfully eating a wedge of pizza). Good luck to you all.”

Bold, colorful poster for Zacharys Pizza showing a slice of pizza over a red circle, with Since 1983 beneath. The background is dark, and the text is bright yellow and red.

Lindsey Rosellini

2012

SOLD in our 2018 Art Sale and Fundraiser!

Childs drawing of Wild About with a zebra, crocodile, giraffe, flamingo, frog, and a palm tree. Two name cards: Zachary U. and Amber H. The animals are drawn in colorful, playful outlines against a light background.

Amber Huk

2007

Illustration of a bride and groom smiling and feeding each other pizza from a three-tiered stand labeled Zacharys. Text reads, Love is...3 tiers of Zacharys deep dish. A pizza slicer and roses are on the table.

Lori and William Wallace

2015

My son, William (13 yrs old) and I are deeply grateful to Zachary’s for the joy it brings our lives. Not only the DELICIOUS gluten free pizza (thank you, thank you!), but also the connection it weaves through community. We have monitored the art contest for years and have waited for the opening where time and creative spark would coincide and bring us to this moment of participation. And here we are! The inspiration behind this piece was to weave in the theme of “shared love”. What better depiction of shared love than a wedding day and the site of a loving groom feeding his delighted bride a slice of Zachary’s deep dish?! Love IS Zachary’s Pizza xo