Artist of Conscience explores the life and work of Emmy Lou Packard (1914-1998), a remarkable artist known for her paintings, prints and murals, as well as her activism. Packard’s linoleum prints celebrated ordinary people — their work, their history and their environment. Her art was not overtly political, but expressed her progressive values. One of her signature images, Peace is a Human Right, shows three children, Asian, Black and White, seated around a sunflower. The message is framed in human terms — children are not political; they are just children.
Through artworks, photos and ephemera, the exhibition at Richmond Art Center will be organized around key periods of Packard’s life. Packard was mentored by Diego Rivera and became his principal assistant on the mural he painted on Treasure Island for the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1940 (currently on view at SFMOMA). During WWII Packard worked at Kaiser shipyard’s newspaper, Fore ‘n’ Aft, in Richmond. Later in life, Packard mentored a generation of mostly female and Chicana artists in the Bay Area. She also led the movement to save the Mendocino headlands from development.
This exhibition is curated by Robbin Légère Henderson and Rick Tejada-Flores.
Emmy Lou Packard: Artist of Conscience was made possible with support from The Jay DeFeo Foundation. Vital support was also provided by California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Top image: Emmy Lou Packard, Artichoke Picker, circa 1955, 17″ x 22″
Exhibition: April 6 – June 4, 2022 Reception: Saturday, April 2, 2pm-4pm Artist’s Talk: Saturday, April 30, 1pm Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Dewey Crumpler: Crossings asks us to consider the history, lived legacy and future impact of the global shipping industry. Presenting over 120 works, from sketches to large scale paintings, the exhibition represents Crumpler’s twenty-five years of investigation into the beauty and power of ribbed, metal cargo boxes.
In Crumpler’s work shipping containers are dense metaphors; encompassing stories of mass migration, transformation and voyages destined to be repeated. They trace transatlantic trade routes that emerged in the 15th century and are still used today. They also show industry that has irrevocably shaped port cities like San Francisco, Oakland and Richmond. Through connecting historical and contemporary systems, time in Crumpler’s work becomes a loop of rebirth and decline pressed forward through the crossing of water. Crumpler explains, “At the heart of these works is memory.”
Thank you to Marguerite Thompson Browne for her assistance in organizing this exhibition.
Dewey Crumpler: Crossings nos pide que consideremos la historia, el legado vivido y el impacto de la industria del transporte marítimo global en el futuro. Con más de 120 obras, desde bocetos hasta pinturas de gran escala, la exposición representa los veinticinco años que Crumpler ha investigado la belleza y el poder de las cajas de carga de metal acanalado.
En la obra de Crumpler, los contenedores marítimos son densas metáforas; abarcando historias de migraciones masivas, transformaciones y viajes destinados a repetirse. Trazan rutas comerciales transatlánticas que surgieron en el siglo XV y todavía se utilizan en la actualidad. También muestran la industria que ha dado forma irrevocablemente a ciudades portuarias como San Francisco, Oakland y Richmond. A través de la conexión de sistemas históricos y contemporáneos, el tiempo en el trabajo de Crumpler se convierte en un bucle de renacimiento y declive que avanza a través del cruce del agua. Crumpler explica: “En el corazón de estas obras está la memoria”.
Gracias a Marguerite Thompson Browne por su ayuda en la organización de esta exposición.
To Image: Dewey Crumpler, Untitled 1, 2017, Acrylic and mixed media on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist and Jenkins Johnson Gallery
Exhibition: April 6 – June 3, 2022 Opening Reception: Saturday, April 2, 2pm-4pm Artists’ Talk (online): Thursday, May 12, 7pm-8:30pm RSVP HERE Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
In its second edition, Right Here, Right Now: A Biennial of Richmond Art presents the work of eight Richmond artists selected for their risk-taking and visionary creative practices.
About the Program: Right Here, Right Now, Richmond, was born in the winter of 2020 with the purpose of creating a platform to equitably grow and sustain innovative art practices for Richmond artists and audiences. The 2020 gathering brought together 29 local artists in an exhibition that put forward the dynamic and groundbreaking work being made in our city. In true celebration of the vibrancy of Richmond, this exhibition is now presented biennially – to showcase the incredible diversity in art practice, mediums, and lived experiences that make up our community.
Nadie es ilegal en tierra robada / Nobody is illegal on stolen land
Exhibition: April 6 – May 21, 2022 Opening Reception: Saturday, April 2, 2pm-4pm Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
In this exhibition, Berkeley-based photographer Diamela Cutiño presents a series of photographs that document the “March for Freedom,” highlighting the power of Northern and Southern Indigenous solidarity movements.
In November of 2021, a coalition of Indigenous women organized the inaugural “March for Freedom,” a four-day pilgrimage to honor Indigenous children whose lives have been taken by boarding schools, missions, orphanages, police brutality, and crossing the border. The pilgrimage began in Los Angeles and culminated in San Diego, where different Indigenous communities and Nations rallied in front of the Otay Mesa Immigration Detention Center announcing their solidarity with the immigrant community and the Indigenous children currently imprisoned there; they commanded that the indigenous children be set free.
Cutiño’s vivid portraits capture the heart and the power of those on the front lines commanding an end to the established and continuing colonial practice of separating Indigenous children from their families. This series of photographs offers a glimpse into the intersectional struggles and strong solidarity networks between Indigenous, immigrant, and Black and Brown communities.
Diamela Cutiño is a photographic storyteller born and raised in Havana, Cuba. Cutiño is most known for her work documenting Black existence. This body of work represents Cutiño’s most recent project documenting Indigenous culture and the emotional and spiritual undertones of freedom movements.
This exhibition is part of the Art of the African Diaspora: Luminaries Series, and is generously funded by the East Bay Fund for Artists.
Top Image: Diamela Cutiño, Nadie es ilegal en tierra robada 001, 2021
Art of the African Diaspora: Luminaries
Luminaries is a series of four solo exhibitions that shine a spotlight on the remarkable work of four artists who have participated in Art of the African Diaspora but who have maintained an inconspicuous public image throughout their storied artistic careers. The four exhibitions will be presented in the West Gallery throughout 2022, as part of the 25th anniversary of Art of the African Diaspora.
Exhibition: April 6 – May 14, 2022 Reception: Tuesday, April 19, 5:00pm-6:30pm (Award Presentation at 5:45pm) Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Celebrating the wealth of student artistic talent in West Contra Costa Unified School District!
In its 56th year the WCCUSD Student Art Show presents work by over 300 students from 12 different schools. This teacher-curated exhibition demonstrates best practices in delivering an art-based curriculum. It also represents Richmond Art Center and WCCUSD’s shared vision that art education is a crucial component of a thriving and productive society.
Participating Schools: Betty Reid Soskin Middle School, De Anza High School, El Cerrito High School, Fred T. Korematsu Middle School, Helms Middle School, Hercules High School, Hercules Middle School, John F. Kennedy High School, Mira Vista School, Pinole Middle School, Pinole Valley High School, Richmond High School
Artistic Achievement Awardees: Yvette Bennett (Pinole Valley High School), Isabella Shapland (El Cerrito High School), Chandy Viridet (Richmond High School), Navi Emiliano (Hercules High School), Roderick Alexander (Kennedy High School), Moncerrat Gudino Valdez (Richmond High School)
Honorable Mention Recipients: Lindsey Le (Hercules High School), Myleyby Mora Reyes (Richmond High School), Shawn Aden (Pinole Valley High School), Sophia Ly (Pinole Valley High School), Taifu Ma (El Cerrito High School), Angela Soriano (De Anza High School), Melissa Ruiz (Richmond High School), Odalis Martinez (Richmond High School), Ginger Kennedy Loy (Fred T. Korematsu Middle School), Akira Chhysengdara (Helms Middle School)
¡Celebrando la riqueza del talento artístico de los estudiantes en el Distrito Escolar Unificado de West Contra Costa!
En su 56° año, la Expocision de Arte Estudiantil del WCCUSD presenta el trabajo de más de 300 estudiantes de 12 escuelas diferentes. Esta exposición curada por maestros demuestra las mejores prácticas para ofrecer un plan de estudios basado en el arte. También representa la visión compartida de Richmond Art Center y WCCUSD de que la educación artística es un componente crucial de una sociedad próspera y productiva.
Escuelas participantes: Betty Reid Soskin Middle School, De Anza High School, El Cerrito High School, Fred T. Korematsu Middle School, Helms Middle School, Hercules High School, Hercules Middle School, John F. Kennedy High School, Mira Vista School, Pinole Middle School, Pinole Valley High School, Richmond High School
Premiados por logros artísticos: Yvette Bennett (Pinole Valley High School), Isabella Shapland (El Cerrito High School), Chandy Viridet (Richmond High School), Navi Emiliano (Hercules High School), Roderick Alexander (Kennedy High School), Moncerrat Gudino Valdez (Richmond High School)
Mención de Honor: Lindsey Le (Hercules High School), Myleyby Mora Reyes (Richmond High School), Shawn Aden (Pinole Valley High School), Sophia Ly (Pinole Valley High School), Taifu Ma (El Cerrito High School), Angela Soriano (De Anza High School), Melissa Ruiz (Richmond High School), Odalis Martinez (Richmond High School), Ginger Kennedy Loy (Fred T. Korematsu Middle School), Akira Chhysengdara (Helms Middle School)
Top Image: Artwork by Myleyby Mora Reyes, Richmond High School
Above Images: Artwork by (left) Tajah Mitchell (John F. Kennedy High School); and (right) Luis Camarena Morales (Pinole Valley High School)
The inaugural spotlight showcases the work of Bradley Holmes, a long-time student and member of the ceramic’s community at Richmond Art Center. The selected works consist of vessels that demonstrate Holmes’ focus on the simplicity and beauty of the form of everyday objects.
Originally from Regional Victoria, Australia, Holmes began making pottery after moving to the United States to study at UC Berkeley. Holmes was introduced to ceramics by a friend and fellow student while looking for a creative outlet to balance his studies in Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley. He soon developed a love of the tactile, fluid and meditative journey that one takes with a piece of clay on its way to becoming a permanent object.
“I am originally from Melbourne, Australia and have lived in the bay area for the past 20 years. I have worked out of the pottery studio at the Richmond Art Center for the past 8, and love its people, community and creative atmosphere.”
About the Student Spotlight Series:Student Spotlight is a monthly exhibition that showcases the outstanding work being made by student artists at Richmond Art Center. Located at the east end of the Community Gallery, this rotating exhibition space is dedicated to celebrating the creative talent and growing art practice of our student artist community.
If you are a student at Richmond Art Center and are interested in having your work showcased please submit your work for consideration through this online form.
A survey of Richmond Work by Rebeca García-González
Exhibition: January 20 – March 19, 2022* Closing Reception: Sunday, March 13, 12pm-2pm* Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10am-2pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Presenting landscapes, portraits and drawings by Rebeca García-González, Feels Like Home is a visual tour of Richmond’s natural, industrialized and human beauty, as it exists side-by-side.
Feels Like Home also marks the unveiling of García-González’s new permanent mural at Richmond Art Center, We Found Joy In Art-Making / Encontramos La Felicidad Haciendo Arte (2021). Painted over a month in December 2021, the work was created with assistance by Richmond youth, Leslie Poblano and Denise Campos.
Thank you to John Wehrle for his technical assistance, and Rhonda Rosenblatt and her husband Stan for their generous support during installation.
This project is made possible with generous support from Blue Shield California.
*Exhibition and reception dates subject to change in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Image: Rebeca García-González, We Found Joy in Art-Making / Encontramos La Felicidad Haciendo Arte (detail), 2022
Es Mi Casa
Richmond Obra de Rebeca García-González
Exposición: 20 de enero – 19 de marzo de 2022* Recepción de Clausura: Domingo, 13 de marzo, 12pm-2pm* Horario de la galería: jueves a sábado, de 10 a. m. a 2 p. m. Ubicación: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Con paisajes, retratos y dibujos de Rebeca García-González, la exposición Es Mi Casa destaca un recorrido visual por la belleza natural, industrializada y humana de Richmond.
Es Mi Casa también incluye la presentación del nuevo mural permanente de García-González en el Centro de Arte de Richmond, titulado We Found Joy In Art-Making / Encontramos La Felicidad Haciendo Arte (2021). Pintado durante el mes en diciembre de 2021, el mural fue creado con la ayuda de las jóvenes Leslie Poblano y Denise Campos, ambas residentes de Richmond.
Exhibition: January 20 – March 19, 2022* Closing Reception: Sunday, March 13, 12pm-2pm* Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10am-2pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Dreamforms is a look into the whimsical imaginations of two Richmond-based ceramicists, Lauren Ari and Julio del Rio.
Through a selection of works that include colorful ceramic figures and works on paper, this exhibition explores the intrinsic relationship between the imagined form and the material form.
Both Ari and del Rio approach ceramics as a medium that offers a magical ability to materialize dreams and imaginations into physical realities. Both artists adopt a multidisciplinary approach to their creative process and often take inspiration from their dreams, personal experiences, and imagined realities. Dreamforms highlights the artistic practice that both artists adopt in playing between the ethereal and the corporeal by manifesting visions onto paper and materializing these visions into ceramic forms.
From Julio del Rio’s textured ceramic busts to Lauren Ari’s storied ceramic vessels, Dreamforms opens up a conversation between the imagined and the material.
ALSO SEE: Virtual Exhibition curated by Lauren Ari and Julio del Rio showcasing ceramic art made by NIAD artists. Presented by NIAD Art Center. *coming March 2022*
*Exhibition and reception dates subject to change in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the Artists:
Lauren Ari: Lauren Ari is an artist and educator based in Richmond, California. She holds a Masters in Fine Arts from U.C. Davis after undergraduate study at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her primary focus is on drawing and sculpture. Lauren’s work is in the permanent collections of the Legion of Honor Achenbach Foundation and the De Young Museum. “Lauren Ari’s art roars out of the deepest part of her psyche and arrives with great tenderness into the world. It is fiercely honest, playful and provocative. She speaks directly what is still unfettered in all of us, our wild, free, animal selves.” — Poet Alison Luterman
Julio del Rio: Julio Del Rio is an artist from NIAD in Richmond, CA. He has assembled a small militia of powerful and strange, sometimes humanoid, ceramics figures (frequently seen on paper or canvas as well). Some are based on modern and post-modern sculptures by the likes of Jeff Koons or George Condo. Many of the figures sport a skin etched with text or symbols, creating a connection back in time with the terracotta warriors of ancient China. But, unlike the uniform drabness of the funerary sculptures, Del Rio’s pieces are glazed in bursts of colors.
Image: Lauren Ari, Sleeping with death, 2010, Clay. Courtesy of the Artist
Richmond Art Center Exhibition: January 20 – March 19, 2022 Reception: Sunday, March 6 – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO RSVP (required) Closing Event: Saturday, March 19, 12pm-2pm – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10am-2pm Location: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Venues throughout the Bay Area Details published in the Art of the African Diaspora Catalog (pick up a copy at Richmond Art Center!) Open Studios: Saturdays and Sundays, February 26-27; March 5-6; March 12-13 Satellite Exhibitions: Throughout January, February and March
ABOUT ART OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA 2022
Art of the African Diaspora, in partnership with Richmond Art Center, supports artists of African descent in the Bay Area through representation, professional development, and building a creative community.
In 2022 we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition at Richmond Art Center! Over 100 artists of African descent will showcase their work at Richmond Art Center, as well as in open studios and satellite exhibitions at different venues across the Bay Area. CLICK HERE to learn about the history of this special event.
Artistic Achievement Awardees 2020-2021: Tiffany Conway, Val Kai, and Fan Lee Warren (featured in 2022 exhibition)
Artistic Achievement Awardees 2022: Derrick Bell, Cynthia Brannvall, Pryce Jones (to be featured in 2023 exhibition)
Participating Artists (organized by first name): Abi Mustapha, Ajuan Mance, Akeem Raheem, Akili Simba, Alan Edward Dillard, Alix Magloire, Andrea McCoy Harvey, Angela Douglas, Anjuelle Floyd, Anna W Edwards, Antt’Smalls @AnttonioDesigns, Arthur Norcome, Ashara Ekundayo, Ashlei Reign, Atiba Thomas, Bahiya Spaulding, Bernadette Robertson, Bertrell Smith, Brianna Mills, Carla Golder, Carla Oden, Charles Curtis Blackwell, Christina Beni, Chuck Harlins, Claude Lockhart Clark, Cori Pillows, Cynthia Brannvall, Damon Powell, Daniel F. White, Dawn Rudd, Derrick Bell, Diamela Cutiño, Diasporic Sol, Doitshā Lexington, Donna Gatson, Donna Meke’da Bradley, Duane M Conliffe, Dulama LeGrande, Elishes Cavness III, Elmarise Owens, Ester M. Armstrong, Fan Lee Warren, Floyd Brown, Frederick S. Franklin, Gene Dominique, Halisi Noel-Johnson, Hilda Robinson, Iam4muze-Mianta, Iconic Vinyl Art, Irene Bee Kain, J. Inez, J.B. Broussard, James Knox, Janet Barnes, Janet M. Sheard, Jimi Evins, Joseph Robinson, Julie Atkinson, Justice Renaissance, Karen J. Anthony, Karen Smith, karinsArt – karin turner, Kelvin Curry, Kevin Lance Daniels, Kiesha White, Kim Champion, Kimberly Johnson, Kwahuumba, Latisha Baker, Lawrence Buford, LHolley, Lorraine Bonner, Louise Schine, Malik Seneferu, Marguerite T. Browne, Mark Sublett, Melanin Buford, Naomi Floyd, NoPrints, Nunu Kidane, Olubori G. Babaoye, Orlonda Uffre, Osaze Seneferu, Ozell Hudson Jr, Patricia Patterson, Paul Gladden, Paula deJoie, Paula Vaughan, Pete Dent, Photosynthesis By Ronwired, Pryce Jones, Raven Harper, Raymond L. Haywood, Renata Gray, Ron Calime, Ron Moultrie Saunders, Saida Hogan Nassirruddin, Shanju, Shawna Kinard, SiGiDiArt, Stephanie Anne Johnson and Kevin Myrick, Stephen Bruce, Stevens Jay Carter, Suzane Beaubrun, Thomas Harden, Tiffany Conway, Tomye, Val Kai, Valerie Brown-Troutt, Vaughn Filmore, VirgiNia Jourdan, Wanda Sabir, Will Johnson, Xan Blood Walker, Xioneida Ruiz, Yolanda Holley, Yolanda Patton “ThaSun”, Zoë Boston
Art of the African Diaspora is produced by a Steering Committee of dedicated participating artists.
CLICK HERE if you would like to make a financial contribution to the event.
100% of your donation will go to the Steering Committee who is committed to working with Black-owned businesses to make Art of the African Diaspora a success.
Every day we must struggle to stay focused on saving this beautiful planet
Mural designed and painted by youth of the S.P.O.T.S (Supporting People’s Outlooks, Talents and Speech) class at Richmond Art Center
Everyday We Must Struggle To Stay Focused On Saving This Beautiful Planetis a mural designed and painted by youth artists at Richmond Arts Center. Students in the class brainstormed and collaborated on creating this piece that focuses on the changing climate, possible causes, and creative strategies to bettering ourselves and the environment. Each participant contributed images that reflect a polarizing question of our day, When will we prioritize our earth over man’s advancement?
In the mural from the right, going clockwise, you will see an upside down city, symbolizing the extreme opposite of a well adjusted humanity. A grave yard below the city with ghost rising represents our ancestors whose energy contributed to the present. The graveyard is a space of limbo questioning the consequences of decisions made in the past. In the background there is a mandala like light source shining onto a person with their fist up showing support to the center image of a monumental figure holding a floating earth above the head of a small girl. The small girl symbolizes knowledge and learned behaviors received from the elders. These figures bravely exist next to a burning tiger and a bleeding tree, symbols of a collapsing environment terminally affecting all our relations, i.e. people, animals, trees… As we look to the top left of the mural we see a flying bee, who according to the international conservation nonprofit Earthwatch Institute is the most important species on earth and a person in a meditative pose rising above these act as symbols of life and possible solutions to human made turmoil.
“Every day we must struggle to stay focused on saving this beautiful planet,” is a quote by activist , artist, and healer Jorge Guillermo Perez Molina.
Directed By Fredericko Alvarado, Assisted by Keena Romano
Please join on Saturday, August 28, 2pm via YouTube to celebrate the launch of this new mural and hear from the artists about their experiences creating it.
