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Apply for the Richmond Artist Residency Program

We’re excited to announce, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the second iteration of the Richmond Artist Residency program!

About the Residency: The Richmond Art Residency (RAR) will support an emerging or mid-career artist to pursue their creative work while also engaging with the community in Richmond. Residency activities include a dedicated studio space for 8-months, and opportunities to teach, exhibit, take classes, and learn best practices for community-based arts programming. The selected RAR artist will receive a $8,000 stipend, plus competitive hourly rates for any teaching time. 

Program Overview:

  • Artist Stipend: $8,000 (plus hourly pay for any teaching time)
  • Duration of Residency: Eight months (October 2024 – May 2025)
  • Discipline: Visual Art
  • Facilities Access
    • Dedicated Studio: Light-filled 250 square foot private studio equipped with a worktable, storage, chair and sink
    • Communal studios: Access to RAC’s shared visual arts studios and equipment, including the painting studio, ceramics studio, textiles studio, printmaking studio, metals studio (during pre-approved times)

Eligibility / Who Should Apply: The residency is open to emerging, mid-career and underrepresented Bay Area artists who work in all visual art disciplines. Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Mandarin applicants, as well as applicants with a connection to Richmond, are especially encouraged to apply. A key tenet of the residency is for the artist to learn best practices for engaging with the community as artists and/or teaching artists, so we encourage artists with experience or strong interest in learning best practices in arts education to apply!

Residency Activities:

  • PRIVATE STUDIO / PERSONAL CREATIVE PRACTICE: The RAR artist will have access to a light-filled 250 square foot private studio equipped with a worktable, storage, chair and sink. The artist will have their own key and can access the studio anytime during daylight hours. They also have access to RAC’s shared/communal visual arts studios and equipment (during pre-approved times).
  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / TEACHING ACTIVITIES: With support from RAC program staff (Education and Exhibitions) the RAR artist will develop a community engagement strategy to lead art-making opportunities with the community.
  • STUDIO SKILL BUILDING: The RAR artist is invited to take classes at RAC to develop new skills and multidisciplinary practice. Studio focuses are Jewelry & Metal Arts, Printmaking, Ceramics, Fiber Art, Glass Arts and Painting/Drawing/Mixed Media. The RAR artist will have access to technical equipment and support in each studio from training Teaching Artists.
  • EXHIBITION / PUBLIC PROGRAM (OPTIONAL): Within the first quarter (2 months) of the residency the artist can determine if they would like to work towards an exhibition or public presentation of their work at RAC. The exhibition may include recent work or work made during the residency. The RAR artist is encouraged to invite community collaborators to participate if appropriate.

Application Review Process: A selection committee of community professionals and Richmond Art Center staff will review all applications based on the criteria: Artistic Merit, Community Connection, and Potential (to benefit from the residency). Finalist candidates will be invited to participate in short zoom meetings to discuss the residency opportunity. Selected candidate will be determined by the end of June 2024.

Contact us at admin@richmondartcenter.org with questions!

About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center’s mission is to be a catalyst in Richmond for learning and living through art. Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with community since 1936. Our programs encompass art classes, exhibitions and events at our facility in downtown Richmond, as well as off-site activities that bring free art making experiences to district schools and community partners.

*The deadline to apply for this residency is Friday, May 24, 2024. Unfortunately a flyer was printed with an incorrect deadline on it, we apologize if this has caused confusion. May 24 is the correct deadline. – RAC Staff, 3/1/24

Top Image: The Richmond Artist Residency was launched in 2022 with Liberación Gráfica as artists-in-residence.

New Classes this Spring!

New Classes this Spring!

Check out these new classes coming to our studios this spring.

Stitch by Stitch

In this introductory embroidery methods, students will learn basic stitches, techniques for interpreting imagery into textiles, and create a self-portrait for their final project.

Tuesdays, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Apr 9 – May 14

Learn more…

A Painter’s Process

If you are looking for community in your art making process, join us in the studio. Students will work on your own projects with the support of the instructor and the feedback of the other artists in the class.

Tuesdays, 1pm-4pm, Apr 9 – May 28

Learn more…

Knit a Fair Isle Hat!

If you can knit rib stitch and decrease, then you can learn how to decorate hats with fun, repeating patterns!

Fridays, 10am-12pm, Mar 29-Apr 5

Learn more…

Bezel Ring Making with Silver & Stone

Learn how to set a gemstone in a classic bezel setting. Instructor will demo creating a bezel, different seat options, adding the band and then setting the stone. Students will then design and create their own rings.

Fridays, 10:30am-1:30pm, Mar 29 – May 3

Learn more…

Still Life Watercolor Painting

Create compelling, original still-life compositions building on foundational skills developed in the Beginning Watercolor class. We will learn how to paint light and shadow to create the illusion of volume, apply color theory to mix colors and practice the basic rules of perspective.

Saturdays, 10am-12pm, Apr 6 – May 11

Learn more…

Go Wild! African Animals in Mixed Media

Let your creative juices “go wild” using mixed media such as colored pencil, pastel pencils, water soluble pencils, and more.

Thursdays, 10am-12:30pm, Apr 25 – May 30

Learn more…

Metal Forming Basics

In this class we explore the foundational techniques of metal forming. We will learn how to use drawplates, the rolling mill, chasing and repoussé, press plates and how to use our a 20 ton press!

Wednesdays, 5:30pm-8:30pm, Mar 27 – May 1

Learn more…

Press Release: Artists Announced for Richmond Biennial Exhibition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 21, 2024

ARTISTS ANNOUNCED FOR RICHMOND BIENNIAL EXHIBITION

Right Here, Right Now, Richmond
Third Richmond Biennial of Art
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Exhibition Dates: September 4 – November 21, 2024

Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center announces the seven artists selected to present work in Right Here, Right Now, Richmond. In its third iteration, this biennial exhibition celebrates local, visionary art and ideas through commissioning new artwork from artists who either live or work in Richmond, California.

The 2024 RHRN artists are Anthony DelgadoArt Hazelwoode bondErin McCluskey WheelerHelia PouyanfarQuinn Keck, and Taro Hattori.

The Biennial exhibition will be presented at Richmond Art Center and curated by Roberto Martinez. It will run from September 4 through November 21. Richmond Art Center is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804. This program is funded, in part, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

e bond makes digital spaces by day, handmade books by night, hangs out with trees on weekends and
writes something close to poems in the spaces between. Under the studio name roughdrAftbooks, she makes one-of-a-kind artists books, printed matter and abstract drawings that merge and blur the boundaries of art, craft, design and poetry. e holds a BFA from Moore College and an MFA from Mills College. ebondwork.com, @eisroughdraft

Anthony Delgado is a Californian by birth and by nature. His starting point in art was as a painter, attending UMASS in Amherst, and Cal for degrees in Fine Art. After working in graphic design for over 30 years, photography is now Delgado’s principal artistic pursuit. His recent work focuses on capturing the “decisive moment”, when animate and inanimate, emotion and action combine to form a singular image. www.anthonydelgado.com

Taro Hattori is an interdisciplinary artist who has shown his installations and socially engaged projects nationally and internationally. His recent work often creates relationships between physical sculpture and space with people with a specific socio-political background through their performances, conversations and singing. He is currently teaching at CCA the chair of Sculpture and Individualized Programs. www.tarohattori.com

For over 35 years Art Hazelwood has created politically charged prints, working with dozens of organizations from arts organizations to unions to grassroots movements. He taught printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute where he founded the San Francisco Poster Syndicate, which brings together political poster makers to work with activists. UC Santa Cruz Special Collections has established an archive of approximately 300 of his political prints. www.arthazelwood.com

Quinn Keck is a multidisciplinary artist working across traditional printmaking, painting, and digital mediums to create dialogues on the human experience. Instead of portraying just the physical form of people, places, and objects, Quinn abstracts layers to discuss identity, memory, perception, and grief – exploring the absurdity of making patterns in a chaotic world in their work. www.quinnkeck.com, @running.from.the.silence.press

Erin McCluskey Wheeler, born and raised in, and current resident of, Richmond, CA,  is a mixed media artist, writer, curator, and teacher. Erin is a studio facilitator at NIAD Art Center in Richmond and teaches online with 92NY. Erin holds a BA in studio art and art history from Beloit College, and an MFA from California College of the Arts in writing. erinmccluskey.com@erinmwheeler

Helia Pouyanfar was born in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to California in 2014. Inspired by her cultural background, her architectural sculptures and research endeavors to illustrate and investigate the permanently transient state of the refugee body and its negotiation and reconciliation with Place. She received her BA from University of California, Berkeley and her MFA from University of California, Davis. heliapouyanfar.com,
@heliapouyanfar

About Richmond Art Center
Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with the community since 1936. Our programs encompass classes, exhibitions and events at our facility in downtown Richmond, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools and community partners. richmondartcenter.org
 
For more information contact:
Amy Spencer, amy@richmondartcenter.org

 

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Call for Student Art! Exhibition Opportunity

Have Your Work Featured in the Spring Student Showcase

All media! All levels of experience! No entry fees!

Exhibition Dates: April 10June 14, 2024

About the Exhibition: Presented in the Community Gallery, the Student Showcase is a juried show of artwork by current and recent Richmond Art Center students. 6 to 12 artists will have their work selected for the exhibition, with an emphasis on presenting multiple pieces (2+) by the same artist to demonstrate students working in series and diving deeper into their chosen media or themes. Artworks will be selected by Richmond Art Center staff using the criteria: Artist Excellence and Diversity of Media/Themes.

Eligibility: All students who have taken a class or workshop at Richmond Art Center in the past three years are eligible to enter. Entries may include work done in a RAC class, or work completed over a period of time in response to techniques, processes or themes a student explored in a class at Richmond Art Center. All artwork media and sizes will be considered. See Terms at bottom of this webpage for more info.

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Deadline to Enter: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 11:59pm
  • Artist Notification: By Monday, March 11, 2024
  • Artwork Drop Off: Saturday, March 16, 10am-1pm OR Monday, March 18, 10am-1pm
  • Exhibition Dates: Wednesday, April 10Friday, June 14, 2024
  • Reception: Thursday, April 18, 5pm-7pm
  • Artwork Pick Up: Saturday, June 15, 10am-1pm

Prepare Your Artwork Submission:

  • Artwork submissions must be original work created in 2021 or later
  • Students may submit minimum 1, and up to 4 artworks images, for consideration for the exhibition
  • Image files should be jpgs or pngs with a maximum 1 MB file size
  • Include caption information for each artwork image (title, year, media, dimensions)

*TERMS: Selection: Entry does not guarantee selection for the exhibition. Installation Ready: Selected artworks should be installation ready with any hanging hardware attached (rods, hanging wire, d-rings, etc.), and labeled with artists full name on the back/underneath. Work on paper should be framed or mounted. Artwork Delivery: Selected artwork must be delivered to Richmond Art Center during scheduled drop off dates: Saturday, March 16, 10am-1pm OR Monday, March 18, 10am-1pm. Artwork Pick Up: All artworks must be picked up on the scheduled day: Saturday, June 15, 10am-1pm (unless artwork is sold).

Congratulations Carrie Lee McClish, Deborah Butler and Kim Champion

Art of the African Diaspora Artistic Achievement Award Winners Announced

Every year three Art of the African Diaspora artists receive Artistic Achievement Awards to have their work featured at Richmond Art Center. This year at the opening reception for the exhibition the 2024 awardees were announced: Carrie Lee McClish, Deborah Butler and Kim Champion. Congratulations to these three artists!

Don’t forget to check out the work by last year’s winners – John Broussard, Valerie Brown-Troutt, and Stacy Mootoocurrently on view in the West Gallery.

Top image (l-r): Carrie Lee McClish, Deborah Butler and Kim Champion

Remembering Hilda Robinson

Richmond Art Center staff are deeply saddened by the news of artist Hilda Robinson passing on December 27, 2023. Hilda was a joyful presence at so many Richmond Art Center exhibitions and events. She will be deeply missed. 

A special exhibition of Hilda’s work will be on view at Richmond Art Center as part of Art of the African Diaspora until March 16.

Hilda Robinson (1928-2023) 

Hilda Robinson was a beloved artist whose vivid pastels captured joy, love of family, and community in celebrations of life. Hilda grew up in Philadelphia and as a young adult studied painting at the Tyler School of Fine Arts at Temple University. She later completed her BA and MA studies in art at UC Berkeley.

“My mom was a quiet, humble observer who enjoyed her life to the fullest, while documenting each moment in sketch books that later became paintings,” says her daughter Ramona. “She wanted the observers of her art to know her story, and that of her family, while also being reminded of their stories, their families, their friends, the people they admire, the places where they grew up, and the places where they currently live.”

Hilda Robinson was one of the longest participating artists in The Art of Living Black/Art of the African Diaspora. She was deeply connected to the founders and would fondly recall her friendship with Rae Louise Hayward. In 2000, Hilda received the Jan Hart Schuyers Award for Artistic Achievement, and had her work featured in The Art of Living Black in 2001.

Hilda’s artwork has garnered national acclaim, with exhibitions at prestigious galleries like J. Latham Gallery in New York, New York, and a solo show at Art Vision in South Bend, Indiana to name a few. She was also very generous in sharing her artwork in her community at local art institutions and galleries. In 2013, Hilda presented a solo exhibition featuring illustrations from her children’s book, “Didn’t We Have Fun!,” at Richmond Art Center. Her diverse portfolio now resides in both private and public collections, adorning numerous locations throughout the nation. Notably, her creations hold a significant presence in the Alameda County Arts Commission’s Public Art Collection and were recently showcased in The de Young Museum Open 2023.

Hilda was beloved in this community and her vivacious enthusiasm for art and life will be missed, but her beautiful artwork will continue to inspire us all.

Richmond Confidential: Richmond Art Center recovering after losing major donor: ‘We are in the black now, not red.’

Richmond Confidential

Weblink: https://richmondconfidential.org/2024/01/16/richmond-art-center-budget-reaching-goal/

Richmond Art Center recovering after losing major donor: ‘We are in the black now, not red.’

Sophia Sun on January 16, 2024

When the Richmond Art Center lost its biggest donor last year, Executive Director José Rivera said he was worried about the future.

“Over many years, that donor contributed $100,00 annually, making him the most significant benefactor in the center’s history when considering the cumulative sum of his contribution over time,” he said. “We lost him since last year he closed out his foundation.”

For a while, it wasn’t clear how the RAC would make up that shortfall

But things are looking brighter.

So far, the center has raised more than one-third of the $300,000 it needs to cover registration fees and tuition for 2024. In addition, it met its $30,000 scholarship goal. 

The scholarships, Rivera said, allow the center to offer art classes, which attract newcomers and grow the membership. They also make classes accessible to people who could not afford to pay $40 to $50 per session.

“We are in the black now, not red,” said Rivera, who attributes the turnaround to several factors that have increased revenue and donations. 

The RAC has been holding more exhibitions and partnering more with sister museums to raise visibility and draw crowds from outside of Richmond. In 2022, for example, it partnered with the SFMOMA on the exhibition “Emmy Lou Packard — Artist of Conscience.”

“We also have a good amount of returning students who want to continue taking art classes after their first quarter,” said Elaine Moreno, the center’s visitor services coordinator. “A lot of students feel comfortable and love the space, so they return, and some even take multiple classes at a time.” 

In addition to classes, the center holds events in community gathering spaces like the farmers market, flea markets, and schools. The community programs are free to the public. Some are funded through partnerships or grants, said Irene Conde, the center’s education director.

The center also recently hired Kimberly Ross as public programs coordinator Her goal is to help the center reach more people.

“My priority is to expand our reach and connect directly with the people of Richmond, making the Richmond Art Center and our offerings accessible to everyone,” she said. “As a Richmond native and artist, I can achieve this goal by tapping into my network to create opportunities for program collaboration with local organizations and businesses.”

With Gratitude

End-of-Year Appeal Update

We did it! With support from you and you and you, we’re happy to announce that we reached our End-of-Year Appeal fundraising goal and raised over $100,000.

Thank you to everyone who contributed.* We couldn’t do it without you!

Onwards 2024!

*Thank you gifts can be picked up from RAC on January 19 or 20, from 11am to 3pm. 

Richmond Confidential: ‘This is like our Harlem Renaissance’: Exhibition showcasing Black artists set to open in Richmond

Richmond Confidential

Weblink: https://richmondconfidential.org/2024/01/02/richmond-art-african-diaspora-exhibition/

‘This is like our Harlem Renaissance’: Exhibition showcasing Black artists set to open in Richmond

Panashe Matemba-Mutasa on January 2, 2024

In an arena where they’re often in the shadows, Black artists are creating spaces to recognize and celebrate their talent. 

For the 28th year, the Richmond Art Center will present the “Art of the African Diaspora” exhibition, later this month. AOTD gives local artists of African descent a way to share their work with the community and each other. 

The showcase, which will run from Jan. 24 to March 16, will feature 160 Bay Area artists working in a variety of mediums.

“You have artists who are at different stages of their career and success. This allows younger and mid-career artists to show their art,” said Stephen Bruce, a Richmond artist who chairs the steering committee. 

The idea of this Black art mecca was first nurtured by the late Jan Hart-Schuyers, a revered Bay Area artist, art educator, and community organizer, according to the AOTAD website. Lauded for her many sculptures, Schuyers established a partnership with Los Angeles-born painter Rae Louise Hayward, and the two would go on to produce the first AOTAD showcase in 1997 under the name “Art of Living Black,” which featured 35 artists. Though they didn’t live to see the event’s growth, their vision was fulfilled.

But when the showcase ends each year, many of the participating artists return to a harsh reality. Since the first museums opened in America, Black people have had their likeness on display but seldom have had the chance to be recognized for their own works: a pattern noted by scholar Bridget R. Cooks in her book “Black Artists and Activism: Harlem on My Mind.” 

In 2022, Julia Halperin and Charlotte Burns, who created the Burns Halperin Report to analyze representation in the art market, surveyed 31 American museums and found that African American artists were underrepresented. Work by Black female artists comprised 0.5% of acquisitions of all the museums surveyed. And of the top 20 artists, only one — Julie Mehretu from Ethiopia — was of African descent. 

AOTAD seeks to give more Black artists a platform to showcase their creative skills. 

“This is like our Harlem Renaissance,” artist Kelvin Curry said, referring to the Black cultural revival in the 1920s. 

This season’s showcase offers variety. Illustrator Virginia Jourdan, who’s been participating since the first showcase, is displaying acrylics. She’s produced works ranging from portraits to urban landscapes, and says her work is focused on “uplifting African American images.” Jourdan said she’s grateful for a space that allows her to celebrate her craft.

“Art is very relaxing for me and something that’s innate,” Jourdan said.

Curry’s work also is featured. A multimedia artist, Curry describes his work as “figurative, abstract, and symbolic.” He incorporates African-inspired shapes and color schemes into his work.

With the showcase, Curry said, “I hope to gain new collectors and more exposure.” 

Bruce, who’s participated in AOTD since the beginning like Jourdan and Curry, said that the showcase benefits Bay Area residents as much as it does the artists, giving people a chance to experience art they otherwise might not have seen. After months of planning, he is excited for opening day.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to see an array of artists in their community,” Bruce said. 

More information about the exhibit is on the AOTAD website

2023 End-of-Year Appeal – Thank You Gifts!

We’re saying ‘thank you’ for supporting our appeal by offering these great gifts*!

Donation Level 1: $30

Guillermo Pin

This colorful pin depicts Andrée Singer Thompson’s preparatory sketch for her epic sculpture, ‘Guillermo the Golden Trout’. Wear it & show your big fish pride!

500 available

Donation Level 2: $60

Water Bottle

This large stainless bolt bottle (24 oz.) speaks the truth for all RAC students: “I make my art in Richmond”. The perfect accessory to take to your next art class.

60 available

Donation Level 3: $100

T-Shirt & Guillermo Pin

RAC t-shirt with design by Shannon Abac. 100% cotton. Sizes S-2XL available. Soft & lightweight. Style it with a Guillermo Pin!

75 available

Donation Level 4: $300

Moleskin Sketchbook, Tote & Pencil

RAC Moleskine sketchbook (Black, 8.25″ x 5″) and pencil. Plus a tote (with design by Francisco Rojas) to keep them in! The perfect portable package for capturing sketches in the studio or on the move.

15 available

Visit and Contact

Richmond Art Center
2540 Barrett Avenue
Richmond, CA 94804-1600

 

Contact and Visitor Info
Gallery Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-4pm