Richmond Art Center is poised to re-open! We have a new Executive Director, José Rivera, who is eager to lead the center forward. Richmond Art Center’s board plays an important role in supporting and guiding the organization. Different individual board members bring different experience, skills, knowledge and connections to their Board work.
People who live and/or work in Richmond, who are community-minded and thoughtful about how Richmond Art Center could better serve the community in and around Richmond
An accountant/bookkeeper (CPA credential would be great but is not necessary)
A lawyer (for the general knowledge and issue-spotting ability lawyers tend to have)
People who can help us raise money for Richmond Art Center
Leaders with the potential to be board vice president and president in the future
What can you expect?
Board members attend board meetings (currently being held via Zoom), act as ambassadors at select evening and weekend events, give of their expertise and wisdom and make a personal financial contribution to the extent that they can. A Board member’s term is three years, with a two-term limit. Service on the Board of Directors is unpaid.
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ISSUE 15
Celebrating the Journey | Make Art with José and Lauren | Hello Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez | Classes Starting Soon | From Our Neighbors, For Our Neighbors
Celebrating the Journey
Reception for Art of the African Diaspora
Saturday, March 20, 2021, 3-4:30pm
Join us for a special online event celebrating the artists – past, present and future – who make Art of the African Diaspora possible. This event is presented in partnership with Rhythmix Cultural Works.
Featuring 130 artists, the online exhibition for Art of the African Diaspora 2021 is now open! Special events accompanying the exhibition will be happening throughout March, April and May. Visit richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/aotad2021 to learn more.
Free online guided drawing session with Lauren Ari! With special guest Richmond Art Center’s executive director José Rivera!
Friday, March 5, 12:30-1:30pm
Join Richmond artist Lauren Ari this Friday, March 5 at 12:30pm for a free lunchtime session of guided drawing and relaxation. And meet Richmond Art Center’s new(ish) Executive Director José Rivera! All ages and levels of experience welcome. Simply bring plain white paper and a pen/pencil.
Interview with Teaching Artist Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez
“For a long time I have been pondering how to convey the tremendous loss in the Latino community covid has caused.” – Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez
Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez is a painter and a muralist living in Richmond whose creative practice focuses on social justice issues. We interviewed Rebeca about some of her recent projects, which include a large-scale mural at Pulman Portal Park in Richmond.
Creative Exploration and Expansion Series: Intuitive Collage
This class series is about creative expansion and artistic self-discovery. In this class students will create intuitive collages and learn to interpret their messages. La maestra habla español.
All Ages Class Saturdays, 11am-12pm Mar 13 – Mar 20
Learn the possibilities of acrylic paint using the most user-friendly medium! Set your own goals and choose your own projects, with help from a supportive instructor. La maestra habla español.
Dollar Store to Dinnerware: Plaster Mold-Making, Slab Forming and Slip-Casting
In this two-day workshop students will use plastic forms that can be purchased from a dollar store and turn them into slump and hump molds formed out of plaster for making multiples of the shape.
Adult Two-Day Workshop Saturday and Sunday, 10am-12pm Mar 20-21
Did you know Richmond Public Library has free craft kits for adults? In March they are giving away this cool coloring tote. Call the library 510-620-6561 to make an appointment to pick one up (while supplies last!).
Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez is a painter and a muralist living in Richmond whose creative practice focuses on social justice issues. She is Puerto Rican and often paints traditional subjects seen from the lens of her Latina perspective.
Rebeca chatted with Ilene Conde, Studio Education Manager at RAC, on January 28, 2021.
Can you please start by telling us about your current mixed media series?
For a long time I have been pondering how to convey the tremendous loss in the Latino community covid has caused. I first started thinking about this while working on a mural about the essential workers of the Pullman neighborhood, located at Pulman Portal Park, on the corner of Carlson Boulevard and Ohio Avenue. We had enough funding to make it large enough that people riding by on Bart could see it. The mural shows neighbors leaving for work while it’s still dark. There is a progression from dark to light, with people in uniforms, people with children and Richmond businesses and neighborhood homes in the background. The topic came out of meetings with the Richmond youth, who also painted most of the mural. They really wanted to show reality – so not everyone in the mural is wearing a mask. Some of the neighbors posed.
As the mural was being finished people in the neighborhood stopped to ask questions. They liked how the mural showed resolute people. People who looked strong, not sad. Yet it showed the reality of who is bearing the brunt of this battle against COVID. Towards the end of the mural, in late September 2020, one woman said it was hard for her to look at because it reminded her of all the lives lost.
How did it feel to hear this about your work?
It stayed with me. I started thinking how do you help people reflect on what has been lost. That was a challenge that I posed to myself. And also a way for me to process my own feelings about the pandemic.
Every winter I do printmaking. This winter I’ve been working with a very large gel plate because I don’t have a proper press. The prints from this plate will be used for a series on the subject of the loss of Latinx lives. I want to paint portraits of Latinos who have been lost to COVID over the prints. Certain elements of the prints are independent of each other, and will be incorporated into the portraits as a way for the series to have a common thread.
I’m still working it out. But I think that’s what it’s going to be.
Pullman Park Mural. Richmond, CA, 2020. Images courtesy of the Artist
What has it been like for you as an artist during COVID?
I have a studio in north Richmond and I have converted a part of it it into a classroom. I have also spent more time than usual launching a new website, developing a larger social media presence and selling art online.
What has your experience been like teaching online?
Very positive! I am doing more demos and have made changes to my curriculum to make sure my students get quality feedback. My students can access all of my class materials online and they say this helps.
I appreciate the warmth of my students during this very isolating time. I have noticed that my students are now much more interested in each others’ work. I have also appreciated getting invited to see and give suggestions on their home painting setups. I have also given them “tours” of my studio!
What upcoming classes are teaching?
In March I will teach beginner drawing and acrylic painting classes.
Thank you Rebeca!
Registration for Rebeca’s classes is now open.
‘Fundamental Drawing’ runs for eight weeks on Wednesdays, 1pm-3pm, starting March 17. CLICK HERE for more info and to register.
‘Acrylic Techniques For Beginners’ runs for eight weeks on Tuesdays, 10am-12pm, starting March 16.CLICK HERE for more info and to register.
Free online guided drawing session with Lauren Ari!
With special guest Richmond Art Center’s executive director José Rivera!
Friday, March 5, 12:30-1:30pm
Join Richmond artist Lauren Ari this Friday, March 5 at 12:30pm for a free lunchtime session of guided drawing and relaxation. And meet Richmond Art Center’s new(ish) executive director José Rivera! All ages and levels of experience welcome. Simply bring plain white paper and a pen/pencil.
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ISSUE 14 – Clay at Home | Get Ready for Art of the African Diaspora | Welcome Sarah! | Classes Starting Soon
Clay at Home
Free online workshop THIS Sunday
Sunday, February 7, 10am-11:15am
Learn how easy it is to set up your own ceramics space! Marisa Burman, Richmond Art Center’s ceramics studio manager, will discuss and demonstrate how best to set-up a space for working with clay in your home.
Art of the African Diaspora starts next week! Now in its 25th year, but presented as an online exhibition for the first time, Art of the African Diaspora will showcase artwork by over 120 Black artists from the Bay Area. The event also offers numerous artist-organized happenings that everyone is invited to join. Meet artists, learn about and from their work, and celebrate this creative community.
We’re thrilled to announce Richmond Art Center has been selected as a host organization for the inaugural California Arts Council’s Administrators of Color Fellowship. Our amazing fellow is production manager and non-profit administrator Sarah Guerra. She will participate in a nine-month professional development fellowship at Richmond Art Center committed to expanding equity in the arts.
“I’m honored to be part of the inaugural class of CAC fellows,” says Sarah. “It is such an imperative and unique moment in history; our class of arts administrators of color are needed now more than ever.”
Get weird and have fun with digital mashups! This digital collage class focuses on free to access and easy to use software.
All Ages Class Saturdays, 12-2pm Feb 6 – Feb 27 More info…
Things That Go!
Students will use mixed media to create things that go, such a water bottle airplane and texture train. Great for kids in love with all things transportation.
Kids Class (Ages 5-11) Wednesdays, 3-4pm Feb 10 – Feb 24
More info…
Creative Exploration Series: Intuitive Drawing
This class series is about creative expansion and artistic self-discovery. In Intuitive Drawing students will experiment with drawing techniques that encourage them to create in new and surprising ways.
All Ages Class Saturdays, 11am-12pm Feb 13 – Feb 20
Learn ways to use resist methods in ceramics to create decorative surfaces. By using resist, you can “resist” glaze or underglaze being in particular areas of your piece and add interest and design perspectives to your ceramic creations.
We are so excited to announce that Richmond Art Center has been selected as one of ten host organizations for the inaugural California Arts Council’s Administrators of Color Fellowship. This fellowship is administered by the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Richmond Art Center’s fellow is production manager and non-profit administrator Sarah Guerra. She will participate in a nine-month professional development fellowship at Richmond Art Center committed to expanding equity in the arts.
“I’m honored to be part of the inaugural class of CAC fellows,” says Sarah. “It is such an imperative and unique moment in history; our class of arts administrators of color are needed now more than ever.”
Staff at Richmond Art Center look forward to learning from and working with Sarah!
About Sarah Guerra
Sarah Guerra is a queer native Tejana who has dedicated her life to supporting and leveraging the arts as a tool for education and political and social justice. A Bay Area resident since 2001, Sarah is a seasoned program manager that has overseen the creation, implementation, and evolution of commissioning programs and artist residencies focused on uplifting Black and Brown queer and trans people for Brava! For Women in the Arts, Queer Cultural Center, and La Peña Cultural Center. She participated in the Ford Foundation’s inaugural Future Aesthetic cohort and has served as a liaison and conference organizer for the National Performance Network. As the Production Manager for the Queer Cultural Center, Sarah has supported the presentation of eight National Queer Arts Festivals, providing direct support and feedback to artists as well as implementing Festival logistics. She has served as a grant reviewer for San Francisco Arts Commission, Galería de la Raza, and Live Arts Boston; and recently completed the Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy with National Arts Strategies in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice.
About the California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship
The California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship program was initiated by the California Arts Council with the goal of uplifting an inclusive workforce and supporting the vibrancy of organizations that create and preserve the cultural identities of all California communities, reflecting the Arts Council’s commitment to racial equity. The pilot program is made possible by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation and 2018 one-time increased state arts funding. arts.ca.gov/programs/administrators-of-color-fellows
We’re excited that February brings to Richmond Art Center the launch of Art of the African Diaspora. Now in its 25th year, but presented as an online exhibition for the first time, Art of the African Diaspora will present artwork by over 130 Black artists from the Bay Area.
Art of the African Diaspora begins during Black History Month, a time for the education and celebration of Black culture in America. But Art of the African Diaspora extends well beyond February with exhibitions and artist events scheduled throughout March, April and May 2021. While the covid pandemic limits our opportunities to physically come together, Art of the African Diaspora offers numerous artist-curated happenings that everyone is invited to join. We encourage you to meet artists, learn about and from their work, and celebrate this rich creative community.
In February at Richmond Art Center we are also taking Black History Month as a prompt to reflect on what Black history reveals, and how racial inequality has shaped our community and in our organization. As part of our racial equity journey we are taking time this month for self-examination, and to identify tangible steps towards improving diversity, equity and inclusion at Richmond Art Center. Our goal is to be an organization that is inclusive year-round. We will share an update on our work at the end of this month.
Learn how easy it is to set up your own ceramics space
Marisa Burman, Richmond Art Center’s ceramics studio manager, will discuss and demonstrate how best to set-up a space for working with clay in your home. Whether it is a corner of your garage, a spare bedroom, or your dining room table, learn about basic tools/equipment you might want, as well as safety considerations, so that you can create a usable space that is tailored to your needs. Marisa will also demonstrate some creative ways to use household items as clay tools.
Keep your clay spirit alive until we can meet again! This free, drop-in workshop is accessible for all experience levels.
Setting up a Space for Clay at Home Time: Feb 7, 2021 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
All Ages Online Class, Fridays, 12-1pm, Jan 22 – Feb 19
It’s going to be a big week. Join teaching artist Lauren Ari this Friday (or any Friday for the next five weeks) for a drawing class that is a mindful space to process and reflect. This is an all ages/intergenerational class so we can make and learn across generations. All levels of experience welcome. Simply bring plain white paper, a pen/pencil, and an open mind.
“I am a dual-credentialed educator and artist. I taught for five years as a special education teacher, but now I am focused on my art practice and anti-racist teaching work, specifically developing curriculum in Bay Area schools. At the moment I’m applying to MFA programs. This is all keeping me busy.” – Alex Martinez
We interviewed Alex Martinez to learn about her recent work and what it’s like to teach during a pandemic. Alex is teaching two classes at RAC this semester, Teen Journaling.
Image: Artwork by Alex Martinez, Disappeared Three Times (2020) (top); Alex Martinez teaching (right)
Exhibition Dates: February 11 – May 16, 2021 Artist Registration Deadline: Sunday, January 24, 2021
Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area. The event supports artists of African descent through representation, professional development, and building a creative community.
Are you an artist interested in participating in 2021? Join the Artist Info zoom session on Thursday, January 21, 6pm to learn about the 2021 program and ask your questions! Register HERE.
Image: Virtual studio tours will be a highlight of AOTAD 2021. See some tours are already online at aotad.org/wp/virtual-studio-tours (https://aotad.org/wp/virtual-studio-tours/)
In this class young artists will fill the pages of their art journals with fun projects using watercolors, colored pencils, ink, marker, paint, folded paper, and found objects.
Teen Class (Ages 12-17) Wednesdays, 3:30-5pm Jan 20 – Feb 10
Learn about the ways that contemporary artists address the environment and climate justice in their work, and incorporate these broader themes and strategies as inspiration for your own art.
Gather for community and positive dialogue about your art making process. Class will be held the Third Thursday of every month for four class meetings.
Artist Alex Martinez is a second-generation Queer, Mexican-American Chicanx, raised in Watsonville, California. She has lived in the Bay Area for 20 years, and is a teaching artist at Richmond Art Center.
Alex chatted with Amy Spencer, Exhibitions Director at RAC, on January 12, 2021.
Hi Alex! Let’s start with your art and teaching practice.
I am a dual-credentialed educator and artist. I taught for five years as a special education teacher, but now I am focused on my art practice and anti-racist teaching work, specifically developing curriculum in Bay Area schools. At the moment I’m applying to MFA programs. This is all keeping me busy.
What art project are you working on at the moment?
I’m continuing a series called Legacy of Resilience, which is about amplifying voices of transgender asylum seekers, and missing and murdered indigenous women. This was a collaborative project working with artists Eli Reyes and Malaya Tulay. So far we have created two large-scale portraits that highlight the effects of systemic racism on marginalized populations. The first portrait is called They Came Seeking Protection (2020, mixed medium, 48’’ x 65”) and shows Roxsana Hernandez and Johana “Joa” Medina Leon, transgender asylum seekers who died in detention at the US/Mexico border. The second portrait is called Disappeared Three Times (2020, mixed medium, 48’’ x 65”) and depicts missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, two-spirit and trans people. These works feature painted acrylic portraits, beadwork, text, and appliqué, as well as embroidery and linoleum block printing on the borders. I started the Legacy of Resilience series as part of a YBCA Public Participation Fellowship last year.
Alex Martinez, Eli Reyes, and Malaya Tulay, Disappeared Three Times, 2020. Mixed Medium, 48’’ x 65”. Courtesy the artists.
What has it been like continuing to make work and teach online during the pandemic?
At first it really felt like a big challenge and pivot. But teachers are adaptable. I think we all took it as a learning opportunity. Right now I’m an art teacher for middle schoolers. It continues to be a challenge to engage with students as they go from screen to screen, and I’m seeing screen fatigue. But we are just trying to be compassionate and understanding. And create spaces where kids can express some of the complicated feelings they are going through right now.
What are you teaching at Richmond Art Center this semester?
A teen journaling class. The class is designed as a series of one-off activities where kids can engage as they want. I created it like this because of my understanding of how hard it can be for young people to show up online right now. I wanted the class to be available to suit individual kids’ needs. Each class session focuses on a different medium and way of expression, so students can learn how to add a new design dimension to their journal. It’s about helping youth develop their own visual language across a ton of different mediums. As well as giving them the opportunity for exploration and connection with other youth.
Art Journaling for Teens (for ages 12-17) starts January 20 and runs through February 10. More info about the class is online HERE. Alex is also teaching a kids class Junk Art! (for ages 6-12) this semester. Info HERE. And you can visit Alex’s website to see her work HERE.
Thank you Alex!
Thank you! Making new work and teaching during covid is challenging, but I’m grateful to be able to do it.
Alex Martinez, Eli Reyes and Malaya Tulay. They Came Seeking Protection, 2020. Mixed Medium, 48’’ x 65”. Courtesy the artists.
