Due to rising operating costs and changes in funding, we are making the difficult choice to increase our class prices. This increase will be starting Winter Quarter 2023.
We understand this will have an impact for students. We want to assure you that we will continue to offer needs-based Art Boost scholarships for community members, and encourage you to explore our membership program for class discounts.
Cast on, knit, purl and bind off to make adorable scarves, hats, and blankets! We will demystify gauge, tools and patterns so your projects will fit well and look beautiful.
Make your own paint! This course covers working with different tools, binders and surfaces; how to extract color from mineral and botanical based materials; and how to engage observational and experimental methods.
RAC’s community ofrenda featuring beautiful artwork by Danial Camacho is up in our west gallery.
Daniel invites community members to contribute items that honor their loved ones. He says, “Through an ofrenda we commemorate and remember the life and death of our loved ones. It is a celebration that allows us to carry them in our hearts and welcome them back to the world of the living for one night.”
Daniel invites the community to contribute a photograph of their loved ones and an object that represents something they loved, for example their favorite drink or snack, or a toy.
Items can be bought to Richmond Art Center any time during gallery hours (Wed-Sat 10am-4pm). The altar will be on display from October 15 through to the end of Día de los Muertos on November 3.
Daniel Camacho’s work is also currently on view at RAC in the exhibition De Fantasías y Realidades (September 14 – November 17, 2022).
SPECIAL EVENT: Join us on Saturday, October 15,12pm-3pm for a special celebration of Día de los Muertos. CLICK HERE for more info.
Eva-Maria Spampinato is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher and historian investigating art and design through the modes of craft, alchemy and the natural world. We spoke with Eva-Maria about her creative practice and the upcoming class Artechnē: Art & Technology of Paints she will be teaching at Richmond Art Center.
Please introduce yourself. Where are you from and what is your background?
My name is Eva-Maria Spampinato and I am an artist, researcher and historian. So I actually call myself the Historical Artist. I grew up in Albany. I’m a first generation American, my mother is from Sweden and my father is from Argentina. These two strong cultures have fueled my craving for art, since I was a little girl, with the desire to connect with my heritage through travel and study.
Tell us about these studies.
I received an art history degree from UC Santa Cruz, and studied at The Florence Academy of Art in Gothenburg, Sweden. To blend my academic training with my art practice I then did my graduate studies at the Royal College of Art in London, in the History of Design program in a collaboration with the Victoria & Albert Museum. In this course, I specialized in historical artisanal epistemology. In other words, alchemy, art and materials.
Really, two decades of studying, traveling and life experiences represents how much I really wanted a traditional craft apprenticeship that didn’t exist when I was a little. So I pieced together different programs and made my own way.
Cobalt frit glass, azurite pigment and maya blue pigment
Can you please talk a little bit more about what artisanal epistemology is?
It’s how a craftsperson learns through empirical values. They use observation and experience simultaneously, rather than theory, to develop a creative practice. This is what I teach my students; how they can use exploration and curiosity to learn their craft and open new pathways for creative outlets.
Yes, it’s about making paint through very hands-on and practical alchemy. I will not approach the class in a scientific way. I’m going to introduce experiences in order to open up one’s intuitive sensory knowledge. This is the traditional way, before the modern period.
In Artechnē (pronounced art-TECH-nay), students will start with a sourced material – like ochre from Oakland Hills, botanicals and even insects – to learn how color is extracted to create pigments. I will show how to engage with the tools. There’s going to be a lot of grinding, sieving, mulling, precipitation, washing, drying and more grinding! Then we’ll use different binders to create watercolor, egg tempera and pastels. Lastly, students will test the paint on different surfaces.
Eva-Maria Spampinato’s students testing their paints
The emphasis of the class is on the craft: to learn how to listen to the materials as they are ground, to smell them, to sense their resistance and response. I will also include historical information alongside the hands-on learning, so students can appreciate the historical context for this craft.
Who is your class for? Do students need any art experience?
Artechnē is for anyone who is open to trying something new. No experience is necessary. It is especially great for people who want to learn to be comfortable with non-scientific processes or want to shift their perspective on materials and objects.
Artechnē is about opening our senses to new ways of thinking. I want to empower my students with curiosity so they can investigate anything and connect to nature’s offerings. So they can be comfortable finding their own processes. These lessons can be applied to many parts of our life. It’s playful!
An experiment using red cabbage and showing a solution’s color response at different temperatures.
Artechnē: Art & Technology of Paints runs on Thursdays 1pm to 3pm from October 27 through to November 17 at Richmond Art Center. CLICK HERE for more information and to register.
Top image: Eva-Maria Spampinato making cobalt frit glass for her MA dissertation. Photo by @celiadowson_ceramics
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place September 15 to October 15 every year and is a time to recognize the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic/Latino/Latinx people living in the U.S.. During this month (and throughout the year) at Richmond Art Center we have activities planned to celebrate and explore the creative accomplishments of the Bay Area’s Latino community.
In the galleries are two exhibitions highlighting Latinx art. Daniel Camacho’s De Fantasías y Realidades presents murals, paper mache sculptures and paintings that fuse elements of Mexican popular culture with the social and political experiences of Camacho’s community. And From the Pueblo, For the Pueblo is an exhibition by print collective Liberación Gráfica and their friends. Liberación Gráfica is a Richmond-based screen print collective whose art practice is rooted in the Chicanx art tradition of revolutionary print workshops. Their work speaks directly to the struggles and resilience of the people of Richmond.
And don’t miss it: on Saturday, October 15, 12-3pm we are celebrating Día de los Muertos at RAC. We’ll have calaveras, art making, live printing, and more!
Latinos contribute so much to the rich diversity of the Bay Area, especially in Richmond. I encourage you to visit RAC and also find your own way to celebrate and explore Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hasta pronto,
José Rivera Executive Director
Top image: Daniel Camacho, Mexico te Ilevo adentro, 2004
Calling all artists, artisans, crafters and makers! Be part of Richmond Art Center’s 60th Annual Holiday Arts Festival!
To apply to be a vendor at Richmond Art Center’s Holiday Arts Festival please review the information on this webpage and complete the application form below.
Deadline to Apply: Monday, October 10, 2022, 11:59pm
Richmond Art Center’s Holiday Arts Festival
Event Date: Sunday, December 4, 2022, 10am-5pm
The Holiday Arts Festival returns to Richmond Art Center! After running for the past two years as a virtual event due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival is back in-person to celebrate its ‘diamond jubilee’ 60th year in Richmond.
Each year the Holiday Arts Festival offers over 1,000 visitors a chance to buy unique gifts from local arts and crafts vendors, enjoy food and beverages, and participate in art-making activities for the whole family. The Festival’s gift sale runs from 10am to 5pm at Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond.
Call for Arts and Crafts Vendors! Richmond Art Center is now accepting applications from local artists, artisans, crafters and makers to sell their work at the Holiday Arts Festival. This shop-local event is a great way to expose your work to a creative audience that appreciates hand-crafted gifts. The deadline for vendors to apply is October 10. Applications are juried and selected vendors will be notified by October 21. There is no application fee and first-time vendors to the Festival are encouraged to participate.
Can’t attend the event in-person? The online Arts and Crafts Hub will be back! Hosted on Richmond Art Center’s website, the Hub is non-juried and serves as a gateway for artists to share their work during the Holidays. CLICK HERE to see a sample Artist Listing
IMPORTANT DATES
Application Deadline (online application form below): Monday, October 10, 11:59pm Vendor Notification: Friday, October 21 Contracts and Vendor Fees Due: Monday, November 7 Vendor Set Up: Saturday, December 3, 10am to 5pm Holiday Arts Festival: Sunday, December 4, 10am to 5pm
VENDOR INFORMATION
*Covid-19 Safety: Note, this is an indoor event. We will do what we can to keep people safe. Covid-19 safety protocols will be announced closer to the event date. Please contact us if you have questions: amy@richmondartcenter.org
Richmond Art Center provides: Vendor contract, table, chair/s, vendor sign (if needed), wall space (as requested/as available), electrical outlet (as requested/as available), time for set-up (12/3, 10am-5pm) and deinstall (12/4, 5pm-6:30pm), online vendor listing
Promotion: During the holiday season, Richmond Art Center will be promoting The Holiday Arts Festival via online and print advertising, social media, our e-newsletter, via community partnerships, and at community events. Vendors will also have the opportunity to promote their websites in our online Arts & Crafts Hub on Richmond Art Center’s website.
Jurying Process: Unfortunately we don’t have space to accept all vendors who apply for a table at the Holiday Arts Festival. As a result applications are juried by a panel made up of RAC staff. Things we look for when reviewing applications include: Artistic Quality; Sales Potential; Media Range Across Vendors; and Community Connection. Vendors who are not selected for a table at the Festival still have the opportunity to present their goods in our online Arts & Crafts Hub.
FEES
6 Foot Table Fee: $190 for RAC members; $200 for non-members*
4 Foot Half Table Fee: $110 for RAC members; $125 for non-members*
Online Listing in the Arts & Crafts Hub Only: $20 for RAC members; $25 for non-members*
*Vendors selected to participate at the in-person event automatically received a listing in the Arts & Crafts Hub.
These are flat fees. No sales commission is charged.
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond
Please note: Mask wearing is a condition of entry to RAC’s galleries, studios and public indoor spaces. Vaccinations are strongly encouraged. Masks may be removed in our courtyard.
This Saturday at Richmond Art Center is going to be big! There will be edible art, vintage object assemblages, interactive art, and so much more! It’s also your last chance to view the critically acclaimed Emmy Lou Packard exhibition.
* Members receive a code to access the 10% discount on classes. This code can be redeemed as many times as you like, as long as your membership is current at time of registration.
SUMMER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE BONUS!
Renew/join as a Member before 8/31/22 and receive a free and fabulous tote bag. Members must join/renew at the Individual level or higher ($100+) to receive the tote.
* Already a RAC member? Thank you! ** Present your Richmond Art Center membership card with NARM sticker at participating museums to receive your benefits.
SUMMER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE BONUS!
Renew/join as a Member before 8/31/22 and receive a free and fabulous tote bag.**
**Members must join/renew at the Individual level or higher ($100+) to receive the tote.
