Richmond, CA: El Día de la Familia regresa al Centro de Arte de Richmond con una celebración especial del Día de los Muertos el sábado 23 de octubre, de 12 pm a 3 pm. Los niños de todas las edades y sus adultos están invitados a unirse a nosotros en el patio del RAC para hacer arte, bailar, escuchar música y más.
Este evento familiar gratuito contará con un taller de Alebrije, actuaciones del conjunto de bomba juvenil puertorriqueño Quenepas y la narradora Olga Loya. Los artistas residentes de RAC Liberación Gráfica también imprimirán bolsas de tela y la Gran Conspiración de la Tortilla también imprimirá un poco de arte de tortillas.
Programa de actividades:
12: 00-13:00 Primer taller de Alebrije con Rachel-Anne Palacios
13:00-14:00 Actuaciones del grupo Bomba Quenepas seguido por la narradora Olga Loya
13:00-14:00 Segundo taller de Alebrije
Papel de seda La fabricación de flores de papel mexicano, la búsqueda del tesoro, el grabado, el altar comunitario y la música de DJ Dion Decibels se llevarán a cabo de 12 pm a 3 pm.
Richmond Art Center está ubicado en 2540 Barrett Avenue en Richmond.
Prevención de Covid-19: El uso de máscara y la firma de una Exención de Visitante es una condición para ingresar al evento. Realizaremos un seguimiento del número de asistentes en el patio y las galerías para garantizar que los espacios no se llenen demasiado. Consulte el sitio web de RAC para obtener más información sobre lo que estamos haciendo para prevenir la propagación de Covid-19: richmondartcenter.org/about/covid
Taller de alebrijes con Rachel-Anne Palacios: Los alebrijes son esculturas de arte popular mexicano de colores brillantes de criaturas fantásticas. En honor al Mes de la Herencia Latina / Día de los Muertos, la artista Rachel-Anne Palacios nos guiará en una breve presentación sobre los alebrijes y cómo crear los suyos propios con arcilla seca al aire. Sigue a Rachel-Anne en Instagram @devikaspalacio
Bomba de Quenepas: La música y la danza bomba se originaron hace más de 400 años en las plantaciones de caña de azúcar de Puerto Rico, donde los africanos esclavizados tocaban, cantaban y bailaban para sobrevivir y resistir la opresión colonial. Quenepas es un vibrante conjunto juvenil de danza y música bomba puertorriqueña que tuvo su inicio en 2008 en el Centro Cultural La Peña en Berkeley. Los jóvenes de Quenepas han estado estudiando y actuando bajo la dirección de Héctor Lugo y Shefali Shah por más de 15 años y muchos de los jóvenes han estado involucrados en la práctica de Bomba a través de la observación y participación en improvisaciones comunitarias y presentaciones con sus familias. Contacto: bombaaguacero@gmail.com, 510-681-1036
Narración de cuentos de Olga Loya: Olga Loya también es autora, artista de performance, oradora principal y maestra, que ha realizado y enseñado talleres en todo Estados Unidos y México. Loya presenta un gran repertorio de historias familiares y personales con el objetivo de explorar las luchas y la complejidad de ser bicultural, mexicano-estadounidense, en los Estados Unidos. Loya también cuenta folclore latinoamericano bilingüe e historias coloridas y a veces mágicas de África, India, Asia, las Antillas y Europa. Loya usa las historias como una forma de examinar temas como la curación, el racismo y el multiculturalismo. Incorpora una variedad de estilos de actuación, que incluyen improvisación, movimiento y danza, canciones e instrumentos. Más información: www.olgaloya.com
Liberación Gráfica: Liberación Gráfica es un colectivo de jóvenes grabadores de Richmond cuyos miembros crean trabajos para elevar la justicia social, la comunidad de Richmond y las voces jóvenes. Como educadores, el colectivo ha desarrollado un plan de estudios que ayuda a los jóvenes a participar en el grabado mediante la exploración de carteles políticos históricos y la creación de sus propios carteles sobre temas con los que se sienten conectados. El colectivo ha realizado varios talleres de serigrafía en vivo en toda la comunidad en eventos, escuelas secundarias y organizaciones locales como RYSE, Urban Tilth, APEN y Richmond Art Center.
The Great Tortilla Conspiracy: The Great Tortilla Conspiracy es un colectivo basado en obras de arte comestibles. Después de mucha experimentación y desarrollos tecnológicos, los Conspiradores desarrollaron una receta secreta que muchos acólitos de quesadillas han calificado de deliciosa. La obra de arte comestible producida por la Conspiración es serigrafiada en tortillas y cocinada en una plancha para que la imagen se adhiera al sustrato. Simultáneamente, el queso se derrite en el reverso. La salsa es opcional. El consumidor de arte puede tanto comer como disfrutar de la sensación estética que es la Gran Conspiración de la Tortilla.
Acerca de Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center ha estado compartiendo arte y creando con la comunidad desde 1936. Nuestros programas abarcan clases, exposiciones y eventos en nuestras instalaciones en el centro de Richmond, así como actividades fuera del sitio que brindan arte gratuito y de alta calidad. creando experiencias para las escuelas y los socios comunitarios de WCCUSD. richmondartcenter.org
Richmond, CA: Family Day is coming back to Richmond Art Center with a special celebration of Día de los Muertos on Saturday, October 23, 12pm-3pm. Kids of all ages and their grown-ups are invited to join us in RAC’s courtyard for art-making, dancing, music and more.
This free family event will feature an Alebrije workshop, performances by Puerto Rican youth Bomba ensemble Quenepas, and storyteller Olga Loya. RAC artists-in-residence Liberación Gráfica will be there screen printing tote bags and the Great Tortilla Conspiracy will also be printing up some tortilla art!
Schedule of Activities:
12pm-1pm First Alebrije workshop with Rachel-Anne Palacios
1pm-2pm Performances by Bomba group Quenepas followed by storyteller Olga Loya
1pm-2pm Second Alebrije workshop
Tissue paper Mexican paper flower making, scavenger hunt, printmaking, community altar, and music by DJ Dion Decibels will run 12pm-3pm.
Richmond Art Center is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue in Richmond.
Covid-19 Prevention: Mask wearing and signing a Visitor Waiver is a condition of entry to the event. We will track attendee numbers in the courtyard and galleries to ensure spaces do not get too crowded. See RAC’s website for more information about what we are doing to prevent the spread of Covid-19: richmondartcenter.org/about/covid
For more information contact: Sarah Guerra sarah@richmondartcenter.org
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About the Program and Participants:
Alebrijes workshop with Rachel-Anne Palacios: Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. In honor of Latino Heritage Month/Día de los Muertos, artist Rachel-Anne Palacios will guide us on a short presentation about alebrijes and how to create your own with air dry clay. Follow Rachel-Anne on Instagram @devikaspalacio
Bomba by Quenepas: Bomba music and dance originated over 400 years ago in the sugar cane plantations of Puerto Rico where enslaved Africans played, sang, and danced to survive and to resist colonial oppression. Quenepas is a vibrant Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance youth ensemble that had its inception in 2008 at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley. Quenepas youth have been studying and performing under the direction of Hector Lugo and Shefali Shah for over 15 years and many of the youth have been involved in the practice of Bomba through observing and participating in community jams and performances with their families. Contact: bombaaguacero@gmail.com, 510-681-1036
Storytelling by Olga Loya: Olga Loya is also an author, performance artist, keynote speaker, and teacher, who has performed and taught workshops throughout the United States and Mexico. Loya performs a large repertoire of family and personal stories with the goal of exploring the struggles and complexity of being bicultural – Mexican-American – in the United States. Loya also tells bilingual Latin-American folklore and colorful and sometimes magical stories from Africa, India, Asia, the Antilles, and Europe. Loya uses stories as a way of examining themes like healing, racism, and multiculturalism. She incorporates a variety of performance styles, including improvisation, movement and dance, song, and instruments. More info: www.olgaloya.com
Liberación Gráfica: Liberación Gráfica is a collective of young printmakers from Richmond whose members create work to uplift social justice, the Richmond community, and young voices. As educators the collective has developed a curriculum that helps young people engage in printmaking through exploring historical political posters and creating their own posters on topics they feel connected to. The collective has held multiple live screen printing workshops around the community at events, high schools, and local organizations like RYSE, Urban Tilth, APEN and Richmond Art Center.
The Great Tortilla Conspiracy: The Great Tortilla Conspiracy is a collective based on edible artwork. After much experimentation and technological developments the Conspirators developed a secret recipe that has been called delicious by many a quesadilla acolyte. The edible artwork produced by the Conspiracy is screen printed on tortillas and cooked on a griddle so that the image is affixed to the substrate. Simultaneously cheese is melted on the reverse side. Salsa is optional. The art consumer can both eat and enjoy the aesthetic sensation that is the Great Tortilla Conspiracy.
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
Time and Again An exhibition of Rigo 23’s statue of Native activist Leonard Peltier
Exhibition: September 9 – November 18, 2021 Main Gallery Richmond Art Center 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Gallery Hours: Thurs 10am-2pm, Sat 10am-2pm, or by appt 510-620-6772
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center (RAC) is honored to present Time and Again, an exhibition centered on Rigo 23’s monumental sculptural tribute to Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Twelve feet tall, the sculpture sits at the center of the exhibition anchoring a narrative of Leonard Peltier’s 45-year long incarceration. For the first time, the sculpture will be presented alongside photographs, letters, artwork, posters and ephemera from Rigo’s archive. By sharing these, the artist invites the visitors for an intimate and informal conversation, one that illuminates the artist’s more than two decade long journey – as well as present some of the historical context which helps understand Leonard Peltier’s ongoing cruel predicament.
On Sunday September 12, a celebration will be held in honor of Peltier’s 77th birthday and attended by his daughter Kathy. Capacity is limited; contact RAC for reservations or to organize a press preview.
The sculpture (California redwood, foam, plywood, and metal) is based on a small hand-painted self portrait Leonard Peltier created in prison. The statue’s 9 x 6 foot base replicates the dimensions of a traditional prison cell. Each time the work is shown, the exhibition incorporates selections from the growing collection of photographs of supporters standing in solidarity on the statue’s feet.
Completed in 2016 and first shown at the Katzen Art Center at the American University, Washington D.C., the artwork was almost immediately censored, removed from display, and subsequently withheld from the artist for one year. The removal of the statue was in response to a bomb threat and to the University’s president receiving complaints from the FBI Agents Association – events which happened on the same day. Since its return to the artist, it has been exhibited at the Main Museum in Los Angeles (2018), SOMArts (2019) and most recently atop the roof of the San Francisco Institute of Art overlooking Alcatraz Island (2020).
The statue’s feet, which are detachable, have taken their own journey, traveling to significant sites of Native Resistance across the U.S. including Standing Rock, Alcatraz Island, Wounded Knee, Crow Dog’s Paradise, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Supporters have been invited to stand on the feet as an expression of solidarity – and be photographed. In summer 2021, Richmond Art Center also welcomed members of the community to do so.
The current exhibition includes materials such as original sketches for the banner “It’s 1999, Why is Leonard Peltier Still in Prison?” mounted outside the Berkely Art Museum; photographs from the Tate Wikikuwa Museum installed at the deYoung Museum that same year; brochure and zine from theTate Wikikuwa Museum at the Warehouse Gallery in Syracuse University where the Leonard Peltier sculpture premiered, in 2011; and historical photographs by the late Michelle Vignes documenting seminal events in the history of the American Indian Movement.
Time and Again draws a very particular circle for both Rigo and RAC. In 1996, twenty-five years ago, RAC welcomed the artist to present his first solo exhibition: Time and Time Again: A Tribute to Geronimo Ji-Jaga. The following year, upon his release from prison, Geronimo would urge the artist to continue using his art to bring to light the plight of political prisoners in the United States. The two remained close friends until Geronimo’s death in 2011. In 1999 Geronimo visited the De Young Museum, in San Francisco, for an exhibition Rigo held there dedicated to Leonard Peltier’s plight.
About the Artist: Rigo 23 has exhibited his work internationally for over 30 years placing murals, paintings, sculptures, and tile work in public situations where viewers are encouraged to examine their relationship to their community, their role as unwitting advocates of public policy, and their place on a planet occupied by many other living things. His projects have included inter-communal collaborations with Native Tribes in North and South America; long-term partnerships with political prisoners; and alliances with underrepresented and disenfranchised individuals and communities. @rigo23studio @peltierstatue #freeleonardpeltier
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
Images: (top) Design by Rigo 23; (above left) Kathy Peltier stands on the feet from the statue of Leonard Peltier, photo by Rio Yañez; (above right) Detail of statue at RAC
For more information contact: Roberto Martinez, Curator, roberto@richmondartcenter.org
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center presents a new online exhibition This Land Is Me, presented in conjunction with EXTRACTION: Art on the Edge of the Abyss, a multimedia, multi-venue, cross-border art intervention. The exhibition will run July 28 through September 7 and feature work by three Bay Area artists Saif Senussi Azzuz, Kim Champion, and Emily Van Engel.
This Land Is Me highlights artwork that uses abstraction to express ideas related to land care. Saif Senussi Azzuz is a Libyan-Yurok artist whose paintings explore the interconnected and dynamic practices of Indigenous land management. Kim Champion’s detailed drawings are a visual tribute to the connection she shares with her father and the importance of her family’s land in Mississippi. In her new series of paintings, Emily Van Engel searches for a future without crisis through assigning positive meanings to colors.
Employing approaches that range from personal to cultural to imagined, the artists in This Land Is Me show how abstraction is a powerful tool for exploring how we can situate ourselves within the land; a vital first step towards restoring and protecting it.
Top image (l-r): Details for work by Saif Senussi Azzuz, Emily Van Engel, and Kim Champion
About EXTRACTION: Art on the Edge of the Abyss: The Extraction Project is a global coalition of artists and creators committed to exposing and interrogating the negative social and environmental consequences of industrialized natural resource extraction. The project consists of nearly fifty overlapping exhibitions, performances, installations, site-specific work, land art, street art, publications, poetry readings, and cross-media events throughout 2021. www.extractionart.org
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
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center has been approved for a $30,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support the inaugural Richmond Artist Residency (RAR) for emerging artists. The 2021-2022 RAR artists will be local collective Liberación Gráfica, a group of young printmakers whose work explores community, culture and social justice through the lens of growing up in Richmond.
Richmond Art Center’s project is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding. This is Richmond Art Center’s first NEA grant since 2003.
“This grant comes at an important time for Richmond Art Center,” says José R. Rivera, Richmond Art Center’s Executive Director. “As we plan to reopen our facility later this summer, after over a year of being closed due to the pandemic, this NEA grant will help us develop new and responsive ways to partner with artists in Richmond.”
“As the country and the arts sector begin to imagine returning to a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce funding that will help arts organizations such as Richmond Art Center reengage fully with partners and audiences,” said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. “Although the arts have sustained many during the pandemic, the chance to gather with one another and share arts experiences is its own necessity and pleasure.”
About Liberación Gráfica: Liberación Gráfica is a collective of young printmakers from Richmond whose members create work to uplift social justice, the Richmond community, and young voices. As educators the collective has developed a curriculum that helps young people engage in printmaking through exploring historical political posters and creating their own posters on topics they feel connected to. The collective has held multiple live screen printing workshops around the community at events, high schools, and local organizations like RYSE, Urban Tilth, APEN and Richmond Art Center.
About Richmond Art Center: For over 80 years, Richmond Art Center has served the residents of Richmond and surrounding communities through studio arts education programs, exhibitions and events at our facility, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library. Richmond Art Center’s mission is to be a catalyst in Richmond for learning and living through art. Our organizational values – relevance, equity and creativity – guide our programming. richmondartcenter.org
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center (RAC) presents a new exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of California Girls. The 1971 exhibition was the last show organized by groundbreaking curator Tom Marioni for RAC and included early works from the feminist art movement. Marioni was dismissed from his job at RAC shortly after the opening reception.
California Girls 2 can be viewed on Richmond Art Center’s website and includes recent work by 12 Bay Area artists who Marioni admires: Susan Backman, Mitra N Forouhar, Diane Andrews Hall, Mildred Howard, Mary Ijichi, Flicka McGurrin, Cheryl Meeker, Susan Middleton, Gay Outlaw, Diane Roby, Frances Valesco, and Catherine Wagner.
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, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library. richmondartcenter.org
For more information contact: Amy Spencer, Exhibitions Director Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 amy@richmondartcenter.org
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center, in partnership with the West Contra Costa Unified School District, presents the 55th Annual WCCUSD Student Art Show. For the first time, due to the covid pandemic, this show is presented as an online exhibition running April 9 through to June 4, 2021.
The 55th Annual WCCUSD Student Art Show represents the wealth of student artistic talent in the district. It also demonstrates how teachers and students have adapted to, and taken inspiration from, the online classroom.
Steve Mainini, a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School, says of the show, “They say ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’, but in this case ‘distance has made the Arts grow stronger’, which is apparent in this year’s WCCUSD district art show. I am so impressed by all of the student work and the dedication by our WCCUSD visual art teachers.”
Presenting over 200 works in media ranging from drawing, painting, collage, photography and sculpture, the WCCUSD Student Art Show exemplifies teachers and students moving forward with virtual learning; finding ways for innovative arts curriculum and artistic expression.
Top image: Michelle Zhao, Grade 10, By the Light of the Window, 2021, Oil pastel. Hercules High School, Teacher: Schrampf
Participating Schools: De Anza High School, Fred T. Korematsu Middle School, Hercules High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Pinole Valley High School, Richmond High School
Artistic Merit Award Winners: Yamna Ahmadi (Pinole Valley High School), Monica Jimenez (John F. Kennedy High School), Jonathan (Richmond High School), Nhi (De Anza High School), Jeremy Lara (Pinole Valley High School), Isabella Sesante Aurigui (Fred T. Korematsu Middle School), Jasmine Agapito (Hercules High School), Karyna Kolley (De Anza High School), Aaeh Chao (John F. Kennedy High School), Bertha (Pinole Valley High School), Monte (Pinole Valley High School)
About WCCUSD: West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) was established in 1965. It covers the cities of El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, and Hercules and the unincorporated areas of Bayview-Montalvin Manor, East Richmond Heights, El Sobrante, Kensington, North Richmond, and Tara Hills. www.wccusd.net
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with community since 1936. Our programs encompass classes, exhibitions and events at our facility, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library. richmondartcenter.org
For more information and images contact: Amy Spencer, Exhibitions Director Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 amy@richmondartcenter.org
Macy’s Union Square in San Francisco presents a satellite exhibition for Art of the African Diaspora in honor of Black History Month
Featured artists: Derrick Bell, Stephen Bruce, Orin Carpenter, Tiffany Conway, Kelvin Curry, Andrea McCoy Harvey, and Akili Simba
Exhibition Dates: February 13 – 28, 2021 Meet the Artists: February 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28, 1pm-5pm Location: Macy’s Union Square, 170 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
Richmond, CA: Art of the African Diaspora is thrilled to partner with Macy’s Union Square to present a satellite exhibition as part of their 2021 program. Seven participating artists will exhibit their work throughout Macy’s San Francisco store at 170 O’Farrell Street from February 13 through to February 28. These artists are Derrick Bell, Stephen Bruce, Orin Carpenter, Tiffany Conway, Kelvin Curry, Andrea McCoy Harvey, and Akili Simba.
Special artist events are happening on February 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28 from 1pm to 5pm. During these times visitors to Macy’s will have the opportunity to meet exhibiting artists, and learn about and from their work, in an open studio environment.
For twenty-five years Art of the African Diaspora, in partnership with Richmond Art Center, has supported artists of African descent in the Bay Area through representation, professional development, and building a creative community. In 2021 Art of the African Diaspora will be a hybrid online/in-person event presented at aotad.org, richmondartcenter.org, and at venues throughout the Bay Area. Over 120 artists will be featured in an online exhibition highlighting their work, bios and artist statements at richmondartcenter.org. The online exhibition will run February 11 through to May 16, 2021. For more information about the special online artist Reception and Guest Speaker Evening, as well as numerous artist-organized events, visit https://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/aotad2021/
About Art of the African Diaspora: Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area. It originated from a salon for African American artists known as Colors of Black that was organized in 1990 by artist and professor Marie Johnson Calloway. In 1997 artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward founded The Art of Living Black at Richmond Art Center, and many of the artists from Colors of Black participated in the inaugural exhibition. Hart-Schuyers and Hayward developed The Art of Living Black to present the work of emerging and established African American artists, introduce them to new audiences, and build a creative community of artists and art lovers. Over the next twenty-five years Richmond Art Center’s commitment in presenting the exhibition ensured the increased visibility for African American artists in the Bay Area that Hart-Schuyers and Hayward wanted. Tragically Hart-Schuyers passed away in 1998 and Hayward died in 2008. However, their organizing efforts were carried on for many years by their husbands Henri Schuyers and Steven Hopkins, and Steven’s sister Melba Lazenby, who passed away in 2013. Since 2018, the event has been produced by a Steering Committee of artists dedicated to the vision of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2020 the event changed its name to Art of the African Diaspora to reflect a new era moving forward. aotad.org
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with community since 1936. Our programs encompass classes, exhibitions and events at our facility, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library. Richmondartcenter.org
About Macy’s: Macy’s is America’s Department Store. For more than 160 years, Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., has served generations at every stage of their lives. Macy’s customers come to us for fashion, value and high-quality products. We are proud of our heritage and the unique role we play in American culture and tradition. We celebrate occasions big and small, and have created decades of memorable experiences through Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows, and celebrity appearances. With the collective support of our customers and colleagues, Macy’s helps make a difference in every market we serve, supporting local and national charities through funding and volunteer service. With fashion, value and celebration as our guide, Macy’s makes life shine brighter for our customers, colleagues, and communities.For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macysinc.com/news-media.
Top image: Artwork by Derrick Bell
Above images: Artwork by Kelvin Curry (top), Orin Carpenter (left), and Andrea McCoy Harvey (right)
For more information contact:
Stephen Bruce, Steering Committee Chair, Art of the African Diaspora
stephenbstudios@yahoo.com, 916-446-3271
Amy Spencer, Exhibitions Director, Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Online Exhibition: February 11 – May 16, 2021 Online Reception: Saturday, March 20, 3pm
Richmond, CA: 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 2021 Art of the African Diaspora will be a hybrid online/in-person event presented at aotad.org, richmondartcenter.org, and at venues throughout the Bay Area.* Over 110 artists will be featured in an online exhibition highlighting their work, bios and artist statements. The online exhibition will run February 11 through to May 16, 2021. richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/aotad2021
“Art of the African Diaspora is an exhibition that introduces African Diaspora art to new audiences, but also provides fresh insight into its artists and their Bay Area experiences. We are excited that the 2021 program will be a virtual hybrid which we anticipate will expand our audience,” says Stephen Bruce, artist and Steering Committee Chair that produces Art of the African Diaspora.
In conjunction with the online exhibition, artists will host open studios, artists talks and satellite exhibitions throughout February, March, April and May 2021. These artist-curated events will be both virtual and in-person happenings (covid-permitting), and audiences can find out about them via aotad.org. Satellite exhibition partners include Macy’s, San Francisco; Rhythmix Cultural Works, Alameda; Creative Framing & Gallery, Oakland; and NIAD, Richmond. An special online artist Reception and Guest Speaker Evening are also planned. More information about these events to be released soon.
* No in person events will be held at Richmond Art Center. Individual artist events are subject to City and County health orders and compliance with the social distancing requirements.
Participating Artists: a. d. floyd, Abi Mustapha, Ajuan Mance, Akeem Raheem, Akili Simba, Alix J Magloire, Andrea McCoy Harvey, Antt’Smalls aka AnttonioDesigns, Arthur Norcome, Ashara Ekundayo, Beautiful Beads by Lan, bertrell smith, Bill A. Dallas, Brianna Mills, Carla Golder, Carrie Lee McClish, Charles Curtis Blackwell, Chasya Thierry, Christian Vassell, Chuck Harlins, Claude Lockhart Clark, Damon Powell – Artist & Theologian, Darryl Thompson, De’Ana Brownfield, Deatra Colbert, Derrick Bell, Diamela, Doitshā Jones, Dolores R Gray, Donna Gatson, Donna Meke’da Bradley, Dre’An Cox, Dulama, Elishes Cavness, Elmarise Owens, Escape Artist, Ester M. Armstrong, Fan Lee Warren, Floyd Brown, Freddie Crome Lambright, III, Gene Dominique, Genesse McGaugh, Gregory Worsham, Hilda Robinson, iam4muze, Idris Hassan, Irene Bee Kain, J of Coeurs De Papier, J. B. Broussard, JaeMe Bereal, James Gayles, James Knox, Janay Futch, Janet Barnes, Jasmine, Jason Byrd, Jason Powell-Smith, Jennifer Inez Ward, Jessica Keener, Jimi Evins, Jonathan Taylor, Joseph Robinson, Julee Richardson, Julie Atkinson, KaliMa Amilak, Karen Smith, karin turner – karinsArt, Keisha White, Kelvin Curry, Kimberley Champion, Kimberly Johnson, L Holley, Latisha Baker, Lorraine Bonner, Maalak, Marguerite, Mark Sublett, Marva Reed, Mia Mya Dawson, Michelle Tompkins, Naomi Floyd, Olubori Babaoye, Ora Clay, Orin Carpenter, Orlonda Uffre, Pam Jackson, Patricia Patterson, Patricia Perry, Raven Harper, Raymond L. Haywood, Renata, Rodney Bell, Ron Calime, Shanju, Shantae Robinson, Shante’ Young, Shawna Kinard, Stephanie Thames, Stephen Bruce, Suzane Beaubrun, Sylvia Thomas, TaSin Sabir, The Art of Justice, TheArthur Wright, Tiffany Conway, Tomye, Val Kai, Valerie Brown-Troutt, Vaughn F. Filmore, VirgiNia Jourdan Fine Art, Wanda Sabir, Xan Blood Walker, Yasmin Sayyed, Yolanda Holley, Yolanda Patton ThaSun, Zoë Boston, and Zwanda
About Art of the African Diaspora: Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area. It originated from a salon for African American artists known as Colors of Black that was organized in 1990 by artist and professor Marie Johnson Calloway. In 1997 artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward founded The Art of Living Black at Richmond Art Center, and many of the artists from Colors of Black participated in the inaugural exhibition. Hart-Schuyers and Hayward developed The Art of Living Black to present the work of emerging and established African American artists, introduce them to new audiences, and build a creative community of artists and art lovers. Over the next twenty-five years Richmond Art Center’s commitment in presenting the exhibition ensured the increased visibility for African American artists in the Bay Area that Hart-Schuyers and Hayward wanted. Tragically Hart-Schuyers passed away in 1998 and Hayward died in 2008. However, their organizing efforts were carried on for many years by their husbands Henri Schuyers and Steven Hopkins, and Steven’s sister Melba Lazenby, who passed away in 2013. Since 2018, the event has been produced by a Steering Committee of artists dedicated to the vision of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2020 the event changed its name to Art of the African Diaspora to reflect a new era moving forward. aotad.org
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with community since 1936. Our programs encompass classes, exhibitions and events at our facility, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library. richmondartcenter.org
Images: Artworks by Fan Lee Warren (top), Val kai (above left), and Tiffany Conway (above right)
For more information contact: Stephen Bruce, Steering Committee Chair, Art of the African Diaspora stephenbstudios@yahoo.com, 916-446-3271
Online and in-person event featuring Bay Area arts and crafts
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center (RAC) invites holiday shoppers and art lovers to experience the 58th Annual Holiday Arts Festival! This beloved Richmond Art Center tradition returns in November and December 2020 with a hybrid in-person/virtual event featuring Ceramics Sale and Curbside Market and Online Arts and Crafts Hub.
We also have art kit giveaways and thank you gifts to celebrate the Holiday Arts Festival as RAC’s largest community fundraising event. Visit richmondartcenter.org/haf to view the event schedule, artist listings, and browse thank you gifts including RAC apparel, unique glass magnets and beautiful, original artwork.
