Richmond Art Center
Richmond Art Center

Press Release: Richmond Art Center’s 54th Annual Holiday Arts Festival Partners with Local Nonprofits

Richmond Art Center’s 54th Annual Holiday Arts Festival Partners
with Local Nonprofits

Five Richmond nonprofits share their missions, sell their work in the Community Gallery at the Art Center’s annual holiday festival.

RICHMOND, CA — November 18, 2016—On Sunday, December 4, 2016, the largest community event and fundraiser for the Richmond Art Center returns for its 54th year, with over 50 local artists and artisan collectives participating. This year, the festival has expanded to present and give visibility to nonprofit partners with the Richmond Art Center, which include Rosie the Riveter Trust, Girls Inc. of West Contra Costa, NIAD Art Center, and RYSE Youth Center.

“We love our neighbor the Richmond Art Center and their annual Holiday Festival, said NIAD’s Gallery Director, Tim Buckwalter. “What a fantastic tradition. At NIAD Art Center, we delighted and honored to be a part of it. This year we’re pleased to showcase work from four of our emerging artists – Vanessa Bravo, Donzell Lewis, Shana Harper and Sara Malpass – who will be amazing works in clay, fiber, and clay.”

RYSE Youth Center will also be creating art to sell this year. Says Visual Arts Coordinator Vanessa “Agana” Espinoza: “The Visual arts team at Ryse Youth Center has been creating some new original handmade jewelry, art and crafts to share at the Richmond Art Center’s Holiday Art Festival. We are honored to present some amazing unique pieces for sale made by the talented young artists at Ryse. We are very excited about this partnership especially after collaborating on a youth-led mural in the front entrance of the Richmond Art center.”

“Girls Inc is so excited to be working with some very special young entrepreneurs, helping them to fulfill their desires for a successful career doing what they love to do,” says Cristal Banagan, Associate Director of Girls Incorporated of West Contra Costa County. “With the help of personal mentors, our young ladies are creating their businesses, and finding opportunity to “make their mark” with the help of the Richmond Art Center! Stay tuned in to these incredible young marvels and their beautifully creative creations, brought to you as only Richmond can!”

“Rosie the Riveter Trust will be selling a variety of unusual ‘Rosie’ items to benefit its work on behalf of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park,” says Marsha Mather-Thrift, Executive Director of Rosie the Riveter Trust. “Items will include a variety of unusual designs from the Rosie the Riveter National Park Gift Store. We are very excited to be participating in this years Arts Festival and supporting the greater Richmond community.”

Also present will be staff from The Latina Center, whose mission is to improve the quality of life and health of the Latino community by providing leadership and personal development opportunities for all Latinos.

The festival opens its doors to the public at 11am and ends at 5pm at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue in Richmond, CA. Attendees will be able to decorate their own canvas tote bag, perfect for shopping or carrying art supplies, create their own handmade terrariums, bid on silent auction items, mingle with many local artists and Richmond Art Center art instructors, and learn more about what’s happening in the Richmond nonprofit community. All within a few steps of great meals served up by Curbside Kitchen and Opie’s Gourmet Stacked Burgers.

This year’s Holiday Arts Festival features many new artist vendors, and gourmet food trucks and food vendors on site. Art collectors mark the day as an opportunity to bid on collectible, prized works by notable Bay Area artists. To see the list of vendors and community partners participating in this event, please visit the Holiday Art Festival’s web page as it will be continuously updated with current information: http://richmondartcenter.org/holiday-arts-festival/

About the Richmond Art Center:
The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios, Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

Now celebrating its 80th anniversary, the Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Visit the Richmond Art Center’s website for more information: http://richmondartcenter.org/

Contact:
Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download a PDF of the press release here.

Press Release: 54th Annual Holiday Arts Festival

54th Annual Holiday Arts Festival Is Richmond Art Center’s Largest Community Event of the Year

Richmond favorite festival hosts 50+ artisan vendors, local nonprofit community partners, gourmet food trucks and a silent auction.

postcardprstfrst_4x6_frontRICHMOND, CA — November 4, 2016—On Sunday, December 4, 2016, the largest community event and fundraiser for the Richmond Art Center returns for its 54th year, with over 50 local artists and artisan collectives participating. This year’s Holiday Arts Festival is on track to be a exciting experience, with many new artist vendors added to the roster, and gourmet food trucks and food vendors on site. Art collectors mark the day as an opportunity to bid on collectible, prized works by notable Bay Area artists. This year, the festival has expanded to present and give visibility to nonprofit partners with the Richmond Art Center, which include Rosie the Riveter Trust, Girls Inc. of West Contra Costa, NIAD Art Center, and RYSE Youth Center.

“The Holiday Arts Festival is a long-standing annual tradition that really brings the East Bay arts community together,” says Ric Ambrose, Executive Director. “This festival not only celebrates and showcases the talents of many local artists, but it allows a larger community to appreciate, own, and gift handmade art. We enjoy this annual opportunity to bring many new people to the Art Center so they can learn what we’re all about, and to gather with our longtime students and supporters.”

The festival opens its doors to the public at 11am and ends at 5pm at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue in Richmond, CA. Attendees will be able to decorate their own canvas tote bag, perfect for shopping or carrying art supplies, create their own handmade terrariums, bid on silent auction items, mingle with many local artists and Richmond Art Center art instructors, and learn more about what’s happening in the Richmond nonprofit community. All within a few steps of great meals served up by Curbside Kitchen and Opie’s Gourmet Stacked Burgers.

To see the list of vendors and community partners participating in this event, please visit the Holiday Art Festival’s web page as it will be continuously updated with current information: http://richmondartcenter.org/holiday-arts-festival/

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios, Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

Now celebrating its 80th anniversary, the Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Visit the Richmond Art Center’s website for more information: http://richmondartcenter.org/

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download the PDF here.

Press Release: Dual Art-Music Partnership: Richmond Art Center and Del Sol String Quartet Weave Art and Music

DUAL ART-MUSIC PARTNERSHIP: RICHMOND ART CENTER AND DEL SOL STRING QUARTET WEAVE ART AND MUSIC IN CELEBRATION OF 80TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR

A grant awarded by Chamber Music America provides for the SF-based Del Sol String Quartet Residency at the Richmond Art Center, bringing chamber music
and accompanying art classes to local K-12 schoolchildren.

RICHMOND, CA — SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 — As part of its much anticipated 80th Anniversary year, the Richmond Art Center is partnering with the Del Sol String Quartet (Del Sol) in a residency funded by a grant from Chamber Music America.  The residency by the Del Sol String Quartet, organized in partnership with the Richmond Art Center, has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America through its Residency Endowment Fund. Hailed by Gramophone as “masters of all musical things they survey” and two-time top winner of the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the Del Sol String Quartet is a leading force in 21st century chamber music.

As part of its basic mission over the past 80 years, the Richmond Art Center has always worked to expand the cultural experience of local students to include music and the confluence of music and the process of making visual art. This grant by Chamber Music America creates the opportunity to present students (grades K-12) with the direct live experience of chamber music. This particular residency highlights the stimulating impact of music on art-making as well as the concentration art-making lends to the listening of music. With a deep commitment to education, Del Sol has reached thousands of K-12 students through inventive school performances, workshops, coaching and residencies.

160411_DelSol_BeautyShot_1_hr

photo credit: RJ Muna

The Del Sol String Quartet will perform three concerts, thematically focusing on three approaches to expression. Finding parallels in the art in the exhibition and the music performed, the students will have the opportunity to make art engaging some of the same elements in projects geared to the musical manifestations of these elements.

There are three planned performances as part of the Fall residency. Further details about each program can be found on the Richmond Art Center’s website: http://richmondartcenter.org/events. Suggested donation of $10 for adults attending the concert. RSVPs for workshops are requested. Please email us at admin@richmondartcenter.org or call our front desk at 510.620.6772.

Saturday, September 24th 2 p.m. (for elementary school children and their parents)
Why Patterns? Del Sol String Quartet Performs Music by Terry Riley
The first performance explores pattern and repetition. In response, the audience will view the work of artist Squeak Carnwath as she uses shape and strong color together with repetition to define and order space.

Saturday, October 8th 2 p.m. (for middle school students)
What’s Your Story? Del Sol String Quartet Performs Music by Gabriela Lena Frank, Lembit Beecher, Huang Ruo
This second performance reveals narrative elements in music. In parallel, the work of artist Hung Liu examines the unfolding of history, ideas of portrait and identity, and the power of art and music to create the beauty, hold memory, and draw on that energy to inspire.

Saturday, October 22nd 2 p.m. (for high school students)
How Did You Make That? Del Sol String Quartet performs Ruth Crawford Seeger, Steve Reich, Anthony Braxton
The third performance discusses process. In response, the work of Yvette Deas and Mildred Howard and how they use collage and layering to add richness and meaning to their work.

Press Release: Artists Enrique Chagoya and Yvette Deas Present Work Addressing Cultural Appropriate and Societal (Mis)Representation

ARTISTS ENRIQUE CHAGOYA AND YVETTE DEAS PRESENT WORK ADDRESSING CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND SOCIETAL (MIS)REPRESENTATION AT RICHMOND ART CENTER’S FALL 2016 EXHIBITION

Former teacher/student, now artistic colleagues, Chagoya and Deas exhibit recent works in Making Our Mark, the 80th Anniversary Exhibition on view at the Richmond Art Center.

RICHMOND, CA — AUGUST 30, 2016 —  Identity and culture are thematic arcs to be considered in many of the works presented in the Richmond Art Center’s 80th Anniversary major exhibition, Making Our Mark, which opens on September 13 and runs through November 12, 2016. Now as colleagues at Stanford University, two of Making Our Mark’s featured artists, Enrique Chagoya and Yvette Deas, began their association as teacher/student, bringing forth another vital theme in this unique exhibition: showcasing a generation of established and internationally recognized artists and the younger generation of artists they have supported and guided in their growing careers.

The lens focused on cultural appropriation, societal representation and misrepresentation, and the underlying political implications connects the work of Chagoya and Deas. The artists share a commitment to the considered, the illuminated, and examined. In Chagoya’s Untitled (After Yves St. Laurent) and in Deas’ American Pie, the viewer is arrested by work which magnifies actions and sharply directs attention to the very meaning of fashion, entertainment, and art as freely appropriating culture and subverting historical truth.

Drawing from his experiences living on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border in the late 70s and in Europe in the late 90s, Chagoya juxtaposes secular, popular, and religious symbols in order to address the ongoing cultural clash between the United States, Latin America and the world. Recently his work has been addressing issues on immigration and the economic recession. Deas is drawn to the intersections between the multiple selves people construct for public and private consumption and examining the traces left behind. Her art explores narratives manifested through coded understanding and juxtapositions that explore gender, race and sexuality.

 

Untitled (after Yves Saint Laurent)

Enrique Chagoya
Untitled (after Yves Saint Laurent)
Color etching, 2016
Edition: 12
Publisher: Magnolia Editions
22 ¼ x 38 ¼ in.
Courtesy of Magnolia Editions and the Artist

American Pie

Yvette Deas
American Pie
Mixed media on panel, 2008
48 x 60 in.
Courtesy of the Artist

 

“Chagoya and Deas share a finely tuned sense of verbal and visual language, social constructs, and culture,” says Jan Wurm, Director of Exhibitions. “These underlying values and assessments link their work in a shared attitude of reflection. That this is seeped in popular culture provides accessibility also for the viewer.”

Chagoya and Deas will participate in one of the Making Our Mark Artists’ Talks related to the exhibition, where they will discuss their individual practices and how they have experienced the teacher/student relationship and the importance of the guidance and support. This event will take place in the Richmond Art Center’s Main Gallery on Saturday, November 5 at 3 p.m. and is free to the public. For more information on the event, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/event/making-mark-artists-talk/

From September 13 through November 12 in three galleries, Marking Our Mark will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists who have supported, and enriched the programs and exhibitions at the Art Center over many years. These artists include Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang, artists who reflect various philosophies and media (painting, ceramics, fiber, sculpture, and photography). The opening reception for this exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 10, from 5-7 pm. For more information about this exhibition, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/making-our-mark/

To learn more about the Art Center’s 80th Anniversary, including the 80th Anniversary Gala celebration, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/making-mark-80th-anniversary/

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of artwork and interpretation by the Director of Exhibitions, Jan Wurm. The complete list of artists included in Making Our Mark are Dru Anderson, Megan Atherton, Christopher Brown, Ethan Caflisch, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Sofia Córdova, Yvette Deas, Allan deSouza, Nathan Dollarhite, Michael Hall, Scott Hewitt, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Nicholas Makanna, Bruce McGaw, James Melchert, Richard Misrach, Kate Nartker, Deborah Oropallo, Shari Paladino, Johanna Poethig, Richard Shaw, Ehren Tool, Mary Hull Webster, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios,  Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download a PDF of the press release.

Press Release: Xuxa Santamaria (Sofia Córdova and Matt Kirkland) Live and Video Performance at Richmond Art Center

XUXA SANTAMARIA (ARTISTS SOFIA CÓRDOVA AND MATT KIRKLAND) PRESENT A LIVE AND VIDEO PERFORMANCE SUITE FROM ECHOES OF A TUMBLING THRONE
(ODAS AL FIN DE LOS TIEMPOS) AS PART OF THE
RICHMOND ART CENTER’S FALL 2016 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

A digital spell teleports viewers through three video vignettes accompanied by a beautiful semi-improvised score to life 1,000 years from now, presented in conjunction with Making Our Mark, the 80th Anniversary Exhibition at the Richmond Art Center.

 

RICHMOND, CA — AUGUST 29, 2016 — Echoes of A Tumbling Throne (Odas Al Fin De Los Tiempos) is a live sound and video performance suite that imagines our world 1,000 years in the future. Presented on September 16 at the Richmond Art Center by artists Sofia Córdova and Matt Kirkland, this performance creates a world that examines current social structures: racial and gender hierarchies, humanity’s relationship to nature, the environment vis-à-vis technological, industrial, and capitalist society.

As part of the Richmond Art Center’s Fall 2016 exhibition, Making Our Mark, Córdova’s performance-based work will coexist with the installation ¡Auxilio! ¡Socorro!, on exhibition with work by renowned photographer Richard Misrach. These songs are scored by XUXA SANTAMARIA, the musical team of Córdova and Kirkland.

sheworksflexible-crop-1

Image courtesy of Sofia Córdova

“This work speaks of the possibilities inherent in redefining ourselves in a world that—due to the conditions we’ve concocted in the anthropocene—has become aggressively hostile to our existence,” says Córdova. “Echoes… is a site to consider post-feminist, colored, and queer realities. The landscape of this future world—its denizens, artifacts, and culture— also serve as a distorted lens aimed at our present in keeping with the tradition of dystopian science fiction. ”

The piece is scored by original music made by consulting the tarot (with a nod to Philip K. Dick’s methodology in writing The Man in the High Castle) and covers of pop songs originally in English which are translated into Spanish and radically changed to reveal the timeline of this work of speculative fiction.

Sofia-Cordova_BilongoEsmeralda._1000
Image courtesy of Sofia Córdova50 small Sofia Córdova_¡Auxillo! ¡Socorro! 2016
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sofia Córdova
¡Auxillo! ¡Socorro!
Installation, 2016
Comprised of selections from:
The Kingdom is Me
Gouache and acrylic on magazine, newspaper, and photographs, 2012-2016
And
They Held Dances on The Graves of Those Who Died In The Terror
8mm film, video, original sound composition

This special performance will take place in the Richmond Art Center’s Main Gallery on Friday, September 16 at 6 p.m. and is free to the public. For more information on the event, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/event/sofia-cordova-collaborative-sound-performance/

About Making Our Mark:

From September 13 through November 12 in three galleries, Marking Our Mark will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists who have supported, and enriched the programs and exhibitions at the Art Center over many years. These artists include Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang, artists who reflect various philosophies and media (painting, ceramics, fiber, sculpture, and photography). The opening reception for this exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 10, from 5-7 pm. For more information about this exhibition, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/making-our-mark/

To learn more about the Art Center’s 80th Anniversary, including the 80th Anniversary Gala celebration, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/making-mark-80th-anniversary/

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of artwork and interpretation by the Director of Exhibitions, Jan Wurm. The complete list of artists included in Making Our Mark are Dru Anderson, Megan Atherton, Christopher Brown, Ethan Caflisch, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Sofia Córdova, Yvette Deas, Allan deSouza, Nathan Dollarhite, Michael Hall, Scott Hewitt, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Nicholas Makanna, Bruce McGaw, James Melchert, Richard Misrach, Kate Nartker, Deborah Oropallo, Shari Paladino, Johanna Poethig, Richard Shaw, Ehren Tool, Mary Hull Webster, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios,  Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download a PDF of the press release.

 

Press Release: NEA-Award Winning Artist Christopher Brown Presents Work with Former Student Megan Atherton

NEA AWARD-WINNING ARTIST CHRISTOPHER BROWN PRESENTS WORK WITH FORMER STUDENT MEGAN ATHERTON AT RICHMOND ART CENTER’S FALL 2016 EXHIBITION

The relationship between an established teaching artist and student are examined in Making Our Mark, the 80th Anniversary Exhibition presented by the Richmond Art Center.

RICHMOND, CA — AUGUST 23, 2016 —  Award-winning Bay Area artist Christopher Brown has been a widely influential painter and a dynamic teacher. Brown exemplifies an artist who also teaches— stepping out of the studio to fulfill the commitment of molding future artists. In celebration of its 80th anniversary and continuous service to the Richmond community and the greater Bay Area, the Richmond Art Center is preparing a major 2016 Fall exhibition, Making Our Mark, which considers the works of engaging and influential artists such as Christopher Brown, and the relationships they foster with their students, mentees, and assistants.

In the work of Megan Atherton, Brown’s former student, we share in some of the rewards of this special exchange. The teacher / student relationship is shaped and fed by a myriad of elements and conditions. Sometimes influence is direct, sometimes it slips into corners of consideration, displaying wrinkles of reflection. With regard to the work of Brown and Atherton, we are invited to look at the connections, and then we can see further to a spirit of visual exploration and investigation.

CHRISTOPHER BROWN Downtown Oil on canvas, 2008-2016 80 x 110 ½ in. Courtesy of the Artist

CHRISTOPHER BROWN
Downtown
Oil on canvas, 2008-2016
80 x 110 ½ in.
Courtesy of the Artist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEGAN ATHERTON Grass is Greener Oil and acrylic on canvas, 2016 17 x 22 in. Courtesy of the Artist

MEGAN ATHERTON
Grass is Greener
Oil and acrylic on canvas, 2016
17 x 22 in.
Courtesy of the Artist

 

 


“Christopher Brown pursues visual inquiry with an analytical framework which expands with his integration of abstraction,” says Jan Wurm, Director of Exhibitions. “A similar multi-dimensional thinking infuses Atherton’s work with unexpected investigations and permutations which echo a shared impulse.”

Brown and Atherton will participate in one of the Making Our Mark Artists’ Talks related to the exhibition, where they will discuss their individual practices and how they have experienced the teacher/student relationship and the importance of the guidance and support. This event will take place in the Richmond Art Center’s Main Gallery on Saturday, November 5 at 2 p.m. and is free to the public. For more information on the event, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/event/making-mark-artists-talk/

From September 13 through November 12 in three galleries, Marking Our Mark will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists who have supported, and enriched the programs and exhibitions at the Art Center over many years. These artists include Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang, artists who reflect various philosophies and media (painting, ceramics, fiber, sculpture, and photography). The opening reception for this exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 10, from 5-7 pm. For more information about this exhibition, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/making-our-mark/

To learn more about the Art Center’s 80th Anniversary, including the 80th Anniversary Gala celebration, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/making-mark-80th-anniversary/

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of artwork and interpretation by the Director of Exhibitions, Jan Wurm. The complete list of artists included in Making Our Mark are Dru Anderson, Megan Atherton, Christopher Brown, Ethan Caflisch, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Sofia Córdova, Yvette Deas, Allan deSouza, Nathan Dollarhite, Michael Hall, Scott Hewitt, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Nicholas Makanna, Bruce McGaw, James Melchert, Richard Misrach, Kate Nartker, Deborah Oropallo, Shari Paladino, Johanna Poethig, Richard Shaw, Ehren Tool, Mary Hull Webster, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios,  Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download a PDF of the press release.

 

Press Release: Artists Hung Liu and Michael Hall Present Works Considering War and Its Personal Toll, at Richmond Art Center’s Fall 2016 Exhibition

INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ARTIST HUNG LIU AND FORMER STUDIO ASSISTANT MICHAEL HALL PRESENT WORKS CONSIDERING WAR AND ITS PERSONAL TOLL, AT RICHMOND ART CENTER’S FALL 2016 EXHIBITION

The relationship between an established artist and the historically vital position of studio assistant are examined in Making Our Mark, the 80th Anniversary Exhibition presented by the Richmond Art Center.

RICHMOND, CA — AUGUST 17, 2016 — The development and course of a young artist graduating from art school can be a daunting unmarked path. The job of studio assistant has been and is an historically vital position in the career trajectory of an artist. In celebration of its 80th anniversary and continuous service to the Richmond community and the greater Bay Area, the Richmond Art Center is preparing a major 2016 Fall exhibition, Making Our Mark, which considers the works of engaging and influential artists and the relationships they foster with their students, mentees, and assistants.

The relationship between an artist and their assistant can become a sustained mentoring where the generosity extended beyond the practical develops an extraordinary kinship. When an established artist takes on a studio assistant, the role and duties are particular to specific needs and qualities of the individual artist. In Making Our Mark, the work of Chinese-born American contemporary artist Hung Liu is paired with the art of her former studio assistant and Mills College student, Michael Hall. In Hung Liu’s paintings in the exhibition, especially Zhan Ma – War Horse, and Michael Hall’s suite of related works including Lookout, the two artists present a view of war and the terrible cost and tolls taken. The shared sensibility and ritualistic healing through art-making point to a commonality of spirit.

Hung Liu War Horse HL11 11 smallHung Liu
Zhan Ma – War Horse
Oil on canvas, 2011
80 x 80 in.
Courtesy of the Artist
Michael Hall Lookout smallMichael Hall
Lookout
Oil on canvas, 2015
12 x 9 in.
Courtesy of Realreal Art Collection

“In the intimacy of the artist’s studio, what is transmitted is often not visible,” says Jan Wurm, Richmond Art Center’s Director of Exhibitions. “But sometimes the values and commitments are manifested in the artwork.”  

Liu  and Hall will participate in one of the Making Our Mark Artists’ Talks related to the exhibition, where they will discuss their individual practices and how they have experienced the teacher/assistant relationship and the importance of the guidance and support. This event will take place in the Richmond Art Center’s Main Gallery on Saturday, November 5 at 3 pm and is free to the public. For more information on the event, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/event/making-mark-artists-talk-2/

From September 13 through November 12 in three galleries, Marking Our Mark will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists who have supported, and enriched the programs and exhibitions at the Art Center over many years. These artists include Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang, artists who reflect various philosophies and media (painting, ceramics, fiber, sculpture, and photography). The opening reception for this exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 10, from 5-7 pm. For more information about this exhibition, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/making-our-mark/

To learn more about the Art Center’s 80th Anniversary, including the 80th Anniversary Gala celebration, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/making-mark-80th-anniversary/
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of artwork and interpretation by the Director of Exhibitions, Jan Wurm. The complete list of artists included in Making Our Mark are Dru Anderson, Megan Atherton, Christopher Brown, Ethan Caflisch, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Sofia Córdova, Yvette Deas, Allan deSouza, Nathan Dollarhite, Michael Hall, Scott Hewitt, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Nicholas Makanna, Bruce McGaw, James Melchert, Richard Misrach, Kate Nartker, Deborah Oropallo, Shari Paladino, Johanna Poethig, Richard Shaw, Ehren Tool, Mary Hull Webster, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios,  Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download a PDF of the press release here.

 

Press Release: Bay Area Painter Squeak Carnwath Presents Work with Former Student

BAY AREA PAINTER SQUEAK CARNWATH PRESENTS WORK WITH FORMER STUDENT DRU ANDERSON IN RICHMOND ART CENTER FALL 2016 EXHIBITION PROGRAM

From September 13 through November 12, the Richmond Art Center will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists, including Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

RICHMOND, CA — AUGUST 10, 2016 — In celebration of the Richmond Art Center’s 80th anniversary this year,   the Art Center’s major Fall exhibition, Making Our Mark, highlights some very special relationships that have nurtured artists and sustained this creative environment. Examining the  teacher – student  bonds and connection, Making Our Mark looks closely at the work of the mature, long-established practices of notable Bay Area artists, including the painter Squeak Carnwath and her former student Dru Anderson. In a vastly divergent choice in scale – from Carnwath’s monumental painting, Big Tiny – to the intimate small page of Anderson’s pastel rendering, In Five Years I, the mutual sympathy between the works is palpable. Both artists record the impact of life on their musings, their standing in their worlds, and their emotional commitment to being present, open, and self-revelatory.

“It takes a special generosity of spirit for an artist to be a committed teacher,” says Jan Wurm, Richmond Art Center’s Director of Exhibitions. “Stepping out of one’s studio practice to share one’s insights and understanding of our culture and the times we live in, being open to the particular perspective of a young artist, and guiding their artistic impulses in a supportive way—these aspects demand great skill and energy. It is a very privileged position for a young artist to be the recipient of such considered attention and it is also a sign of a profound sympathy that opens this exchange.”

Left:
Squeak Carnwath
Big Tiny
Oil and alkyd on canvas over panel, 2012
75 x 65 in.
Photo credit: M. Lee Fatherree

Right:
Dru Anderson
Five Years I
Chalk pastel on paper, 2016
13 x 18 ½  in.
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Artist

Carnwath and Anderson will participate in one of the Making Our Mark Artists’ Talks related to the exhibition, where they will discuss their individual practices and how they have experienced the teacher/student relationship and the importance of the guidance and support. This event will take place in the Richmond Art Center’s Main Gallery on Saturday, November 5 at 2 pm and is free to the public. For more information on the event, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/event/making-mark-artists-talk-2/

From September 13 through November 12 in three galleries, Marking Our Mark will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists who have supported, and enriched the programs and exhibitions at the Art Center over many years. These artists include Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang, artists who reflect various philosophies and media (painting, ceramics, fiber, sculpture, and photography). The opening reception for this exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 10, from 5-7 pm. For more information about this exhibition, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/making-our-mark/

To learn more about the Art Center’s 80th Anniversary, including the 80th Anniversary Gala celebration, please visit: http://richmondartcenter.org/making-mark-80th-anniversary/
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of artwork and interpretation by the Director of Exhibitions, Jan Wurm. The complete list of artists included in Making Our Mark are Dru Anderson, Megan Atherton, Christopher Brown, Ethan Caflisch, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Sofia Córdova, Yvette Deas, Allan deSouza, Nathan Dollarhite, Michael Hall, Scott Hewitt, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Nicholas Makanna, Bruce McGaw, James Melchert, Richard Misrach, Kate Nartker, Deborah Oropallo, Shari Paladino, Johanna Poethig, Richard Shaw, Ehren Tool, Mary Hull Webster, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios,  Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

Now celebrating its  80th anniversary, the Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download the press release here.

 

Press Release: Rosie’s Girls and the Richmond Art Center: Partnering for Strength

Two historic Richmond organizations are celebrating their ongoing, creative connection in this 80th year anniversary of the Richmond Art Center. For the past several years, the Art Center has partnered with Rosie’s Girls, a program designed to help girls build self-esteem, leadership skills, and physical confidence through an exploration of trades and non-traditional activities. The Rosie’s Girls program is part of the Rosie the Riveter Trust.

 

This summer, six local girls involved in the program learned the power and practicality of involving art in their lives. They participated in a Marketing and Design workshop taught by teaching artist Dawn Gonzales. The girls, primarily from low-income families in Richmond, spent three hours a week for four weeks and learned everything from creative brainstorming and design skills to concept  implementation and production.

“We covered new ground such as using graphic design software, message marketing and copywriting to incorporate the girls’ personal experiences into a branded promotional pop-up exhibit,” says Gonzales. “We learned to exercise resourcefulness, plan ahead, embrace our own uniquely creative ideas, and collaborate closely while having a lot of fun. It was an honor to work with these young women, our future leaders.

One foundation of the RAC’s success is that it believes that art is a critically important tool to for any child’s education, but especially in the K-12 years because of the thinking and creative skills it teaches. Once a child has the ability to think like an artist she can apply those abilities to almost any career she pursues and that’s why the Art Center is enthusiastic about one of its other popular programs – the STEAM camps and classes offered (science, technology, engineering, art, math) through our Art in the Community program.  The Art Center has adapted the well known STEM program and added the “A” to it, believing that the arts are vital to an integrated academic learning experience.

The Art Center’s screenprinting teaching artist Joyce Shon has worked with 30 Rosies for the past four summers, as a team with artist  Monica Gyulai. Shon explains, “The girls come to us at the beginning of the program to print tee shirts. One side has the Rosie’s Girls logo, to let everyone know that they are part of a team, and the other side has all of their names, expressed in their own hand, to remind them of their individuality. They learn the basics of screen printing, but also how to work together as a team.”

In general, the screenprinting class works with two groups of about fifteen girls. each group for one day. Some girls return for a second year, and Shon remarks, “Something I’ve noted is that they come back the second year with so much confidence and grace, and so willing to recall the skills they learned and help the newcomers. I credit the Rosies program with teaching the girls good values, teamwork and leadership as well as useful physical skills.  Seeing that keeps me coming back for each new group of girls. Oh, that and seeing the  delight and surprise of pulling that first print.”

Our Studio Education coordinator Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo has a unique relationship to Rosie’s Girls: “It made my day to see two of my favorite Bay Area organizations (Rosie’s Girls Trust  and Richmond Art Center) partner together to create such incredible work, that both honors the history of Richmond and looks upon the future. As a Rosie’s Girls Alumna and member of the RAC Education team, this is the kind of partnership and outcome I strive for and am so happy to witness it! It has been a joy to be a part of this project and watch it from start to finish. I look forward to planning future programming with these talented young women and continuing to work with the Rosie the Riveter Trust.”

We want to highlight that on Saturday, August 13th at 10 am, the National Park Service, in coordination with the Rosie the Riveter Trust, City of Richmond, and Richmond Museum Association, will be hosting the second Rosie Rally in the Craneway Pavilion, attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of people dressed up as Rosie the Riveter since World War II. The record was set last year with 1,084 people, and the organization hopes to do it again this year with a goal of 5,000 participants. The rally event recognizes and commemorates the important work women – and all workers – did on the Home Front during World War II, and many original Rosies will be there to participate and cheer on the younger generations.

Please check www.rosietheriveter.org/rosierally2016 for more details.

The Rally will be followed by the annual Home Front Festival, which will be held in Marina Bay Park from 12 noon to 4 PM. A “parade of Rosies” will walk along the Bay Trail after the Rally to Marina Bay Park, where there will be music, food, vendors, and fun activities during the afternoon.

IMG_3300Our special Rosie’s Girls Pop-Up exhibit booth that was designed and produced by Dawn Gonzales’ class this summer will be set up at the event, so we encourage you to stop by and say hello.

During this 80th anniversary year, what’s especially notable is that the RAC’s participation with Rosie’s Girls not only adds to the strength and depth of the Art Center’s program offerings; it hearkens back to our founding history. The RAC originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, rode her bicycle throughout Richmond, with a suitcase full of art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested including the women working at shipyards and factories during the war.   

This partnership with Rosie’s Girls is a continuation of Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Press Release: Richmond Art Center Presents Fall 2016 Exhibition Program in Conjunction with 80th Anniversary

THE RICHMOND ART CENTER PRESENTS FALL 2016 EXHIBITION PROGRAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH 80TH ANNIVERSARY:
MAKING OUR MARK and MARKING NEW PATHS

In conjunction with its 80th Anniversary, the Richmond Art Center will present two important companion exhibitions that celebrate the legacy of the Art Center as well as look to the future of art and emerging artists in the Bay Area.  

RICHMOND, CA — July 22, 2016 — In celebration of its 80th anniversary and continuous service to the Richmond community and the greater Bay Area, the Richmond Art Center is preparing a major 2016 Fall exhibition, Making Our Mark. From September 13 through November 12 in three galleries, the exhibition will highlight 14 established and nationally known artists who have supported, and enriched the programs and exhibitions at the Art Center over the years. Included among these artists who reflect various philosophies and media (painting, ceramics, fiber, sculpture, and photography) are Christopher Brown, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Allan deSouza, Mildred Howard, James Melchert, Hung Liu, Richard Misrach, Richard Shaw, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang. The opening reception for these exhibitions will take place on Saturday, September 10, from 5-7 pm.

Consistent with the Art Center’s history and mission — to give voice to new artists and open the galleries to new visions, the Art Center has requested that each of these invited artists identify a younger artist whom they have taught or mentored, or whose work they believe should be shown and promoted. The works by these 28 artists represent both current and future generations of artistic voices.  

The Art Center has given many artists their first major exhibitions, helping establish the careers that have supported these artists to become the core of the Bay Area art community — exhibiting, teaching, mentoring, and lighting a path for emerging artists. For today’s younger artists, Making Our Mark presents one of the first major showings of their work. This exhibition places the work of these fresh voices in a historical context with the Art Center.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of artwork and interpretation by the Director of Exhibitions, Jan Wurm. The complete list of artists included in Making Our Mark are Dru Anderson, Megan Atherton, Christopher Brown, Ethan Caflisch, Squeak Carnwath, Enrique Chagoya, Lia Cook, Sofia Córdova, Yvette Deas, Allan deSouza, Nathan Dollarhite, Michael Hall, Scott Hewitt, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Nicholas Makanna, Bruce McGaw, James Melchert, Richard Misrach, Kate Nartker, Deborah Oropallo, Shari Paladino, Johanna Poethig, Richard Shaw, Ehren Tool, Mary Hull Webster, William T. Wiley, and Wanxin Zhang.

In conjunction with the exhibition Making Our Mark, the Richmond Art Center has also invited Allan deSouza, Professor and Chair of the Department of Art Practice, University of California Berkeley, to guest curate an exhibition, Marking New Paths, in the Community Gallery. The exhibition will include 12 current MFA candidates presenting new works under the self-directed organization of the student cohort.

A number of talks by the artists and art critics regarding the work in the exhibition are planned during the course of the exhibition. The Del Sol String Quartet will also perform in the galleries, interpreting the work through their music and will conduct workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students. Please visit the Richmond Art Center’s website http://richmondartcenter.org/events/ for a full detail of activities and events relating to these exhibitions.

The Fall exhibitions are sponsored by BLICK Art Materials, Mechanics Bank, Jacobs & CO,  and Susan and Steven Chamberlin.

About the Richmond Art Center:

The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to young and old alike who reflect the diverse richness of our community. The Art Center features hands-on learning, well-equipped studios,  Art in the Community programs and contemporary exhibitions in its galleries.

Every year, the Richmond Art Center serves thousands of students through classes and programs taught by professional artists, both onsite at the Art Center and at sites throughout Richmond. The Art Center’s four galleries mount rotating exhibitions that display the works of emerging and established Bay Area artists. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Jay DeFeo, Wanxin Zhang, Hung Liu, William Wiley and Peter Voulkos have been showcased here.

The Richmond Art Center originated in 1936, when local artist Hazel Salmi, who worked for the WPA, traversed the streets of Richmond with a suitcase packed with art supplies, eager to teach art to anyone interested. Today, everything at the Art Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist.

Contact:

Julie Sparenberg
Communications Manager
julie@richmondartcenter.org
510-620-6772

Download a PDF of the press release.

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2540 Barrett Avenue
Richmond, CA 94804-1600

 

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