Exhibition: April 16 – June 14, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 12, 2025, 1pm-3pm
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Time and Tide is the first major exhibition to offer a comprehensive survey of the work of Richmond-based artist John Wehrle (born 1941). This exhibition narrates Wehrle’s 50-year artistic journey, featuring replicas of his murals and gateways throughout Richmond, as well as original paintings and sketches he created as a combat artist during the Vietnam War. It also includes early studies, sculptures, photographs, and large-scale paintings.
John Wehrle’s work is characterized by a unique blend of whimsy, allegory, and playful historical references, creating vibrant public art that responds to local stories and community experiences. His murals are prominent and familiar landmarks in Richmond’s urban landscape. From the iconic Plunge (2010) at the Richmond Municipal Natatorium (The Richmond Plunge) to Revisionist History (1995) under the I-80 underpass on San Pablo Avenue, these site-specific, large-scale works capture community histories and inspire a sense of place among Richmond residents. In addition to highlighting Wehrle’s artistic contributions to Richmond, Time and Tide will showcase the wide array of public artworks he has created in cities across California.
As a beloved Richmond artist, Wehrle received a lifetime achievement award in 2006 from AC5, Contra Costa’s Arts and Culture Commission. In 2018, he was proclaimed the “greatest single contributor to public art murals in Richmond” by the Richmond City Council.
Organized by guest curator Jeff Nathanson, Time and Tide will be accompanied by a catalogue, a series of public programs, mural tours, and educational offerings for youth.
Exhibition at Richmond Art Center: January 22 – March 22, 2025 Reception: Saturday, January 25, 2025, 1pm-3pm Artistic Achievement Awardee Talk: Saturday, January 25, 2025, 11am-12:30pm Closing Reception: Saturday, March 22, 2025, 2pm-4pm
Open Studios: Mar 1-2, Mar 8-9, Mar 15-16, 2025 Satellite Exhibitions: Throughout January, February, March and April
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
2024 Artistic Achievement Award Winners: Deborah Butler, Kim Champion, and Carrie Lee McClish
CLICK HERE to donate to Art of the African Diaspora. 100% of your donation (less online processing fees) goes towards Art of the African Diaspora event costs and is managed by the Steering Committee who produces the program.
Exhibition: September 4 – November 21, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 7, 1pm-3pm | Learn more…
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
A student showcase of Japanese ink brush paintings from Fumiyo Yoshikawa’s beginner sumi-e class at Richmond Art Center. Sumi-e is a traditional East Asian painting technique that uses black ink (sumi) on paper. Originating in China and later flourishing in Japan, sumi-e emphasizes simplicity, fluidity, and the potential of expressive brushstrokes to capture the essence or spirit of a subject. The students in Sensei Yoshikawa’s class also explored the connections between this traditional art form and concepts of Zen and Wabi Sabi. Through regular practice, the students learned to cultivate both their artistic prowess and inner tranquility, with each stroke honing their skills while also unveiling a path to daily serenity.
Exhibition: September 4 – November 21, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 7, 1pm-3pm | Learn more…
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Artist Statement:
This collection invites viewers to experience a harmonious fusion of contemporary portraiture dripping in vibrant botanical landscapes. Each piece in this exhibition celebrates the grace of human expressions amidst a tapestry of blooming flora. My hope is to elicit a sense of reverence for the magic of our interconnectedness and complexity.
About the Artist: Abi Mustapha is a Sierra Leonean/American contemporary artist and a dedicated community builder. She earned her BA in Political Science with a focus on Sustainability from Indiana University before embarking on a career in sustainable agriculture and permaculture. In 2013, she made the conscious decision to relocate from Indiana to the Bay Area to pursue her passion for art. Her artistic journey has led to exhibitions in galleries and museums across the Midwest and Bay Area, including notable venues such as the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Garret Museum of Art, Richmond Art Center, and Joyce Gordon Gallery. In 2021 she was the Artist in Residence for the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
Beyond her artistry, Abi actively engages with the Santa Cruz community. She has played a pivotal role in founding and participating in racial justice initiatives in Santa Cruz over the past several years. Her creative expression is deeply rooted in the themes of human connection and nature, and her artistic repertoire encompasses murals, illustration, digital art, and portraiture. She is currently the Artist-in-Residence at Housing Matters with a yearlong grant from the Central Coast Creative Corp. For more information about Abi and her work, please visit Abimustapha.com or @Abimustapha on Instagram
Top image: Abi Mustapha, Dionaea, 2024, 30″ x 24″, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Exhibition Dates: September 4 – November 21, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 7, 1pm-3pm | Learn more…
Artist Gallery Walkthrough: Saturday, October 5, 1pm start | Learn more…
Make Your Own Avatar at Fall Family Day: Saturday, October 19, 12pm-3pm | Learn more…
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
In these tumultuous times, the artwork in Sentinels & Saviors encourages us to focus inward and find symbols that guide and uplift us amid feelings of powerlessness.
The exhibition features the work of Joell Jones and Kim Thoman, who create space for introspection. Jones’ pictorial work explores her journey into the unconscious, portraying a woman’s quest for self-discovery. Thoman’s abstract steel figures, inspired by Chinese Terracotta Warriors, represent protective guardians and emerged from her desire for protection during recovery from a serious illness. Together, these bodies of work serve as iconic avatars, encouraging viewers to pay closer attention to themselves, their thoughts, and their feelings.
Anthony Delgado, Art Hazelwood, e bond, Erin McCluskey Wheeler, Helia Pouyanfar, Quinn Keck, Taro Hattori
Exhibition Dates: September 4 – November 21, 2024 Opening Reception: Saturday, September 7, 1pm-3pm | Learn more… Right Here, Right Now – Sunset Social: Friday, September 20, 5pm-8pm | Learn more… Watershed’s Coastal Cleanup with Erin McCluskey Wheeler: Saturday, September 21, 8am-5pm | Learn more…
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Richmond Art Center is proud to present Right Here, Right Now, Richmond. Now in its third iteration, this biennial exhibition celebrates the visionary art and ideas of local artists in Richmond, California.
A year ago, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, seven artists who live or make their work in Richmond were invited to create new work that expanded their artistic practices. These artists are: Anthony Delgado, Art Hazelwood, e bond, Erin McCluskey Wheeler, Helia Pouyanfar, Quinn Keck, and Taro Hattori. The resulting exhibition offers a creative lens on Richmond and the Bay Area’s history, environment, and the experiences of its vibrant communities.
Right Here, Right Now, Richmond is curated by Roberto Martinez.
This project is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
e bond makes digital spaces by day, handmade books by night, hangs out with trees on weekends and
writes something close to poems in the spaces between. Under the studio name roughdrAftbooks, she makes one-of-a-kind artists books, printed matter and abstract drawings that merge and blur the boundaries of art, craft, design and poetry. e holds a BFA from Moore College and an MFA from Mills College. ebondwork.com, @eisroughdraft
Anthony Delgado is a Californian by birth and by nature. His starting point in art was as a painter, attending UMASS in Amherst, and Cal for degrees in Fine Art. After working in graphic design for over 30 years, photography is now Delgado’s principal artistic pursuit. His recent work focuses on capturing the “decisive moment”, when animate and inanimate, emotion and action combine to form a singular image. www.anthonydelgado.com
Taro Hattori is an interdisciplinary artist who has shown his installations and socially engaged projects nationally and internationally. His recent work often creates relationships between physical sculpture and space with people with a specific socio-political background through their performances, conversations and singing. He is currently teaching at CCA the chair of Sculpture and Individualized Programs. www.tarohattori.com
For over 35 years Art Hazelwood has created politically charged prints, working with dozens of organizations from arts organizations to unions to grassroots movements. He taught printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute where he founded the San Francisco Poster Syndicate, which brings together political poster makers to work with activists. UC Santa Cruz Special Collections has established an archive of approximately 300 of his political prints. www.arthazelwood.com
Quinn Keck is a multidisciplinary artist working across traditional printmaking, painting, and digital mediums to create dialogues on the human experience. Instead of portraying just the physical form of people, places, and objects, Quinn abstracts layers to discuss identity, memory, perception, and grief – exploring the absurdity of making patterns in a chaotic world in their work. www.quinnkeck.com, @running.from.the.silence.press
Erin McCluskey Wheeler, born and raised in, and current resident of, Richmond, CA, is a mixed media artist, writer, curator, and teacher. Erin is a studio facilitator at NIAD Art Center in Richmond and teaches online with 92NY. Erin holds a BA in studio art and art history from Beloit College, and an MFA from California College of the Arts in writing. erinmccluskey.com, @erinmwheeler
Helia Pouyanfar was born in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to California in 2014. Inspired by her cultural background, her architectural sculptures and research endeavors to illustrate and investigate the permanently transient state of the refugee body and its negotiation and reconciliation with Place. She received her BA from University of California, Berkeley and her MFA from University of California, Davis. heliapouyanfar.com, @heliapouyanfar
Top image artwork details (clockwise from top left) by Art Hazelwood, e bond, Anthony Delgado, & Erin McCluskey Wheeler
