September 4 – November 21, 2024 Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Exhibitions and events are all free and no rsvp is necessary
Richmond, CA: 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 work in Richmond were invited to create new work that expanded their creative practices. These artists are: Anthony Delgado, Art Hazelwood, e bond, Erin McCluskey Wheeler, Helia Pouyanfar, Quinn Keck, and Taro Hattori. The resulting work for Right Here, Right Now, Richmond offers a creative lens on Richmond and the Bay Area’s history, environment, and the experiences of its vibrant communities.
“As the artists created new work for this show, a theme to emerge is ‘home’ in its many forms—physical, cultural, and emotional,” says Roberto Martinez, the exhibition’s curator. “Maybe it’s obvious, but in a rapidly changing city, home is always worth exploring.”
Erin McCluskey and Art Hazelwood respond to the impact of capitalism’s consumerist tendencies on Richmond’s natural and social environments. McCluskey’s micro-plastic mosaic sculptures, made from reclaimed trash collected from the shoreline, reflect the lasting impact that excessive consumption and waste has on our bodies and planet. In a similar spirit, Hazelwood’s gothic prints depict the mechanisms of capitalism as monstrous entities, countered by the hope of community unity overcoming these oppressive forces.
Set against the backdrop of Richmond’s urban landscape, Anthony Delgado’s photographic documentation of Lucha Libre dramatizes the eternal struggle between good and evil, capturing a visual opera that transcends language and borders.
Taro Hattori and Helia Pouyanfar open up conversations around home, memory and belonging, centering the refugee experience in our understanding of community. Hattori’s sonic installation created in collaboration with refugees and non-refugees, provides a stage for songs and stories that illuminate our shared human experiences, helping find points of connection and revelation. Pouyanfar’s sculptural works speak to a more intimate conversation, a grappling of the refugee body and its negotiation and reconciliation with place. Through the use of mirrors, drywall and other building materials, Pouyanfar materializes memory and forces us to think about the meaning of home.
In an exploration of our different experiences and relationships to home, Quinn Keck has woven together words, stories, poems and images of Richmond into a multi-media installation that abstracts, recombines and superimposes personal contributions and archival materials onto each other: deriving and capturing the infinite ideas and profound beauty that come together to evoke a sense of place.
Lastly, e bond presents a series of vibrant mixed media collage prints whose individual but infinite circular forms call for moments of singularity. bond’s work presents a deep exploration of images and words that map connections between our disparate thoughts and experiences, culminating in unity as a singular whole.
PROGRAM
EXHIBITION September 4 – November 21, 2024 Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Admission is free. CLICK HERE to learn about our Art Tours program, including free tours for Richmond youth.
OPENING RECEPTION Saturday, September 7, 1pm to 3pm | Free Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Join us for the opening reception of Right Here, Right Now. Also opening are fall exhibitions, Sentinels & Saviors; Abi Mustapha: Recent Work; and The Art of Sumi-e. All are welcome to attend. No RSVP necessary.
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW: SUNSET SOCIAL Friday, September 20, 5pm-8pm | Free Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Let’s gather at sunset for art and community as we bid farewell to summer. Richmond Art Center’s courtyard and galleries will be transformed into a space for celebrating the artists featured in Right Here, Right Now with performances, live art demonstrations, and more. It’s not often we open our galleries after dark – don’t miss it!
WATERSHED’S COASTAL CLEANUP WITH ERIN MCCLUSKEY WHEELER Saturday, September 21, 8am-5pm Shimada Friendship Park, Peninsula Drive and Marina Bay Parkway Artist Erin McCluskey will be participating in the 40th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21, collecting beach litter to incorporate into her mixed media work. Join Erin in finding artistic inspiration while contributing to the cleanup of Shimada Friendship Park’s shoreline. This event is organized by The Watershed Project and County Supervisor John Gioia. Please dress in layers, wear a hat and/or sunscreen, and sturdy closed-toe shoes. Cleanup supplies will be provided, but if possible, bring a bucket, reusable gloves, and a water bottle to help minimize waste. Learn more and register: https://thewatershedproject.org/event/coastal-cleanup-day-2024/
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
Welcoming Andres Serrano, Our New Artist-in-Residence
We’re excited to welcome Andres Serrano as the new artist-in-residence at Richmond Art Center. A lifelong Richmond resident, Andres brings a strong community connection and a creative practice focused on queerness, home, and culture through ceramics.
Andres holds an MFA in Art from San Francisco State University and a BA from UCLA in Spanish and Chicana/o Studies. His work has been showcased at the Berkeley Art Center, 500 Capp Street, and here at Richmond Art Center. Beyond ceramics, Andres is passionate about serving the Richmond community through various nonprofit organizations.
Outside the studio, you might find Andres biking around Richmond, experimenting with ceramic glazes, exploring Sprouts’ bulk bins, or enjoying the latest Real Housewives drama.
Andres shared his goals for this residency, saying, “I am excited to be working with the Richmond Art Center to continue supporting youth and local residents in our community through the arts, especially through ceramic arts. From my own lived experience, I had limited access to art and art studios, and this residency provides me with opportunities to spread the joy of ceramics and other expressive mediums within our vibrant Richmond community. This residency will allow me to deepen my connection within Richmond and provide space and opportunity for others to explore and enjoy themselves through art-making.”
About the Richmond Artist Residency: The Richmond Artist Residency is an 8-month program designed to support emerging and mid-career visual artists. The residency offers a unique opportunity for artists to pursue their creative work while actively engaging with the Richmond community. The residency also focuses on building skills in various studio disciplines such as ceramics, printmaking, and fiber arts, with access to technical support and shared studio equipment.
This Richmond Artist Residency is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Volunteers assist our team, help out in the studios, support outreach, and more. Volunteer benefits include a discount on classes. We can also support students (ages 16+) wanting community service hours for class credit.
*We especially need volunteers who can assist with light physical duties such as setting up and breaking down events.
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA
The Holiday Arts Festival offers something for everyone, combining opportunities to explore, create, and shop for affordable, handmade goods from local artisans. Read the PRESS RELEASE for more info.
Unique, Handmade Gifts by 50+ Local Arts & Crafts Vendors
MEET THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 62ND ANNUAL HOLIDAY ARTS FESTIVAL!
Richmond Art Center is pleased to serve as gateway for local artists to display and sell their works. Richmond Art Center does not receive any portion of the proceeds from sales – either in-person at the Festival or online via linked artist or organization websites – and the terms of all sales are set by the participants.
Calling All Arts and Crafts Vendors! Be part of the 62nd Annual Holiday Arts Festival!
Event Date: Sunday, December 8, 10am-4pm Vendor Application Deadline: Monday, September 30, 2024, 11:59pm
Applications are now open for local artists, artisans, and makers to showcase their work at the Holiday Arts Festival. This shop-local event offers a fantastic opportunity to present your work to an enthusiastic audience of over 1,000 people who value hand-crafted gifts.
There is no application fee and first-time vendors to the festival are encouraged to participate.
Animation amazingness from Summer Art Camp at Richmond Art Center. Campers made over 50 short videos in the “Animation All Over” camp with Maggie Burns this summer. From flip-notes on sticky pads to crafting hands-on paper stop motion, they drew inspiration from their surroundings to bring pictures to life through movement.
A conversation between an artist and a scientist about the present and future of plastic
Saturday, November 16, 2pm-3pm | FREE
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond
Join us for a conversation between Right Here, Right Now, Richmond artist, Erin McCluskey Wheeler, and Daniel Westcott, founder and CEO of Matched Materials, a company working to end legacy plastics using machine learning. Through their work, both Erin and Daniel are passionate about eliminating petrochemical plastics and increasing our awareness about the dire impacts petrochemical plastics have on our health and the health of our planet.
Calling all artists, artisans, crafters and makers! Be part of Richmond Art Center’s 62nd Annual Holiday Arts Festival!
Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 11:59pm
EVENT DETAILS
62nd Annual Holiday Arts Festival
Sunday, December 8, 2024, 10am-4pm Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond Event webpage: richmondartcenter.org/haf
Unique, Handmade Gifts by Over 50 Local Arts & Crafts Vendors
Famous Ceramics Studio Sale
Free Art Activities
Community Partner Pop-Ups
Raffle, Food and Drinks, and More!
Every year, the Holiday Arts Festival welcomes over 1,000 visitors to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts from local arts and crafts vendors, savor delicious food and drinks, and engage in art-making activities for all ages. The Festival’s gift sale takes place from 10am to 4pm at Richmond Art Center, located at 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond.
PARTICIPATING IN THE HOLIDAY ARTS FESTIVAL
VENDOR APPLICATION DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024, 11:59PM
Vendor Notification: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Vendor Set Up: Saturday, December 7, 10am to 4pm OR Sunday, December 8, 8:30am-10am
Holiday Arts Festival: Sunday, December 8, 10am to 4pm
Vendor Deinstall: Sunday, December 8, 4pm to 5:30pm
Call for Arts and Crafts Vendors! Richmond Art Center is now accepting applications from local artists, artisans, crafters, and makers to table at the Holiday Arts Festival. This shop-local event is the perfect opportunity to showcase your work to a creative crowd that loves hand-crafted gifts. Apply by October 2 for a chance to join. No application fee, and first-time vendors are highly encouraged to participate.
Richmond Art Center provides: Vendor contract, table, chair/s, vendor sign (if needed), wall space (as requested/as available), electrical outlet (as requested/as available), time for set-up and deinstall, online vendor listing
Promotion: During the holiday season, Richmond Art Center will be promoting The Holiday Arts Festival via online and print advertising, social media, our e-newsletter, via community partnerships, and at community events. Vendors will also have the opportunity to promote their websites in our online vendor gallery on Richmond Art Center’s website.
Jurying Process: Unfortunately we don’t have space to accept all vendors who apply for a table at the Holiday Arts Festival. As a result applications are juried using the criteria: Artistic Quality; Sales Potential; Media Range Across Vendors; and Community Connection/New Opportunities.
FEES
6 Foot Table Fee: $190 for RAC members; $200 for non-members
4 Foot Half Table Fee: $110 for RAC members; $125 for non-members
These are flat fees. No sales commission is charged.
Class Registration Opens Wednesday, August 14, 10am
Fall art classes are being posted on our website (don’t worry if the class says ‘Fully Booked’ this will change once registration opens). Browse listings now and plan which class you’ll sign up for. And don’t forget to get your scholarship applications in early!
