About: I begin each ceramic sculpture with a commitment to either create new ideas or to expand on the ideas that were created in my on-going series. My art is influenced and inspired by my love and appreciation of the human figure, dance, and music, including my fascination with the instruments themselves.
About: My new series “Heart of Gold” is inspired by my desire to live in peace and harmony with everyone. I love to go to the beach, which is my place of serenity and peace. My paintings are an accumulation of symbols that express my feelings above.
More info: The “Heart of Gold” series are paintings of meditation and are for everyone. It can also be given as a gift to someone you value for their goodness. To purchase one of these serene meditation pieces, email virginiakjourdan@gmail.com or go to www.virginiakjourdan.com The prices range from $250 – $3,000
About: This era of disillusionment with our leaders and our country has inspired what I consider to be my biological imperative to practice art. My art tells stories, with my narratives, political cartoons and portraits to help people feel more connected and grounded in reality. Many people in urban communities don’t often follow the continuity of events and political processes around them. One of the goals of my art is to offer a bit of substance and background, and bring people closer to issues and circumstances that affect us all.
Music, people and politics are integral aspects of my art, sources for precious bits and ideas which I incorporate into my work. Music elicits deep graphic visuals, politics and social change present constant challenges, and people’s faces are multi-colored landscapes full of rich experiences. I blend all this with our history, events and happenings from years gone by that are never really gone from us. I am flooded with a wealth of multicultural inspirations, and this is what I bring to my art.
Aware that role models are in short supply in my cultural world, I see myself as an individual who uses her work to reach across boundaries, both race and societal, in order to give back power to those who feel marginalized and somehow short-changed. By creating art from an all-inclusive perspective, regularly featuring and focusing on people of color, my hope is that empowered individuals will find personal value in my work.
BIO Being exposed to Art and the Art world is how Val started. First she began studying Music then Dance and painting. Along with these endeavors, there was her camera. Her camera was present from High School on. Ever present, Photography slowly became her main vehicle of expression. Creating, capturing and preserving moments, documenting the Bay Area Black Experience, is Val’s overall artistic vision. All facets of her work present a world of images. A world where she creates, shares and grows.
STATEMENT While always working to perfect and expand her traditional/digital skills, Val dabbles with mixed media. Taking her images and converting them into canvas, creating multiple images in 1 frame or using color in unusual ways.
About: I like making all kinds of art. I like colors, I like sewing. Those are my drawings. I’m excited to show at the Richmond Art Center. I am from Richmond and I like being a NIAD artist.
About: I am a working artist living in Oakland, California. I make images by way of a camera selecting tonal relationships to my feelings. I am drawn to portraiture. Black and white film processing and printing in the darkroom are my ways of bringing the final image to life. Making portraits is an exciting way to connect with people. While I have the honor of having an individual before the lens, my goal is merging with the medium. These images I chose represent my black and white work that expresses my empathy to the Black Male in portraiture.
Most recent juried exhibits of my work include: Berkeley Civic Center Art Exhibition, 2019-Current; “In Focus: Current Photography”, Richmond Art Center, 2018; “The Capture of Life Absent from Color”, Joyce Gordon Gallery, 2014; “Seeing Berkeley”, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, 2015- commissioned and purchased; “Dis/Order”, Juried Annual 2013, Pro Arts, Oakland, California.
About: I was born in the East Bay area and have lived and worked here my entire life. At 64 I am now retired and can focus on my love of artwork. I began collecting African trading beads at the Berkeley flea market back in the ’70s and never stopped; my works are created from beads found all over the world. The possibilities are endless with this medium and they are what keep my creative juices flowing. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!
About: Keisha is an Artist from Richmond Ca. She likes working with textiles with lots of color and texture. Keisha is inspired by texture, colors, spring, flowers, grass and the sun.