About: Orlonda Uffre is an artist, photographer, educator and independent curator, originally from Brooklyn, New York. Although very much an American, her mother’s Caribbean ways have forever permeated her sense of self, her thoughts, and her art.
She began her life as an artist, when she was accepted to the HS of Art & Design in New York City, and studied with Alvin Hollingsworth at the Art Students League in New York. She received her MFA from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2009.
Her artistic trajectory was punctuated by her activities as a founding organizer of the Womens InterArt Center in New York, the founding Artistic Director for Brava! for Women in the Arts, in California, and most recently as a Curator for Art of the African Diaspora.
Uffre has exhibited throughout the US, and abroad, including shows at PCOG Gallery in New York, Limner Gallery New York, MarketWatch in San Francisco, the San Francisco African American Historical & Cultural Society at Fort Mason in CA, Bomani Gallery in San Francisco, Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland Ca, the Fort Smith Arkansas Convention Center, the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA. and the Marin Community Foundation, in Novato CA.
She was a featured artist and interviewed by the International Museum of Women in 2008, and was included in the MOAD Stories Project, with her photographic collection of the aftermath of Katrina, entitled “Shelter from the Storm”. Additionally, she was honored by the US State Department’s Art in Embassies Program, which chose her paintings for the Ambassadorial Residence in 2001 -2003 in Maputo Mozambique.
Orlonda believes that it is critical to actively address conditions that block social justice, while working proactively to create healthy, respectful, inspiring communities, that include our true histories, and the healing properties of Art.
About: Born five months after Dr. King was assassinated, as a young child, I loved comic books and discovered that art could be my voice and superpower to cope with the stress that came with his skin tone. The challenges only increased as I grew in my truth as a young African-American man with a learning difference.
I realized that the beautiful worlds I encountered in the library could be brought to life with the stroke of a pencil or pen. I then began to paint on my mother’s walls. That’s when I realized I could imagine and bring to life anything I wanted. That realization I discovered then grew into creating a world that was safer than the world I lived in everyday. As I grew, so did my need to separate myself from the mundane and trivial things that caused me to isolate myself and find my world of comfort and solace. Within this world, the beauty of who I am became synonymous with what I believed.
Understanding I couldn’t hide in my imagination, I learned how to bring my imagination to reality. That’s when my voice was being molded. The artist…
My passion for life lives through the relationships I build with people. This same mantra is displayed through my art. When approaching the creation of my art, the process is the most fulfilling component for me. The style of my work is diverse but my first choice is mixed media. Using mixed media allows an incredible marriage between materials building one union. Within this process, I am able to leave the door open for the spiritual essence of who I am and what I create within the piece to develop. I allow the materials to speak to me creatively, as the chemistry between the materials maturates to a point of final execution. This is why my style is infused with the relationship I have with the subject matter, so the union can evolve right before your eyes. I truly learn more about who I am as an artist during this particular.
About: My ART is all about JOY! Having it , Getting it, Feeling it, Sharing it! My artwork is a vehicle that conveys positive messages that requires introspection rather than an outward revolution.
My JOYful images feature a self biographical woman with natural hair, curves & watermelon. I use bright colors, feminine beauty and strength. Combined with suggestive titles and words, they urge the viewer to BE in their own Life..! The watermelon is a metaphor for Life! Some days are good- really good…some not…But we have to actively participate in our lives to Live Abundantly. Crack Open the Melon!
Now more than ever, there is a universal need for this abundantly buoyant practice of JOY… Particularly amongst people of color.
More info: Dear Luscious One, Thanks for viewing my Art! Please use my links to SHOP, VIEW VIDEOS, JOIN MY INSTAGRAM , and to sign up for my EMAIL LIST. Let’s Keep In Touch! – karinsArt
About: Taking a clue from the world around me, I enjoy recreating what I see, the beautiful inspiring construction & older architecture, the ever-changing sky, the mountains and landscapes. My whimsical style encompasses the San Francisco Bay Area, look a little closer, magic is hidden within.
Top image: Blueberries, 17 x 30, Acrylic on canvas, $500 Artwork prices $50 – $650 How to contact me: irenebeekain@gmail.com Yes, accepting commissions Instagram: @daisseebee
About: Damon Powell is an Artist and Theologian whose interdisciplinary approach explores the intersections between art, aesthetics, and theology within the Black-American context.
My mission is to: give divine light form through the manifestation of symbolic images that encourage reflection upon the myriad ways Spirit reveals itself within our world. Let my imagery entice you to think, feel, pray, or contemplate the many ways in which Spirit permeates our world.
My present creations reflect my efforts to explore the connections between artistic creation, aesthetic experience, and spirituality. Thus all of my creative work is grounded within my experience as an illustrator, my theological training, and a commitment to ongoing spiritual practice. All of my visual works are birthed from a deep understanding of the myriad ways that the spiritual and aesthetic intersect. These spiritual insights are often gained through prayer, meditation, or readings and research into various theological and philosophical texts. Each piece is based upon in-depth research and visualizations which are birthed into material form through the use of color, line, and symbol. Many of my creations are attempts to convey complex theological concepts or my own spiritual insights through provocative visual imagery. I strive to make each and every image highly vibrational, inspiring, didactic, and iconic.
More Info: I invite you to follow me on Instagram or Twitter using: @dpartandtheo All works are for sale and available as originals or prints. *My studio is available for visits by appointment only.
About: Timothy B is a multimedia artist who is recognized internationally for his vibrant murals and afro indigenous tattoos. His art is greatly inspired by his afro futuristic perception of reality along with his African ancestral background. Art has always been a passion for Timothy, since his tender ages of attending art classes at his elementary school.
Through art and passion, he hopes to inspire, elevate, and alleviate people from the fear of not feeling ‘capable’. His message is that “anything is possible when love, faith, focus, and urgency is the foundation”. With a “go getter” attitude, Timothy has positioned himself to paint walls for clients such as Whole Foods, Empire Entertainment, and PG&E, all within a year’s time.
He is greatly influenced by what he describes as “the ghost from his past along with his peaceful frustrations of the future”. Over the course of the last five years, Timothy has attended community college courses in pursuit of expanding his technical skills in art. In the near future, he plans to travel globally while sharing his passion for art with communities across the world.
About: Akeem Raheem is it Bay Area native graffiti artist with ties to Detroit Michigan. He transformed from illegal graffiti-art on walls to graffiti-inspired art on canvas. Akeem is very vocal about the irony and humor he sees in life, and advises you to laugh at life too. This is graffiti art that you normally see on walls and trains on a take-home canvas.
Issue 12 Let’s Keep Going | Art of the African Diaspora | Spotlight On… Vera Totos | Classes Starting Soon Play the Art Cube Game
Let’s Keeping Going
Thank You!
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed so generously to Richmond Art Center’s end-of-year campaign. We raised $78,500 that sets us up for a great start in the new year! (If you didn’t get a chance already, donations can still be made online here: https://richmondartcenter.org/support/
It will be a long time before we know how deeply 2020 has transformed our community and our country. But we are optimistic 2021 can shine. Thank you again to all who are part of Richmond Art Center’s story.
Online Exhibition Dates: February 11 – May 16, 2021 Artist Registration Deadline: Sunday, January 24, 2021, 11:59PM
“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.”
– Stephen Bruce, artist and Steering Committee Chair, AOTAD
Learn expressive weaving with artist Vera Totos! In this two-day online class students will jump right into creating their own scarves on 4-shaft table looms borrowed from the instructor. Vera will teach improvisational techniques such as rya knots, clasped weft and soumak, as well as loom-controlled patterning. This is a great opportunity for beginner weavers, as well as folk with some weaving experience who would like to venture into free improvisation or try out shaft looms. Sat-Sun, Jan 23-24, 10am-12pm
About the Artist: Vera Totos weaves, felts, paints, dyes and spins fibers that make up the fabric of our lives. Vera lives in the Bay Area and manages The Fono Arts and Crafts. You can find her online at at thefono.com or veratotos.com.
In this class young artists will fill the pages of their art journals with fun projects using watercolors, colored pencils, ink, marker, paint, folded paper, and found objects. Sign up for one class or as many as you like!
Teen Class (Ages 12-17) Wednesdays, 3:30-5pm Jan 20 – Feb 10
