Richmond, CA, February 6, 2020 – The renowned Richmond Art Center announced today it has opened its search for a new Executive Director. The search will be led by an Executive Director Search Committee comprised of members of the Board of Directors and Richmond Art Center staff.
“The Richmond Art Center’s Right Here, Right Now, Richmond is evidence of the city’s cultural breadth and of the art center’s role as a sake haven in the art workspace-starved Bay Area.”
Richmond, CA: The Richmond Art Center announces Art of the African Diaspora, an exhibition featuring over 150 artists of African Descent. The exhibition will be on view in the Richmond Art Center’s Main and West Galleries from January 14 through to March 13, 2020. This exhibition will be accompanied by self-guided open studio tours and satellite exhibitions at 30 different venues across the Bay Area.
Exhibition: January 14 – March 13, 2020 Artistic Achievement Awardees’ Talk: Saturday, January 25, 12:30-2pm Reception: Saturday, January 25, 2-5pm Featured Speaker Event: Saturday, February 1, 12:30-2pm Closing Party: Friday, March 13, 3-5pm
Richmond Art Center 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Events Around the Bay Area Open Studios: Saturday, February 29 and Sunday, March 1; Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8; and Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2020 Satellite Exhibitions: Throughout January, February and March 2020
Art of the African Diaspora was formerly known as The Art of Living Black. The Steering Committee of artists that produces the event announced the name change as a reflection of the new energy behind the event, which was founded in 1997 by the late Jan Hart-Schuyers and late Rae Louise Hayward.
“The name The Art of Living Black belongs to the late founders’ families,” explains Stephen Bruce, artist and chair or the Steering Committee. “We remain dedicated to the spirit of Jan and Rae and will honor them by producing a stellar community event for artists of African descent. However, the time has come for us to have a name that will allow us the autonomy to grow and reflect this new era for the event. ”
In 2020, special events for the Art of the African Diaspora at the Richmond Art Center include an artist talk with Artistic Achievement Awardees KaliMa Amilak, Zoë Boston, and Abi Mustapha on Saturday, January 25, 12:30-2pm, followed by a reception featuring live music from 2-5pm. A featured speaker event (speaker tba) will happen Saturday, February 1, 12:30-2pm with the 2021 Artistic Achievement Awardees to be announced.
This year over 95 artists will participate in open studios and satellite exhibitions. Venues hosting artists include Bridge Storage and ArtSpace (Richmond), CoBiz (Richmond), Creative Framing and Gallery (Oakland), Dorks Tec Café (Berkeley), Ethnic Notions Fine Art Gallery (Vallejo), Joyce Gordon Gallery (Oakland), JPosh Designs (Oakland), SHOH Gallery (Berkeley), and Village Theatre Art Gallery (Danville). Details about the off-site exhibitions and open studios can be found in the Art of the African Diaspora guide, published January 2020.
KaliMa Amilak is one of 2020’s Artistic Achievement Awardees. She acknowledges Art of the African Diaspora is an important opportunity for emerging artists, “When I received the award for me what that meant… was a reiteration to keep going. Keep going with my art. Keep going with expanding as an artist in my career. It’s an affirmation in moving forward.”
Participating Artists: AkeemRaheem, Aneu’re, AnttonioDesigns, Ester M. Armstrong, Jason Austin, Latisha Baker, Irene Bee Kain, Derrick Bell, Randolph Belle, Jae Me Bereal, Charles Blackwell, Lorraine Bonner, Zoë Boston, Donna Meke’da Bradley, J.B. Broussard, Cedric Brown, Floyd Brown, Marguerite Browne, Valerie Brown-Troutt, Stephen Bruce, Lawrence Buford, Melanin Buford, Ron Calime, Orin Carpenter, Marsha Carter, Elishes Cavness III, Celise, Toshia Christal, Claude Lockhart Clark, Lottye Clayton, Gary Collins, Tiffany Conway (Project Get Free), Zwanda Cook, Kelvin Curry, Diamela Cutino, Patricia Daigre McGee, Bill A. Dallas, Jim Dennis, Pete Dent, Doitshā, Gene Dominique, Angela Douglas, Anna W. Edwards, Louise Terry Eubanks, Jimi Evins, Candi Farlice, Vaughn Filmore, a. d. floyd, Naomi Floyd, Kaya Fortune, Donna Gatson, Carla Golder, Grandma’s Hands, Renata Gray, Stephen Greer, Charles Harlins, Raven Harper, Nannette Y. Harris-Jones, Idris Hassan, Raymond L. Haywood, Evelyn Hicks, Karla Higgins, Rose Hill, Yolanda Holley, Mitchell Howard, Ozell Hudson Jr, Steve Hurst, Pam Jackson, Kimberly V. Johnson, Michael Johnson, Will Johnson, Virginia Jourdan, JPosh Aubry (Janina), KaliMa Julien, Val Kai, Jessica Keener, Travis “Trav Lyrics” Keeton, H Lenn Keller, Leon Kennedy, Dana King, James Knox, Dulama LeGrande, Jennifer A. Lockette, Maalak, Alix J. Maglorie, Ajuan Mance, Andrea McCoy Harvey, Shonna McDaniels, Genesse McGaugh, Susan McGuire, Brianna Mills, James Moore, Abi Mustapha, Mychal, Halisi Noel-Johnson, Arthur Norcome, Carla Oden, Kwadwo Otempong, Elmarise Owens, Sean Papillion, Pat Patterson, Yolanda ThaSun Patton, Raife Pickett, Cori Nicole Pillows, Damon Powell – Artist &Theologian, Rais, Kumi Rauf, Gwendolyn Reed, Marva Reed, Ashlei Reign, Justice Renaissance, Julee Richardson, Joseph Robinson, Dawn Rudd, Wanda Sabir, Ronnie Sampson, Ron Moultrie Saunders, Jabali Sawicki, Yasmin Sayyed, Malik Seneferu, Malik Seneferu, Osaze Seneferu, Shanju, James Shorter, Akili Simba, Thomas Robert Simpson, Bertrell Smith, Karen Smith, Chanell Stone, Mark Sublett, Thomas Tandy, Stephanie Thames, Atiba Sylvia Thomas, Mildred Thompson, Michelle Tompkins, Tomye, Karin Turner – karinsArt, Orlonda Uffre, Olaitan Valerie, BJ VanBuren, Paula Vaughan, Charles Walker, Xan Blood Walker, Jennifer Inez Ward, Fan Warren, Horace Washington, Lois Williams, Nedra T. Williams, WilParish, Jazmyne Woffard-Jones, TheArthur Wright (SiGiDiArt), Jasmine Young
About the Richmond Art Center: The Richmond Art Center is the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, delivering exciting arts experiences to people of all ages who reflect the diverse richness of our community. We do this through onsite Studio classes and Exhibitions, and offsite Art in the Community programs.
Richmond Art Center 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
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 we do at the Center continues to breathe life into Salmi’s original vision: That within every person lives an artist. Annually we teach thousands of students through classes taught by professional artists; onsite in our six large studios, and off-site via partnerships with community organizations. We also mount 14-16 rotating exhibitions yearly in our four gallery spaces that display the work of youth, emerging and established Bay Area artists. richmondartcenter.org
Image: KaliMa Amilak, Regal Attendance, 2019. Courtesy of the Artist
Free, family-friendly arts and crafts festival includes over 55 local artist vendors, community partners and food vendors, holiday café and free art activities for all ages
RICHMOND, CA: The Richmond Art Center invites holiday shoppers to experience a day of custom-made arts and crafts, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, packaged goods, clothing and accessories made by local independent artists and craftspeople. The 57th Annual Holiday Arts Festival is the largest community event and fundraiser for the Richmond Art Center, free to the public, with over 55 local artists and artisan vendors, non-profit community partners and gourmet food vendors participating, Sunday, December 8, 11 AM – 5 PM, at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond.
As you may have heard, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for several Bay Area counties, which could initiate a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff in the next 24 hours. While Richmond is listed as one of the cities possibly affected, current maps on the PG&E site show us as in the clear. That could change at any time however, so we want to prepare you just in case! Should the power be out, we will unfortunately need to close the Art Center for that day. Any classes scheduled for that day will be rescheduled for a make-up session at the end of season.
We will be tracking the status of the blackouts carefully, but most likely we will only know if the power will be out after the fact. The Contra Costa County site is providing alerts and maps of affected areas HERE. PG&E is also updating maps of affected areas, such as THIS ONE. You can refer to these sites for more information, or you can call our Front Desk at 510-620-6772. If luck is with us, we will have power and you will reach a person or at least our voice mail. If we are closed due to no power, your call will go straight to the automated attendant system.
We will do all we can to keep you apprised of the situation. Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time!
We are excited to announce that Jos Sances‘ Or, the Whale is scheduled to appear at locations across California, Massachusetts and Kansas starting this month. Sances’ impressive life size scratchboard drawing of a sperm whale drew large crowds to the Richmond Art Center when it was featured in the fall exhibition Here is the Sea (check out the press from this show). Now audiences across America will have the opportunity to experience this epic work. See the touring schedule below.
Posters for sale! Would you like your own copy of Or, the Whale? Starting in October the Richmond Art Center will be selling high resolution posters of the piece. These limited edition posters are printed on archival quality paper and each copy is signed by the artist. The unframed poster is six feet long and available for $200. A display copy of the poster will be on view at the front desk at the Richmond Art Center for the next six months. Come and see the amazing detail illustrating the history of capitalism in America that Jos Sances’ embeds within the body of the whale!
