THANKSGIVING: Richmond Art Center will be closed Thursday, November 28, 2024 through Saturday, November 30, 2024.
WINTER BREAK: Richmond Art Center will be closed from Saturday, December 21, 2024 through Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Staff will be onsite again starting Thursday, January 2, 2025. Please see the exhibition and class calendar to find out when programs resume.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Sunday, December 8, 10am-4pm | Free Admission
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center is delighted to announce the Holiday Arts Festival will return on Sunday, December 8, from 10am to 4pm. In its 62nd year, the festival continues to be all about art as an experience for all to explore, make and purchase affordably through featuring local artisans and free art-making activities.
The heart of the festival is the Arts and Crafts Marketplace, showcasing one-of-a-kind designs, artisanal products, and handmade treasures. “We’re thrilled to welcome over fifty vendors this year,” says Executive Director José R. Rivera. “These talented makers from across the Bay Area—including many from Richmond—offer a fantastic opportunity to shop for creative gifts (or treat yourself) while supporting independent artists and small businesses.”
New to the festival in 2024 is the Zine Zone, a dedicated space for independent zines, print, comics, and indie artists. The Zine Zone celebrates these art forms as powerful tools for expression and social justice.
Additional highlights include the popular Ceramics Studio Sale featuring an array of handmade, functional ceramics at unbeatable prices, free drop-in art-making activities, pop-ups from Richmond-based community partners, and live music throughout the day.
The Holiday Arts Festival takes place at Richmond Art Center, located at 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to join in the festivities.
Start your holiday shopping early! Browse the online vendor gallery and learn more about the festival at: richmondartcenter.org/haf
Accessibility and Parking: Ample free parking is available in the 25th Street lot across from Richmond Art Center. Wheelchair access is available via the Barrett Avenue entrance, with accessible parking spaces nearby. Parking and Entrance Map
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with the community since 1936. Our programs encompass art 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
For more information, images and artist stories contact:
Amy Spencer, amy@richmondartcenter.org
Meet Some of Festival Participants:
“I love participating in the annual holiday festival, it’s one of my favorite days of the holiday season as a maker. I find that the people who attend are deeply committed to the arts and supporting handmade, handcrafted and items made with love and creative care. I can’t wait!”
Astrid, An Astrid Endeavor
“I will be selling fine art prints celebrating the biodiversity of the California coast. I love to share my passion for nudibranchs, fungi, and all the creatures that make our state colorful and unique.”
Julia, Julia Beery
“As a local artisan, I’m thrilled to bring Broken Angels Design’s handcrafted sterling silver jewelry to the Holiday Arts Festival. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share our passion for creating unique pieces that help you ‘Wear Elegance and Beauty Everyday’.”
Patrick, Broken Angels Design
“One year ago, I attended the festival as a patron… Now this year, I am attending as a vendor selling both my original paintings and prints.”
Sadiqeh, Sadiqeh Agah Art
“A Bay Area native, raised in Richmond, I will be sharing my passion for nature and the outdoors through paintings and prints. I love exploring local Bay Area hikes as well as the greater California area to find inspiration for my landscapes. I am looking forward to sharing my work at Richmond Art Center!”
Jerarde, Art of Jerarde F Gutierrez
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Class Registration Opens Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 10am
Winter classes run January through March 2025
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our Día de los Muertos celebration this past weekend such a beautiful success! Fall Family Day was alive with art-making, music, dancing, and food—a community event to cherish.
This day wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible talents of artists Vane Hernandez, Luis Garcia, Joell Jones, Kim Thoman, Rachel-Anne Palacios, and Julia LaChica, as well as intern Ronaldo González, who designed the coloring pages!
And shoutouts to Lily Ochoa for her event photography and Gladys Vasquez for designing the beautiful event poster.
A big thank you to our partners at ArtsCCC for their support (we see you, Esther Rojas Soto, Jenny Balisle, and Silvia Ledezma!).
And finally, we send many thanks to Danza Azteca Teokalli who created the community altar and then showed us how they dance is how they pray. We are grateful for the opportunity to link hands with all of you as we sought permission from Mother Earth and the Four Directions in preparation for Día de los Muertos.
¡Muchísimas gracias a todos!
By Kathy Chouteau | October 15, 2024
The Richmond Art Center (RAC) is diving in to the spirit of the season with a free-admission “Día de los Muertos: Fall Family Day” Saturday, Oct. 19 from 12-3 p.m.
The center’s courtyard will come alive with art activities, music and a live performance by Danza Azteca Teokalli, which is presented in partnership with Arts Contra Costa County (ARTSCCC).
Activities offered up that day by the RAC will span the gamut from a Community Mural with Luis García (@luismayanx) to Repujado with Rachel-Anne Palacios (@devikaspalacio) to DIY Smudging with Vane Hernandez to Make Your Own Avatar with Joell Jones and Kim Thoman and Día de los Muertos Coloring Pages. DJ José Ruíz (@mundomuzik) will spin the tunes. The RAC’s galleries will also be open for viewing and a Gallery Search and Find activity.
Volunteers are still needed to help out with the event. Interested parties can learn more and sign-up here.
The RAC is located at 2540 Barrett Ave. in Richmond; RSVPs for the event are not necessary.
Event: Saturday, October 19, 12pm-3pm
Location: Richmond Art Center (courtyard and galleries), 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
Each year, Richmond Art Center hosts our annual Fall Family Day, a free celebration open to the public with art activities, food, and live performances. This year’s event will celebrate Día de los Muertos and is happening on Saturday, October 19, from 12pm to 3pm.
To make this event a success, we rely on the support of amazing volunteers. Volunteers help set up booths, assist Teaching Artists, serve food, and greet visitors. We still need volunteers for this year’s event and would love to have your support!
HOW TO SEE THE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS & SIGN UP
In spring 2025, Richmond Art Center will present Time and Tide, the first major exhibition showcasing Richmond-based artist John Wehrle’s 50-year career. Curated by Jeff Nathanson, the exhibition will feature replicas of Wehrle’s landmark Richmond murals, like The Plunge and Revisionist History, as well as original work from his time as a Vietnam War combat artist.
Can you help us bring this exhibition to life? Please consider making a donation to support Time and Tide.
Thanks to an anonymous supporter, donations made before October 31 will be matched dollar for dollar.
Click the button below to donate online, or contact José R. Rivera at 510-620-6777 or jose@richmondartcenter.org.
Together, let’s celebrate John Wehrle’s art and legacy.
As a 501c3 non-profit, Richmond Art Center depends on your financial contributions to achieve our mission. Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law. (Tax ID 94-6104204)
Weblink: https://richmondconfidential.org/2024/10/02/richmond-art-center-sentinels-saviors-iconic-avatars/
Skylla Mumana on October 2, 2024
It was opening night. The air was buzzing with excitement. As Kim Thoman and Joell Jones scanned the room, they took a moment to take in their success. What they saw was not just a populated art gallery, but a room full of family, friends, art lovers and Richmond residents who were eager to celebrate their artistry and creative journeys.
In early September, the Richmond Art Center unveiled ”Sentinels and Saviors: Iconic Avatars,” an exhibition featuring the work of Thoman and Jones, two East-Bay artists and longtime friends. At 1 p.m on Saturday, the artists will be on hand to give walk-through tours of the exhibit.
Having both migrated to the East Bay in their youth, Jones and Thoman have seen the area and its art scene through many seasons. Like many other creatives, they often draw inspiration for their artwork from their personal philosophies, experiences and day-to-day lives. Thoman, for example, drew from memories of a grueling battle she fought against uterine cancer almost 10 years ago.
“It was very scary,” Thoman said. “The way I handled it was that I didn’t cry for myself. I never once cried for myself until it was over, and I was cancer free. And then I had some really good, serious cries with my husband.”
Thoman’s abstract, mixed-metal figures have a steel frame with a hollow opening in which fit an oil-painted canvas. These structures are meant to resemble Chinese terracotta warriors. During her treatment, Thoman recalled the terracotta warriors that would be buried with Chinese emperors to protect them in the afterlife.
“What the heck,” she thought. “I’d like a bodyguard or guardians in this life. And so I made these sentinels/bodyguards.”
“Saviors & Sentinels: Iconic Avatars”
Artists: Joell Jones and Kim Thoman
Where: Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave.
When: Through Nov. 21
Cost: Free
What else: Walk-through tours with the artists at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5
Jones, who has always had a keen interest in spirituality and symbology, drew inspiration from a winged symbol that came to her repeatedly while she was mediating in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, one that she dubbed “Savior.” Throughout her paintings, each variation of this winged creature represents a different aspect of her identity, and the evolution of these figures depict the struggle that women face in society. At the core of her work is a desire for freedom.
“I’m putting out this message that if we want to get freer, then we need to engage with ourselves,” Jones said. “You know, explore, go deeper.”
Although there are similarities between the two portions of the exhibit, Amy Spencer, the Art Center’s community engagement director, appreciates how they differ.
“You see the way the show is installed, it’s literally a face-off,” Spencer said. “You’ve got Kim on one side of the gallery and Joell on the other. And the work, while there are elements to the pieces that are similar, as a whole, it’s this huge contrast. These big, heavy, sort of almost intimidating war sculptures on one side by Kim, versus on the other side, Joell’s work is just so light and lyrical.”
The exhibit, in the Richmond Art Center’s South Gallery, is free and open to the public from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, until Nov. 21.
More information is on the Art Center’s website.
Festival Date: Sunday, December 8 from 10am to 4pm
Deadline to Apply: Friday, November 1, 2024
No application fee or table fee, and first-time and youth zinesters are highly encouraged to participate!
Apply now for Richmond Art Center’s first-ever Zine Zone! Taking place during the 62nd Holiday Arts Festival on Sunday, December 8, from 10am to 4pm, this space celebrates independent zine, print, comics, and indie artists. It’s a space for youth, community members, and creators from Richmond and the East Bay to showcase their work. We believe that zines are powerful modes of expression and way to speak out for social justice, especially for those from marginalized lands and communities.
In spring 2025, Richmond Art Center will present Time and Tide, the first major exhibition to offer a comprehensive survey of the work of Richmond-based artist John Wehrle. This exhibition will narrate 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. Curated by Jeff Nathanson, Time and Tide will showcase over 40 early studies, sculptures, photographs, and large-scale paintings, supported by public programs, a print catalog, and online content.
We need your help to bring this ambitious project to life!
Wehrle’s murals, like The Plunge and Revisionist History, are Richmond landmarks. This exhibition will offer a unique chance for both long-time fans and new audiences to appreciate his complete body of work. But we need the community’s support.
Your donation, any amount, will help us:
To donate, CLICK HERE (select ‘John Wehrle Exhibition’ as the designation) or contact José R. Rivera at 510-620-6777 or jose@richmondartcenter.org. Any contribution, large or small, will make a difference.
Together, let’s celebrate John Wehrle’s art and legacy.
