Celebrating 25 Years of Guillermo the Golden Trout Saturday, August 5, 1pm-4pm | FREE Richmond Art Center (courtyard), 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond Event webpage: richmondartcenter.org/gofish
Richmond, CA: Go Fish! on Saturday, August 5, 1pm-4pm is a community party to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Andrée SingerThompson’s iconic sculpture, Guillermo the Golden Trout. The event will honor Singer Thompson and wish Guillermo a happy birthday with art-making, games, live music, auction, and birthday cake.
“Join us on this special occasion to celebrate an icon of Richmond and the wonderful artist who created it,” says José R. Rivera, executive director at Richmond Art Center.
Guillermo the Golden Trout is the prominent fish sculpture that adorns Richmond Art Center’s building. At 50 feet long and weighing 800 pounds, the vibrantly colored sculpture made a big splash when it was installed in 1997 as part of Singer Thompson’s Making Waves – A Ripple Effect exhibition. The work became a permanent installation after it was purchased by Mayor Rosemary Corbin for the City of Richmond using the mayor’s beautification fund.
Twenty-five years later Guillermo the Golden Trout is a local landmark, and shorthand for visitors needing directions to Richmond Art Center: “Go to Richmond’s Civic Center and look for the big fish!”
Go Fish! will feature a so-fish-ticated line-up of activities for all ages, including fishing games, fish art-making, live music by Sueños Jazz, and food by Richmond restaurant El Sol. Guests will also have the opportunity to learn about Guillermo the Golden Trout and Andrée Singer Thompson’s artistic practice through an exhibition of her work. (In preparation for the big day Guillermo the Golden Trout received a light revamp earlier this year.)
Go Fish! is Richmond Art Center’s first in-person fundraiser event since the pandemic. While the event is free to attend, ‘Golden (Trout) Tickets’ are available for purchase to those who can show their support. Funds raised will go towards Richmond Art Center’s annual fund.
Go Fish! is open to all and no rsvp is necessary. Richmond Art Center is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue in Richmond.
Accessibility, Parking and Public Transportation: Ample free parking is available in the 25th Street lot across the street from Richmond Art Center. RAC’s facility is accessible to users of wheelchairs via two step-free public entrances. The Barrett Street entrance is adjacent to a parking lot with six accessible spaces. The 25th Street entrance is adjacent to a parking lot with three accessible spaces. Richmond Art Center is accessible by BART, AC Transit, and R-Transit. Parking and Entrance Map
About Richmond Art Center: For over 80 years, Richmond Art Center has served the residents of Richmond and surrounding communities through studio arts education programs, exhibitions, off-site classes, and special initiatives for community-wide impact. Richmond Art Center’s mission is to be a catalyst in Richmond for learning and living through art. richmondartcenter.org
For more information and images contact: Amy Spencer, amy@richmondartcenter.org
Images (top to bottom): 1. Guillermo drawing by Francisco Rojas 2. José R. Rivera, RAC’s Executive Director, with artist Andrée Singer Thompson 3. Guillermo the Golden Trout undergoes repairs for 25th anniversary
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS: VERY BIG FISH: Mechanics Bank, Jacobs & Company BIGGER FISH: Phillips 66 BIG FISH: Overaa Construction, Sims Metal, Collins Management, MSH Group, Jan and Byron Brown – in memory of Gay Parker and the RACettes, Rosemary Corbin FRIEND OF THE FISH: M.A. Hays Co., Martin McNair and Margi Cellucci, Susan Wittenberg, Ninomiya – Koda Charitable Foundation
For the first time celebrated JUNETEENTH with a free paint and sip event (June 2023)
With your help we can achieve even more over the next twelve months.
Can you donate to Richmond Art Center before the end of today?
Contributions by midnight tonight, June 30, will help keep Richmond Art Center in the black for our fiscal year. Anything you can donate will be greatly appreciated!
Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. (Richmond Art Center’s Tax ID is 94-6104204.)
Top images (left to right from top left): a student in the summer intensive class ‘Framing Identity’; Ashlée Garrison, Cynthia Brannvall and Derrick Bell at an artist talk for Art of the African Diaspora; Fencelines workshop participants show their painted slats; a young person gets creative with buttons at Spring Family Day; teaching artist Colleen Garland demonstrates using a kick wheel; exhibitions director Roberto Martinez with Andrée Singer Thompson; Mechica dancers; gallery visitors interact with Amanda Ayala’s artwork; and Duane using a floor loom in the textiles studio.
Wee Poets Features WCCUSD Youth and Richmond Art Center
For over thirty years Wee Poets on Channel 28 has supported literacy development through interviews with thousands of Bay Area children. This month three WCCUSD students and Roberto Martinez, RAC’s exhibitions director, were invited onto the show to talk about the WCCUSD Student Art Show.
Top Image: Wee Poet’s host Sally Baker speaks with RAC’s Roberto Martinez
Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. (Richmond Art Center’s Tax ID is 94-6104204.)
Top images (left to right from top left: a family making glass art at the Holiday Arts Festival; Printmaker Art Hazelwood demonstrates Emmy Lou Packard’s press in action; Solo exhibition artists J.B. Broussard and Donna Gatson; Calaveritas workshop instructor artist Daniel Camacho; a young student on a Youth Art Tour; teaching artist Colleen Garland; a student in the metals studio; ‘Stitching Stolen Lives’ book talk with Sara Trail; and volunteer Bree at the spring exhibitions reception.
After a four years, works from locally-based NIAD Art Center are being exhibited on rotation at the office located at Richmond Civic Center, according to Mayor Eduardo Martinez.
The mayor’s office also partnered with the Richmond Art Center to display art from the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) Student Art Show.
“Both shows are in the mayor’s office and you are invited to come and look at the artwork,” Martinez said at this past Tuesday’s Council meeting.
Volunteers at Richmond Art Center assist our teachers and staff, help out at events, support community outreach, and more. If you have a passion for art, a desire to help your community, or are just looking to get more involved, fill out a volunteer application today!
SUMMER EVENTS WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR:*
July 15: Summer Exhibitions Reception
July 15: Taste of Richmond Festival
July 22: Enough Considered Workshop and Portrait Sessions
July 29: NIAD Artist Talk & Andrés Cisneros-Galindo Printmaking Demo
August 5: Go Fish! Fundraiser
August 12: Paint & Sip (21 and over)
* We especially need volunteers who can assist with light physical duties such as setting up and breaking down events.
Volunteer benefits include a discount on studio classes. We can also support students wanting to complete community service hours for class credit.
Wishing folk a rich and fulfilling day from everyone at Richmond Art Center
Last week we celebrated Juneteenth early with a special paint and sip event at Richmond Art Center. Thirty community members gathered in the main gallery as artisan Elishes Cavness guided them through the steps to paint their own ‘black panther’ masterpiece.
Important Parking Notification for Students and Visitors to Richmond Art Center during RPAL’s Juneteenth Carnival
Set-Up through Deinstall: Tuesday, June 13 – Monday, June 19
Carnival Dates: Friday, June 16 – Sunday, June 18
Starting Tuesday, June 13 through Monday, June 19 the City parking lot opposite Richmond Art Center (on the 400 block of 25th Street between Barrett and Nevin Avenues) will be reserved for the Juneteenth Carnival being sponsored by the Richmond Police Activities League.
PARKING OPTIONS:
The Civic Center parking lot at Richmond Art Center’s 25th Street entrance is open, visitors can enter from Nevin Avenue only, as 25th Street is closed to traffic
There are City parking lots adjacent to 1st Northern California Credit Union or across from Richmond Library (these may get crowded)
Residential street parking on the other side of Barrett Avenue from RAC might be the best option (RPAL has informed us that during the Carnival 2-hour street parking limits will not be enforced)
Lastly, we encourage visitors to RAC to take public transportation, car pool or use a ride share service
For information about the Juneteenth Carnival Celebration call Richmond PAL at 510-621-1221 or visit their website at www.rpal.org
WCCUSD Student Artwork Displayed in Mayor Martinez’s Office
Congrats to the students who received Artistic Achievement Awards in the WCCUSD Student Show!! These artists will have their artworks on display in Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez’s office at Civic Center Plaza until September 17.
Artistic Achievement Awards: Jasmin Alfaro Capybara, Pinole Valley High School; Mario Lopez, Richmond High School; Isabel Gil, Pinole Valley High School; Ivy Hu, De Anza High School; Shahzain Malik, Mira Vista School; Olivia Elices, Fred Korematsu Middle School; Madison Wyatt, Fred Korematsu Middle School; Anya Troll, El Cerrito High School; Andrea Zavala Cruces, El Cerrito High School; Ashley Mejia, Kennedy High School
Madison Wyatt, Fred Korematsu Middle School Anya Troll, El Cerrito High SchoolShahzain Malik, Mira Vista SchoolIsabel Gil, Pinole Valley High SchoolAshley Mejia, Kennedy High SchoolOlivia Elices, Fred Korematsu Middle SchoolJasmin Alfaro Capybara, Pinole Valley High SchoolAndrea Zavala Cruces, El Cerrito High School Ivy Hu, De Anza High SchoolMario Lopez, Richmond High School
