UPDATE 12/27 6PM: Most of the Leonard Peltier statue has been recovered. HOWEVER, THE STATUE’S LEFT ARM/HAND REMAINS MISSING. If anyone has information about its whereabouts please contact Oakland PD or leave tips on RAC’s voicemail: 510-620-6772
UPDATE 12/31 2PM: The missing hand has been found! Rigo 23 share’s the story on instagram HERE.
The Richmond Art Center has overcome much in recent years, including the closure forced on all during the pandemic and more recently, a significant loss in donations over the summer.
As 2023 looms, Executive Director José Rivera says that despite bouncing back from the major revenue losses of 2020, the RAC is still in need of additional funding to return to its pre-pandemic level of operation.
When Rivera was appointed in 2020, the RAC was just over $110,000 in the red, causing him to cut staff by about half in his first six months. And though he was able to keep the organization in the black through 2021, the challenges kept coming.
In January, the center learned that it could no longer expect to receive about 23% of its annual funding past July, with three major donors either dropping out or cutting back. The loss was upwards of $300,000, with the city itself making up the largest portion at around $150,000.
Richmond Art Center hosts the annual Holiday Arts Festival on Dec. 4. (Sasha Schell)
Citing a changed economic landscape, the city’s Department of Arts and Culture Manager Winifred Day explained the cuts as an attempt to fund all local art organizations equitably, without picking favorites. Though the city still provides around $55,000 to the RAC’s annual budget, it no longer matches donations that Rivera and his team raise. Day emphasized that the city encourages all organizations to fundraise to fill any gaps.
That is precisely what Rivera and his team have done since January, winning upwards of $150,000 in grants in a matter of months. But that comes with its own complications.
The problem of grant funding, explains Rivera, is that it is often program-specific and cannot be used for operational costs. And without money for more staff, the center is hard-pressed to make good use of new-found grant dollars through classes and other programs.
This “Catch-22” gets at the core of how the RAC raises a large portion of its operational budget, through registration fees for classes. From July 2020 through the end of June 2021, the RAC saw class fees drop nearly 75%, from almost $500,000 to barely $122,000. And though numbers are not yet publicly available for this past year, limited staff has meant a severely diminished schedule.
“So that’s why you see these appeals asking people to be generous, because what we really need is money to run the place,” Rivera said. “We certainly got enough money to run programs.”
Daniel Camacho (wearing hat) leads a calaverita workshop for Dia de los Muertos at the Richmond Art Center in October. (Sasha Schell)
The center has been actively campaigning this fall, with a call for donations circulating in a newsletter last month. In it, board President Michael Dear cites another 18 months as the timeline for the center’s full recovery, given the funding and staffing shortages.
The center is on a good trend, with roughly $68,000 raised through November. That’s a promising start, considering the center has historically been able to raise three times that amount between November and January.
With the day-to-day running of the center returning to some semblance of normality, albeit a masked normality, Rivera remains highly optimistic and hopes to hire another staff member to run classes in January, especially during high demand times like evenings and weekends.
Currently, the center’s budget sits at $1.2 million. For Rivera, the goal is to get back to where the center was before the pandemic, on the way toward $2 million. That, however, will depend on demand for classes and generosity from the community.
After stepping through the Richmond Art Center’s entrance, visitors immediately begin celebrating Black excellence, as laid bare in the “Art of the African Diaspora.” Gracing the center’s main gallery in every medium imaginable, the exhibition in its entirety unveils how Black identity shifts, evolves and culminates uniquely through the lens of each artist.
Originally a salon for Black artists, first titled “Colors of Black” and then “The Art of Living Black,” the exhibition has supported Black visibility, representation and community in the arts since 1989. Annually, the series develops a new creative collective through the main exhibition and its Bay Area satellites, as artists display their recent work.
132 artists are part of the 2023 exhibition, displaying a diverse set of backgrounds, mediums and inspirations. The expanse of talent is embodied by the three 2022 Artistic Achievement Award Winners, Pryce Jones, Cynthia Brannvall and Derrick Bell.
Jones’ abstract yet sharp paintings greet visitors to the exhibition. These portraits are cutting — a slash of warm yellow acrylic marks a woman’s cheekbone, while bright green accentuates the shadows of her face.
In “Night Rider,” a large acrylic painting on canvas, a man’s proud face is outlined in dark blacks and grays, yet is offset by the warm red and yellow textures of his facial features. The painting evokes solitude in a chaotically colorful canvas: Two images of a person on horseback ride beside a block of text about a man riding at night, in contrast to the sunflower yellows and purples that occupy much of the painting.
Brannvall’s six displays are mixed-media collages. Political maps of Africa and the United States are overlaid by physical maps and photographs of people — some staring into the camera, inviting attention, while others look away sinking into their collages.
Occasionally, Brannvall’s use of space is blocky, such as in “Fulfillment,” where a man is collaged to sit above a cutout of the Earth, a slice of the ocean and two political maps. His posture is satisfied and comfortable, with legs and arms folded.
Contrastingly, “Descendants” brings to mind Pangea, with a physical map reaching upwards from the left corner towards three overlaid political maps spanning the top third of the canvas. A woman in a white dress contemplatively sits in the center; through her, Brannvall creates historical and modern perspectives on the woman’s journey.
Bell similarly turns to history and his roots for inspiration in his acrylic paintings. His three works appear like stylized stainless glass panes, sections of bright paint set starkly apart through their black boundaries.
In “Ancestral Contributions,” the painted panes are not glassily inflexible or flat; textures of clothing are apparent through Bell’s variation in shading and coloration. The folds of three women’s cream dresses look soft to the touch, and the group is swankily dressed for a celebration. One man holds a woman above his head; with only her skirt visible, she is unseen yet appears to be the focal point of the piece, alongside another woman in a blouse adorned with shells, proffering an empty plate.
A thousand gorgeous details clamor for attention in the exhibition’s main gallery.
There, stunning handmade necklaces of green and brown stone, titled “Spirit Quest” by Donna Gatson. Here, a collage-giclee print on canvas in tribute to Jimi Hendrix, “Taste of Purple Haze” by Frederick S. Franklin. Everything on the canvas looks to be made of fruits and vegetables; a Hendrix composed of peppers strums a cantaloupe guitar, eyes closed in musical ecstasy, as cherries rain around him. Exuberance and celebration leap from the work, leaving one wishing for a mouthful of purple haze.
Wooden carvings, photographs, sculptures and a spray-painted piece all individually mark aspects of the Black experience. By drawing from as many artistic talents as possible, as indiscriminately as possible, the exhibition honors the cultural wealth of the diaspora. Appreciation and reflection on Black identity through emotion, spirituality and history are vulnerably on display, leaving visitors awed by the exhibition’s collective and individual strength.
“Art of the African Diaspora” will be exhibited at the Richmond Art Center until March 18th.
There’s no place like home for the holidays, and this year you won’t have to go far to procure the perfect gifts for friends and family. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it seems like local holiday fairs are popping up everywhere.
Check out The Chronicle’s guide to holiday-focused markets and festivals, with an emphasis on shopping and an abundance of seasonal merriment.
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Richmond Art Center Holiday Art Festival Each year the festival offers visitors a chance to shop for unique gifts from more than fifty local vendors, enjoy food and beverages, buy a raffle ticket, check out open glass and ceramics studios and participate in art-making activities for the whole family.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 4. Free admission. Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. 510-620-6772. richmondartcenter.org
A Message from Richmond Art Center’s Board President
Hello RAC Community,
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment it occurred. Perhaps it was when a beautiful new mural returned life and color to the Community Gallery’s long corridor? Or when the Board of Directors was able to meet in person after two years of isolating zoom calls?
No matter when, there came a time when everyone at Richmond Art Center sensed a new optimism on the corner of Barrett Avenue and 25th Street. Under the watchful gaze of Guillermo the Golden Trout, we had survived the pandemic! But victory had come with a steep price: the galleries had been closed for two years, in-person classes canceled, and many staff members laid off as financial resources dwindled.
Our optimism was fueled from many directions: the arrival of a new executive director who led the charge to increase the flow of funds into RAC, including two PPP grants from the federal government. Also, special Angels among our friends and supporters made significant donations that enabled us to renovate the interiors of galleries and classrooms. New staff members were added slowly as budgets permitted, and program offerings expanded.
But our spirits were darkened when we lost 23% of our income in July when we learned that two major funders would no longer be contributing to our annual budget. With this devastating news, the Board of Directors estimated that it will take a further eighteen months to complete the full recovery of RAC operations, staffing and programming.
Our goal of returning Richmond Art Center to full operational capacity by the end of 2023 is focused on these tasks:
Education: Expanding our current capacity to deliver once again a full roster of classes both at the Center and through our community outreach programs.
Infrastructure: Maintaining our efforts to execute necessary upgrades in the physical plant and utilities of the Center. Next May, we will celebrate the 25th birthday of RAC’s iconic sculpture Guillermo the Golden Trout by honoring its creator Andrée Singer Thompson and restoring the artwork.
Programming: Returning to the practice of medium- and longer-term planning in support of our mission; and to continue increasing diversity and bilingualism in our outreach and programming.
WE ARE THE RICHMOND ART CENTER!
We teach art! We create art! We show art! We work in service to Richmond and the East Bay!
PLEASE HELP US COMPLETE THE RENAISSANCE AT RICHMOND ART CENTER. YOUR DONATION WILL HELP TO RESTORE RAC AS A JEWEL IN THE HEART OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND’S CIVIC CENTER.
Richmond Art Center is pleased to serve as gateway for local artists to display and sell their works. At the Holiday Arts Festival we’re also highlighting community organizations with vital messages.
Richmond Art Center does not receive any portion of the proceeds from sales – either in-person at the Festival or online via linked artist or organization websites – and the terms of all sales are set by the participants.
It is Día de los Muertos and we are remembering friends and family members who are no longer with us.
Thank you to everyone who came to our Día de los Muertos Family Day event on October 15. We came together for community and creativity in celebration of our loved ones. It was a beautiful day!
Holiday Arts Festival at Richmond Art Center Celebrates Its ‘Diamond Jubilee’ 60th Year
Arts and crafts festival with over 50 local artist vendors and community partners, famous ceramics sale, open studios, and art activities for all ages
Holiday Arts Festival Sunday, December 4, 10am-5pm Richmond Art Center 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 richmondartcenter.org/haf
Richmond, CA: The Holiday Arts Festival returns to Richmond Art Center. After running for two years as a virtual event due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Festival is back in-person to celebrate its ‘diamond jubilee’ 60th year in Richmond.
The Holiday Arts Festival offers visitors a chance to buy unique gifts from local arts and crafts vendors, experience our open studios, enjoy snacks and beverages, and participate in art-making activities for the whole family. The Festival runs from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, December 4 at Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond.
Visitors will be able to shop local and handmade holiday gifts by over 50 local, independent artists. Available merchandise will include unique jewelry pieces, art glass, tin boxes, botanical illustrations, upcycled incense holders, crocheted fantastical hats, and food prep items made from repurposed wood. Artisanal goods at the Festival will include gourmet chocolates and confections, and handmade natural skincare products.
“I’ve always felt joy come through when creating for and participating in the Holiday Arts Festival. I’m able to connect with the Richmond community and beyond, and share joy. What fun!”
– Riquelle Small, Pretty Fun Designs
“The warm, creative, down to earth community at Richmond Art Center is what makes this fair special. It’s always a lovely, well attended show.”
– Malena Lopez-Maggi, The Xocolate Bar
Our popular Ceramics Sale is back in-person this year with an opportunity to purchase beautiful and usable ceramics. All items are made by our students, teachers and friends. The Ceramics Sale will be set up in our ceramics studio and all sales benefit Richmond Art Center.
Other activities at the Festival will include open glass and metals studios to see professional artists in action; art-making activities for families to DIY their own cards and gift wrap paper; a raffle of donated items from local artists; the opportunity to buy artist designed Richmond Art Center totes and t-shirts; and the Holiday Café serving coffee, cookies, beer and wine.
“Join us on this exciting day to share holiday spirit, mingle with our team, and pick up some wonderful arts and crafts for your loved ones,” says José R. Rivera, executive director of Richmond Art Center.
Covid-19 Safety: Note, this is an indoor event. We will do what we can to keep people safe. Mask wearing will be required in the galleries and indoor public spaces. Masks may be removed while in the courtyard.
Accessibility, Parking and Public Transportation: Ample free parking is available in the 25th Street lot across the street from Richmond Art Center. Richmond Art Center’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, R-Transit, and rideshare services.
Participating Vendors: Adrianna Gluck, Art Builds Community, Art of the African Diaspora, Awkward Ladies Club, Bird vs. Bird Designs, Catherine Ricketts, CERAMICSbyREGINA, Crystal Clear Crafting Club, Eyes For Trees, Gabriela Nunez, Hats and Spats & Tinybully Knits, Hope Meredith, Ilah Jarvis, Iris Chiu Art, JAMM the Artist, Ji Wook Choi Art, Judith T. Irwin Artistry, Julia Beery, KS Wood, LaanMao, LSK Creations, Marisa Burman Ceramics, Maya Kosover, Meg Pohlod, Megan Godino Art, mira vista soap co., Mister Scents, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, NIAD Art Center, Patricia Tostenson Jewelry, Pretty Fun Designs, Sea Pony Couture, Skincare by Feleciai, Sky_pottery, Sophie Tivona Illustration, Stoner Zines, Suzanne Carey Arts, Take Shape Studio, The Designing Chica, The Latina Center, The Xocolate Bar, Under Construction Creations / Frikkin Laser Sharks, Wiggle & Woof, Xan Blood Walker… and more to be announced!
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with the community since 1936. Our programs encompass 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 quotes contact: Amy Spencer, amy@richmondartcenter.org
Amid the drug store offerings of Halloween consumer goods, any Dia de los Muertos-themed item invariably sticks out.
Decorations featuring iconic skulls and cempasúchil marigolds, or candy branded with characters from Pixar’s film “Coco” speak to the growing commercialization of a holiday once outside of the corporate limelight.
But the holiday has more cultural significance in Mexico, where it orginated. And on Saturday, the Richmond Art Center will share that tradition with a Dia de los Muertos-themed Fall Family Day, featuring art, music, and even remote-controlled miniature low riders from the collection of Cruz Arroyo, who runs a popular tamale stand in Richmond.
Sandra Martinez and her children, Giuliana and Alejandro, make calavertias (Sasha Schell photos)
“There’s instances where I’ve seen somebody put on a Day of the Dead event, but it’s more of an entertainment program or event. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it misses the actual ancestral connections that are really important and really real,” said Roberto Martinez, exhibitions director at the Richmond Art Center. “I think it’s important to teach, to educate people about such an important cultural event.”
Martinez has worked closely with a number of local artists like Daniel Camacho and Ernesto Olmos, among others, to plan a day of festivities to inspire the anticipated 300 to 500 attendees.
Camacho, whose exhibition “De Fantasías y Realidades” is currently on display at the Richmond Art Center, will lead the day by setting up a community ofrenda in the main hallway. His calaveritas workshops will make the skulls that adorn the altar alongside offerings of food and objects brought by community members hoping to celebrate those they have lost.
“The idea is to share a bit about my culture. It’s a very important day in Mexico. I know people want to express their feeling about those who have passed,” said Camacho. “This brings families together. That’s the important thing.”
Daniel Camacho (wearing hat) leads a calaverita workshop for Dia de los Muertos. (Sasha Schell)
Ernesto Olmos, an artist and specialist in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican traditions, will give a presentation on the cosmology and history of Dia de los Muertos. For him, making offerings on an ofrenda are not mere gestures, but rather a vehicle connecting the living to those that came before.
It’s about honoring our ancestors, Olmos said, and about how we perceive the dead.
“If you’re going to build something, do it real,” he said. “Put fruit, talk to them, cry.”
Olmos fears that the true meaning behind the day is sometimes forgotten as the entertainment-oriented side of the holiday is highlighted. But traditions that had been hidden “in the kitchens, in the dress, in the language,” are being rediscovered as older people talk more about the custom, he added.
Organizations such as the Richmond Art Center are instrumental in preserving this history and these traditions, Martinez said.
The event at the Art Center is an opportunity to strengthen the cultural traditions that have been diluted through the process of assimilation, he said. “Places like this are important to keeping that.”
Class Registration Opens Wednesday, October 26, 10am
Winter classes are now posted on our website (don’t worry if the class says ‘Fully Booked’ this will change once registration opens). Browse listings now and plan which class or workshop you’ll sign up for. And don’t forget to get your scholarship applications in early for classes starting in January!
