Thank you for being an important part of Richmond Art Center’s vibrant and creative community. We really appreciate your generosity — especially now when your continued financial support is so vital to keep Richmond Art Center running.
For 85 years Richmond Art Center has been sharing and nurturing creativity in Richmond, CA. We are the largest visual arts center in the East Bay, a showcase and hands-on learning center that gives wide-ranging audiences the opportunity to create, see and learn about art. And this last year was momentous. After an eighteen month closure of our facility due to Covid-19, in September we successfully reopened for classes, exhibitions and some fabulous community events (see below for some highlights of 2021).
But these successes came at a cost. Richmond Art Center continues to take a financial hit with reduced enrollments, limited capacity for community activities, and shortened gallery and studio hours. We have ambitious plans for 2022, but with Covid-19 numbers currently increasing, we know we need to be poised for whatever comes our way.
Your donation, whatever the amount, will support our efforts to sustain our current activities, develop new programs, and be ready to tackle our next challenge.
We look forward to seeing you back at Richmond Art Center in 2022. Until then, we hope you stay safe and well.
With gratitude,
José Rivera Executive Director
Carlos Privat President, Board of Directors
Thank you to our community who came together in 2021 to…
Make our facility sparkle with renovated galleries & public spaces!
Run in-person, online & off-site classes for over 1,300 students!
Present 5 in-person exhibitions, 6 online exhibitions & 6 artist talks featuring over 350 artists!
Expand our scholarship program & free classes (30% of students took a class for free)!
Bring hundreds of people together safely in our courtyard for special events celebrating local art & artists, Día de los Muertos, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
Begin an artist residency with print collective Liberación Gráfica!
Plus so much more… and we ask for your help to keep going!
“It gave me a sense of hope and that my circle of support was widening at a time when we were all feeling increased isolation.”
By Laura Kamian McDermott
In Summer of 2019 I dropped off my “Studio Ceiling, Giant Trade Center” tapestry at the Richmond Art Center for their annual Members Exhibition. I was elated to hear from the curator on the eve of the opening that this tapestry had earned me a 3-person exhibition to be held in the Summer of 2020! The other artists chosen were Steven Morales, a Richmond-based mixed-media artist who is influenced by materials and themes in his architecture practice, and Oakland-based ceramicist and painter Leslie Plato Smith whose work focuses on climate issues.
Leslie, Steven and I started having rotating potluck dinners at each other’s houses to get to know each other better and talk art. In January of 2020 Amy Spencer, the RAC Exhibitions Director, came to our studios to choose work for the summer show. Then came March 2020…
Throughout the shutdown, all four of us kept in touch, checking in on each other, our families, our art practices, and how we were all coping. It was comforting to have these brand-new connections in my life. It gave me a sense of hope and that my circle of support was widening at a time when we were all feeling increased isolation. Big thanks to Amy, Leslie, and Steven for staying in touch!
Fast forward to Fall 2021… We are cautiously entering better times! The galleries at the Richmond Art Center are now open and they are offering some in-person classes in addition to the online classes they hosted throughout the pandemic. Our show, now titled “Opossum Magic,” based on an opossum trapped in Leslie’s studio, is one of 4 shows on display during this tender moment of reopening. The theme of our show centers on our shared use of materials and inspirations from our everyday life in our creative work. My “Jagged Skyline of Car Keys” series, based on keys from my junk drawer, is on display as well as several other tapestries. Also included is a large-scale felted I-Cord (knitted tube), hung in the abstract gesture and knotted shape that the felting process helped set it into. I also updated my Armenian Alphabet series, spelling out some new words related to our shared pandemic experience and re-opening: “Breath, shunch”, “Community, hamaynk”, and “Connection, kap.” My work is interspersed with Leslie and Steven’s throughout the gallery. All our works are full of rich textures and vivid colors, a great celebration for the RAC’s re-opening! We were able to hold a Covid19-friendly reception on October 16th, making use of the outdoor courtyard. It very nearly felt like a normal reception and was so good for the soul. Thank you Care and Dance for coming out! Throughout the show I’ve been meeting friends and family, some of whom I haven’t seen in over two years, at the gallery for intimate small group visits. It has been a sweet and hopeful way to re-gather. As of this writing, two of the key skyline pieces have sold from the RAC show, and I’ve also sold a few pieces off of my website and Instagram earlier in the year. Priorities shifted during the past couple of years, and I’m glad to see personal art purchases bringing joy and comfort into people’s homes.
Opossum Magic is on display through November 18th. I hope those of you who are nearby get a chance to see it in person! Let me know if you are planning a visit, I’m 10 minutes away and may be able to meet you. And check out the three other exhibits while you are there:
Laura Kamian McDermott wrote this piece for the Tapestry Weavers West newsletter. Thank you for sharing it with us also, Laura! tapestryweaverswest.org
Top Image: Leslie Smith (left), Steven Morales (center), and Laura Kamian McDermott (right) at Richmond Art Center. Note, masks were temporarily removed for this photo. Please wear your mask at RAC. 🙂
Get creative and give creative this holiday season
Online and In-Person Activities | November & December 2021 Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA Event webpage: richmondartcenter.org/haf
Richmond, CA: Richmond Art Center invites creative gift-makers, holiday shoppers and art lovers to experience the 59th Annual Holiday Arts Festival!
In 2021 we’re getting into the holiday spirit over two months – November and December – with both in-person and online activities that celebrate the joy of making, discovering, and gifting arts and crafts.* With the Arts & Crafts Hub, Ceramics Sale, and free gift-making workshop series, the Holiday Arts Festival has something for everyone to get creative and give creative this holiday season.
Visit richmondartcenter.org/haf to view the workshop schedule, artist listings, and ceramic sale hours.
Online Arts & Crafts Hub
Online Artist Listings November 4 – December 31, 2021
The Arts & Crafts Hub is an online space for Bay Area artists and makers to share and/or sell their work during the holiday season. It is a retail space for holiday arts and crafts shopping, but it is more than that too! Local artists and makers share recent work, holiday specials, project links, posters for change, messages for peace, and more in this interactive catalog of Richmond Art Center’s creative community.
The Hub launches November 4! Interested artists should CLICK HERE to join.
Ceramics Sale
In-Person Ceramics Store at Richmond Art Center Thursdays and Saturdays, 10am-2pm, November 4 – November 20, 2021 Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA
Our popular Ceramics Sale is back in-person this year with an opportunity to shop local and handmade for your holiday gifts! Stop by Richmond Art Center anytime during gallery hours from November 4 through to November 20 and purchase beautiful and usable ceramics. All items are made by our students, teachers and friends. The Ceramics Sale will be set up in our galleries and new pieces will be added weekly.
All sales benefit Richmond Art Center.
Make a Gift That Brings Joy
Free Workshops Online and In-Person Workshop announcements and registration links coming soon!
Is there anything more special than receiving a holiday gift that is handmade by the person giving it to you? This free workshop series is designed for folks who need a nudge towards starting their holiday craft gift projects.
Covid-19 Prevention: Mask wearing and signing a Visitor Waiver is a condition of entry to Richmond Art Center. We track attendee numbers to ensure spaces do not get too crowded. See RAC’s website for more information about what we are doing to prevent the spread of Covid-19: richmondartcenter.org/about/covid
* In-person activities are subject to change based on Covid-19 developments. Please check Richmond Art Center’s website before planning your visit to RAC. Due to the ongoing uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic the annual in-person vendor fair will not be happening this year.
For more information contact: Amy Spencer amy@richmondartcenter.org
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 decades, activists around the world have been pushing for the release of Leonard Peltier. The Native American activist was convicted of murdering two FBI agents in 1971 during a shootout on a South Dakota reservation. Peltier has been in a federal prison for 45 years, serving two life sentences, and says he didn’t kill the agents. Irregularities in the story from that fatal day are why activists say Peltier didn’t get a fair trial.
When you speak of Leonard, you’re not just talking about individual. You’re talking about hundreds of thousands that this person has somehow come to represent and be a symbol for.
Rigo 23
The statue Rigo 23 created is inspired by a self-portrait of Leonard Peltier. The feet of the statue are detachable and have traveled around the country to historic sites of Indigenous resistance, including Standing Rock and Alcatraz.
See the statue now until November 18th at the Richmond Art Center. The exhibit is free.
Jenee Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She hosts the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds and covers East Oakland for KALW. Jenee has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.
Feliz día de los Muertos | Get Ready for the Holiday Arts Festival | Seeing Urban Nature new class Be Part of the 25th Anniversary | Upcoming Classes | In Memoriam
Feliz día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos Saturday, October 23, 12pm-3pm* at Richmond Art Center FREE
Family Day is back at RAC with a special celebration of Día de los Muertos happening this Saturday, October 23, 12pm-3pm. Featuring Alebrije workshop, performances by Puerto Rican youth Bomba ensemble Quenepas, storyteller Olga Loya, and more!
Holiday Arts Festival – Artist Registration Open!!
Join the Arts & Crafts Hub for the Holiday Arts Festival (https://richmondartcenter.org/haf/) ! This online space is for Bay Area artists and makers to share and/or sell their work during the holiday season. New/recent/past work, holiday crafts, end-of-year sales, mini-exhibitions, posters for change, messages for peace… it’s all welcome!
Julia Beery spoke with us about her new class Urban Nature Journaling (https://www.hisawyer.com/the-richmond-art-center/schedules/activity-set/260599) . She says, “Students who take this class will start to see that you don’t need to be a scientist to understand the natural world, anybody’s observations are valid.”
Art of the African Diaspora 2022 Artist Deadline to Register: Sunday, October, 31, 2021, 11:59pm
Artists, be part of the 25th Anniversary of the Bay Area Black Artists’ exhibition at Richmond Art Center! Art Of The African Diaspora is a non-juried group exhibition featuring work by artists of African descent. The showcase exhibition is held at Richmond Art Center and is accompanied by self-guided open studio tours and satellite exhibitions throughout the Bay Area.
Lynn passed on October 10 after a swift battle with cancer. A talented and prolific textile artist, Lynn was a kind and welcoming member of Richmond Art Center’s weaving community. Her quiet cheer and giving spirit will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Her friends are planning an exhibition of her past 15 years of work (date TBD).
*In-person activity dates are subject to change as we see further developments in the Covid-19 pandemic. Mask wearing and signing a Visitor Waiver is a condition of entry to RAC events. We track attendee numbers in the courtyard and galleries to ensure spaces do not get too crowded. Read more about Richmond Art Center’s Covid-19 safety measures HERE (https://richmondartcenter.org/about/covid/) .
Have something to share? Please email us at admin@richmondartcenter.org
Julia Beery is a science illustrator with a passion for drawing all the animal, plant, and fungi who live in the Bay Area. Her most peaceful moments are spent capturing the curve of a petal in ink. When Julia is not creating science illustrations she likes to sew clothing and embroider what she already owns to make it feel new again. @juliabeery_art
Julia Beery spoke with Amy Spencer, Richmond Art Center’s Exhibitions Director, on October 21, 2021
Thanks for speaking with me today, Julia. As a new teaching artist at Richmond Art Center can you please introduce yourself to our community.
Hi, I’m Julia Beery. I was born in Berkeley and have spent most of my life in the Bay Area. I left for a while to attend school but am now back and living in Point Richmond. Where I grew up in Berkeley there are lots of wild and overgrown backyards. And I loved wandering around seeing all the birds and insects and animals. It often felt like I was in a forest, even though it’s a city.
How did you get started as an artist?
I’ve always been drawing. At some point during high school I started feeling shy about calling myself an artist. So I tried to find another way I could make a career from art, and went ahead and completed a degree in Art Conservation. Art Conservation is a blend of chemistry and art history with the goal to preserve artworks for future generations. I thought it was interesting but I still wanted to make my own work. Then I heard about the Science Illustration program at California State University Monterey Bay. I applied and got in. It was an incredible experience; a really great course and I felt part of a wonderful community there.
I’m fairly new to this career but I like how science illustration is collaborative. I like talking to scientists and developing work as part of a conversation. There is so much research and talking involved before you even start drawing.
Can you tell us about the Urban Nature Journaling class you are teaching at Richmond Art Center this semester?
This class is about finding ways to observe the natural world. My plan for the start is to bring everyone outside at Miller-Knox beach in Point Richmond to talk about the materials for field sketching. It’s a small kit – pencils, paper, watercolors. You really don’t need a lot of equipment to start.
I will then give some demonstrations and teach some simple drawing techniques designed to get students started looking, sketching and sharing. But it’s not just about drawing. We’ll also be doing things like writing, recording sounds, and creating swatches of color.
The goal is not to create a finished piece, but rather to get lost in the pleasure of observing and making art.
Is much science involved?
Nothing intimidating. There will be a quick intro to botanical terminology. At this time of year there aren’t so many flowers around, so we’ll focus on leaves a lot. We’ll look at their different shapes and arrangements, and then practice using the different terms to describe what we see. Hopefully we might find some mushrooms too, that would be cool!
What is one thing you think students will walk away with after taking your class?
I’m hoping that after taking this class students will feel they can look at their surroundings in their neighborhoods and observe them in a new way. I hope they get into the habit of taking their journal with them and recording what they see over time.
Nature journaling is, like any journaling, a record of a time and a place. One of the most important things to do is to record where you are and what time of year. Then you can really start to build your knowledge of the natural world.
Students who take this class will start to see that you don’t need to be a scientist to understand the natural world, anybody’s observations are valid.
Nudibranchs by Julia Beery
What art projects are you working on at the moment?
I’ve been doing a digital illustration series of nudibranchs, which are a kind of sea slug. I’ve been doing a lot of digital drawings since the pandemic. This work is in a group show at the Deep Ocean Explore Store in Alameda that will be opening this Saturday at noon. It should be up for a while if people are interested in checking it out. If you don’t know about nudibranchs, they are so much fun!
I’ve been doing a digital illustration series of nudibranchs, which are a kind of sea slug. I’ve been doing a lot of digital drawings since the pandemic. This work is in a group show at the Deep Ocean Explore Store in Alameda that will be opening this Saturday at noon. It should be up for a while if people are interested in checking it out. If you don’t know about nudibranchs, they are so much fun!
Urban Nature Journaling with Julia Beery starts on Thursday, November 4. The class meets weekly for four weeks from 12pm to 2pm. CLICK HERE to learn more and register online.
Richmond, CA: El Día de la Familia regresa al Centro de Arte de Richmond con una celebración especial del Día de los Muertos el sábado 23 de octubre, de 12 pm a 3 pm. Los niños de todas las edades y sus adultos están invitados a unirse a nosotros en el patio del RAC para hacer arte, bailar, escuchar música y más.
Este evento familiar gratuito contará con un taller de Alebrije, actuaciones del conjunto de bomba juvenil puertorriqueño Quenepas y la narradora Olga Loya. Los artistas residentes de RAC Liberación Gráfica también imprimirán bolsas de tela y la Gran Conspiración de la Tortilla también imprimirá un poco de arte de tortillas.
Programa de actividades:
12: 00-13:00 Primer taller de Alebrije con Rachel-Anne Palacios
13:00-14:00 Actuaciones del grupo Bomba Quenepas seguido por la narradora Olga Loya
13:00-14:00 Segundo taller de Alebrije
Papel de seda La fabricación de flores de papel mexicano, la búsqueda del tesoro, el grabado, el altar comunitario y la música de DJ Dion Decibels se llevarán a cabo de 12 pm a 3 pm.
Richmond Art Center está ubicado en 2540 Barrett Avenue en Richmond.
Prevención de Covid-19: El uso de máscara y la firma de una Exención de Visitante es una condición para ingresar al evento. Realizaremos un seguimiento del número de asistentes en el patio y las galerías para garantizar que los espacios no se llenen demasiado. Consulte el sitio web de RAC para obtener más información sobre lo que estamos haciendo para prevenir la propagación de Covid-19: richmondartcenter.org/about/covid
Taller de alebrijes con Rachel-Anne Palacios: Los alebrijes son esculturas de arte popular mexicano de colores brillantes de criaturas fantásticas. En honor al Mes de la Herencia Latina / Día de los Muertos, la artista Rachel-Anne Palacios nos guiará en una breve presentación sobre los alebrijes y cómo crear los suyos propios con arcilla seca al aire. Sigue a Rachel-Anne en Instagram @devikaspalacio
Bomba de Quenepas: La música y la danza bomba se originaron hace más de 400 años en las plantaciones de caña de azúcar de Puerto Rico, donde los africanos esclavizados tocaban, cantaban y bailaban para sobrevivir y resistir la opresión colonial. Quenepas es un vibrante conjunto juvenil de danza y música bomba puertorriqueña que tuvo su inicio en 2008 en el Centro Cultural La Peña en Berkeley. Los jóvenes de Quenepas han estado estudiando y actuando bajo la dirección de Héctor Lugo y Shefali Shah por más de 15 años y muchos de los jóvenes han estado involucrados en la práctica de Bomba a través de la observación y participación en improvisaciones comunitarias y presentaciones con sus familias. Contacto: bombaaguacero@gmail.com, 510-681-1036
Narración de cuentos de Olga Loya: Olga Loya también es autora, artista de performance, oradora principal y maestra, que ha realizado y enseñado talleres en todo Estados Unidos y México. Loya presenta un gran repertorio de historias familiares y personales con el objetivo de explorar las luchas y la complejidad de ser bicultural, mexicano-estadounidense, en los Estados Unidos. Loya también cuenta folclore latinoamericano bilingüe e historias coloridas y a veces mágicas de África, India, Asia, las Antillas y Europa. Loya usa las historias como una forma de examinar temas como la curación, el racismo y el multiculturalismo. Incorpora una variedad de estilos de actuación, que incluyen improvisación, movimiento y danza, canciones e instrumentos. Más información: www.olgaloya.com
Liberación Gráfica: Liberación Gráfica es un colectivo de jóvenes grabadores de Richmond cuyos miembros crean trabajos para elevar la justicia social, la comunidad de Richmond y las voces jóvenes. Como educadores, el colectivo ha desarrollado un plan de estudios que ayuda a los jóvenes a participar en el grabado mediante la exploración de carteles políticos históricos y la creación de sus propios carteles sobre temas con los que se sienten conectados. El colectivo ha realizado varios talleres de serigrafía en vivo en toda la comunidad en eventos, escuelas secundarias y organizaciones locales como RYSE, Urban Tilth, APEN y Richmond Art Center.
The Great Tortilla Conspiracy: The Great Tortilla Conspiracy es un colectivo basado en obras de arte comestibles. Después de mucha experimentación y desarrollos tecnológicos, los Conspiradores desarrollaron una receta secreta que muchos acólitos de quesadillas han calificado de deliciosa. La obra de arte comestible producida por la Conspiración es serigrafiada en tortillas y cocinada en una plancha para que la imagen se adhiera al sustrato. Simultáneamente, el queso se derrite en el reverso. La salsa es opcional. El consumidor de arte puede tanto comer como disfrutar de la sensación estética que es la Gran Conspiración de la Tortilla.
Acerca de Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center ha estado compartiendo arte y creando con la comunidad desde 1936. Nuestros programas abarcan clases, exposiciones y eventos en nuestras instalaciones en el centro de Richmond, así como actividades fuera del sitio que brindan arte gratuito y de alta calidad. creando experiencias para las escuelas y los socios comunitarios de WCCUSD. richmondartcenter.org
Richmond, CA: Family Day is coming back to Richmond Art Center with a special celebration of Día de los Muertos on Saturday, October 23, 12pm-3pm. Kids of all ages and their grown-ups are invited to join us in RAC’s courtyard for art-making, dancing, music and more.
This free family event will feature an Alebrije workshop, performances by Puerto Rican youth Bomba ensemble Quenepas, and storyteller Olga Loya. RAC artists-in-residence Liberación Gráfica will be there screen printing tote bags and the Great Tortilla Conspiracy will also be printing up some tortilla art!
Schedule of Activities:
12pm-1pm First Alebrije workshop with Rachel-Anne Palacios
1pm-2pm Performances by Bomba group Quenepas followed by storyteller Olga Loya
1pm-2pm Second Alebrije workshop
Tissue paper Mexican paper flower making, scavenger hunt, printmaking, community altar, and music by DJ Dion Decibels will run 12pm-3pm.
Richmond Art Center is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue in Richmond.
Covid-19 Prevention: Mask wearing and signing a Visitor Waiver is a condition of entry to the event. We will track attendee numbers in the courtyard and galleries to ensure spaces do not get too crowded. See RAC’s website for more information about what we are doing to prevent the spread of Covid-19: richmondartcenter.org/about/covid
For more information contact: Sarah Guerra sarah@richmondartcenter.org
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About the Program and Participants:
Alebrijes workshop with Rachel-Anne Palacios: Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. In honor of Latino Heritage Month/Día de los Muertos, artist Rachel-Anne Palacios will guide us on a short presentation about alebrijes and how to create your own with air dry clay. Follow Rachel-Anne on Instagram @devikaspalacio
Bomba by Quenepas: Bomba music and dance originated over 400 years ago in the sugar cane plantations of Puerto Rico where enslaved Africans played, sang, and danced to survive and to resist colonial oppression. Quenepas is a vibrant Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance youth ensemble that had its inception in 2008 at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley. Quenepas youth have been studying and performing under the direction of Hector Lugo and Shefali Shah for over 15 years and many of the youth have been involved in the practice of Bomba through observing and participating in community jams and performances with their families. Contact: bombaaguacero@gmail.com, 510-681-1036
Storytelling by Olga Loya: Olga Loya is also an author, performance artist, keynote speaker, and teacher, who has performed and taught workshops throughout the United States and Mexico. Loya performs a large repertoire of family and personal stories with the goal of exploring the struggles and complexity of being bicultural – Mexican-American – in the United States. Loya also tells bilingual Latin-American folklore and colorful and sometimes magical stories from Africa, India, Asia, the Antilles, and Europe. Loya uses stories as a way of examining themes like healing, racism, and multiculturalism. She incorporates a variety of performance styles, including improvisation, movement and dance, song, and instruments. More info: www.olgaloya.com
Liberación Gráfica: Liberación Gráfica is a collective of young printmakers from Richmond whose members create work to uplift social justice, the Richmond community, and young voices. As educators the collective has developed a curriculum that helps young people engage in printmaking through exploring historical political posters and creating their own posters on topics they feel connected to. The collective has held multiple live screen printing workshops around the community at events, high schools, and local organizations like RYSE, Urban Tilth, APEN and Richmond Art Center.
The Great Tortilla Conspiracy: The Great Tortilla Conspiracy is a collective based on edible artwork. After much experimentation and technological developments the Conspirators developed a secret recipe that has been called delicious by many a quesadilla acolyte. The edible artwork produced by the Conspiracy is screen printed on tortillas and cooked on a griddle so that the image is affixed to the substrate. Simultaneously cheese is melted on the reverse side. Salsa is optional. The art consumer can both eat and enjoy the aesthetic sensation that is the Great Tortilla Conspiracy.
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
