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ISSUE 16
Spring Session 2021 | AOTAD Special Events | Spotlight On… | Classes Starting Soon | Join Our Board
Spring Session 2021
Registration for Spring Classes NOW OPEN
Browse class listing online and check out new workshops including Mexican Tin Art, Hand-building Functional Forms in Porcelain, and The Art of Tagging.
And don’t forget, we have scholarships too!! Apply now.
Image: Design by Chandna Agarwal, @chandna_agarwal
This online conversation will explore how artists have coped during the pandemic. How and where did they show their work? How were they creative? How did the pandemic affect their mental well being? These are just a few of the topics that will be discussed.
Saturday, March 20, 2021, 3:00pm-4:30pm THIS SATURDAY!
Join us for a special online event celebrating the artists – past, present and future – who make Art of the African Diaspora possible. This event is presented on zoom in partnership with Rhythmix Cultural Works.
Colleen spoke with Marisa Burman, Richmond Art Center’s Ceramics Manager, about all things clay. “It’s been a lot of making and not keeping this past year,” she says.
Colleen is teaching two online classes at RAC for the Spring Session: Handbuilding: Women in Contemporary Ceramics and Sketchbooking.
Explore contemporary picture book illustrator’s characters, while learning how to create characters of your own using the basic elements of design (color, shape, line, etc).
The characteristics of ink as a medium is unforgiving as it is exciting! Drawing and painting techniques with waterproof India ink will be explored with dip pens and brushes.
In Street Art 101, students will learn how to tag, create bubble letters, and draw characters. We will also be covering a brief intro to the history of street art.
In Street Art 101, students will learn how to tag, create bubble letters, and draw characters. We will also be covering a brief intro to the history of street art.
Colleen Garland grew up in Richmond and works as a potter and ceramics teacher in the Bay Area. She learned wheel throwing in community college, taking classes at Diablo Valley College and Contra Costa College. Now she rents a studio where she works in clay, and since the covid pandemic she has been making art and teaching ceramics online.
Colleen spoke with Marisa Burman, Richmond Art Center’s Ceramics Manager, on February 9, 2021
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
What are your favorite things about clay and working with ceramics? Why have you chosen this as your primary medium?
I absolutely love clay. I love what clay looks like when it’s fired. I love throwing on the wheel. I love having a purpose. I love serving a purpose.
Coming from a working class background, I think art can be hard to justify as a career. Art is a choice, but you can’t argue with making functional work. And I think that’s something that attracted me to it.
Clay is messy, it’s physical, and there’s infinite variety in what you can do and whatever you do, you can make it absolutely personal.
So, what has it been like for you making art during a pandemic?
I make a lot of wheel thrown work, mostly to fire with Mary Law at her studio in Berkeley. But we had to cancel most of our firings this year because of covid.
So my practice has been a little halted in a way, because I’m not finishing work, but it’s also really opened up what I can make because I’m not limiting myself as much. I’m wheel throwing a lot. Also I’m spending a lot more time on decorating. It’s been a lot of making and not keeping this past year.
Do you consider Mary Law your mentor? She’s a great potter who has been doing ceramics in Berkeley for decades.
This is funny, because I know she’ll read this. I took classes with Mary a lot at Contra Costa College. And I started working with her when I was still a student. I then started doing her website and Facebook and in trade I fire with her. She has taught me about clay, but also so much about life. I would say she’s my friend and my mentor. I have learned a lot from her about how one can live as a potter, about ways of doing this sustainably in terms of taking care of yourself, taking care of your body, and taking care of your finances, so that this can be a viable option.
That makes me feel warm.
She’s very, very important to me.
So you are teaching ceramics online. What has that been like?
At first, in the first few months of the pandemic, when I saw university professors having to instantly switch to teaching, and hearing about how incredibly difficult it was initially, I thought no ceramics class should be online. That’s a ridiculous thing to do. But in time I was offered the opportunity to teach online with Richmond Art Center. I thought it was going to be really hard and it turned out to be really fun. The online classes give me much more room to be creative. I’m able to offer a lot more visual information. Like images of other artists’ work and more historical context. So it’s been a really great experience because I’ve learned how to teach in a new way.
I would keep teaching online, I think even after we go back to in-person, which feels crazy, but it’s been fun.
Colleen’s Studio
What are you teaching this session for Richmond Art Center?
I will be teaching ‘Handbuilding: Women in Contemporary Ceramics’ again. Each week we learn from a different woman working in clay in the 20th or 21st century through photos and video, and then we settle on a form to try to recreate. Or students branch out on their own and use inspiration from the artists to make something different. I see that students in this class are excited about learning from other artists. They feel like they are kind of participating in the global ceramics community through engaging with other people’s works, cultures and histories.
I’m also teaching a drawing class, which is called ‘Sketchbooking’. It is a fun drawing class meant to make people feel comfortable with engaging with their sketchbooks. To help people not fear a blank page. It’s all about having fun and trying lots of things so that we can get into the habit of sketchbooking as a daily practice. ‘Sketchbooking’ is an intergenerational class. So anyone is welcome to take it from young children to adults, teenagers. Friends are welcome. Roommates are welcome. Grandparents and grandchildren. Any experience level. Everyone is absolutely welcome!
I see art as a daily practice as a theme in your teaching, as well as your relationship to engaging with art.
I love using pottery. It totally changes the way I interact with the world. I love being surrounded by handmade things. I’ve been a very functional potter and I’m very interested in craft; the way things are made and the way things work.
Just last night in class we learned from artist Marguerite Wildenhain, she ran an informal school in Guerneville, California, in the 1950s. Her philosophy was to teach young craftspeople to have integrity and to have dedication and to really care about what they’re doing. But also to have a reason for what they’re doing too. To engage philosophically with their work instead of just being technicians, who can technically produce something. She wouldn’t let students keep anything. Students would be throwing forms for two months and they would never fire anything! All the clay was reclaimed. She demanded absolute dedication. And if students weren’t absolutely dedicated, they just wouldn’t continue showing up because it was too hard.
It definitely takes dedication.
Wheel throwing is ridiculous. It’s crazy that we all love to do it! I’ve been working with clay for at least eight years and three years seriously. And I still get cracks in my handles which is so frustrating! But that’s just reality. Something Marguerite Wildenhain said was art is not cumulative. Every day you show up as a potter and you’re starting from scratch. And you just have to pull this desire out of yourself to create something. Then through repetition it becomes less challenging, but you’re still starting from nothing each day. Every single potter has to learn from the very, very beginning.
And that makes it really beautiful to teach because it’s like I’m on that journey with my students. When someone really loves ceramics, they just absolutely give themselves to it. And they work through the frustration and they work through the darkness of being in a learning environment. It’s very human. I think it’s so much more human than any other work that I could be doing. So it feels infinitely valuable.
Richmond Art Center is poised to re-open! We have a new Executive Director, José Rivera, who is eager to lead the center forward. Richmond Art Center’s board plays an important role in supporting and guiding the organization. Different individual board members bring different experience, skills, knowledge and connections to their Board work.
People who live and/or work in Richmond, who are community-minded and thoughtful about how Richmond Art Center could better serve the community in and around Richmond
An accountant/bookkeeper (CPA credential would be great but is not necessary)
A lawyer (for the general knowledge and issue-spotting ability lawyers tend to have)
People who can help us raise money for Richmond Art Center
Leaders with the potential to be board vice president and president in the future
What can you expect?
Board members attend board meetings (currently being held via Zoom), act as ambassadors at select evening and weekend events, give of their expertise and wisdom and make a personal financial contribution to the extent that they can. A Board member’s term is three years, with a two-term limit. Service on the Board of Directors is unpaid.
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ISSUE 15
Celebrating the Journey | Make Art with José and Lauren | Hello Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez | Classes Starting Soon | From Our Neighbors, For Our Neighbors
Celebrating the Journey
Reception for Art of the African Diaspora
Saturday, March 20, 2021, 3-4:30pm
Join us for a special online event celebrating the artists – past, present and future – who make Art of the African Diaspora possible. This event is presented in partnership with Rhythmix Cultural Works.
Featuring 130 artists, the online exhibition for Art of the African Diaspora 2021 is now open! Special events accompanying the exhibition will be happening throughout March, April and May. Visit richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/aotad2021 to learn more.
Free online guided drawing session with Lauren Ari! With special guest Richmond Art Center’s executive director José Rivera!
Friday, March 5, 12:30-1:30pm
Join Richmond artist Lauren Ari this Friday, March 5 at 12:30pm for a free lunchtime session of guided drawing and relaxation. And meet Richmond Art Center’s new(ish) Executive Director José Rivera! All ages and levels of experience welcome. Simply bring plain white paper and a pen/pencil.
Interview with Teaching Artist Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez
“For a long time I have been pondering how to convey the tremendous loss in the Latino community covid has caused.” – Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez
Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez is a painter and a muralist living in Richmond whose creative practice focuses on social justice issues. We interviewed Rebeca about some of her recent projects, which include a large-scale mural at Pulman Portal Park in Richmond.
Creative Exploration and Expansion Series: Intuitive Collage
This class series is about creative expansion and artistic self-discovery. In this class students will create intuitive collages and learn to interpret their messages. La maestra habla español.
All Ages Class Saturdays, 11am-12pm Mar 13 – Mar 20
Learn the possibilities of acrylic paint using the most user-friendly medium! Set your own goals and choose your own projects, with help from a supportive instructor. La maestra habla español.
Dollar Store to Dinnerware: Plaster Mold-Making, Slab Forming and Slip-Casting
In this two-day workshop students will use plastic forms that can be purchased from a dollar store and turn them into slump and hump molds formed out of plaster for making multiples of the shape.
Adult Two-Day Workshop Saturday and Sunday, 10am-12pm Mar 20-21
Did you know Richmond Public Library has free craft kits for adults? In March they are giving away this cool coloring tote. Call the library 510-620-6561 to make an appointment to pick one up (while supplies last!).
Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez is a painter and a muralist living in Richmond whose creative practice focuses on social justice issues. She is Puerto Rican and often paints traditional subjects seen from the lens of her Latina perspective.
Rebeca chatted with Ilene Conde, Studio Education Manager at RAC, on January 28, 2021.
Can you please start by telling us about your current mixed media series?
For a long time I have been pondering how to convey the tremendous loss in the Latino community covid has caused. I first started thinking about this while working on a mural about the essential workers of the Pullman neighborhood, located at Pulman Portal Park, on the corner of Carlson Boulevard and Ohio Avenue. We had enough funding to make it large enough that people riding by on Bart could see it. The mural shows neighbors leaving for work while it’s still dark. There is a progression from dark to light, with people in uniforms, people with children and Richmond businesses and neighborhood homes in the background. The topic came out of meetings with the Richmond youth, who also painted most of the mural. They really wanted to show reality – so not everyone in the mural is wearing a mask. Some of the neighbors posed.
As the mural was being finished people in the neighborhood stopped to ask questions. They liked how the mural showed resolute people. People who looked strong, not sad. Yet it showed the reality of who is bearing the brunt of this battle against COVID. Towards the end of the mural, in late September 2020, one woman said it was hard for her to look at because it reminded her of all the lives lost.
How did it feel to hear this about your work?
It stayed with me. I started thinking how do you help people reflect on what has been lost. That was a challenge that I posed to myself. And also a way for me to process my own feelings about the pandemic.
Every winter I do printmaking. This winter I’ve been working with a very large gel plate because I don’t have a proper press. The prints from this plate will be used for a series on the subject of the loss of Latinx lives. I want to paint portraits of Latinos who have been lost to COVID over the prints. Certain elements of the prints are independent of each other, and will be incorporated into the portraits as a way for the series to have a common thread.
I’m still working it out. But I think that’s what it’s going to be.
Pullman Park Mural. Richmond, CA, 2020. Images courtesy of the Artist
What has it been like for you as an artist during COVID?
I have a studio in north Richmond and I have converted a part of it it into a classroom. I have also spent more time than usual launching a new website, developing a larger social media presence and selling art online.
What has your experience been like teaching online?
Very positive! I am doing more demos and have made changes to my curriculum to make sure my students get quality feedback. My students can access all of my class materials online and they say this helps.
I appreciate the warmth of my students during this very isolating time. I have noticed that my students are now much more interested in each others’ work. I have also appreciated getting invited to see and give suggestions on their home painting setups. I have also given them “tours” of my studio!
What upcoming classes are teaching?
In March I will teach beginner drawing and acrylic painting classes.
Thank you Rebeca!
Registration for Rebeca’s classes is now open.
‘Fundamental Drawing’ runs for eight weeks on Wednesdays, 1pm-3pm, starting March 17. CLICK HERE for more info and to register.
‘Acrylic Techniques For Beginners’ runs for eight weeks on Tuesdays, 10am-12pm, starting March 16.CLICK HERE for more info and to register.
Free online guided drawing session with Lauren Ari!
With special guest Richmond Art Center’s executive director José Rivera!
Friday, March 5, 12:30-1:30pm
Join Richmond artist Lauren Ari this Friday, March 5 at 12:30pm for a free lunchtime session of guided drawing and relaxation. And meet Richmond Art Center’s new(ish) executive director José Rivera! All ages and levels of experience welcome. Simply bring plain white paper and a pen/pencil.
PUBLISHED: February 6, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. | UPDATED: February 7, 2021 at 7:14 a.m.
In honor of Black History Month, the Richmond Art Center is hosting its “Art of the African Diaspora” exhibit along with a satellite exhibit at Alameda’s Rhythmix Cultural Works. The exhibits offer opportunities to view art inspired and produced by Bay Area artists of African descent as it reflects the spirit and creativity of African people and, through artists’ talks and virtual open studios, opportunities to hear their stories and appreciate their creativity.
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ISSUE 14 – Clay at Home | Get Ready for Art of the African Diaspora | Welcome Sarah! | Classes Starting Soon
Clay at Home
Free online workshop THIS Sunday
Sunday, February 7, 10am-11:15am
Learn how easy it is to set up your own ceramics space! Marisa Burman, Richmond Art Center’s ceramics studio manager, will discuss and demonstrate how best to set-up a space for working with clay in your home.
Art of the African Diaspora starts next week! Now in its 25th year, but presented as an online exhibition for the first time, Art of the African Diaspora will showcase artwork by over 120 Black artists from the Bay Area. The event also offers numerous artist-organized happenings that everyone is invited to join. Meet artists, learn about and from their work, and celebrate this creative community.
We’re thrilled to announce Richmond Art Center has been selected as a host organization for the inaugural California Arts Council’s Administrators of Color Fellowship. Our amazing fellow is production manager and non-profit administrator Sarah Guerra. She will participate in a nine-month professional development fellowship at Richmond Art Center committed to expanding equity in the arts.
“I’m honored to be part of the inaugural class of CAC fellows,” says Sarah. “It is such an imperative and unique moment in history; our class of arts administrators of color are needed now more than ever.”
Get weird and have fun with digital mashups! This digital collage class focuses on free to access and easy to use software.
All Ages Class Saturdays, 12-2pm Feb 6 – Feb 27 More info…
Things That Go!
Students will use mixed media to create things that go, such a water bottle airplane and texture train. Great for kids in love with all things transportation.
Kids Class (Ages 5-11) Wednesdays, 3-4pm Feb 10 – Feb 24
More info…
Creative Exploration Series: Intuitive Drawing
This class series is about creative expansion and artistic self-discovery. In Intuitive Drawing students will experiment with drawing techniques that encourage them to create in new and surprising ways.
All Ages Class Saturdays, 11am-12pm Feb 13 – Feb 20
Learn ways to use resist methods in ceramics to create decorative surfaces. By using resist, you can “resist” glaze or underglaze being in particular areas of your piece and add interest and design perspectives to your ceramic creations.
Macy’s Union Square in San Francisco presents a satellite exhibition for Art of the African Diaspora in honor of Black History Month
Featured artists: Derrick Bell, Stephen Bruce, Orin Carpenter, Tiffany Conway, Kelvin Curry, Andrea McCoy Harvey, and Akili Simba
Exhibition Dates: February 13 – 28, 2021 Meet the Artists: February 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28, 1pm-5pm Location: Macy’s Union Square, 170 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco
Richmond, CA: Art of the African Diaspora is thrilled to partner with Macy’s Union Square to present a satellite exhibition as part of their 2021 program. Seven participating artists will exhibit their work throughout Macy’s San Francisco store at 170 O’Farrell Street from February 13 through to February 28. These artists are Derrick Bell, Stephen Bruce, Orin Carpenter, Tiffany Conway, Kelvin Curry, Andrea McCoy Harvey, and Akili Simba.
Special artist events are happening on February 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28 from 1pm to 5pm. During these times visitors to Macy’s will have the opportunity to meet exhibiting artists, and learn about and from their work, in an open studio environment.
For twenty-five years Art of the African Diaspora, in partnership with Richmond Art Center, has supported artists of African descent in the Bay Area through representation, professional development, and building a creative community. In 2021 Art of the African Diaspora will be a hybrid online/in-person event presented at aotad.org, richmondartcenter.org, and at venues throughout the Bay Area. Over 120 artists will be featured in an online exhibition highlighting their work, bios and artist statements at richmondartcenter.org. The online exhibition will run February 11 through to May 16, 2021. For more information about the special online artist Reception and Guest Speaker Evening, as well as numerous artist-organized events, visit https://richmondartcenter.org/exhibitions/aotad2021/
About Art of the African Diaspora: Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area. It originated from a salon for African American artists known as Colors of Black that was organized in 1990 by artist and professor Marie Johnson Calloway. In 1997 artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward founded The Art of Living Black at Richmond Art Center, and many of the artists from Colors of Black participated in the inaugural exhibition. Hart-Schuyers and Hayward developed The Art of Living Black to present the work of emerging and established African American artists, introduce them to new audiences, and build a creative community of artists and art lovers. Over the next twenty-five years Richmond Art Center’s commitment in presenting the exhibition ensured the increased visibility for African American artists in the Bay Area that Hart-Schuyers and Hayward wanted. Tragically Hart-Schuyers passed away in 1998 and Hayward died in 2008. However, their organizing efforts were carried on for many years by their husbands Henri Schuyers and Steven Hopkins, and Steven’s sister Melba Lazenby, who passed away in 2013. Since 2018, the event has been produced by a Steering Committee of artists dedicated to the vision of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2020 the event changed its name to Art of the African Diaspora to reflect a new era moving forward. aotad.org
About Richmond Art Center: Richmond Art Center has been sharing art and creating with community since 1936. Our programs encompass classes, exhibitions and events at our facility, as well as off-site activities that bring free, high-quality art making experiences to WCCUSD schools, community centers, and Richmond Public Library. Richmondartcenter.org
About Macy’s: Macy’s is America’s Department Store. For more than 160 years, Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., has served generations at every stage of their lives. Macy’s customers come to us for fashion, value and high-quality products. We are proud of our heritage and the unique role we play in American culture and tradition. We celebrate occasions big and small, and have created decades of memorable experiences through Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows, and celebrity appearances. With the collective support of our customers and colleagues, Macy’s helps make a difference in every market we serve, supporting local and national charities through funding and volunteer service. With fashion, value and celebration as our guide, Macy’s makes life shine brighter for our customers, colleagues, and communities.For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macysinc.com/news-media.
Top image: Artwork by Derrick Bell
Above images: Artwork by Kelvin Curry (top), Orin Carpenter (left), and Andrea McCoy Harvey (right)
For more information contact:
Stephen Bruce, Steering Committee Chair, Art of the African Diaspora
stephenbstudios@yahoo.com, 916-446-3271
Amy Spencer, Exhibitions Director, Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804
We are so excited to announce that Richmond Art Center has been selected as one of ten host organizations for the inaugural California Arts Council’s Administrators of Color Fellowship. This fellowship is administered by the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Richmond Art Center’s fellow is production manager and non-profit administrator Sarah Guerra. She will participate in a nine-month professional development fellowship at Richmond Art Center committed to expanding equity in the arts.
“I’m honored to be part of the inaugural class of CAC fellows,” says Sarah. “It is such an imperative and unique moment in history; our class of arts administrators of color are needed now more than ever.”
Staff at Richmond Art Center look forward to learning from and working with Sarah!
About Sarah Guerra
Sarah Guerra is a queer native Tejana who has dedicated her life to supporting and leveraging the arts as a tool for education and political and social justice. A Bay Area resident since 2001, Sarah is a seasoned program manager that has overseen the creation, implementation, and evolution of commissioning programs and artist residencies focused on uplifting Black and Brown queer and trans people for Brava! For Women in the Arts, Queer Cultural Center, and La Peña Cultural Center. She participated in the Ford Foundation’s inaugural Future Aesthetic cohort and has served as a liaison and conference organizer for the National Performance Network. As the Production Manager for the Queer Cultural Center, Sarah has supported the presentation of eight National Queer Arts Festivals, providing direct support and feedback to artists as well as implementing Festival logistics. She has served as a grant reviewer for San Francisco Arts Commission, Galería de la Raza, and Live Arts Boston; and recently completed the Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy with National Arts Strategies in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice.
About the California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship
The California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellowship program was initiated by the California Arts Council with the goal of uplifting an inclusive workforce and supporting the vibrancy of organizations that create and preserve the cultural identities of all California communities, reflecting the Arts Council’s commitment to racial equity. The pilot program is made possible by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation and 2018 one-time increased state arts funding. arts.ca.gov/programs/administrators-of-color-fellows
