Arts and culture
When the Richmond Art Center lost its biggest donor last year, Executive Director José Rivera said he was worried about the future. “Over many years, that donor contributed $100,00 annually, making him the most significant benefactor in the center’s history when considering the cumulative sum of his contribution over time,” he said. “We lost him since last year he closed out his foundation.” For a while, it wasn’t clear how the RAC would make up that shortfall. But things are…
In an arena where they’re often in the shadows, Black artists are creating spaces to recognize and celebrate their talent. For the 28th year, the Richmond Art Center will present the “Art of the African Diaspora” exhibition, later this month. AOTD gives local artists of African descent a way to share their work with the community and each other. The showcase, which will run from Jan. 24 to March 16, will feature 160 Bay Area artists working in a variety of…
When Donté Clark talks about poetry, his entire demeanor shifts. His cheekbones rise to reveal a knowing smile, and his whole body hums and bobs and bounces as he speaks. In these moments, it feels like he’s on the verge of breaking out into verse. Clark, an award-winning spoken-word poet from Richmond, hopes the passion he brings to his craft rubs off on his audience. Since April, he’s led bi-monthly poetry workshops for boys at John A. Davis Juvenile Hall…
The atmosphere was joyous at Veterans Hall in Richmond Saturday, where more than 100 people celebrated Native American culture with drumming, singing, crafts, food and the traditional dancing contest. This year’s 13th Annual Richmond Contest Powwow was held during Native American Heritage Month and on Veterans Day, which organizers saw as an opportunity to honor the many native people who have served in the military. “It is great that we are finally being recognized,” said Jordan Wilson of Stockton, whose…
Saturday’s bleak forecast in Richmond may have meant fewer parkgoers than usual at Point Pinole, but the dreary skies didn’t seem to faze Eileen Hazel and her band of 14 vocalists. Bundled in their winter coats, they carried on with the “Sing with the Season” event. The crew came prepared. Many brought chairs, some brought snacks, and some sat on picnic blankets. When everyone found their place, Hazel began what would be her first time leading a song circle, a…
Lauren Ari proudly calls herself a Richmond artist. It’s where she has lived and sculpted and drawn for more than 20 years. It’s also where she finds support, among dozens of other artists who have made the same decision. “I always had that fantasy of, ‘Oh, one day I’ll move to the country and all my friends will move with me and we’ll have an artist commune and life will be great,’” she said. “And I thought to myself, ‘Who…
Unlike some still art, the bright and geometric vines of Bay Area-born muralist Richard Muro Salazar’s piece “Pahtiā” appear to be devouring the rest of the flat, rust-colored painting. And that’s exactly what the artist wants. “We are now in the time of climate change, so I want to bring back more elements that stick with this theme.”said Salazar, a self-identified xhicano who crafted this piece from wood that was illegally dumped or tossed out in Richmond. Salazar is one…
Two major murals representing scenes from Richmond’s past are getting a makeover. As part of the $4.1 million Richmond Art and Light Project, the “Past Perfect” and “Revisionist History of San Pablo Avenue” murals will get reconditioned by the original artist, John Wehrle. The Richmond Arts & Culture Commission had the murals painted on Interstate 80 underpasses intersecting two of the city’s major thoroughfares in the 1990s. “Past Perfect” on Macdonald Avenue depicts the arrival of a ghost trolley from…
Inside of a tiny house, there is another tiny house, showcasing the two houses in the artist’ life: the one she lives in, and the one she dreams of. This is an artwork that Richmond artist Erin McCluskey Wheeler will be showcasing at the “Today is the Greatest” exhibition, which starts at the NIAD Art Center Thursday and runs until Nov. 17. “Dollhouses, anything in miniature, travel kits, and wearability were all things that seemed delightful to me and pleased…