Arts & Entertainment

Art of Ballet School thrives in Richmond

At the Art of Ballet School of Dance in Richmond, students of all ages and backgrounds develop into dancers through professional training. Its founder, Sylvia Townsend, has taught hundreds of children in the Bay Area for over 38 years and has given them opportunities to perform throughout California, including Disneyland in Anaheim and Great America amusement park in Santa Clara. The oldest of nine children, Sylvia Townsend grew up in the Seaport neighborhood in Richmond and spent her childhood practicing…

Point Richmond is not your normal walk in the art

Every third Thursday, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., downtown Point Richmond transforms itself into a little party and art mecca. Residents, near or far, roam the sleepy streets by the tunnel, and stop into a variety of galleries and studios to chat with artists or owners. And if that wasn’t cool enough, visitors are offered a slice of fancy cheese and fine wine to keep the warm vibe going. Steven Nuss turned his metal studio into Refined By Fire…

Richmond vocalist brings Bay Area talents to the East Coast

Chantler Townsend, originally from Richmond, moved to New York in 1996 to seek more exposure for his career in music and dance. Now his funk and soul his group New Music Race (NMR) are working hard on perfecting their sound for their debut album “Arrival,” set to be released in the early fall.

Pow-Wow in Richmond honors Native American culture

On Saturday afternoon, members of over 50 Native American Indian tribes from across the country gathered to celebrate the 3rd Annual Richmond Native American Pow-Wow in Nicholl Park. The festival brought hundreds of local Bay Area residents to watch and participate in the dances and prayers as singer Wicahpuiluta Candelaria-Ohlone of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe started the day’s ceremony off with a blessing.

Bandwidth: Pooka’s transformation

Since he was kid, Dvondre Woodards has gone by another name, Pooka. Given to him by his grandmother, the name stuck, be it with friends, family, and even teachers. It doesn’t have any meaning as far as 22-year-old Woodards knows. “It’s just unique. So I’m making my own definition of it,” he said.

Richmond National Park visitor center to open Saturday

Since it was established in 2000, the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park has been a local gem that preserves the city’s legacy as a booming shipping hub during the war years. But the sites are spread throughout the city, and the park has lacked a central location where visitors can start their tours. That’s about to change. The park’s new Visitor Education Center will be the site of a day of events beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday,…

Bay Area Storytelling Festival in Richmond

By center stage in the auditorium of the Craneway Pavillion in Richmond, 5-year-old Malina Maravilla walked up cautiously to Beth Horner as she was taking her acoustic guitar out of the case to tune it. Horner was getting ready to perform soon. “Can I touch your guitar?” asked Maravilla. Horner smiled. “Of course,” she said. “Do you want to help me play a song?” “Oh yeah!” said Maravilla, sitting down next to Horner and stroking the different guitar strings with…