Arts & Entertainment

Richmond’s first Ferry Fest debuts this weekend with free cruises

With more bay shoreline than any other city in the Bay Area, it’s natural that Richmond has had a long association with ferries. Before the Bay Bridge was built, the ferry from Richmond to San Francisco was the most direct way to commute back and forth to the city.  Richmond’s original ferry service stopped in the 1950s, and besides a short-lived ferry in the 1990s, Richmond did not see another ferry until San Francisco Bay Ferry launched its Richmond Ferry…

Richmond Art Center opens doors to free event for Indigenous People’s Day

In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, the Richmond Art Center will host “Gathering in the Spirit of Gwarth-ee-lass,” a free event on Sunday featuring spoken word, candid conversations and live music, all in the backdrop of artist Rigo 23’s newest exhibit “Time and Again.” The exhibit’s centerpiece is a 12-foot sculpture created from a self-portrait of Native American political activist Leonard Peltier. Peltier has been in prison for about 45 years, serving two life sentences after his controversial conviction in…

Spirit & Soul Festival returns in person to Richmond

Live music, food, artists and vendors return to Richmond this weekend, with the 13th annual Spirit & Soul Festival. The annual ticketed event , hosted by the Richmond Main Street Initiative, celebrates the city’s arts and culture scene. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be presented as a hybrid this year.  The free virtual broadcast will stream from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., with an in-person VIP Watch Party from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at El Garage, 1428…

VIDEO: At Richmond glassblowing studio, art is a Slow Burn

Bryan Goldenberg has been a glassblower for 27 years. He holds weekly classes for students of all experience levels in his new studio, Slow Burn Glass, in Richmond. In August, Richmond Confidential filmed one of Goldenberg’s classes and chatted with students. Some were inspired to take the class after watching the Netflix series “Blown Away,” which is about glass-blowing. Others said they were looking for a communal activity after a year of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. For all, the…

Richmond art studio helps people with disabilities stay connected

The coronavirus pandemic has upset nearly every facet of life as we know it. But for Deshawna Kinard and other people with developmental disabilities, the closures and stay-at-home orders have posed some unique challenges. To stay connected, Kinard now logs onto Zoom to take part in her classes and other events offered by Nurturing Independence through Artistic Development (NIAD), which isn’t a typical art studio. Founded in 1982, NIAD combines an exhibition and studio space for artists with disabilities seeking…

City’s 57th Holiday Arts fete lets Richmond artists shine

Richmond Art Center’s 57th Holiday Arts festival brought together residents, children, art lovers and shoppers with independent artists and craftspeople sharing their art and handcrafted holiday gifts for the season.   Here is a sampling of artists and vendors from the festival, displaying and discussing their work: TheArthur Wright  “I’m a painter that uses bleach as a medium,” says TheArthur Wright. Most of his works use bleach to remove, rather than add, color from black backgrounds revealing a golden color. Wright…