Betti Ono Foundation

"THE BETTI ONO FOUNDATION DESIGNS AND PRODUCES HIGH-IMPACT ARTS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES THAT LEVERAGE CULTURAL PRODUCTS AND NETWORKS FOR GOOD. THE BETTI ONO FOUNDATION OPERATIONS ARE HEADQUARTERED IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND OUR WORK IS PRODUCED LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY IN OTHER GEOGRAPHIES IN CULTURAL SPACES, THE PUBLIC SPHERE, AND ONLINE. THE MISSION OF BETTI ONO FOUNDATION IS TO BUILD POWER THROUGH CULTURE. OUR VISION AND CREATIVE PRACTICE EMBODY THE BOLD, CURIOUS AND UNAPOLOGETIC SPIRIT OF OUR NAMESAKES: BETTI MABRY DAVIS AND YOKO ONO. WE VALUE ART-MAKING AS A FUNCTION OF ACTIVISM, COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION, AND CULTURAL RESILIENCE. AS A BLACK WOMEN-LED AND OPERATED ORGANIZATION, WE ARE DEDICATED TO AMPLIFYING THE LIVES AND WORK OF ARTISTS AND COMMUNITIES WHO ARE BLACK, BROWN, IMMIGRANT, INDIGENOUS, AND LGBTQ+."

OUR CULTURAL PERMANENCE STRATEGY AIMS TO CREATE WEALTH-BUILDING AND COOPERATIVE OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIPOC ARTISTS, CULTURAL WORKERS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH LAND AND REAL ESTATE PURCHASES. THE BETTI ONO MOBILE HUB: THE MOBILE HUB IS A MOBILE UNIT FOR CULTURE, ART, AND ADVOCACY THAT CAN BE USED FOR VARIOUS PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING WORKSHOPS, EVENTS, PERFORMANCES, STUDIOS FOR INRESIDENCY PROGRAMS, AND COLLABORATIVE GATHERINGS. THROUGH THE BETTI ONO MOBILE HUB AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY ARTS STABILIZATION TRUST (CAST) AND BLINKLAB ARCHITECTURE, BETTI ONO WILL BE ABLE TO MEET PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE, SHOWCASE LOCAL ARTISTS, AND ENGAGE AUDIENCES ON CRITICAL ADVOCACY ISSUES. THE MOBILE HUB ALLOWS US TO HAVE UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN NEW AND EXCITING WAYS. THE BLACSPACE COOPERATIVE: IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER BLACKLED CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE BLACSPACE COOPERATIVE LEVERAGES THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT TRADITION TO BUILD A SUPPORTIVE ECOSYSTEM WHERE BLACK ARTS, BUSINESS, OWNERSHIP, AND CULTURE THRIVE. LAUNCHED IN 2021 WITH THREE LOCAL PARTNERS: BLACK CULTURE ZONE (BCZ), THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT BUSINESS DISTRICT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (BAMBD, CDC), AND THE EAST BAY PERMANENT REAL ESTATE COOPERATIVE (EBPREC). BLACSPACE HAS A LONGTERM VISION OF BUILDING A NETWORK OF PROGRAMS AND COOPERATIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES THAT SUSTAIN A NETWORK OF CULTURAL SPACES THROUGHOUT OAKLAND. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, BETTI ONO WILL FINALIZE DIFFERENT ASPECTS NECESSARY FOR FUTURE PROPERTY ACQUISITION, INCLUDING CONDUCTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY, DEVELOPING A BUSINESS PLAN, AND CREATING A FINANCING MODEL.

THROUGH THE COMMUNITY WELLBEING STRATEGY, WE ARE CREATING AUTONOMOUS SPACES THAT DEEPEN COMMUNITY CONNECTION, FOSTER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND EXTEND ARTS AND CULTURE INTO THE FABRIC OF PUBLIC LIFE. THE ARTS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (ACE) YOUTH FELLOWS: THE ACE YOUTH FELLOWS ARE TRANSITIONALAGE YOUNG LEADERS (16-24 YEARS) WH ARE GIVEN A PLATFORM TO AMPLIFY THE PUBLIC ISSUES THAT THEY CARE ABOUT. WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWS TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH SKILLS. THEY WORK WITH OUR TEAM TO DESIGN AND EXECUTE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON DISRUPTING THE CULTURE OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND CHALLENGING HARMFUL GENDER NORMS. IN ADDITION TO ENGAGING WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER, YOUTH HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIR PERSONAL LEADERSHIP CAPACITY AND MAKE CONCRETE CONNECTIONS TO LOCAL ARTISTS, ACTIVISTS, AND EDUCATORS ADVANCING SOCIAL CHANGE EFFORTS IN OAKLAND. IN 2023, WE WORKED WITH EIGHT FELLOWS AND AIM TO LAUNCH A NEW COHORT WITH 7-10 YOUTH FELLOWS NEXT YEAR (2024). THE ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM: SO FAR WEFVE COMMISSIONED FIVE PAID RESIDENCIES FEATURING EIGHT BLACK AND BROWN ARTISTS FROM OAKLAND, ST. LOUIS, NEW YORK, AND THE CARIBBEAN. WE HAVE HAD AT LEAST 3,000 PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS AND BUILT STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH 20 ACTIVELY ENGAGED COMMUNITY GROUPS. OUR MOST RECENT ARTISTINRESIDENCE WAS SAFI KOLOZSVARI REGALADO, A BAY AREA BASED ARTIST/MURALIST, WHO WORKED WITH YOUTH FELLOWS TO CONCEPTUALIZE AND DESIGN THE ARTWORK FOR PHASE II OF THE NOT ONE MORE GIRL INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS INSPIRED BY THE LONG TRADITION OF CHICANO STYLE BALLPOINT PEN ART. THE POSTERS DEPICT STEPS PEOPLE CAN TAKE IF THEY WITNESS OR EXPERIENCE HARASSMENT. WATCH OUT FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR NEXT ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, IN THE SPRING OF 2024.

OUR ENDING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) STRATEGY IS FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING SURVIVOR-LED CULTURAL CHANGE INITIATIVES TO DISRUPT THE CULTURE OF GBV. NOT ONE MORE GIRL (NOMG) IS A BIPOC YOUTH-LED INITIATIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY (BART) TO END GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. IT IS THE FIRST COMMUNITYDRIVEN BAY AREA INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND GENDERBASED VIOLENCE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THAT INCLUDE ART, CULTURAL STRATEGY, POLICY CHANGE, AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP. THIS ONGOING INITIATIVE WAS COCREATED WITH LOCAL BLACK AND LATINX ARTISTS AND YOUTH AND SEEKS TO DISRUPT THE NORMS PERPETUATING GENDERBASED VIOLENCE AND BYSTANDER INACTION ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.