Richmond Art Center

TO BE A CATALYST IN RICHMOND FOR LEARNING AND LIVING THROUGH ART.

STUDIO ART THE CENTER BEGAN OPENING THE STUDIOS WITH ON-SITE CLASSES CAUTIOUSLY. DURING THE SPRING OF 2022 THE CENTER OFFERED 30 CLASSES OF WHICH A QUARTER WERE INTERGENERATIONAL, BILINGUAL, AND SPANISH CLASSES. SEE THE LISTING AT HTTPS://RICHMONDARTCENTER.ORG/CLASS-CATALOG/CATALOG/ FOR A SAMPLE OF WHAT THE CENTER IS OFFERING. CURRENTLY, THE CENTER HAS BEEN ABLE TO SCALE TO NEARLY 60 CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS ON-SITE, BUT FOR SAFETY, THE CENTER STILL RUNS CLASSROOMS AT A LIMITED CAPACITY (10-12 PEOPLE DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF CLASS). THE CENTER CONTINUES TO GIVE ADULT AND YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS TO ANYONE WHO NEEDS THEM. THE CENTER GIVES 20 TO 24 SCHOLARSHIPS EVERY QUARTER VALUED AT AROUND $4,500.

EXHIBITION THE CENTERS GALLERIES ARE NOW OPEN WEDNESDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS UNTIL 4 PM AND WE GET UP TO 50 ATTENDEES ON WEEKDAYS. SPECIAL EVENTS, SUCH AS OPENING OR CLOSING RECEPTIONS, GENERATE FROM OVER 150 TO 300 ATTENDEES, ALL USING CAREFUL COVID PROTOCOLS WITH PLENTY OF OUTSIDE, FRESH AIR CIRCULATING.IN FEBRUARY, IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, THE CENTER HELD A SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY PATRICIA MAPPS, FROM AFRICA TO RICHMOND. THROUGH ARCHIVAL RESEARCH, ORAL HISTORY, AND DNA, PATRICIA HAS TRACED HER ANCESTORS TO AFRICA AND UNCOVERED A STORY OF ENSLAVEMENT AND EMANCIPATION, AND THEIR TRANSITION TO FARM LABORERS, THEN TO FARMERS, AND THEN TO CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN RICHMOND. LIKE MANY OF OUR EVENTS, THIS WAS FREE. DEWEY CRUMPLER: CROSSINGS EXHIBIT WAS THE FIRST OF DEWEY CRUMPLERS SHIPPING CONTAINER WORK EXHIBITED IN THE BAY AREA. THE EXHIBITION INCLUDED OVER 120 WORKS THAT ASK US TO CONSIDER THE HISTORY, LIVED-LEGACY AND FUTURE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL SHIPPING INDUSTRY. DEWEY ALSO HOSTED A LIVE CONVERSATION ALONG THE EXHIBIT. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW: A BIENNIAL OF RICHMOND ART PRESENTED THE WORK OF EIGHT RICHMOND ARTISTS SELECTED FOR THEIR RISK-TAKING AND VISIONARY CREATIVE PRACTICES.THE CENTER IS NOW GETTING NOTICED GLOBALLY, WITH REVIEWS OF OUR EXHIBITS IN PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS ART FORUM AND ATTRACTING VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE BAY AREA, INCLUDING FUNDERS/DONORS FROM LOS ANGELES. THE CENTER REPRESENTATIVES WERE ONSITE AT MOMA IN SAN FRANCISCO SPREADING THE WORD LAST AUGUST 4TH TO COMPLEMENT BOTH DIEGO RIVERAS AMERICA AT SFMOMA AND EMMY LOU PACKARD: ARTIST OF CONSCIENCE AT THE CONTINUED:RICHMOND ART CENTER. WE WERE SEEN BY 750-1,000 PEOPLE IN THIS POPULAR EVENT.

ART IN THE COMMUNITY THE CENTER HAS RE-ENGAGED WITH THE SCHOOLS TO THE EXTENT WHERE THEY ALLOW IN-PERSON INTERACTION. THE WONDERFUL 56TH ANNUAL WCCUSD STUDENT ART SHOW RAN FROM APRIL 6TH THROUGH MAY 14TH, 2022. THE CENTER COVERED ALL COSTS OF THE ENTIRE EVENT PLUS AWARDS AND PRIZES FOR THE YOUTH AS THE SCHOOLS DID NOT HAVE MONEY IN THEIR BUDGET. THIS WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST STUDENT ART SHOW IN THE COUNTY. PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS WERE BETTY REID SOSKIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, DE ANZA HIGH SCHOOL, EL CERRITO HIGH SCHOOL, FRED T. KOREMATSU MIDDLE SCHOOL, HELMS MIDDLE SCHOOL, HERCULES HIGH SCHOOL, HERCULES MIDDLE SCHOOL, JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL, MIRA VISTA SCHOOL, PINOLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, PINOLE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, AND RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOL. THE CENTER CONTINUES COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY LOCAL PLAYERS (RPAL, RYSE, COMMUNITY CENTERS, EBCPA, NIAD) WITH THE GOAL TO OFFER FREE ARTS CLASSES AT THEIR SITES. RAC STARTED A DOING ARTS NOW PROGRAM ONSITE WITH RYSE IN APRIL. THE CENTER CONTINUES TO INCREASE ITS COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PARTNERING, AND PROGRAMMING. THE CENTER IS COLLABORATING WITH NIAD FOR JOINT EXHIBITIONS, AND PERES, MONTALVIN AND MANDARIN SCHOOLS ARE WORKING WITH THE CENTER FOR ARTS PROGRAMMING FOR THEIR YOUTH.