Join to celebrate NIAD's August exhibitions: With You in Mind / Contigo en Mente, organized by Saif Azzuz in the Main Gallery, and "Works by Nathan Lam" in the Annex.
AUGUST 18 – SEPTEMBER 3 Sherrie Aradanas, Ricky Bearghost, Raven Harper, Gail Lewis, Elmeater Morton, Shantae Robinson Soft Material is a collaborative garment-construction project between artists who have an interest in and connection with fashion and textiles, as well as the corporeal, the body, and performativity. The program supports and connects artists living with disabilities whose communal studios were severely interrupted by the pandemic. The project is co-organized by NAN COLLYMORE and CELIA LESH with artists from NIAD, Creative Growth, Elbow Room, and the Center for Craft. Related Events Thursday August 18 // Opening Reception at Berkeley Art Center Friday Read More ...
Looking through works from the roster of NIAD artists, ideas around bodies coming together under the unifying force of music for release, freedom, self-expression and camaraderie began to emerge. Balloons, dancing, fearless fashion, music, friendship, colorful people and spaces filled with lights, projections and disco balls; all themes that form the ethos of our space. These works highlight motifs and sentiments that conjure the feeling of bliss from celebrating life with chosen families through music.
Join us for an Artists in Conversation for our exhibition "Soft Material" with artists Shantae Robinson, Raven Harper, and Karen May, with Moderator Nan Collymore.
The selected works include NIAD and non-NIAD artists, and encapsulate the ebbs and flows during these vulnerable and emotionally fragile times, when the threat of illnesses and the effects of climate change are entangled in our everyday existence.
When Peter Harris is asked which of his ceramic pieces is his favorite, he says with conviction, “I love all of them.” This show is a celebration of “all of them.” The title is drawn from Michael Starofsky’s beautiful series of whale sculptures and pencil holders. Several of these artists are new to working in ceramics, and they are already establishing new forms and vibrant styles. Meanwhile, experienced NIAD ceramicists showcase their newest sculptures and functional ware. Whales and Pencil Holders presents this broad spectrum of subjects and inspiration—enjoy them all.
Being an artist who helps bring new, radical ideas into the world is neither an easy nor simple task. So it takes a certain, special kind of magic—charisma, self-belief, instinct—to move through the world going against the grain, as innovative artists so often do. I'm honored to have the chance to put forth this small sampling of artists from NIAD, an organization that likewise is working at the forefront of contemporary art.