Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area. This year it brings together over 150 artists of African descent, showcasing their work at the Richmond Art Center, as well as in open studios and satellite exhibitions at thirty different venues across ten Bay Area cities.
This exhibition is about transcendent forms. I looked through all of NIAD’s archives to find works that conveyed something beyond this world, something magical, something that emanates a powerful force. In some cases, geometries tap into universal formulae, in others, abstract gestural strokes become vessels for cosmic frequencies from another dimension, forms that are reduced and simplified into symbols tho speak the divine names of the essences invoke those they cannot contain. I was looking for works that felt timeless, and, perhaps, even, beyond culture.
Opening Reception Friday February 3 6 to 8:30pm Warehouse 416 This year NIAD is delighted to have works by ten NIAD artists in both the Richmond Art Center AOTAD exhibition and a satellite exhibition at the Warehouse 416 art space in Oakland. The reception coincides with Oakland's First Fridays Art Walk. Art of the African Diaspora, in partnership with Richmond Art Center, supports artists of African descent in the Bay Area through representation, professional development, and building a creative community. Participating NIAD Artists: Christian Vassell Deatra Colbert Dorian Reid Evelyn Davis Felicia Griffin Jason Powell-Smith Shawna Kinard Shawn Read More ...
Join us in NIAD’s Galleries to celebrate the spirit of community activism and creative energy of Richmond High School and NIAD Art Center artists! Richmond Artists Activate! centers artists as agents for lasting social change and leaders in the Richmond community.
This year NIAD is delighted to have works by seventeen NIAD artists in the Richmond Art Center's AOTAD exhibition, with satellite exhibition locations to be announced. Art of the African Diaspora, in partnership with Richmond Art Center, supports artists of African descent in the Bay Area through representation, professional development, and building a creative community.
All of the artists in the show, We Make Art in Richmond, really do exactly that. There are twenty artists here who work in a wide range of disciplines, from bookmaking, textiles, ceramics, printmaking, poetry, and painting.
Half of the artists work out of NIAD’s 23rd Street Studio and the other half work out of their homes or studios scattered throughout Richmond. There are artists who have put in decades making art and some that are just getting started.
In putting together this show, I wanted to shine a light on artists working in Richmond. I wanted this show to feel inspiring and exciting for future and present artists in our community. There are twenty artists in this show, but there could easily have been four times as many artists who are excelling at their craft, sharing their work globally, giving back to their communities, and making it happen here in Richmond.