Art

Pro Arts Gallery executive director Natalia Mount

It is a quiet Sunday afternoon, and Pro Arts Gallery is closed to the public. But even on her day off, the executive director Natalia Mount is excited about the current exhibition. Stylishly dressed in a fitted black leather jacket and heeled boots, she plugs in three sculptures that begin to produce loud sounds. The exhibition, titled “Invisible Choirs,” is artist Nolan Lem’s interpretation of the societal effects of automation and artificial intelligence. Lem experimented with sound and movement to…

The Oakland Museum celebrates Días De Los Muertos festival

On Sunday, October 22, 2017 hundreds packed the grounds at the Oakland Museum of California to participate in the 23rd Annual Days of the Dead community festival. The festival included dance and music performances, arts and crafts, and delicious Mexican foods.

The North Pole web series addresses displacement in Oakland with humor

Dania Cabello was born and raised in North Oakland, and has lived in the same 20-block radius her entire life. But in recent years, Cabello has noticed a shift in her neighborhood. Large condos have been built, people on her street have been evicted, and businesses have closed, including her parents’ own shop. For the past year, Cabello produced a new web series titled The North Pole, which uses humor as a tool to address issues like eviction and displacement…

Bay Area residents create art protesting Trump’s travel ban

People from around the Bay Area gathered at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in downtown Oakland on Sunday to create art and signs protesting the Trump administration’s travel ban. “It’s a really discouraging time right now,” said Raeshma Razvi, director of IC3: Incubating Creativity, Community and Civic Engagement, which put on the event. “Events like this show that a lot of us are together. [It’s about] strengthening and amplifying Muslim-American voices.” The most recent version of the travel…

Schools in Oakland host Latinx Literature Read-In week

“Latinx Literature Read-In Week” took place from October 2 to 6 at many schools within the Oakland Unified School District including Allendale Elementary, Futures Elementary, and Fruitvale Elementary. The week focused on gathering volunteers to perform read-alouds in classrooms and host Family Literacy Nights. The event was organized by Lilly Smith, a program coordinator for Oakland School Volunteers, a group that brings people together to assist with school events. The event aims to honor Latinx Heritage Month, particularly writers and illustrators from a Latino/Latino…