Art

“Naked Ladies” art show brings feminist flair to Oakland venues

Images of naked and unashamed women are part of the show “Naked Ladies: Sexy. Raw. Owning it,” which began its run at a crowded reception during the First Friday Art Murmur on November 2. The exhibit features female-centric paintings, photographs, video art and mixed media created by 30 artists—mostly women—whose works deal with women’s ownership of their bodies, emotions and sexuality.

A Lovely Day: A new documentary highlights Hip-Hop therapy in local high schools

In 2009, Tomás Alvarez III sat at his desk as a group of nine teenagers filed into his classroom at Oakland High School. This was the fifth year of his Beats, Rhymes and Life program, which uses hip-hop music as a form of therapy for at-risk teenagers. Alvarez began the class in the usual fashion, playing instrumental beats on a boom box. As the class gathered in a circle and began to freestyle, Alvarez recalls, he recognized something particularly special…