Culture
In light of recent financial difficulties, the Oakland Ballet Company’s board of directors decided to postpone this spring’s Diaghilev Imagery program until funding needs are met. The OBC faces fiscal troubles after selling fewer tickets for the 2011 performance of The Nutcracker and receiving less money than expected during fundraising efforts.
At Yu Ming School in Oakland’s Chinatown on a recent Thursday morning, a teacher writes on the board in slow lettering, and an eager bunch of students slowly sounds out the words in a collective chirp. Unlike most other kindergarten classrooms across the country, though, the writing isn’t in English, or even in Spanish. It’s in Chinese characters.
This year the Gilman, a not for profit punk rock club celebrates its 25 year anniversary. Oakland North talks with Brian Edge, author of “924 Gilman: The Story So Far,” about how this small gem of a venue is much more than just the few bands that played there and went on to become famous.
Purists, novices and everyone in between now have an option when deciding between “chili” or “chile” powder, or any of the other dozens of spices on hand at Oaktown Spice Shop, which opened the week before Christmas.
On Sunday, Occupy Oakland’s feminist and queer bloc hosted an “Occupy Patriarchy” event that drew at least 200 people over the course of the day at the lot at 19th Street and Telegraph Avenue.
The Rent-a-Relic sign—a green-and-purple spiked dinosaur on wheels that sits smiling on top of the office building—is what first catches the eye when driving past the rental auto lot Telegraph Avenue. It was designed by Oakland muralist Alan Leon, who comes back to the car rental shop to touch it up every year.
A look at current and upcoming exhibitions at Oakland’s art galleries.
The New Parkway Speakeasy Theater has a new home, on 24th Street and Telegraph Avenue.
As the news events of 2011 unfolded, Oakland North photographers were there to capture the year’s most striking images. Click through the slideshow above to see the photography.