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

Pleasant Hill resident Juan Gonzalez views one of the art pieces on display at SomaR Bar. "The human body is an art when you look at it," he said. "It's a beautiful thing that God gave us."

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.

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The flip side at the Chandra Cerrito Contemporary

Tucked away between a Subway sandwich shop and a boarded up storefront on Grand Avenue is Mercury 20, a large, one-room art gallery. And upstairs, hovering above it all, is the Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, a small room currently showing the work of three professional art-installers, who happen to be artists themselves.

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