Faces Around the Bay: Miss Rosie

Miss Rosie, as she prefers to be called, has worked at Macy’s for a year and is shown above dressing a mannequin. She remarks, “I love working here; I’m a clothes horse, and it’s especially nice working at their prime location.  When I first received the store tour, I turned to the person, eyes widened, and said, “ “This will be my office?  Goody!” [Read more]

Complex Celebrates Frances Dunham Catlett 100th Birthday

The African American Art & Culture Complex (AAACC) invite the public to an afternoon of conversation, celebration and dancing to commemorate the upcoming 100th birthday of Frances Dunham Catlett.
This event will take place on Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 2-5pm in AAACC’s Hall of Culture.
To commemorate the occasion, the event will feature an exclusive interview with Ms. Catlett hosted by author Gwen Mazer, along with a screening of a profile of the artist excerpted from Greg Young’s documentary, “Still Kicking”, and a debut musical adaptation of Catlett’s poetry by Frances Kandl. This special event is in association with the current exhibition entitled “Frances Catlett: Celebrating a Century of Creativity,” which is currently on view at AAACC until May 4, 2008.
Both the exhibition and this event honor the lifelong works and achievements that Ms. Catlett has produced. The African American Art & Culture Complex is proud to host this celebration which will also include other tributes, entertainment, refreshments and dancing. [Read more]

Governor Appoints 3 to SF Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week announced the appointments of Charlene Haught Johnson as chair, Anthony Intintoli Jr. as vice chair and Gerald Bellows as a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority.
“We all know how quickly ground transportation can break down in an earthquake or serious disaster making water transit so vital,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority is a critical part of making the Bay area better prepared for such an emergency. I am confident the people appointed today will work to ensure that the people of the Bay area are safer by expanding the region’s emergency preparedness capability.”
Johnson, 62, of Colma, served as president of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority from 2000 to December 2007. In this capacity, she was actively involved with Interferry, an international trade organization of ferry service providers, and the Passenger Vessel Association, which represents domestic ferry operators. [Read more]

NAACP Legal Clinic

The next Richmond NAACP Free Legal Clinic will take place on April 3, 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, 3925 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, CA. People will receive free legal help with civil rights and family law matters. A flyer is attached. Please spread the word, especially at your churches.
For more information, please contact Mister Phillips, Esq. at (510) 672-3756.

Free Preschool Arts Program

Pre-Registration Required

The East Bay Center for Performing Arts invites the community to participate in FREE interactive performing and visual art workshops for children ages 3-5 and their family members.  Professional artists will offer one 45-minute dance and music classes followed by 45-minute visual arts classes. Additionally, early childhood learning specialists will provide optional on-site parenting workshops on the subject of nurturing creative development in young children.
The spring preschool arts program will be held on Thursdays from April 10 to May 29 from 10:00-12:00 PM. All classes will take place at the new West County First 5 Center located at 2707 Dover Street San Pablo, CA, 94806.
Caregivers must be present on-site throughout the duration of the workshop. Free snacks will be provided. Registration required. Spaces are on a first come first serve basis.
To register call Vanessa Woods at The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts 510.234.5624 x24, or vanessa@eastbaycenter.org

Faces Around the Bay: Liza Gesuden

Liza Gesuden is shown here selecting books for her classes at Marcus Book Store. Students from around the East Bay, including Richmond, Berkeley, and South County are enrolled at Oakland School for the Arts, where she teaches English.
Gesuden says, “There are many excited students in our charter school because it is better, smaller, and students can specialize in training in the arts.  Our day is 8-4.”  She explains, “In a Public Charter, each school has a particular focus, ie. ours is Art.  Public means it is state funded and open to all and free.  Entrance in the high-school is based on an audition, which the faculty does.  Our school teaches dance, literary art, drama, visual arts, theater, vocal music, and instrumental.” [Read more]

Brown: In Black and White

(Left to right) Mario Juarez at the book signing of former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr.’s recent publication of “Basic Brown”. The book signing was held at Merritt College on March 19th. Elihu Harris, Chancellor of Peralta Community College District, watches as former Mayor Brown autographs a copy of his book to Mario Juarez. Photo by Gene Hazzard.

Opportunities for Artists

 $200,000 available to purchase artworks

The Alameda County Arts Commission is offering new opportunities for artists to have their work considered for the Alameda County Art Collection. Artists who make two-dimensional, low-relief, or wall sculptural artwork, and artists at all levels of professional development are invited to apply. More than $200,000 is available to purchase existing artwork and to commission artists to create new works of art. Through the Artwork Purchase Program existing artwork will be acquired and installed at County buildings.
The final selections must be approved by the Arts Commission Board. Applications for these opportunities must be submitted online through the CaFÉTM website, www.callforentry.org (search for “Alameda County”). A free technical application workshop will be held at the Alameda County Conference Center (125 12th Street at Oak, Oakland) on Thursday, April 3 at 1pm. Space is limited; call the Arts Commission Office to make a reservation. [Read more]

Newseum Dedicates Journalist’s Memorial

By Conway Jones

On Friday, April 4, 2008, the Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial, located in the Newseum in Washington, D.C., will have its opening dedication honoring journalists who gave their lives reporting the news.
The Journalists Memorial honors newspeople who died or were killed in the pursuit of news. It bears the names of reporters, editors, photographers, broadcasters and executives who died covering wars, civil violence or natural disasters, or who were killed because of their work.
The Journalists Memorial displays the names of 1,843 journalists from around the world who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their commitment to reporting. Of those, 66 died in 2006, and 92 died in 2007. Chauncey W. Bailey, Jr., editor of the Oakland Post newspaper, a 45 year-old Black-owned newspaper, was killed while investigating several sensitive stories. [Read more]

UN Day For Victims of Slavery

The United Nations has designated March 25th as an annual Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.  In December of 2007 the UN General Assembly passed a resolution “to inculcate future generations with the causes, consequences and lessons of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery, in order to communicate the dangers of racism and prejudice.”

This year, the United Nations will sponsor several days of special programs to raise awareness of the 400-years of the slave trade. The Schooner Amistad provides an icon that represents the ideals behind the UN resolution. It serves as a vehicle for involving young people throughout the world with the issues of slavery, racism, and the universal quest for freedom and justice.

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