100 Families Oakland: Art & Social Change Launches April 2
Twenty-five families from first of four Oakland neighborhoods begin public art project
Oakland, March 10, 2005
On Saturday, April 2, 25 families will meet at the East Oakland Youth Development Center to kick off 100 Families Oakland: Art & Social Change (100 Families Oakland), a community art project for 100 families from Oakland neighborhoods (East Oakland, Fruitvale, Chinatown and West Oakland).
Conceptualized and funded by venture capitalist F. Noel Perry and facilitated by the Center for Art and Public Life at California College of the Arts (CCA), the project's purpose is to demonstrate and celebrate the power of families, the creative spirit of Oakland and how art can connect families to families, families to neighborhoods and neighborhoods to neighborhoods.
One hundred families from Oakland neighborhoods will learn about art while they create paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints centered on the theme of family. A group of professional artists and CCA students will lead each neighborhood group for 10 weeks. Special guest artists also will participate. Each family is encouraged to create an individual project and to collaborate with the other families to create a collective public artwork. The art from all four communities will be exhibited individually, culminating in an all-neighborhood exhibition in June 2006. 100 Families Oakland provides a stipend, transportation and meals to participants to ensure universal access for the diverse community of participants.
"While visiting the Oakland Museum of California's Day of the Dead exhibition in 2003, I was touched by the impact of violence on the Oakland community. As a result, I developed a way to use art to strengthen the community from within, and conceptualized 100 Families Oakland: Art & Social Change," said F. Noel Perry, creative director, artist and social entrepreneur. "Through the collective experience of learning and creating art, 100 Families Oakland aims to promote hope, action and beauty within families and the neighborhoods in which they live."
The first participants are 25 East Oakland families who will meet every Saturday at the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC). Jimi Evins, a CCA alumnus, is one of the lead artists for the East Oakland neighborhood. Additional artists include Melanie Cervantes, Jeanette De Rosa, Israel Haros, Adalia Moncada, Cristina Tacata and CCA student Rose Lifschultz. Following the 10-week session, the families' artwork will be displayed at a large public exhibition at 555 City Center Gallery in downtown Oakland in June 2005. The group's collaborative piece also will be unveiled that month, at an outdoor site in East Oakland.
To bring 100 Families Oakland to fruition, F. Noel Perry partnered with CCA's Center for Art and Public Life (CAPL). The project draws on CAPL's experience creating partnerships between students at the college and the neighborhoods surrounding the campuses to educate, create and discover ways art and artists can help build community. F. Noel Perry and CAPL Director Sonia BasSheva Mañjon established partnerships with organizations in each neighborhood. The community organizations are providing venues, recommending families to participate and providing overall support for the projects.
"CCA's Center for Art and Public Life is proud to be a part of bringing 100 Families Oakland to life," said Sonia BasSheva Mañjon, director. "We hope the families involved will discover that art has the power to transform self, family and community. Central issues for families include empathy, love, sacrifice and tolerance. In turn, we hope the project will create stronger connections between families and the support systems vital to creating community."
"One of my stated goals as mayor of Oakland is to foster artistic expression," said Jerry Brown. "CCA's Center for Art and Public Life has long supported this initiative, and 100 Families Oakland will further it regionally and beyond. This project will set a national example of the power and importance of art in reaching our neighbors and making Oakland a wonderful place to live."
Families living in East Oakland, Chinatown, Fruitvale or West Oakland who would like to participate in 100 Families Oakland should contact CAPL at 510.594.3763.
Timeline
East Oakland:
April 2, 2005: 25 families launch 100 Families Oakland at the East Oakland Youth Development Center
June 2005: East Oakland families unveil individual artwork at 555 City Center
June 2005: 100 Families Oakland unveils its first public art piece in East Oakland.
Chinatown:
June 2005: 25 Chinatown neighborhood families begin project at the Chinatown Community Center
August 27 and 28, 2005: In conjunction with the Chinatown Streetfest, 100 Families Oakland unveils its second public art piece and exhibition
Fruitvale:
August 2005: 25 Fruitvale neighborhood families begin project at the Unity Council Senior Center in Fruitvale Plaza
November 2, 2005: In conjunction with the Dia de Los Muertos, 100 Families Oakland unveils its third public art piece and exhibition
West Oakland:
November 2005: 25 West Oakland neighborhood families begin project with Art Esteem at the West Oakland YWCA
February 2006: 100 Families Oakland unveils its fourth and final public art piece and exhibition
Collective Public Art Exhibition
- June 2006: Final art pieces created by all families displayed at an Oakland location to be determined
All four neighborhood art projects will be documented by the creation of a video and publication of a book.
100 Families Oakland: Art & Social Change is sponsored by KPFA-AM and the Oakland Tribune.
For more information, to participate or to make a donation, interested parties should visit www.cca.edu/center or call 510.594.3763.
About 100 Families Oakland: Art & Social Change
As part of a community art project, 100 families from Oakland neighborhoods are participating in a 10-week art workshop to create paintings, drawings and sculptures centered on the theme of family. The sites for these workshops are East Oakland Youth Development Center, Chinatown Asian Cultural Center, Unity Council Fruitvale Senior Center and the West Oakland YWCA. The families are encouraged to create individual art projects as well as work together to create a collaborative art piece. The art from all four communities will be exhibited individually, culminating in an all-city exhibition in June 2006. The purpose is to demonstrate and celebrate the power of families, the creative spirit of Oakland and how art can connect families to families, families to neighborhoods and neighborhoods to neighborhoods. Guiding the program are 100 Families Oakland creative director, artist and philanthropist F. Noel Perry and the Center for Art and Public Life at California College of the Arts. For more information, to participate or to make a donation, interested parties should visit www.cca.edu/center or call 510.594.3763.
About the Center for Art and Public Life
The Center for Art and Public Life (CAPL) at California College of the Arts is at the intersection of art, education and community. Connecting art and design with community development, the Center for Art and Public Life enriches education and artistic practice at California College of the Arts. Its mission is to create community partnerships based on creative practice that serve the CCA community and the diverse populations of Oakland and San Francisco. For more information, please visit center.cca.edu or call 510.594.3763.
About the College
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (formerly California College of Arts and Crafts) is the largest regionally accredited, independent school of art and design in the western United States. Noted for the interdisciplinary nature and breadth of its programs, CCA offers studies in 19 undergraduate and 6 graduate majors in the areas of fine arts, architecture, design and writing. The college offers the bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of arts, bachelor of architecture, master of fine arts, master of arts and master of architecture degrees. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls 1,500 full-time students.
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