We are a commercial fine art gallery located in the downtown district of Oakland, California. We exhibit art that reflects the social and cultural diversity of the Bay Area and international artists. The aim of the gallery is to respect the creative pursuits of the individual and seek to make such works accessible to a broad audience.
"STARS & DIAMONDS"
paintings by Ashlei Reign
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ART OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA SATELLITE EXHIBIT
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March 1 - April 27, 2024
(In the Back Gallery)
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Curated by: Eric Murphy
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Opening Reception: Friday, March 1st, 6-9pm
Artist Talk: Friday, April 5th, 6-9pm
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"STARS AND DIAMONDS" ONLINE PRICE LIST:
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I Love Art. I love Music. I love Hip Hop. It's really that simple. I've had no formal training in regards to the arts, just desire, passion and a willingness to do it. My mother is a painter so I grew up drawing occasionally here and there, but in 2012 I committed to filling the walls of a small studio space with paintings. The catalyst that sparked the art wave in my life was a career ending, work related injury, that resulted in me having back surgery. The art helped me fight through major depression, during my recovery it ultimately gave me new goals to aspire towards. After painting a wide range of subjects (i.e. animals, portraits, butterflies, abstract, etc.) with acrylic paint being my primary medium of choice, I figured I should merge two things I love most which are music and art. I started with Hip Hop and grew to painting a wider range of individuals who have had a significant impact on my life. My goal is to highlight their beauty and use highly saturated colors to symbolize just how colorful our world is.
The Art of Living Black/The Art of the African Diaspora. Now in its 27th year, Art of the African Diaspora (AOTAD) continues to express and celebrate the creative achievements of artists of African descent. This year, over 150 artists showcase their work at Richmond Art Center, as well as in open studios and satellite exhibitions at different venues around the Bay Area.
"FRONTLINE PROPHET: JAMES BALDWIN"
A traveling exhibition by Sabrina Nelson
Co-curated by Ashara Ekundayo and Omo Misha
in collaboration with Gallery Curator, Eric Murphy
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March 1 - April 27, 2024
(In the Front Gallery)
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Opening Reception: Friday, March 1st | 6-9pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, March 2nd | 1:30pm - 4pm
To see a recap of the artist talk, click HERE
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"FRONTLINE PROPHET: JAMES BALDWIN" ONLINE PRICE LIST:
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Winter in America: The SpeakEasy - Bold, Black & Brilliant: The Baldwin Edition
Featuring Oakland and San Francisco's Poet Laureate and more
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | 6:00 - 8:30pm
For more info or to rsvp, visit:
https://WinterinAmericaJamesBaldwinatjgg.eventbrite.com
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Frontline Prophet: James Baldwin is a year-long traveling exhibition featuring the artwork of Detroit-based creative, Sabrina Nelson. A professional interdisciplinary artist for over 37 years, Nelson works across several forms and uses both visual and performing arts as conduits for activism. The exhibition highlights the artist's deeply personal perspectives on the iconic writer through a seven-year sketchbook study, vivid works on paper and canvas, projected video, and installations. The title, pinned by curator Ashara Ekundayo, is inspired by theologian and author Dr. Cornel West’s distinction of a prophet from a leader. He states that "a leader is somebody who has to jump in the middle of the fray and be prudential, while a prophetic person tells the truth, exposes lies, bears witness and then, usually, is pushed to the margins.” In Baldwin’s case, he employs a Black prophetic tradition to design and present a number of pristine and acute considerations on white supremacy to deconstruct the American Dream. Nelson, in her more than forty unique depictions of Baldwin and his contemporaries, captures a quintessential understanding of this process and identity, providing a setting for us to fully and critically investigate these questions. The work further presents imagery and text culled from the lectures, writings, and social-political themes Baldwin professed in his work on critical culture, identity, race, and sexuality. Nelson, through her energetic artistry amplifies and celebrates the legacy of one of the world's most prominent Black writers and thinkers by humanizing his experience not only as an intellect, but as a creative, a global citizen, a joyful spirit, and a timeless guide into the future.
Sabrina Nelson has been a professional interdisciplinary artist for over 37 years, exhibiting throughout the Midwest and in Florida, New York, Louisiana, California, and Paris, France. She works in a variety of media and styles – from painting, drawing and sculpture, to art installations, performances, and more. Nelson is also an educator, lecturer, and ‘artivist’—using her art as a medium for activism. She has been with the College for Creative Studies, College of Art & Design in Arts Administration for 27 years and with the Detroit Institute of Arts Education Department for 26 years. She has taught African American Art History at CCS and Oakland University, served on the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp faculty and as guest curator for the Carr Center and the Detroit Music Hall Performing Arts Center. She earned her BFA in Fine Arts from CCS in 1991. She is a Kresge Arts Fellow for 2021-2022. Her work was featured on PBS in 2020 & 2022.
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NEW from KQED ARTS
A Year-Long Celebration of James Baldwin’s Centennial Comes to Oakland
Pendarvis Harshaw | Mar 12, 2024
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As a part of this celebration, a traveling exhibition of works by Detroit-based artist Sabrina Nelson, titled Frontline Prophet: James Baldwin, is on display now through April 27 at Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland.
James Baldwin’s smile: poetry in human form. (Sabrina Nelson)
Co-curated by Ashara Ekundayo and Omo Misha, the exhibition centers a series of illustrations by Nelson, charting her personal journey in understanding brother Baldwin. The sketchbooks are displayed alongside paintings, poetic works on scrolls, projected videos, and more; the centerpiece is one golden sketchbook with Nelson’s first drawing of Baldwin.
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To Read the Full article, visit: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13953475/a-year-long-celebration-of-james-baldwins-centennial-comes-to-oakland
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Sabrina Nelson | Video projection with Baldwin voiceover | 2023 20 mins 33secs
Click HERE for video
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Project collaborators - Artist As First Responder, African American Museum & Library Oakland, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services and more.
