San Francisco's first-ever Black art week honoring artists around the Bay
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Photo: Museum of the African Diaspora
The inaugural Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week is in full swing.
Why it matters: The event, which runs until Oct. 6, aims to honor and celebrate the richness of the Bay Area Black artist community.
- Organizers say their goal is also to increase partnerships between artists in San Francisco and Oakland.
How it happened: Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) director and CEO Monetta White came up with the idea for Nexus as a bridge for moving Black culture and art into the mainstream.
- "I am very tied to what we do here locally and how it has a global impact," White told the San Francisco Standard.
Driving the news: The art week started on Tuesday with an exhibition on liberatory living and radical Black joy.
- It was followed by panels on topics like Black cowboys, gallery presentations in partnership with MoAD, open studios with artists and an interactive sound mixing experience.
Zoom in: A highlight is "Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman," a recently unveiled monument honoring Maya Angelou by artist Lava Thomas.
- The artwork is located at the San Francisco Main Library and is the first monument commemorating a Black woman in San Francisco's Civic Art Collection.
What to watch: More programming is in store — including the Afropolitan Ball, MoAD's largest fundraising gala, on Saturday.
Other featured events:
- A guided tour about William Leidesdorff, America's "First Black Millionaire"
- An open studio with Ramekon O'Arwisters, whose sculptures are made of ceramic shards, fabric and black zip ties
- A multimedia anthology on reparations
- A screening of "Exhibiting Forgiveness" with filmmaker Titus Kaphar
Check out Nexus' full list of events!