From our neighbors: “The Richmond Art Center is pleased to announce the appointment of José R. Rivera to the position of Executive Director. Board of Directors President Patricia Guthrie said: “Mr. Rivera brings a wealth of management experience and a deep commitment to the arts and community which we feel will help move the Richmond Art Center forward at a time of great societal change.” Mr. Rivera’s hire comes after an extensive search involving the Board of Directors, RAC Staff, and community members.” Read the rest of the press release.

From the San Francisco Chronicle: “Clark Brooke signed the word “fast” in American Sign Language while shaping his lips to indicate “very fast.” Then he put on a cloth face mask and made the same sign. “Now you’re losing that facial expression, the mouth emphasis,” he said in ASL through an interpreter. “The face provides the tones and emphasis for ASL. You cannot remove it and just sign.” With health orders increasingly tightening the rules around wearing face masks in public, deaf and hard of hearing people confront a new accessibility challenge — how to communicate when part of the Read More …

From Hyperalleric: “Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, ordered the removal of the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Linn Park on Monday, and had the 115-year-old statue carted away by crane despite not having the authority to do so—the move was in violation of the Alabama Monuments Preservation Act, a law passed in 2017 which prohibits the relocation, removal, or alteration of monuments. Woodfin was not deterred by the potential repercussions of his decision, telling AL.com that he would rather pay a state fine than have more civil unrest. Woodfin told NBC that he has since received death threats. Read More …

“We will get through this together, love our community and our NIAD staff and artists” – Jason Powell Smith, quoted from a recent artwork made at Town Hall Meeting. “Honor of My Ancestors” – Dre’An Cox, protest sign. “It’s really important for those of us who are differently abled adults to support, respect, help with access, for others. We have a lot to offer.” – Halisi Noel-Johnson This week, NIAD has made commitments.  In daily meetings, staff and artists commit to hear each other and respect lives lost to police violence. While there are many different opinions in the group Read More …

From The Richmond Standard: “Roughly 200 volunteers, including members of Bay Area Peacekeepers, which put out a community call for assistance, came out to 23rd Street on Monday to help board up businesses to ensure their protection. As night fell, while Richmond police were busy responding to vandalism and looting at the Shops at Hilltop and Target, volunteers remained stationed along 23rd Street to defend any onslaught that might come their way. Some drove up and down the strip to monitor for bad actors. While the volunteers are outraged over the death of Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody and Read More …

From Hyperallergic: “How should museums in the United States respond to the ongoing protests against racial injustice and police killings of Black Americans? Many museums have chosen to react to the nationwide protests by posting artwork by Black artists on social media together with a quote from the artists and/or a short statement of solidarity. While some on social media have congratulated these posts, others have criticized them as mere lip service and demanded more from these public institutions. And in one case, a museum is accused of silencing criticism from a former employee by disabling comments on a recent Read More …

For many people, NIAD continues to be their ‘happy place’ – we’re still working with our contemporary artists pursuing exceptional careers. However, this week, we’re also contemplating our role as advocates, activists, and organizers in the midst of undeniable truths. For our staff, artists, families, and care providers, it is a moment of action, as the California State Senate rejects budget cuts to our system. In the wider world, we must recognize the violence being done to our communities as our systems of power continue to brutalize black men and women. And in the Bay Area’s art world (and far beyond), we’ve Read More …

From Artforum: “Allan deSouza, the chair of the Department of Art Practice at the University of California Berkeley, told Hyperallergic that the school is discussing several teaching approaches for the fall semester and may focus on developing a new “hybrid model” of education, which would consist of a mix of online courses and limited access to labs and studios. “If we are able to follow a hybrid model, then we would have to meet a lot of practicalities regarding safeguarding staff, maintaining clean spaces, scheduling small groups of students to have time-allotted access, etc.” A hybrid approach to instruction is Read More …

#StopDiscriminAsian In this time of a global crisis, stand up with us against discrimination. Find out more.

“Y’all are doing a good job.” – Arstanda Billy White, NIAD Artist Despite the clear discomforts of working at a distance from one another, this week it’s clear that we are getting used to this, even – thanks, Billy – good at it.  NIAD’s Virtual Studio is operating from 9AM to 3PM, Monday – Friday.  Individual artist outreach, four to six studio offerings daily, delivery of supplies and tech equipment, even dedicated tech support for each family: NIAD’s teams are working at full capacity, and it shows.  How can I tell?  NIAD’s artists approach us every day with feedback like Read More …

Santa Cruz artist Jim Winters — whom we’ve been honored to exhibit at NIAD — has created a perfect mixtape of Indie rock including the legendary Moondog. Enjoy!

via ArtForum: “Painter Susan Rothenberg, whose equine imagery countered the dominant Minimalism of the 1970s by infusing it with representation, has died at seventy-five. The news was confirmed by Sperone Westwater Gallery, which has shown her work since 1987. Discussing the emergence of her best-known symbol in a 2005 interview with Art21, Rothenberg said: “When I stumbled on the horse, I went, okay, this can be my Jasper Johns flag, this can be nothing to me because I don’t like horses. I can draw a line through it, make it flat . . . negate painting as much as possible Read More …

If you’re a fan of (merely just interested in) contemporary art, Curator has developed a new video series: “The COVID Diaries, Volume 1 brings together four very different female artists from around the world to voice unique perspectives on art and the spaces in which they are working during this unique moment. From Susan Feldman, who has built an entire city in her studio, to Rachel Walters who has been taken out of the city that inspires her, to Amanda Lucia Cote who fled New York to find solace in a rural place, to Camille Rose Garcia, an artist creating Read More …

It might seem like getting tablets to artists is a straightforward materials project – we receive the equipment, we deliver it to where it needs to go.  But this week, I’m reflecting on the persistence of NIAD’s (new!) Online Services Team, and the work it’s taken to place tech tools in our artists’ hands today. Comprising staff from nearly all of NIAD’s program and admin areas, Online Services has made sure that despite scarce supplies, unpredictable shipping, and the challenges of working while isolated, artists are receiving: • not only tablets, but a zine on how to use them;  • Read More …