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.Arts Feature
Mar 12, 2024
Oakland Theater Project Looks to the Past, Present and Future
The pandemic was hard on live theaters. Many small companies did not survive it. But the innovative and scrappy Oakland Theater Project was able to draw inspiration from its home, scrappy and innovative The Town, and will...
Mar 5, 2024
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Returns to the Freight
The pure joy radiating from the members of South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo was shown to the world when the documentary Paul Simon, Graceland: The African Concert debuted in 1987.
Their vocal harmonies had already received global acclaim...
Feb 28, 2024
Tommy Orange Writes Second Urban Native Novel
The difficulty in beginning a conversation with Oakland-based, New York Times best-selling novelist and writer Tommy Orange is deciding which direction to go.
We could shift into reverse and march through his earliest years, being born and raised...
Feb 13, 2024
AI and Sustainability Push Fashion Forward
FASHION’S FUTURE
Fashion is the art medium with the biggest worldwide participation. The clothes a person wears reflect their character, even when unintentional. Someone’s favorite band can be displayed on the front of a sweatshirt, or the boots...
Feb 6, 2024
Library Cards Showcase Oakland Spirit
The limited-edition artwork of nine winners of Oakland Public Library’s 2024 library card contest combines to create a vibrant, celebratory mini-exhibit of the city of Oakland and its people. Honoring Black artistry, culture and history, and reflecting...
Jan 30, 2024
W. Kamau Bell Tests New Material at Berkeley Rep
Busting down the fourth wall between performers and live audiences in a project with Berkeley Repertory Theatre after a five-year hiatus from the stage, Oakland-based, Emmy Award-winning stand-up comedian, writer, director and producer W. Kamau Bell asks...
Jan 23, 2024
Evie Ladin’s Body Music of Women’s Woes
MoToR/dance's full evening-length production, "Water in the Kettle," is a masterclass in poignant and exuberant choreography and compelling storytelling, featuring a multigenerational cast of women and additional guest musicians, and exploring the complex female in a way that's not didactic but expository, with humor, grace and tight ensemble rhythm.