Just got some great news from my friends who are Asian American artists out in the West Coast on this new art exhibit. The art exhibit  pays tribute to the First Lady, Michelle Obama for her continued support for visual and performing arts.  This Saturday, March 10th is the In Celebration of our First Lady: Music and Poetry hosted by Bay Area’s Kim McMillon. This program hosted by Kim McMillon, is part of the “sheRose of our Time” exhibit. Don’t forget to stop by and check out from Fil-Am Ako friend Christine Balza who is showcasing Baybayin art at this event, as well as being honored with a Joyce award as first Lady of Culture.

Performers include:  paying tribute to the First Lady, Michelle Obama for her continued support for visual and performing arts.  Chokwadi, Al Young, Ayodele Nzinga, Meg Day, Anna de Leon, Kaylah Marin and Kim Shuck

Exhibition artists include: Christine Balza, Ebony Iman Dallas, Shari Arai Deboer, Joan Finton, Penny Harncharnvej, Betty Nobue Kano, Deborah Lozier, L. Frank Manriquez, Kemba Shakur in partnership with installation artist and sculptor Karen Seneferu & the Oakland Museum of California, Judy Stone, Flo Oy Wong, Sandhya Sood w/ the Julia Morgan 2012 and the Organization for Women Architects & design artists (OWA).

Curated by Eric Murphy
Michele Obama painting by Gabriel Navar, our Joyce Gordon June 2012 featured artist with American Painter Mel Ramos

When: March 2 – April 19, 2012 

Opening Reception: First Friday, March 2nd 6-9pm
feat Poet Voices (Deborah James, Paradise, Jeanne Powell, and Mechelle LaChaux, Katie Ball and Aqueila Lewis)

March 2 – April 19, 2012 Saturday, March 10th: 
Hosted by Kim McMillon
Performers: Chokwadi, Al Young, Ayodele Nzinga, Meg Day,Anna de Leon

Saturday, March 24 – 3pm Performance by Jazz Hudson

Award Ceremony and Panel Discussion: Thursday, April 5th 5-7pm

Closing Reception: Thursday, April 19 5-8pm 
2hr performance by Shelly Cone from the Santa Maria Sun
(Ay! Mami: Tales of Motherhood with a Latina Twist)

Joyce Gordon Gallery and A.I. Oakland presents “sheRose of our Time” an exhibition paying tribute to the First Lady, Michelle Obama for her continued support of cultural and economic significance in the arts at a time when many worthy causes compete for her attention. Our First Lady informs us that nearly 6 million people make their living in the nonprofit arts industry and that arts and cultural activities contribute more than $160 billion to our economy every year. “The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it,” she said. “Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation. My husband and I believe strongly that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leaders of tomorrow,” – Michelle Obama

It has become commonplace in the United States for the title of “First Lady” to be bestowed on women, as a term of endearment, who have proven themselves to be of exceptional talent, even if that talent is non-political. “sheRose of our Time” highlights women artists of diverse media and performing arts who have and will inspire innovative thinkers of the next generation. In keeping with the tradition of Michelle Obama as a presenter of artist awards, we on behalf of Joyce Gordon Gallery would like to honor the first ladies of our lifetime for making a difference in the arts through history, culture, craft, design, and urban developement.

Betty Nobue Kano, painter, curator and lecturer at SFSU. Kano is co-founded the Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA), a nonprofit organization promoting the visibility of Asian American women artists and to serve as a vehicle for personal expression with a view of Asian American cultures and history from women’s perspective. They are honoring Betty Nobue Kano with a Joyce award as First Lady of Culture.

Betty Nobue Kano, Asian American Art and Activism 

Flo Oy Wong is a co-founder of the Northern California-based Asian American Women Artists Association. AAWAA gave Asian American women artists access to major museums, galleries, collections and publications and furthers the goal of establishing the place of Asian American women in American art history. They are honoring Flo Oy Wong with a Joyce award as First Lady of Culture.
www.flo-oy-wongartist.com

Christine Balza finds her inspiration with the ancient Filipino script, Baybayin. Her paintings, sculptures and informational video share a lost writing system from the indigenous people of the Philippines. She has taught Baybayin in workshops at Immaculate Conception, Sonoma and San Francisco State University and the Asian Art Museum. They are honoring Christine Balza with a Joyce award as first Lady of Culture.
www.suku-art.com 

L. Frank (nom d’arte of L. Frank Manriquez) is a Tongva- Acjachemen artist, writer, tribal scholar, cartoonist, and indigenous language activist who work is presented by BorderZone Arts in SF. L. Frank is a co-founder of Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival, a non-profit entity founded in 1992 whose goal is to assist California Indian communities and individuals in keeping their language alive and provide development of new speakers. They are honoring L. Frank with a Joyce award as First Lady of Culture.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Frank 

Ebony Iman Dallas is an artist, designer and co-founder of Afrikanation Artists Organization, a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in Hargeysa, Somaliland/Somalia in March 2010. Currently an MFA Design candidate at California College of the Arts, her primary focus is on Interactive Design. Her thesis topic is about connecting artists of African descent internationally, in an effort to promote unity, understanding, collaboration and activism towards health, economic and socially related challenges among them. They are honoring Ebony Iman Dallas with a Joyce award as First Lady of International Culture.
www.eidart.com

Kemba Shakur is the founder and director of Urban Releaf, a nonprofit responsible for the planting of an estimated 14,000 trees in low-income East Bay communities. The 2009 Alameda County Women’s Hall of fame Inductee is fondly referred to as the “tree lady” and by the Oakland Museum of California as a modern day John Muir. They are honoring Kemba Shakur with a Joyce award as First Lady of Urban Forestry and Environmental Development.
www.urbanreleaf.org

Judy Stone is one of a small group of people worldwide who call themselves enamelists. Stone is also co-founder of the Women’s Building Celebration of Craftswomen. The Women’s Building Arts and Crafts Fair grew into one of San Francisco’s top holiday attractions, yet remained true to its grassroots mission: promoting hand-crafted art by women artists. They are honoring Judy Stone with a Joyce award as First Lady of Enamel, Craft and Design.
www.jstoneenamels.com

Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872 – February 2, 1957) was an American architect, born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, Ca. A graduate of Oakland High School in 1890, Julia was small in stature (barely 5ft tall), but she left large footprints on the field of architecture and also opened doors to opportunities for many women. Miss Morgan was a woman of firsts: one of the first women to graduate with a degree in civil engineering from the University of California in Berkeley; the first woman to graduate with a degree in architecture from the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the first female licensed architect in the State of California.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Morgan

Sandhya Sood is a licensed architect, exhibited artist, certified green building professional (CGBP) and founder and Principal of Accent Architecture + Design, a practice focused on ecological, vibrant and contextual architecture and urban design. JM 2012, the first project of Landmarks California will celebrate the work and life of Julia Morgan, a visionary whose environmentally sustainable architecture, business acumen and diversity of projects has inspired many women architects as well as members of the Organization of Women Architects (OWA). In honor of Julia Morgan, they present Sandhya Sood with a Joyce award as first Lady of History, Design and Innovation for the Arts.
www.accentarchitecture.com

Joyce Gordon Gallery is a commercial fine art gallery located in the downtown district of Oakland California. It exhibits 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 seeks to make such work accessible to a broad audience.
www.joycegordongallery.com/

Joyce Gordon Gallery 406 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612
510-465-8928