The Joyce Gordon Gallery commemorates its 7 Year Anniversary and the official launch of its Youth Art Alliance in a dynamic and unique 7 Day Arts Celebration, this September 10-16th.

“7 in September” kicks off with a gala and silent auction hosted by Mr. Geoffrey Pete, and live fashion shoot by RenegadePR. The following days include an Art and Youth Fair to showcase the features of our Alliance, continues to Sankofa Institute’s Jazz Festival that includes Destiny and S.O.N.G. and a Spoken Word evening produced by Hot Water Cornbread. The exciting lineup includes Healing Arts, Film Festival and it closes with a party at Maxwell’s Lounge hosted by Soul Therapy.

Joyce Gordon Gallery
Gala and Art Auction
hosted by Mr. Geoffrey Pete

September 10, 2010

7:00 pm Silent Auction Opens
10:30 pm Silent Auction Close

406 14th St. Oakland, CA 94612
510.465.8928

Pro Arts is hosting its Annual Gala this Thursday, June 3rd, from 6-8 PM.  Come check out their new location and enjoy live entertainment, music, great food, and inspired art!  Tickets and more information are available on the Pro Arts website: http://www.proartsgallery.org/ebos/event.php

Not only did OneCalifornia Bank win a Best of the East Bay Award, but so did some of our Oakland Unwrapped members!  Congratulations to our fellow Best of the East Bay Winners on Oakland Unwrapped!

Oakland Museum of CA: Best Face Lift

Oaklandish: Best Locally Made Kids’ Products; Reader’s Poll: Best Locally Made Products; Reader’s Poll: Best Men’s Clothing; Reader’s Poll: Best T-Shirts

Pendragon Books: Reader’s Poll: Best Book Store

Pro Arts Gallery: Reader’s Poll: Best Arts Organization

Yoshi’s Jazz Club: Most Balanced Kid’s Meal

Check out these and other winners at the Best of the East Bay Party on August 6th in Jack London Square!

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Art and Soul, Oakland’s live music and art festival in downtown Oakland.  The event takes place on Saturday, August 21st and Sunday, August 22nd.  This year’s lineup features well known groups, including Cake, MC Hammer, En Vouge, Tony! Toni! Toné! as well as local East Bay talent.  The event also features a Family Fun Zone for kids, art and artistic creations for purchase, lots of yummy food, and more!  Tickets are available for purchase online.  To purchase tickets and find out more information, check out their website here.

Oakland Grown–a local non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate Oakland’s local, independent businesses and artists–wants you to come out, meet the artists and business owners, and learn more about their movement!  They are holding a mixer on Thursday, July 15th at ERA Art Bar and Lounge in the up-and-coming Uptown District of Oakland.  Come meet the Oakland Grown crew and mingle with other folks who love and support Oakland and independent businesses and artists.  There will be a cash bar, music, and special guests.  Check out details on the Facebook event page.

It’s that time of year again–time to vote for the Best of the East Bay!  The East Bay Express’s big summer issue and flagship event recognizes readers and editors favorites in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

This year’s theme is “Home Grown,” which recognizes things grown right here in our own backyard.  In this twenty-first century world of globalization and mass production, Home Grown asks the readers and editors to be thoughtful citizens and loyal localists when making their nominations for the Best of the East Bay.

Voting is taking place online at http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ballot until July 4th, so vote early and make your voice heard!

And mark your calendars now for Friday August 6th, the date for the Best of the East Bay Party.  This year’s party will be at Jack London Square waterfront from 5-11PM.  The event is free and open for all ages, and features multiple bands, a kid’s zone, and a Blues Pavilion, paying tribute to the blues history of Russeel City in Hayward and 7th Street in Oakland.  For more details and ongoing updates, please visit www.EastBayExpress.com/BOEBParty

On Friday, May 14th, Oaklanders celebrated the people and businesses that make the city great at OneCalifornia Foundation’s 4th Annual Oakland Indie Awards.  Hosted in partnership with the East Bay Express, the annual awards program is a celebration of all things Oakland and an opportunity to highlight the positive social and environmental impact of Oakland’s independent businesses and artists. The program was kicked off by keynote speaker Michael Kieschnick, Co-Founder, President and CEO of CREDO Mobile / Working Assets. 

The 2010 Indie Award Winners Are:

Neighborhood Dynamo: Uptown Body and Fender, a woman-owned body shop that focuses on the emotional well-being of its customers and hosts community events and fundraisers free to local non-profits at its stunning body shop in Oakland’s Uptown district.

Newbie: Snap Judgment, the new Oakland-based NPR program and multi-media company that offers a new voice in storytelling, showcasing Oakland’s diversity and telling stories that “drop listeners into another person’s skin”.

Youth Empowerment: Oaklandish, the extremely popular design and screen-printing company that celebrates all-things Oakland through its apparel and supports the city’s youth through innovation award grants.

Pillar: Peerless Coffee, the 86-year-old family-owned specialty coffee company that provides specialty blends to some of the Bay Area’s most esteemed restaurants, offers scholarships to Berkeley students, helps develop the communities that grow their coffee, and was one of the first businesses to be certified green by the Alameda County Green Business program.

Innovator: Natural Home Cleaning Professionals, the eco-friendly co-op that provides healthy worker-owner cleaning employment opportunities for immigrant women in Oakland and the Bay Area.

Ripple Effect: BayVAN and Compound Gallery, the arts organizations that founded the nationally-recognized Plaid Friday, the independent business’ answer to Black Friday that encourages people to do their holiday shopping at local indie businesses.

Greenie: Ryan Duke, an independent industrial designer that creatively re-uses reclaimed materials to build essential products to improve lives including refugees in the U.S. and individuals in developing countries.

Oakland Soul: Joyce Gordon Gallery, the downtown-Oakland based commercial fine art gallery that seeks to open doors and share the perspectives of the Bay Area’s diverse artist population, as well as those of international artists.

Please visit http://www.oaklandindieawards.com/ for more information about the winners and for pictures!

In addition to seeing the winners being announced and awarded, party guests sampled food, wine, chocolate and beer from as many as 30 food producers and restaurants, explored a selection of locally-made items from over 50 artists and retailers, and thanks to the generosity of DJ Mama L, listened to music from Oakland musicians, past and present. 

Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate with us and we’ll see you at the 5th Annual next year!!

The new Beehive Market, celebrating all that is green and local, is opening in Berkeley on June 12th.  Think of it as an expanded farmer’s market, featurning food and product vendors, live music, and more.  They will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on San Pablo Avenue at Virginia Street in West Berkeley.  To find out more about the event, or to find out how to get involved as a vendor or sponsor, visit their website.

There are ways to avoid the mall this holiday season, support local stores and artists, and still buy gifts for everyone no your list.  Oakland Unwrapped, in collaboration with Jack London Square, ProArts, adn Oakland Grown, is putting on a “mall-ternative” shopping event, Holiday Buy Night, on Thursday and Friday, December 10th and 11th, from 5 to 10 PM.  From pet lovers to food lovers, fashionistas to athletes, women, men, children, and everyone in between, Holiday Buy Night promises to have something for everyone on your list.

If you need a shopping break, be sure to check out the music and live entertainment going on throughout the evening.  Have the young ones check out the kids section for games, arts and crafts, and a movie.  And if you get hungry or thirsty, be sure to check out the “food court” at the event.  Restaurants from Jack London Square will be selling food, including Kincaids, Cocina Poblana, Ben and Jerry’s, and others.  Awaken Cafe will provide coffee and hot chocolate and Numi and L’Amyx will provide hot tea to keep you warm and alert while shopping.  There will also be a beer and wine bar, featuring the East Bay Express’ holiday lager!  This is one shopping event you won’t want to miss this December!

Save the date!  Add this event to your Outlook Calendar here.

Interested in volunteering?  See below:

Pro Arts Gallery helps organize First Fridays, a monthly art night at art galleries in Oakland and the East Bay.  Check Pro Arts Gallery’s website for details on participating galleries every month!