November 2024

Artist As First Responder November Newsletter

Remembering Quincy

We collectively mourn the loss and honor the life of music titan Quincy Jones today. Throughout his 70-year career, Jones changed the fabric of the music industry as we know it. Thank you, Quincy, for being the embodiment of an #ArtistResponder.

If you’re indulging in some of the tributes paid to Jones’s legacy, you might enjoy this clip from The Jazz Estate of Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock exploring the Fairlight CMI computer in 1984.

Coming up…

Film Screening and Dialogue with Gloria Rolando Casamayor | November 5th, 2024

Gloria Rolando is an award-winning Afro Cuban filmmaker living and working in Havana, Cuba with a career spanning over 35 years. Her films show the connections Africans in the diaspora have with Cuba. Join Gloria at Eastside Cultural Center in Oakland November 5th at 6pm for a screening and dialogue around her work and expanding our understanding of the Black experience.

Eastside Cultural Center | 2277 International Blvd Oakland, CA

Dr. Angela Wellman at Bar Shiru Oakland | November 6, 2024

Oakland jazz luminary and pillar of the Bay Area music ecosystem Dr. Angela Wellman will be performing for Bar Shiru’s Selector Series on Wednesday November 6th at 8pm onward. The vision is a night of joyous celebration and soulful and healing musical vibrations.

Dr. Angela is a trombonist, scholar, educator, and activist. She has performed with the McCoy Tyner Big Band, Joe Williams, Al Grey, Slide Hampton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and many others. She is a recipient of multiple local and national awards, among which include the City of Oakland “Cultural Key to the City,” the 2018 “Jazz Hero Award” from the Jazz Journalists Association, the 2021 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award, the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Beacon Award from the International Women’s Brass Conference and the 2023 Icons Among Us Award. Beyond that, she was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2023.

Jessica Monette in Conversation with Ashara Ekundayo | November 21, 2024

Join us for an Artist Talk & Reception with EAP awardee Jessica Monette for her exhibition Unveiling Histories: A Fabricated Archive. Jessica Monette will be in conversation with inter-disciplinary independent curator and artist Ashara Ekundayo, with a poetic offering by the Director at Stanford University's Institute for Diversity in the Arts A-Lan Holt. Light refreshments will be served.

In this talk, Jessica Monette and Ashara Ekundayo will explore the motivations and inspirations behind Monette's work, focusing on her New Orleans roots and the lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina. They will examine how this event connects to ongoing systems of oppression, as well as Monette's artistic process of creating archives, preserving memories, and building cultural legacies. Through these themes, they will discuss how art can serve as a tool for both personal reflection and collective resistance against erasure.

Men’s Wellness Fellowship | November 26, 2024

Mark your calendars! Slide through to the monthly Men’s Wellness Fellowship on Tuesday, November 26th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Follow MWF on Instagram for details to come!

Queer Clothing and Collectibles Swap | December 7, 2024

A queer, gender-non-conforming clothing swap to build community, offer gender-affirming clothing options and create a fun, supportive space for people to explore their style. Hosted by Artist As First Responder at their San Francisco studio in the front courtyard at the Minnesota Street Art Studios.

Participants need to bring 3-5 pieces of clothing to add to the swap that are gently used and clean. Please, no footwear or dirty clothes.

The Artist As First Responder Studio is a queer-friendly, accessible, and private space where people will feel safe. All are welcome. No one will be turned away if they cannot contribute clothing to the swap.

Slices of cake will be available for sale. Gluten-free and vegan options will be provided.

In Other News

Welcome our new Digital Strategist,
Zandashé Brown!

October Memories

Sustain our creative first responders.