Things I Hella Love About Oakland: The Restored Fox Theater

Photo by eeetthaannn

I admit, I've been lagging on my "Hella Love" posts of late. I won't lie: Oakland's had a tough time these last few months, and it hasn't always been easy to work up a lot of enthusiasm about calling it home. But even in down times, it's worth reminding ourselves that the things we love about this city are still here in abundance: An amazingly vibrant art scene, tons of creative energy, great people, friendly (and yes, safe) neighborhoods, beautiful green spaces, gorgeous architecture ...

And despite the sad shuttering of our beloved Parkway Speakeasy Theater last month, one thing that Oakland is certainly not lacking in is incredible Deco-era theaters. The Grand Lake and the exquisite Paramount are longtime faves, of course, but right now Oaklanders are especially proud of the gloriously reborn Fox Theater in Uptown.

* Photos by Nathanael Bennett and Jason Polkinghorn

The Fox -- an over-the-top amalgam of Indian, Moorish, Medieval, and Baghdadian architectural flourishes that's been called "one part Arab and three parts Hollywood hokum" -- was completed in 1928 and operated for decades as one of the Bay Area's premiere movie palaces.

* Photos by Nathanael Bennett and Pete Simmons

It had fallen into decrepitude by the early 1960s, and finally went dark in 1970. But after more than 35 years of neglect and decay, supporters began a two-year, $70 million restoration in 2007, and the Fox triumphantly opened its doors again in February.

* Photo by Josh Miller

Next year, our daughter will be attending an arts charter school in the building that houses the Fox. (How cool is that? She's very excited.) So although I've been onsite a few times now, I hadn't yet seen the inside of the restored theater.

* Photo by Geoffrey Martin

I finally got my chance last night, when Nick and I took our firstborn to see a fledgling hometown band that you've probably never heard of. It was So. Much. Freakin'. Fun. But more than that, the space itself was absolutely breathtaking. Seriously -- words fail when it comes to fabulousity of this magnitude. It's a fantastic venue in which to hear some music and to soak in the glamour of another time.

* Photo by Geoffrey Martin

The Fox has lots of great shows booked in the coming weeks, including Franz Ferdinand tonight, Band of Horses on Friday, Fleet Foxes next Tuesday, and the Shins, Ben Folds, and the Decemberists in May.

* Photos by Josh Miller and Geoffrey Martin

The brand-new Den bar and lounge adjoining the theater has been getting positive notices as well, and Flora across the street is incredible. If you're in the area, you could do a lot worse for an evening out. Trust me.

* All photos borrowed from flickr and the Fox's Facebook page and web gallery.

Mark Your Calendar: Collapsitalism: The Holiday Recession Sale at Johansson Projects

Tomorrow, November 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. Oakland art gallery Johannson Projects hosts an opening reception for Collapsitalism: The Holiday Recession Sale.

The exhibition "is an attempt to [visually] connect art prices to stock-market fluctuations beyond ... charts and indexes" -- not to mention giving strapped art collectors a break and helping to support working artists who are feeling the economic pinch. Nearly a dozen emerging and established Northern California artists, including Zach Houston, Marci Erspamer, Nathan Cordero, Hunter Longe, Eric Larson, Susie Grant, Carson Murdach, Joan Moment, Andrew Benson, and Alex Case will have new, original pieces available for less than $500 each.

Collapsitalism will be up in the Johannson Projects Project Space through January 2.

Mark Your Calendar: Art Auction at Industrielle

Women Wish 4 Equality, by Industrielle owner Dana Taylor

Thursday evening, May 8, from 7 to 9 p.m., Uptown Oakland's Industrielle Gallery hosts Kind Women for Womenkind, an art auction benefiting women affected by violence.

In the Morning, by Alice Tullar; The Calling Cards of Mysterious Ladies #15, by Kate Phillips

More than 30 local artists -- including Jessica Serran, Sita Rupe, Kim Bass, Mary Lonergan, Alice Tullar, and Kate Phillips (aka charmfoundry) -- have donated pieces to the show.

Homage to Wolf Kahn, by Mary Lonergan

If you're not in the area or can't make the auction itself, you can bid via email before the event. Starting bids -- some as low as $30 for this original artwork -- are just 30 percent of the work's market value. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to CARE, the international humanitarian organization.

Newsflash, by Jessica Serran; Surrender, by Sita Rupe

Industrielle is located at 33 Grand Avenue at Broadway in Oakland.

Spawned Out, by Judi Miller; Somewhere Under the Rainbow, by Kim Bass

Things I Hella Love About Oakland: The Art Murmur

I know I keep harping on the Oakland Art Murmur, the "art walk" around the upstart, gallery-studded Uptown area that takes place the first Friday of each month. But I'm not going to stop until you all go -- at least those of you within driving distance.

Nick and I try to attend the Art Murmur as often as we can, because it's fun and because we've been introduced to several artists there whose work we promptly fell in love with. Last month, I actually had the foresight to grab my camera before we headed out the door, so here's my little amateur photographic ode to the monthly Murmur:

My favorite Oakland art gallery, Johansson Projects, where I'm always blown away by the shows. Kimberly Johansson: You're totally rockin' it, girl.

Nick ponders Paul Hayes' Cultivated Momentum -- made up of thousands of pieces of folded paper suspended from the ceiling -- at Johansson.

Sorry, just have to add a quick aside here to my kids, who lately have been refusing to do anything with us that doesn't involve, like, roller coasters and French fries -- and I'm talking the full-on, foot stomping, hands on hips, growling "I'm NOT going!" through clenched teeth sort of refusing. Last month, we got so fed up with this routine that we just tossed a cereal box at them for dinner, turned on our heels, and left them at home. (Our son recently turned 13, so I'm pretty sure that wasn't actually illegal.)

Anyway: See, guys, there *are* other kids at the Murmur! Some of your friends, actually! And doesn't it look like they're even kind of having a good time? I know you find it all sort of insufferable, but when you grow up I hope you'll be like, "Yeah, our parents were always dragging us to flea markets and noisy concerts and freaky art shows. That was cool." Plus, if you come next month without complaining, we might buy you donuts.

In order to get to the crackers and beer at the back of the Egopark Gallery, you had to climb through this web-like installation. I'm not quite sure what the message was supposed to be, but it was kinda cool.

"But what does it all mean?" she wondered ...

The Bloom Screen Printing/Small Stakes print sale was packed. We snagged this "scratch-and-dent" print by Portland's Ryan Jacob Smith for $5. It now resides on our refrigerator, where our daughter keeps covering up the bad word with magnets. We've tried explaining to her that it's Art, and thus OK, but she remains unconvinced.

I don't know what this bus was or what, exactly, it was doing there. But it was full of revelers having a mighty fine time, and had such a sweet herbal aroma wafting out of the windows that I'm pretty sure we got a contact high simply from standing next to the bus for a minute. So let's just call it "The Party Bus."

These pictures coming out blurry was totally unintentional -- I swear I wasn't trying to be arty. But I like how they sort of capture the roiling energy of the whole shindig.

Hmm ... do you think someone's trying to send me a message?

Here's the thing about the Oakland Art Murmur: You don't necessarily go for the art, because lately the Murmur has been so thronged that you can't actually get that close to the art. (Above is a shot of the scene at the Science Fair show at the Rock Paper Scissors Collective, for instance, where a DJ was spinning and people were mostly just hanging with friends.)

You go for the funky, celebratory vibe of it all, to hear some random dude throwing down rhymes on the corner, and for the chance to carry an open beer can around with you on the street. And then you go back to the galleries the next day and actually look at the art in peace and quiet.

This month's Murmur is Friday, May 1, from 6 p.m. to 9-ish. Here's my suggested game plan: Line up at the counter at Mama Buzz Cafe for a fair-trade coffee and vegan sandwich -- both served up with a side of tattooed-grrrl attitude -- and enjoy them on the back patio. Or go slightly more upscale at Luka's Taproom or the new Flora restaurant, which is winning raves. Then check out the galleries -- the Propagations exhibit pictured above is still up at Johansson Projects, as is the Venue show at Front Gallery, and there are openings or relatively new shows up at Blankspace, Mercury20, Esteban Sabar, Oakopolis, and Rock Paper Scissors. After the galleries start closing up, grab a drink and see a couple of bands at The Uptown, Stork Club, or 21 Grand.

Seriously, people -- it's a party. You should go.

Mark Your Calendar: Friday Night Art in Oakland

Photo by Vonguard

This Friday, April 4, is Oakland's monthly Art Murmur, which we've missed for one reason or another the last few months. I'm looking forward to getting out and seeing some of the homegrown art on display in the Uptown galleries. There are few new shows that I'm especially looking forward to:

My favorite Oakland art spot, Johansson Projects, 2300 Telegraph Avenue, is hosting Propagations, a mulitmedia exhibit from artists Tadashi Moriyama, Paul Hayes, Alexis Amann, Rebecca Whipple, and Kiersten Essenpreis.

Propagations "explores the conjunction of natural, cultural and technological forces that foster unexpected artistic transmissions, replications, and disseminations."

Across the street at the Rock Paper Scissors Collective, 2278 Telegraph Avenue, is Science Fair. Curated by Detroit's Andrew Thompson and featuring the work of eight local and national artists (including Amanda Lechner, Erik Peterson, and Trisha Brookbank), the exhibit "addresses the intersections of art and science as subject matter, whether it be through the guise of pseudoscience, the lure of technology, or the eccentricity of cultural anthropologies."

Front Gallery, at 35 Grand Avenue, is hosting an opening reception for Venue, a joint show from Judith White, Danny Scheible, and Art Hazelwood that's described as a study of spaces, "whether they be exterior or interior; physical or psychological."

Galleries participating in the Oakland Art Murmur's First Friday event are generally open from 6 to 9 p.m. -- though a few stay open until 10.

And Bloom Screen Printing, at 2310 Telegraph Avenue, is having a big print sale -- including rare, out-of-print, slightly damaged, and brand-new gig posters from Jason Munn's The Small Stakes (below) for $5 to $25 each. The sale is from 5 to 10 p.m.

See you there!

Mark Your Calendar: Back to Basics

This Friday, February 1, Oakland's Industrielle hosts an opening reception for its Back to Basics exhibition featuring the pinhole and Dolga work of photographers Roy Berkowitz (above and below) and Travis Kuhl, as well as metal artist Khabir Salahadyn.

The reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m. during the monthly Oakland Art Murmur. Stop by and check it out if you're local. Industrielle is located at 33 Grand Avenue, in Oakland's gallery-packed Uptown district.

And while you're in the area, don't miss Neither Here Nor There (above) at Johansson Projects, Best Western (below) at Estaban Sabar Gallery, and Invisible Cities at Mercury 20 (bottom).

Over and Out

The hubby, kids, corgi, and I are off for a short vacation at the beach. I'll be back with regular posts on Monday, August 13. (I may pop up here for a random post or two before then, but don't bet on it ... )

In the meantime, if you live in these parts, don't forget about this weekend's fun East Bay events:

* The first-anniversary party at Industrielle, Feria Urbana at the Oakland Museum, and the Oakland Art Murmur tonight, August 3

* The warehouse sale at the Gardener in Berkeley tomorrow, August 4

* The Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Faire on Sunday, August 5

And while I'm away, be sure to check out the blogroll on the right-hand side of this page for some great reads and gorgeous eye candy.

Have a wonderful week!

(Photo: "Dash!" by flickr member seaskycoo.)

Retail Therapy: Industrielle

Sandwiched between two upstart art galleries in Oakland’s on-the-rise Uptown arts district sits Industrielle.

Part exhibition space and part boutique, Industrielle is the brainchild of local artist Dana Taylor, who calls it an “urban style gallery.” Taylor uses the high-ceilinged room to display her own collages (right) as well as the work of other local artists, including Sita Rupe, Jessica Serran, and Mary Younkin (below).

In addition, tables and shelves throughout the shop are filled with pottery, textiles, housewares, and other odds and ends -- much of it crafted by local artisans. “I wanted a space to show my own art, and I knew so many other people who were creating things that it just came together,” Taylor says.

There are pretty pillows from Joom (above); screenprinted tea towels, pillowcases, and clothing from Evo Noche; ceramics from Anna Vaughan and Lynn Ganser; and rock-chic wear from Billie Joe and Adrienne Armstrong's Adeline Street.

Mixed in with the locally produced goods are delicate Japanese paper boxes and trays, cloth-covered notebooks from Lotta Jansdotter, funky metallic pendant lights from DCI, A Concept plates and vases, and the occasional piece of vintage furniture. Prices are reasonable: Almost all of the housewares cost less than $50, and original art starts at about $75.

Industrielle is located at 33 Grand Ave., near the corner of Broadway. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and until 10 p.m. during the Oakland Art Murmur’s First Fridays events.

This Friday, August 3, Industrielle celebrates its first anniversary with champagne and hors d’ouvres, live ambient music, and new artwork from David Seiler (below left), Taylor, Rupe, Serran (below middle), Julia Storrs, and Elisa Carozza-Kuhl (below right).

Update: I'm sad to report that Industrielle has closed. Owner Dana Taylor will be focusing on her own art and eventually reopening the shop and gallery in Los Angeles. Dana, Oakland will miss you!