November 16, 2022
San Francisco Community Space at The Museum of the African Diaspora
Last week we held two wonderful Community Spaces in the Bay Area—one in San Francisco (at The Museum of the African Diaspora) and one in Oakland (at Oakstop). Guild trustees Nancy Ng and Sofia Fojas graciously hosted us.
Some themes that emerged in conversation were the devastating impacts of gentrification and the artist exodus from the Bay Area; the importance of accessibility; the need for policy to support community arts education; the constant struggle to prove the importance and magic of this work in order to get funding, living wages for teaching artists and staff; connections to other types of community services; and much more! Attendees also raised the question of how the Guild can help disrupt the oppressive systems we're all functioning in, especially considering all that the pandemic has exposed.
Thank you to Pro Bono ASL for providing ASL interpretation, Erica Mones for the delicious food, and photographer Jordan Lewis for capturing the Oakland event.
Oakland Community Space at Oakstop. Photos by Jordan Lewis
Published: November 16, 2022