PRESS RELEASE: Sustaining Roots and Developing a Legacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SUSTAINING ROOTS and DEVELOPING A LEGACY
WHAT: Building the Center for ArtEsteem Pre-Groundbreaking Ceremony
WHEN: October 5, 2022 @ 2:30PM
WHERE: 3111 West Street, Oakland, CA 94608
CONTACT: Amana Harris, 510-652-5530/amana@ahc-oakland.org
The Center for ArtEsteem, also known as Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC - Oakland) invites the public to the “Building the Center for ArtEsteem” Pre-Groundbreaking Ceremony celebrating its recent property and land acquisition, plans for the city, and capital campaign achievements as it prepares for renovations during Phase I.
With Special Guest Mayor Libby Schaaf joined by Councilmembers Reid, Sheng, Taylor and a representative from Councilwoman Fife’s office, the event will engage the community in offering their blessings while serving as a testament to the kind of BIPOC community resiliency needed in Oakland.
As waves of displacement continue, BIPOC communities again are experiencing the catastrophic footprints of inequity from the onslaught of development, tech takeovers, and gentrification. Recovery from real estate policies from the urban redevelopment era of the 50’s that redlined and marginalized communities of color never had the chance to effectively take root. While these systematic practices have devastatingly curbed the tide of progress, for BIPOC communities and artists an opportunity for atonement arises.
The “Building the Center for ArtEsteem” Capital Campaign and Building Project will transform and beautify 5,000 square feet of land and property in West Oakland. Taking place in two phases, AHC will assume site ownership, renovate an existing building, and move organizational operations to its new home at 3111 West Street during Phase I. During Phase 2, AHC will construct a new studio, exhibition, and community event space at 3115 West Street. This effort will provide arts and healing opportunities for children, youth and families for decades to come.
As a longtime West Oakland resident and native I’ve seen so many changes that have not been
in our best interest. Knowing that The Center for ArtEsteem will be able to continue and grow
its vital arts and healing work through this important capital project brings hope and a
sense of reciprocity that will better the lives of the people in our community.
– Paul Cobb, Oakland Post Publisher
Since its founding in 1989, AHC has operated from the ground floor of a duplex, an industrial warehouse, and an office building, making for a pattern of location instability that set the organization's board and leadership on a critical mission to own its destiny. This project is a testament to and model for Oakland BIPOC residents and organizational leaders.
The mission of The Center for ArtEsteem is to empower individuals to be self-aware and inspired through art, creativity and education; to make positive choices to break the cycle of violence for ourselves and our communities.
Building the Center for ArtEsteem: Pre-Groundbreaking Ceremony (10/5)
The Attitudinal Healing Connection is Building the Center for ArtEsteem!
This capital campaign and building project will transform and beautify 5,000 square feet of land and property in West Oakland, taking place in two phases. During Phase 1 in 2022, AHC will assume site ownership, renovate an existing building, and move organizational operations to our new home at 3111 West Street. During Phase 2, AHC will construct a new studio, exhibition, and community event space at 3115 West Street.
As we enter the final stretch of our Phase I goal, we invite you to join us at our upcoming Pre-Groundbreaking Ceremony!
Special guests include…
Drumming performance from Tacuma King of Bay Area Youth Arts!
Messages of support from Mayor Libby Schaaf, District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife’s representative, District 4 Councilmember Sheng Thao, District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor, and District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH - 3111 WEST STREET - 2:30 PM
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GUIDELINES:
All of our staff will be masked and are vaccinated. We strongly recommend wearing a mask and receiving vaccination before entering the ceremony.
According to Alameda County Public Health: “Wearing masks is strongly urged in indoor settings and required in certain high-risk settings. You may choose to wear a mask in outdoor crowded settings, and in non-public indoor settings, like a private residence, when you are around people who may be unvaccinated, elderly, or immunocompromised. While fully vaccinated people are well-protected from severe illness due to variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, they may get asymptomatic or mild infections. To protect everyone, wear a mask to help slow the spread of the virus.“
Be mindful of social distancing; respect everyone’s space.
Since our founding in 1989, AHC has operated from the ground floor of a duplex, an industrial warehouse, and an office building. No matter the location, we have always been ready to serve our community members to provide healing through art. While this pattern of location instability has not deterred our spirits, it has limited our programmatic capacity and laid obstacles for staff duties and strategic planning.
We set off on this journey to accommodate the expansion of ArtEsteem programming and the subsequent need for more space because we recognize that there is a continuous need for safe spaces of creative expression. In 2017, AHC mustered up the courage to move from our flat at the corner of 33rd and West. The city of Oakland, reflecting the symptoms of our economic system, is becoming impossible to afford and artists–especially BIPOC artist communities–face displacement. We are building The Center for ArtEsteem to meet the need for ongoing healing, education, and positive systemic change to continue to transform lives and set forth the next generation of critically minded creators and culture-shapers.
Once we begin to operate from our new home, The Center for ArtEsteem will foster sustainability and identity in the neighborhood where we originally planted seeds, developed roots, and bore the fruits of creative labor.
Gratitude to our sponsors and collaborators for believing in our vision for Oakland!
Highlighting the Story of the Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project: AHC's Feature in Oaklandside
The Center for ArtEsteem featured in Oaklandside’s Arts & Community Spread
‘Born out of this community’:
How 2 West Oakland arts nonprofits spotlight Hoover-Durant
by Ricky Rodas
“Center for ArtEsteem and Bay Area Mural Program’s San Pablo Avenue murals represent the neighborhood’s history and culture.”
We're Hiring!
Join Our Team
Attitudinal Healing Connection is a 30+ year-old, community-based youth and public art, healing and advocacy organization. We work with the arts to inspire and educate the children and youth in our community, creating support and continuity from grades TK-12 and beyond, engaging with them in their contexts of culture, family, friends, school, the larger communities within the cities of Oakland, San Francisco and beyond. AHC promotes a culture of creativity, and of unity within diversity.
AHC seeks to hire teaching artists—trained, practicing artist and teachers—with a passion for education and building healthy, safe communities. An excellent candidate loves working collaboratively, is trained and experienced to teach in-person, is familiar with best practices in classroom settings, and is committed to racial, economic, and environmental justice.
Building the Center for ArtEsteem: Open House & Block Festival (3/26)
WHERE:
3111 West Street
Oakland, CA 94608
WHEN:
Saturday, March 26th, 2022
1:00 - 4:00 PM
GUIDELINES:
Proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID test result from within 72 hours required for entrance.
Be mindful of social distancing; respect everyone’s space.
Masks must be worn at all times, with an exception for the eating/drinking area. All eating and drinking must take place in the designated area (signage and guidance provided at event).
ACTIVITIES:
AHC Rebrand Reveal
ArtEsteem ArtMobile Creativity Area
live mural
live mosaic
logo coloring pages
sidewalk chalk
face and body painting
tote bag screen-printing
History of ArtEsteem Gallery
Community Resource Booths
CATERING:
Enjoy a wonderful selection of tacos from Tacos el Precioso, an Oakland-based catering company which prioritizes cooking delicious food with locally sourced, ethically grown ingredients.
Funded by the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program: Neighborhood Voices for Festivals grant.
Location Update: AHC Has Found A New Home!
With great joy, we'd like to announce that AHC has moved to 101 Myrtle Street!
Our transition was made possible by our friends at Civicorps, who informed us of a vacancy right above their office space. This sunny, cozy and unique setting fits our needs while we continue with programming and gear up to launch our Capital Campaign. Between the collaboration and support of Civicorps, our community, and our dedicated staff, we have made a smooth transition from American Steel.
Currently, we are working to settle into the space while staying mobile enough for our next move to our permanent home.
Stay tuned!
Workforce Highlight: Domonic at Community Foods Market
Community Foods Market (CFM) opened its doors in June 2019 after a decade-long effort to address the food access needs in West Oakland. In addition to food justice, this noteworthy grocery store is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of employees from the community they serve.
Earn2Learn graduate Domonic, pictured in front of Community Foods Market.
Sharing in both values and commitment to the wellness and empowerment of the communities we serve, AHC partnered with CFM again this summer as a worksite for our Earn2Learn program. Earn2Learn intends to connect local youth with Oakland’s medley of businesses, providing training in workplace readiness, self-confidence, and career projection, all with the ultimate result of employment.
Since 2014, AHC has guided 134 youth into positions within our network of Oakland business partners. Participants have expressed that Earn2Learn helped them gain essential hours of job experience, granting access in the future to positions with varied skill sets and experience requirements. Domonic was one of many youth participants to receive paid mentored training and subsequent work that built a solid foundation for navigating a workplace.
For four days a week, Domonic would wake up at 6am to shower, eat breakfast, and take the bus to arrive in time for his 8am shift at CFM. As an entry level grocery stocker, his learning curve was steep. During a worksite program check-in, one supervisor mentioned that Domonic "had a lot of potential and showed good character", and was working consistently to improve his area of focus: communication skills.
Domonic was receptive to the feedback, and would demonstrate measurable improvements in his performance towards the end of the program. During his last week, Domonic asked his supervisors if he could be officially hired. They said yes, and now Domonic begins work at 5am, four days a week, still dedicated to his work at Community Foods Market.
Domonic’s journey to employment at CFM demonstrates how a combination of community resources and mindful business practices continues to be a necessity within West Oakland, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As CFM profoundly states: “Our vision is to become an empowering, inspiring and transformative place to work for our employees and to enable them to feel a sense of purpose in their work. We strive to create a workplace environment where our employees are empowered to make a difference and are continuously developing and improving themselves.”
SHOP COMMUNITY FOODS
Now offering curbside pickup!
Back To School: Art Kits
AHC knows that it takes imagination to change the world, and that art is a powerful tool to help young people develop self-awareness and compassion. As schools are beginning to host classes in-person, Art Kits are an important part of the ‘Back To School’ season. Each kit contains everything a student needs to stay creative - art supplies, printed activity guides developed by educators and information about additional online resources.
AHC provides arts education to some of the most underserved communities in Oakland, with 90% of students coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The Art Kit program fills the gap, providing supplies and curriculum to students who would not ordinarily have access to arts education. Click here to support our Art Kit Program.
ArtEsteem Featured at FLAX art & design
We are excited to announce our current exhibition at FLAX art & design in Downtown Oakland.
The paintings on display were created by students in our integrated arts program, ArtEsteem. This is the perfect opportunity to see the work of Oakland youth in-person and AHC Teaching Artist Laila Espinoza is enthusiastic, “It’s a great gift to be able to share art.” She mentions that the exhibition sparked interest even during the installation, “When I was putting the pieces up, customers were curious about the paintings...the powerful stories behind them and the students who created them.”
FLAX art & design have been the Bay Area’s most well-loved retail art business for over 30 years. The ArtEsteem Exhibition is available for viewing at its Oakland location during normal business hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00am-6:30pm and Sunday from 10:00am- 6:00pm.
1501 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94612
ArtEsteem Exhibition: A New Awakening
Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC) invites the public to ArtEsteem’s 23rd Annual Art Exhibition, Reflections of Me and My World “A New Awakening.” This unique virtual experience will showcase the transformative power of art.
We invite you to join us in celebrating Oakland youth, and their bright future full of hope, resiliency and compassion.
