.Arts Feature

The pandemic was hard on live theaters. Many small companies did not survive it. But the innovative and scrappy Oakland Theater Project was able to draw inspiration from its home, scrappy and innovative The Town, and will...

The pure joy radiating from the members of South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo was shown to the world when the documentary Paul Simon, Graceland: The African Concert debuted in 1987. Their vocal harmonies had already received global acclaim...

The difficulty in beginning a conversation with Oakland-based, New York Times best-selling novelist and writer Tommy Orange is deciding which direction to go. We could shift into reverse and march through his earliest years, being born and raised...

FASHION’S FUTURE Fashion is the art medium with the biggest worldwide participation. The clothes a person wears reflect their character, even when unintentional. Someone’s favorite band can be displayed on the front of a sweatshirt, or the boots...

The limited-edition artwork of nine winners of Oakland Public Library’s 2024 library card contest combines to create a vibrant, celebratory mini-exhibit of the city of Oakland and its people. Honoring Black artistry, culture and history, and reflecting...

Busting down the fourth wall between performers and live audiences in a project with Berkeley Repertory Theatre after a five-year hiatus from the stage, Oakland-based, Emmy Award-winning stand-up comedian, writer, director and producer W. Kamau Bell asks...

MoToR/dance's full evening-length production, "Water in the Kettle," is a masterclass in poignant and exuberant choreography and compelling storytelling, featuring a multigenerational cast of women and additional guest musicians, and exploring the complex female in a way that's not didactic but expository, with humor, grace and tight ensemble rhythm.