Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Important Notice: NIAD’s response to COVID-19//
NIAD Art Center values the health of our artists and our community, and we want to be in touch with you to let you know about steps we are taking to keep our community safe (especially our most vulnerable members). In keeping with Bay Area school districts and what we predict will be the decision […]
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Online Exhibition: Draw Your Letters selected by Danny Floyd
About the exhibition When I was in elementary school, we had to take handwriting as a class. The teacher would hand out lined newsprint and these special pens that were in an odd shape ostensibly to make them easier for small hands to hold and control. She would often say to us, “Be sure to […]
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Online Exhibition: Artist of the Month Series: We Are Creating Our History curated by Deatra Colbert, Felicia Griffin, and Dorrie Reid
About the exhibition “Black History Month is a time when I like to think about how we talk about our history together at NIAD. We learn about reading and cooking and printmaking and sewing. I’ve been thinking about how I’ve been coming here making art for a long time, and so I know I’m going down in […]
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Jean McElvane’s Playlist: Walls, Windows, and Mirrors //
NIAD artist, Jean McElvane, has created a playlist of songs about walls, windows, and mirrors for us! “The idea for this set list came from the thought of looking beyond four walls, through the window, and a good look in the mirror looking back at what’s there,” says Jean. You can view Jean’s available artwork in […]
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Online Exhibition: Artist of the Month Series: Peter Harris
About the exhibition “I made all of these. Pink, green, blue: it’s art.” Over the past few years, NIAD artists have been delving deeper into the curatorial aspects of their practices by participating in our Artist of the Month program, which converts a portion of the communal studio into an installation and exhibition space. Working individually or in teams, artists elect […]
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Online Event: Thirsty Thursday with Raven Harper and Shawna Kinard //
Join us online at 6PM, Thursday, February 11! We’ll welcome NIAD Studio Artists Raven Harper and Shawna Kinard in conversation about their NIAD Windows Exhibition, “History in the Making.” In addition to curating this month’s NIAD Windows Show, Raven and Shawna join seven NIAD Studio Artists exhibiting in Richmond Art Center’s Art of the African Diaspora. At Thirsty Thursday, they […]
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NIAD Windows Exhibition: History in the Making organized by Raven Harper and Shawna Kinard //
About the exhibition In this exhibition, Shawna Kinard and Raven Harper are exploring their relationship to Black history through the lens of NIAD Studio Artists whose work they identify with. “Black women deserve to be heard. Often Black people don’t get to be heard and I wanted to show Black women because I know a […]
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Interesting Reading: What Art Does for Us – and Why We Should Support It //
Melissa Kirsch from the New York Times reflects on how art helps us live – and why we should all help art and artists survive – during the pandemic, and always. Read the story here. And if you can, support art at NIAD, here.
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Online Exhibition: The Absence of Evidence Is Not the Evidence of Absence, selected by Christina Hughmanick //
About the exhibition This exhibition strings together graphic images developed by each artist to reconsider written language in relation to early human mark making. From a talk given by paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger in 2015 entitled Why are these 32 symbols found in ancient caves all over Europe?: “As you pass through the portal between light […]
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Interesting Viewings: Jean McElvane selects the top 20 “No More Pain and Suffering” Favorites //
“The idea for this email came from wanting to feel good. Enjoy. 😂🎵😖” – Jean McElvane
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Online Exhibition: Carlota Rodriguez + Elena Rossi, selected by Samantha Bittman
About the exhibition For this exhibition, I decided to focus on a selection of paintings and fiber-based artworks by Carlota Rodriguez and Elena Rossi. In each artist’s work, I was immediately compelled by their use of vibrant color, pattern, and materiality, as well as their loose approach to geometric composition, which strikes me as playfully […]
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