Opening Reception of Three Shows at The Orchard!

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 Sculpture by Bella Feldman

 

You are cordially invited to the 
Opening Reception of THREE Exhibitions
at The Orchard / Galleries on 25
Saturday, February 28, 2:00 - 5:00 pm

The Orchard / Galleries on 25  and Gray Loft Gallery
are pleased to present three exhibitions:

• The Orchard is honored to present a solo retrospective of the 50-year international career of Bella Feldman.  Bella Tabak Feldman (1930–2024) was an American sculptor and installation artist whose work merged steel, glass, and wood into psychologically charged, often surreal forms that probe themes of war, sexuality, vulnerability, and the anxieties of the industrial age. A pioneering woman in sculpture and a Professor Emerita at California College of the Arts in Oakland, she is widely recognized for innovating techniques that combine blown glass with fabricated metal, producing works that are at once physically imposing and emotionally fragile.
   
• We present nationally recognized metal sculptor Joseph Slusky is showing a selection of recent and past work. He is best known for his whimsical painted metal sculptures made from recycled scrap metal. Influences include metal toys, LA car culture, Constructivism and other twentieth century art movements. The sculptures explore realms of the subconscious and are fossilizations of the imagination. Joe taught drawing and three-dimensional design UC Berkeley’s Architecture Department for thirty-two years.
   
• Curated by Gray Loft Gallery, we are delighted to present a satellite exhibition of the Richmond Art Center’s Art of the African Diaspora.  Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area. It began in 1989 as a salon for African American artists known as Colors of Black, organized by artist and professor Marie Johnson Calloway.  This exhibition features 19 artists selected from the Richmond Art Center’s AOTAD roster, all of whom live and work in the Bay Area.  
  Featured Artists:
  Cynthia Brannvall, Stephen Bruce, Kim Champion, Cairo McCockran, Kelvin Curry, Anna W. Edwards, Jimi Evins, Eva Facey, Kin Folkz, Chuck Harlins, Raymond L. Haywood, Alexis Joseph,  Gathoni Kamau-Devers, Ashlie Kego, Eric Murphy, Arthur Norcome, Malcolm Ryder, Xan Walker, Darrin Westmore

 
Show dates:  February 28 through May 2, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 28, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, May 2, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

The Orchard /Galleries on 25
489 - 25th Street, Oakland CA  94612

About The Orchard / Galleries on 25
The Orchard / Galleries on 25, is a vibrant arts venue located in the heart of the Oakland Art Murmur District and a new arts destination in Oakland’s thriving Art Murmur district, offering space for galleries and individual artists to present exhibitions, installations, and events. With its collaborative model and spacious layout, Galleries on 25 aims to foster community engagement and showcase the creative diversity that defines the Bay Area art scene. 

About Gray Loft Gallery Uptown

Gray Loft Gallery Uptown is the satellite location of our Jingletown gallery, which has been inspiring art and enriching the local cultural landscape since 2012. Gray Loft Uptown continues this mission by providing exhibition opportunities in a space that offers an alternative to the traditional gallery model. We foster creativity, meaningful engagement, and celebration within our community and beyond. We proudly support emerging, mid-career, and established artists, with a special emphasis on those who live and work in the Bay Area.

The gallery was voted Best Art Gallery in 2016, 2017, and 2021, and ranked among the top five from 2022 to 2025 in the Oakland Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards.   The gallery is a proud member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association, Oakland Art Murmur and Jingletown Arts, Business and Community.

 

 

 

    

 Painting and Sculpture by Joseph Slusky

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 Examples of pieces by the artists in the Art of the African Diaspora exhibit

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

    

    

 

 

 

 

 

 UPCOMING EVENT
 Gray Loft Gallery presents “Texts/Worlds,” two readings and a performance by renowned experimental poets Stephen Ratcliffe, Barrett Watten, Carla Harryman, and composer/improvisor Jon Raskin.

Sunday, March 15, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Gray Loft Gallery @ The Orchard / Galleries on 25
489 - 25th Street, Oakland

 The event celebrates the West Coast book launch of Barrett Watten’s Zone: correlations (1973 2021), published by Chax Press, a collection of textual hybrid works that “correlate” disparate modes of writing.

Northern California poet Stephen Ratcliffe will read from his conceptually inflected poetry of time, space, and minute-by-minute cognition and perception from b r e a t h i n g , an on-going work, and his new chapbook onward walking on (Neo-Mimeo Press), accompanied by digital image projections. 

“Demonstrations: Gertrude Stein’s Do Let Us Go Away” is a text/musical performance continuing Carla Harryman and Jon Raskin’s work in word/sound compositions and improvisations.

READ MORE HERE

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Orchard / Galleries on 25
489 – 25th Street, Oakland, CA
hello@orchardgalleries.com
www.orchardgalleries.com

Gallery Hours: 
Every First Friday: 5:00 - 8:00 pm 
Saturdays from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. and by appointment
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

               

The Orchard / Galleries on 25 closing reception

We hope to see you at the Closing Reception on Saturday!   View this email in your browser

You are invited to the  Closing Reception  at The Orchard / Galleries on 25 Saturday, January 31, 2:00 - 5:00 pm   As our inaugural show comes to an end, we hope you will join us for the Closing Reception. The evening will feature a stunning array of work by 12 Bay Area artists and marks your final opportunity to meet the artists, explore our new space, and experience firsthand the creative pulse that defines Oakland’s vibrant 25th Street arts corridor. The Oakland arts community has given The Orchard a very warm welcome to the local art scene, and we are very grateful for this show of support!  Our inaugural exhibition has been on view since its debut on November 15, and we have loved welcoming many art lovers and collectors into the space. We are thrilled to share that the exhibition has received three wonderful reviews — we invite you to click below to read them. East Bay Express             Midbrow           SquareCylinder             Participating galleries and artists:  Anja Ulfeldt, Fernanda Martinez, Fernando Reyes, Gray Loft Gallery, John Wood, Lisa Levine, Meghan Shimek, Nemo Gould, Peter Dreyfuss, Simone Simon, Suzy Barnard, Tom White, Yulia Pinkusevich We look forward to celebrating with you this Saturday! Location: The Orchard / Galleries on 25 489 – 25th Street, Oakland, CA Closing Reception:  Saturday, January 31, 2:00 - 5:00 pm Next Exhibits: The gallery will be transitioning to our next set of shows which will feature the work of Bella Feldman and artists from the annual Art of the African Diaspora - opening later in February. About The Orchard / Galleries on 25 The Orchard / Galleries on 25, is a vibrant arts venue located in the heart of the Oakland Art Murmur District and a new arts destination in Oakland’s thriving Art Murmur district, offering space for galleries and individual artists to present exhibitions, installations, and events. With its collaborative model and spacious layout, Galleries on 25 aims to foster community engagement and showcase the creative diversity that defines the Bay Area art scene.  This dynamic 6,000-square-foot space, was created to bring together artists, galleries, and art lovers in one inspiring environment. The venue houses Gray Loft Uptown, alongside showrooms for 10 to 12 established local artists, offering a diverse and ever-evolving array of contemporary art.   “The idea behind The Orchard / Galleries on 25 is to create a space where creativity thrives and connections happen,” says founder Peter Dreyfuss. “Oakland’s art scene has incredible energy, and we’re thrilled to contribute a new home for artists and audiences to engage, collaborate, and celebrate.”   Visit us on Instagram Please check out these blog posts by Styrous about the exhibits at The Orchard! The Opening      Suzy Barnard     Peter Dreyfuss     Nemo Gould Lisa Levine     Fernanda Martinez     Yulia Pinkusevich     Fernando Reyes Meghan Shimek     Simone Simon     Anja Ulfeldt    John Wood     Tom White

Below are examples of ART in the gallery.

Painting by John W. Wood

Mixed media by Anja Ulfeldt   Painting by Suzy Barnard   Sculpture by Nemo Gould     Sculpture by Peter Dreyfuss   Photograph by Lisa Levine Sculpture by Meghan Shimek   Mixed media by Tom White    Painting by Simone Simon   Mixed media by Fernando Reyes    The Orchard / Galleries on 25 489 – 25th Street, Oakland, CA Gallery Hours:  Every First Friday: 5:00 - 8:00 pm  Fridays by appointment and Saturdays from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.

 

Sculpture by Fernanda Martinez