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
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

               

September Gallery Events

Minoo Hamzavi Presents
TRIPTYCH - a solo performance

Saturday September 7, 5:00 -7:00 pm
Performance starts at 5:30 pm

Featuring:
The America That I Love
 Furious Fuchsias
I Choose Freedom

Minoo Hamzavi holds a BFA in Textile Arts from the California College of Arts & Crafts and an MA in Sculptural Performance from  San Francisco State University. She has performed and choreographed productions since 1980.  These performances are her "love letters to my fellow human beings."

Suggested donation: $5 - $10

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We were thrilled with our last exhibit Among The Trees, which was referred to as a "Sophisticated Forest" in a review by Agustin Maes.

If you missed the show  - but are interested in learning more about it, please check out these two  wonderful show reviews:  A Sophisticated Forest by Agustin Maes
I Love My Tree; My Tree Loves Me by Malcolm Ryder

Follow us on  Instagram for updates and examples of the the work in the show.

If you discover a piece that you are interested in, please contact us for more information.

Upcoming Events

The New College Circle
The Life-long Impact of a Creative Education

September 21 – November 10, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, Sept. 21, 5:30 - 7:00 pm

An exhibition of archival materials, costume design, film, drawing, landscape design, music, installation, sculpture, performance, and photography, celebrating fifty years of creative achievement launched by an experimental education at New College of California in San Francisco.

Featured Artists: Carola Anderson, David B. Doty, Michael Patrick Lynch, Elaine McKeen, Henry S. Rosenthal, Dale Soules, Meredith Tromble and Jan Watten.

Curated by Meredith Tromble 

Read more about the show in the press release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 7, 8 and 14
Small works show held during the annual Jingletown Winter Art Walk.  
Stay tuned for more information

 

 

 

 photo by JM Golding

 

 

 

 

PURPLE

Our next juried photo show theme is purple!
Juried by Ann Jastrab, Executive Director of the Center for Photographic Art and Jan Watten

Stay tuned for more information about this exhibit that will take place in early 2025.

 

 

 

 

ABOUT  GRAY  LOFT  GALLERY

  Gray Loft Gallery has promoted the rich art culture of Jingletown and the greater Bay Area for 12 years. The gallery has been referred to as a hidden gem in Jingletown, and noted by the late Kenneth Baker, former SF Chronicle Art Critic, in his Visual Arts Don’t Miss Column as “…A space gaining prominence in the Bay Area…”   The mission of the gallery is to provide exhibition opportunities for artists in a setting that is an alternative to the traditional gallery model. We hope to inspire, engage and celebrate artists in our community and beyond.  We acknowledge the achievements of emerging, mid-career and established artists – with an emphasis on those who live and work in the Bay Area – in a non-traditional art space.  We are proud that many artists began their art career at Gray Loft Gallery.
 
“I have always enjoyed this gallery, superb atmosphere and lighting. The polished and worn hardwood floors creek slightly in places as you climb to the third floor, providing a granular and unique, organic aesthetic. This is a do-not-miss venue in the East Bay.”  –  Facebook Review

Gray Loft Gallery has received "Best Art Gallery" in the Oakland Magazine's Readers Choice Award in 2016, 2017, 2021 and voted one of five top art galleries in 2022 and 2023.

 

 

 

 

GRAY LOFT GALLERY
is a proud member of the Oakland Art Murmur and
Jingletown Arts and Business Association

Gallery Hours:  
The gallery will be closed until September 21.

Open Studios is happening this weekend at Gray Loft Gallery!

Join us in Jingletown  for our annual East Bay Open Studios!  

More than 20 artists will be participating throughout the neighborhood! 

Start your tour at Gray Loft Gallery!
Join us for our Preview Party on December 1!

WINTER  OPEN  STUDIOS
in conjunction with East Bay Open Studios

Collectors Preview Party @Gray Loft Gallery
Friday, December 1, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
special open studios discounts will be offered at the Preview Party

 
Open Studios: December 2 + 3, 11:00 – 5:00 pm

 

Participating Artists:
Mary Ann Leff – painting
Dorie Meister – hand wrought jewelry
Malcolm Ryder – photography
Jenny Sampson – photography
Alex Starfield – photography
Susan Tuttle – jewelry/mixed media
Emilie Watten – photography
Jan Watten – photography
Stephanie Williamson – photography

Join us in Jingletown!
More than 20 artists will be opening their studios for our annual Open Studios event.
 Check out art, discover unique gifts and have fun at our annual open studio event that highlights the work of artists who live and/or work in Jingletown, a small but mighty arts neighborhood in Oakland.

Jingletown Raffle! 
Enter our raffle for your chance to win original art from one of the many artists participating in Open Studios this year.  Pick up a raffle ticket at Gray Loft Gallery!
 
While you are touring the neighborhood, stop by Ford Street Studios for 
Pizza, Wine and Live Music!
Saturday, December 2, noon to 4:30: Gabba Gabba Pizza and Drawbridge Cellars
Saturday, December 2, 2:00 - 4:30: music by Stephen Dreyfuss and company
Sunday, December 3, noon to 4:00:  Gabba Gabba Pizza

Come to Jingletown and get inspired!
Thank you for supporting local artists and galleries!

Open Studios throughout Jingletown: December 2 + 3, 11:00 – 5:00 pm
For more information about Jingletown, please see our website.

Please visit our Instagram page for more photos of the gallery.

"Moonrise V2" by Francis Baker

PRETTY  IN  PINK!
Our next juried photo show will be on view in January.
Please stay tuned for the selection of photographer's work chosen to be on display.
Show dates:  January 20 - February 17, 2024

Photo by Styrous

Oakland Style Week was a hit!
Check out our post about this wonderful fashion show event in the gallery recently!

IN THE NEWS
We were delighted to be featured in a KTVU Channel 2 feature story about Jingletown.
Please click here to view the story about Gray Loft Gallery and the artists and history of Jingletown.

ABOUT  GRAY  LOFT  GALLERY

  Gray Loft Gallery has promoted the rich art culture of Jingletown and the greater Bay Area for 11 years. The gallery has been referred to as a hidden gem in Jingletown, and noted by the late Kenneth Baker, former SF Chronicle Art Critic, in his Visual Arts Don’t Miss Column as “…A space gaining prominence in the Bay Area…”   The mission of the gallery is to provide exhibition opportunities for artists in a setting that is an alternative to the traditional gallery model. We hope to inspire, engage and celebrate artists in our community and beyond.  We acknowledge the achievements of emerging, mid-career and established artists – with an emphasis on those who live and work in the Bay Area – in a non-traditional art space. A number of artists began their art career at Gray Loft Gallery.
 
“I have always enjoyed this gallery, superb atmosphere and lighting. The polished and worn hardwood floors creek slightly in places as you climb to the third floor, providing a granular and unique, organic aesthetic. This is a do-not-miss venue in the East Bay.”  –  Facebook Review

Gray Loft Gallery has received "Best Art Gallery" in the Oakland Magazine's Readers Choice Award in 2016, 2017, 2021 and voted one of five top art galleries in 2022 and 2023.
 

  

GRAY LOFT GALLERY
is a proud member of the Oakland Art Murmur and
Jingletown Arts and Business Association

Open Studios Hours:  
Friday, December 1: Preview Party - 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 - 5:00 pm

2889 Ford Street, third floor, Oakland CA 94601
Not wheelchair accessible.

Art and Wine! Last Two Weeks of Art of the African Diaspora Exhibit

There are only two weeks remaining to see the Art of the African Diaspora!  

 

Please join us in Jingletown this Saturday!

 

Art and Wine is a lovely combination!
Join us on Saturday, March 4, 3:00 - 5:00 pm for a special tasting of
award winning wines made by the incredible McBride Sisters Wine Company!

While you are tasting the McBride Sisters Wines, you can view our satellite exhibit
Art of the African Diaspora

 

   

 

 

 

 Art of the African Diaspora
a satellite exhibit at Gray Loft Gallery
 on view until March 11, 2023

The gallery is open on Saturdays from 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Gallery address:  2889 Ford Street, Oakland
 
Gray Loft Gallery is delighted to participate in the Richmond Art Center’s Art of the African Diaspora as a satellite exhibition.  Art of the African Diaspora is the longest running event of its kind in the Bay Area, this year showcasing more than 150 artists of African descent.  Gray Loft Gallery has curated an exhibition celebrating eight African American artists, all living and working in Oakland and the Bay Area.  Works in the exhibit will include abstract painting, figurative work, mixed media and watercolor.  Please join us in the celebration!

We are delighted with a review of the exhibit by Malcolm Ryder.
Please check it out here.

Featured Artists:
Cynthia Brannvall, mixed media
Stephen Bruce, painting
Kelvin Curry, mixed media
Jimi Evins, painting
Raymond L. Haywood, painting
Yolanda Holley, mixed media
Arthur Norcome, painting
Tomye: Living Artist, mixed media

Closing Reception: March 11, 4:00 - 6:30 pm.
 
Examples of some of the pieces in the exhibit are below, but please check out our Instagram page for more examples of pieces in the show.

 

Cynthia Brannvall

Father Figure
Identity Mapping Series: family photos, map of Africa America and Sweden printed on rice paper, with beeswax on panel wood panel 
16 x 20

Stephen Bruce Arrecife Azul Acid Painting on Copper

 

Kelvin Curry

AfroModernizm #3
Acrylic Painting
36 x 60

Jimi Evins Looking Outside Oil on panel 22"×10"

Raymond L. Haywood Acrylic on wood panel 36” x 36” x 2”

Yolanda Holley My Soul Sees Black Joy mixed media collage, acrylic paints, water soluble inks, charcoal 24”x18”

Tomye Neal-Madison Never Have I Ever Giclee of Gouache w/ photos, paper 25” x 21”

Arthur Norcome   Anaphase  Watercolor 16 x 20

UPCOMING  SHOWS 

Depictions
A group show of portrait based work
April 1 – May 6, 2023

Featured Artists:
Jayne Beihn
Gene Dominique
Christine Ferrouge
Lin Fischer
Drew Klausner
Lynn Francis McGeever
Glenna Mills
Jude Pittman
Bill Prochnow
Ron Saunders

____________

East Bay Open Studios
May 13 + 14

Participating Artists
Dorie Meister – hand wrought jewelry
Malcolm Ryder – photography
Jenny Sampson – photography
Alex Starfield – photography
Susan Tuttle – jewelry/mixed media
Emilie Watten – photography
Jan Watten – photography
Stephanie Williamson – photography

ART  ABOUT  TOWN!

 

 

If you are interested in the history of Jingletown - please check out the first edition of Art About Town, a new blog published by the Oakland Art Murmur written by Mills College professor, historian and author Mario Hernandez.  We were thrilled to be featured in the inaugural story about the art and artists of Oakland.  In this thoughtfully crafted article you will learn about the history of Jingletown and the artists who created the first live/work studio building in the neighborhood - who are featured in this exhibition.
 

ABOUT  GRAY  LOFT  GALLERY
 

Gray Loft Gallery has promoted the rich art culture of Jingletown and the greater Bay Area for 11 years. The gallery has been referred to as a hidden gem in Jingletown, and noted by the late Kenneth Baker, former SF Chronicle Art Critic, in his Visual Arts Don’t Miss Column as “…A space gaining prominence in the Bay Area…”   The mission of the gallery is to provide exhibition opportunities for artists in a setting that is an alternative to the traditional gallery model. We hope to inspire, engage and celebrate artists in our community and beyond.  We acknowledge the achievements of emerging, mid-career and established artists – with an emphasis on those who live and work in the Bay Area – in a non-traditional art space. A number of artists began their art career at Gray Loft Gallery.
 
“I have always enjoyed this gallery, superb atmosphere and lighting. The polished and worn hardwood floors creek slightly in places as you climb to the third floor, providing a granular and unique, organic aesthetic. This is a do-not-miss venue in the East Bay.”  –  Facebook Review

Gray Loft Gallery has received "Best Art Gallery" in the Oakland Magazine's Readers Choice Award in 2016, 2017, 2021 and voted one of five top art galleries in 2022.
 

Hours:  Saturdays, 1:00 - 5:00pm 

 
And by appointment.

 

 

 

Our mailing address is:

 
Gray Loft Gallery

2889 Ford Street, third floor

Oakland, CA94601