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!