Betti Ono

The Fire Next Time: A Call & Response (TFNT) initiative continues this year with our virtual artist-in-residence @damondavis . TFNT commissions artists and artists collectives to design creative responses addressing the most critical issues impacting Black and Brown people today - inspired by the life and legacy of James Baldwin and the band of artists, actors, instigators and agitators who worked together to advance freedom, human rights, racial and social justice. In a pr...actice that is part therapy, part social commentary, Davis’ work spans across a spectrum of creative mediums to tell stories exploring how identity is informed by power and mythology. Throughout this month we are excited to take you on a journey of exploration highlighting Davis’ work as a post-disciplinary artist and delving into the origins and stories behind his Darker Gods I: In The Garden of the Low-Hanging Heaven, an afro-surrealism project that introduces a universe of Black mythology filled with Gods, Deities, and sacred spaces. Throughout his residency at Betti Ono, Davis will create new work for his Darker Gods series, focusing on the second chapter in his three-part trilogy. The residency will culminate in an exhibition and premiere of Darker Gods: At the Lake of Dreams, featuring new work. Stay tuned on our IG as Davis’ Black mythology stories unfold over the coming weeks

Almost always the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. - Martin Luther King, Jr. A simple, yet creative way to honor and celebrate the legacy of #MLK. Get this downloadable coloring sheet by Richmond artist Tiffany Conway @projectgetfree via the @richmondartcenter website. #Artwelove

Our 2020 wind down was spent in thoughtful reflection and visioning mode. We have taken a gentle approach to how we start off 2021 and are so excited to be offering a workshop series that centers the safety of *girls in partnership with Alliance for Girls ( @alliance4girls ) and Wakanda Dream Lab (@wakandadreamlab) this February! As we've taken in the state of the country and the vulnerable state of our community due to COVID-19, taking time to dream and begin to build th...e future worlds we dream of, is not only needed, but essential. Registration is open now to attend the FREE Freedom Dreams workshop series, for girls*, boys, and adult ally’s to tap into their world building power to vision and create radically safe futures for *girls. Link to RSVP for all three workshops in our bio. See you there. *Girls refers to gender-expansive youth (cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth and any girl-identified youth). See more

To really do this right, we must zip close together. Then let go. A #flashbackfriday look back and into the Betti Ono archives gives us pause, a moment to rest and reflect on the transformative power of creative sisterhoods. Made of love, respect, intimacy, collaboration, and deep trust. Built over time, these safe spaces are where our radical imaginations run free, where we can show up whole or undone. Everywhere and in between. Yet always in our truth. Where we become see...rs, strengthen our resolve to push through, name ourselves, and light up the paths that future us forward. These images transport us back to 2014 and one of our most memorable exhibits and experiences, AMEN: Collaborative Meditations for Survival, featuring the work of then emerging and now very established artists/creators @wildhomegirl and @drkholi. Amen, re-imagined a future grounded in the affirmation and history of all people, and intentionally inclusive of marginalized queer people of color. Amen also made visible a beautiful sisterhood and moments of becoming in the lives of two incredibly talented people who wholeheartedly supported one another’s journey, and have since stepped fully into their power. Sis, we see you. Hold on to this spirit of sisterhood and stay encouraged. Carousel images: 1. Opening night, photo of artists with friends and partial installation view and word SCREAM a text based mixed media work by dr.kholi. 2. Amen, exhibition postcard/announcement. 3. Portrait photograph of behind the scenes moment of laughter between artist/friends in studio. 4. Image of Instructions for a Storm mixed media work on paper by Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski. 5. Behind the scenes photo of dr.kholi making work. 6. Amen open night photo of sisterly moment shared between guests. 7. Image of Instructions for a Freedom mixed media work on paper by Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski.

In February 2021 a mural, honoring the Women of the Black Panther Party and the #SayHerName movement, will be unveiled in West Oakland! This is the first time EVER that the Women of the Black Panther Party will be celebrated and acknowledged this way. As described by Jilchristina, the founder of this initiative and the West Oakland Mural Project, there will be 40 ft chocolate Brownskin women on my house. Jilchristina Vest purchased her home about 20 years ago with ...the help of her friends and community. In 2021, her home will house a ‘response to the continued violence and systematic oppression of BIPOC, and as a result of the chronic blindness towards and seeming invisibility of Black Women’. Today, in Jilchristinas words, let's move with authenticity. With the authenticity channeled from the Black Women and the Brown Women who changed the World!

Black women are the backbone of democracy. We could not have done this without you - Kamala Harris It's been one week since the election. Black Women, we the real MVPs. We showed up and showed out. Our vote and our voice matters. This is a historic victory and it’s complicated. We can celebrate and hold our political leaders accountable as we continue to demand radical change.

We are so thankful to our community and partners who have made this month of activations so incredibly special. This anniversary season has been replenishing and inspiring, we are honored to hold this space. This Friday, join Betti Ono and @gold.beams as we close out "The Spaces We're In: Centering the Safety of Black and Brown Women. Our partners, @exhalecollective will be engaging the public in a reflection on personal and communal safety and facilitating the creation of a...rt in a safe space. Betti Ono’s Fellow, @taylor.nicole.price will be presenting a sneak peak of the forthcoming documentary, a compilation of the interviews from the Betti Ono Pop Up Studio. There will also be spoken word performances by the founders of Gold Beams, @maud.alcorn and @beammeuptayleur , our month-long co-curators, as well as other performances from some of our community partners throughout the month! Come celebrate this month of community engagement, release, and the amplification of the voices of Black and Brown women and girls. RSVP using the link in the bio! Photography by @doreanraye

Hello from the @bettiono @gold.beams crew. We’re feeling grounded and connected and want to share a heartfelt THANK YOU to Maya of @blackjoyparade for sharing her practice with us, facilitating a wonderful slow flow yoga session and opportunity to bring presence, safety, and joy to our mind and bodies this morning. And, thank each of you for joining in The Spaces We’re In series for intimate in-person experiences, live and on zoom. Later today, we’ll be activating the Betti Ono studios again and recording more reflections and thoughts from Black and Brown women, giving voice to our visions of safety. See you soon!

The Spaces We Are In series co-curated by @bettiono x @goldbeams is LIVE now with Making The Space: The Role of Black Men in the Safety of Black and Brown Women a conversation with Black men of @create_the_space @welcometothetablesf and @blackjoyparade,. Click the link in the bio /go to Create The Space YouTube to join.

Join us this weekend as we continue ‘The Spaces We’re In’ series, cultivating safety within the community and ourselves. This Friday, men from @create_the_space , Welcome to the Table, and the Black Joy Parade will discuss how they help to make the world safer today for Black women and girls and what other men can do to ensure safety for Black women and girls tomorrow and beyond. Create the Space is a community wellness and culture building platform with an I-centric focus on... the individual using self-intimacy as a framework for designing better outcomes in life and building programming geared toward identifying people’s voices and driving purposeful achievement. This is such an important conversation and we are thankful to Create the Space for their commitment to creating a world of emotionally conscious and resilient men that can be better for themselves, one another, women, and their communities. Tune in to this YouTube Live event, RSVP using the link in the bio! Saturday we will be taking some time to decompress and be present with our physical bodies with Maya Sykes of the Black Joy Parade, a certified yoga instructor who incorporates the grounding aspects of slow-flow vinyasa into her teaching style. This live yoga event gently explores what safety feels like in the body, and how we can show up for ourselves mentally, communally, and physically. Join Maya via Zoom and find your joy within! RSVP using the link in the bio!

This month of activations has us feeling replenished and watered.They've been our communion.The events in the calendar above show how we, and some very special partners, are continuing to celebrate, affirm and love on Black and Brown Women and Girls.October makes 10 years of Betti Ono.Betti Ono has been a space where Black and Brown women can create, explore, and thrive in their artistry boldly and expansively.It's one of the ways we build safety. Be with us as we contin...ue to commemorate.Use the link in our bio to free RSVP's to the events above and visit our website to learn more about The Spaces We're In. Thank you to our partners @gold.beams @alliance4girls @exhalecollective @housefullofblackwomen @blackjoyparade - Betti Ono

Last weekend’s Opening Ceremony for The Spaces We’re In: Centering the Safety of Black and Brown Women was incredible. Betti Ono is honored to be deepening our collaboration with @alliance4girls , an organization all about enabling girls with the power to learn, to be seen, to be heard, to be understood and to make a difference. Join us for a celebration of our girl leaders on the International Day of the Girl, this Monday. RSVP via the link in our bio!

In a continuation of The Spaces We’re In, we want to welcome in House/Full of BlackWomen. Set in various public sites throughout Oakland over a five-year period, this community-engaged project is performed as a series of Episodes that are driven by the core question, How can we, as black women and girls find space to breathe, and be well within a stable home? Join House Full of Black Women at Betti Ono this Sunday to be a part of this important conversation and experience. The event is limited capacity and socially distanced, make sure to rsvp using the link in the bio.

Today, ‘The Spaces We’re In’ month long activation continues with our partners @exhalecollective. We welcome you to Betti Ono for a socially distanced, in-person experience that asks: What would it like to live in a world where Black women + girls are free and safe in all of their embodiments? Join us for a multi-sensory, grounding practice in which we envision and manifest a radical future for Black women and girls through a communal art installation project. Time slots to visit the gallery are in 30 minute increments and can be scheduled for up to 4 people. Please select the time that works best for you.

On behalf of the Betti Ono x Gold Beams teams we share a heartfelt thank you to all the beautiful people who joined us for the launch of the Betti Ono 10 year anniversary and opening ceremony of The Spaces We’re In, a month long series of art, activations, and experiences centering the safety of Black and Brown women. One of the highlights of the evening was the unveiling of a new public mural ‘Libations’ by our first virtual artist in residence @damondavis, seen here. A very... special element of the mural is the ‘Libations Tapestry’ an interactive augmented reality experience Damon designed in collaboration with our impact producer/creative director @calvinwilliams3. This powerful piece can be viewed and experienced by the public 24/7. We can’t wait to share more from the opening and full calendar of upcoming events in the series throughout the month.

Last month, we interviewed Rachel and wanted to hear more from her muse. Zoe, thank you for sharing your art and story. Listen here: https://bettiono.com/2020/10/01/interview-with-zoe-boston/

For the past ten years, Betti Ono has held ground as an active space and hub for art community. As a Black women-led organization, we intentionally center Black and Brown women and girls, and gender expansive BIPOC in our work. We reflect and affirm our lives with authenticity, prioritize our autonomy and safety, and encourage freedom of expression, unapologetically. Join Betti Ono in celebration as we launch our 10 Year Anniversary Season with The Spaces We’re In: Centering... the Safety of Black and Brown women" a month-long series of art, activations, and experiences co-curated by @gold.beams featuring a host of artists and community partners. Stay connected as we announce our artists, collaborators, and partners throughout the week. Graphic design by @laurenrascoe