Arts and Culture

USF Students Transformed by Artist’s Mission to Serve the Underserved

Published

9 years ago

July 8, 2015

Josue Rojas met acclaimed USF graffiti-style muralist Estria Miyashiro ’92 at a pivotal moment, perhaps the most pivotal moment of his life. He was surrounded by violence and hanging with the wrong crowd. Today, Rojas is an artist in his own right and just graduated with an MFA degree from Boston University.

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“Had I not met Estria when I did, I don’t know what I’d be doing now,” says Rojas, who followed his mentor’s path — paying it forward as a mentor to young people.

Rojas met Miyashiro at Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Center in San Francisco, where Miyashiro taught art and community organizing to middle and high school students after graduating from USF. Rojas is one of many that Miyashiro opened an escape hatch for.

USF artist Estria Miyashiro ’92 with USF student.

“Time and time again, alongside Estria, I’ve seen young people abandon the identity of ‘thug’ or ‘gangster’ for ‘artist’ and ‘author,’” Rojas says.

Miyashiro came to USF from Hawaii and still remembers the camaraderie he enjoyed as a member of the Hawaiian and Filipino-American clubs. “For me, going to school in San Francisco, with so many different cultures, was one of the best parts. I loved that,” Miyashiro said. “USF taught me the value of perseverance and commitment, qualities I try to model even today.”

It was during his time here that Miyashiro began to paint commissioned murals rooted in culture diversity and activism for Haight Street businesses. He made a name for himself and a chance meeting led him to volunteer at Mark Twain continuation school, teaching high school students to paint. “Most kids there were at risk of dropping out. But our class was the first to have a 100 percent attendance record,” Miyashiro says.

Students who felt marginalized suddenly had a voice and a creative outlet, and some were transformed by the experience. Amazed by what he saw, Miyashiro threw himself into teaching art and building community. After graduating from USF, he worked for Precita Eyes and the EastSide Cultural Center in Oakland — organizations that collaborated with local residents to create community art with a message.

In 2009, Miyashiro was named best graffiti artist by the East Bay Express. In 2010, he gave a TEDx talk on the power of art in public. In 2012, he was honored for his art and community work by U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. And in 2013, he and two co-artists jointly won Miami New Times’ Best Mural award for their mural “Universal Aloha Wall.”

Today, Miyashiro is the co-founder and creative director of Estria Foundation, which works with Hawaiian students to create murals that “speak truth to power” — whether that’s a series of international pieces exploring water issues called Water Writes, a recurring national urban art competition and hip-hop arts festival in Oakland, or his latest Mele Murals project — which invites Hawaiian middle and high school students to partner with local communities and create large outdoor murals that honor Hawaiian culture and lore and educate young people about their ancestry.

“My foundation creates platforms to teach young people to become storytellers, painters, and community leaders,” Miyashiro says. “USF made me believe in the ethical business model and helped me on my path of starting socially responsible businesses and nonprofits.”

Know someone with a powerful USF story? Email usfnews@usfca.edu or contact us on Twitter @usfcane

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Arts and Culture

Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Scene from the 2023 Cinco de Mayo parade from Richmond to San Pablo. Photo courtesy The Richmond Standard.

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.

The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.

The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.

Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.

San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.

“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”

Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.

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Art

Mario Van Peebles’ ‘Outlaw Posse’ Screened at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre

Published

3 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Film director Mario Van Peebles, who also stars in “Outlaw Posse,” appeared at a press conference held at RBA Creative on MacArthur Boulevard hosted by the Oakland International Film Festival. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago. Filmmaker Van Peebles shared his passion for independent artistry and producing projects with his son, Mandela, who also starred in the film, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer. Next week, The Post will publish an in-depth interview featuring Peebles’ reflections on his work, future projects, and continuing his father’s legacy and Rhodes on her grandfather, a real-life cowboy.

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Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”