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Oakland Public Library Tag

Art for OPL Summer reading

Hey, the Oakland Public Library just unveiled some of whats in store for this summer’s reading program and I got to do some illustrations for it. Check out the website here to see it and some of the opportunities to win prizes for not only reading but watching films, and doing other cool stuff.
Shout out to Matt Berson and Thomas Downs for the great designs.
Did you catch the portraits I’ve done for Chapter 510 in conjunction w/ the library? See that here.
Here are some of the paintings again.

I’ve worked with the library before to do portraits of Oakland poets w/ Chapter 510. Here’s some other work I did for the library.

May 4, 2021
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Chapter 510 Poet – Samuel

Yo, just finished painting this for Ch510. This Friday September 6-9pm come through to Chapter 510 to meet and hear this young brother spit. Here is the event LINK.
And more info:
This year’s Laureate Samuel Getachew was recently deemed the “Freshest new poet in the town” by the East Bay Express and held well-deserved space on the cover!  Samuel was also featured in Black Joy; An Anthology of Black Boy Poems (Nomadic Press) as part of our 2019 Black Joy workshop. 
Doors open at 6pm.
Reading at 7pm.
Open mic at 7:30.
Featured poets (so far):
Siara Edmond, 2019 Finalist
Greer Nakadegawa-Lee, 2019 Finalist
Lizette Navarro, 2017 and 2019 Finalist
Darien Em, 2018 and 2019 Finalist
Eleanor Wikstrom, 2019 Vice Laureate
Samuel Getachew, 2019 Laureate



To see the previous Chapter 510/Oak Poet Laureate:

September 5, 2019
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Chapter 510 Poet – Leila

This young lady is Oakland’s new Poet Laureate. This is maybe the 8th or 9th time I’ve painted a portrait for Chapter 510 and the Oakland Public Library‘s annual poet laureate program. It’s an honor to paint these rising and shining minds and an honor to be commissioned by Chapter 510.

You can read her work HERE

Update: This young poet just got her novel “Nightcrawling” featured by Oprah Winfrey!! 


Dig this? Check out some of the other portraits I’ve painted:
Journalist Jamilah King

Poet Lucy
September 7, 2018
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Chapter 510 poet- Azariah


This is the 7th portrait that I’ve done for Chapter 510 , an Oakland based organization that works with young people to foster love for writing, reading, and literacy. Each year for the past 3-4 years they have asked me to paint one or more of Oakland youth who have become Oakland’s poet laureate and this project is in collaboration with the Oakland Public Library and Youth Speaks in San Francisco. Check out the original below. And this Friday if you’re in Oakland please go to Chapter 510 to see this young lady read among others, and Ch 510 will be releasing a new book!

January 5, 2017
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Tova Ricardo-Chapter 510

Woah!!!This is my sixth portrait illustration (youth poet poster) of an Oakland Youth Poet for Chapter 510. I painted the youth Poets in 2014 and one in 2015. Can’t believe I’ve been so fortunate to work on these. It is truly a blessing to create artwork that is about the poets. Because each one of them has a voice, individual style, and something strong to say; they were chosen as Poet Laureate’s of Oakland. As a collaboration between Youth Speaks, the Oakland Public Library, and Chapter 510 it is dope to see youth from many different backgrounds and poetry styles up there. Who knows what young person is seeing a reflection of their face or life through them? This is a shot of Tova Ricardo holding the poster i illustrated of her. 

Check out the  510 Journal which features the poetry of youth from the many programs that Chapter 510 holds to encourage and support creative writing in this city. 

April 13, 2016
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Oakland Pub Library Illustration

This is a quick illustration I did for the Oakland Public Library’s annual report. Through art director Randal Ann Homan my job was to bring illustrate a view of people outside of the library but also an element that brings people to the library. In this I wanted to show the passing of knowledge and adventure from one generation to the next; while flying with a bit of whimsical imagination. Inside this report there is information about the numbers showing how many come through the library. But there is also information about what programs the library offers.  If I ever hit the lottery I’m going to donate a huge sum of money to the libraries in Oakland and Berkeley because I use them so much.

If you’d like to download the report you can do so here LINK

January 9, 2016
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Chapter 510, Oakland Poets, and Portrait illustrations

Just picked up my posters for the Oakland Youth Poet Laureates last night at the Chapter 510 event promoting a new venture and collaboration. Its is a collaboration between Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland Public Library, and Youth Speaks. The event featured the four poets seen below and poet/artist Freddy Gutierrez. Folks also got to meet many of the volunteers such as Max Gibson that make the programs work and Chapter 510 founders Janet Heller, Erica Lorraine Scheidt, and Mariah Landers. The event was great hearing all of the super talented poets spin their tales of emotion, love, struggle, and life. And it was an honor to meet them and share the artwork with them; secretly hoping that they would approve, which they did.

Stephanie Yun

Olivia Hoffman

Francesca Paris

Obasi Davis

Check out the new site where there will be a magazine made of poems by the Oakland Poets and several other Oakland Youth. Chapter 510 is doing great work to further literacy, creative writing, and stories here in Oakland needs your support. So please check out the site, give if you can, and definitely share with folks or volunteer with them.

510Journal.org

May 2, 2014
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