Events
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SFAI Alum Show
Please join us for an exciting exhibition featuring artwork from over 20 artists who attended the San Francisco Art Institute, spanning the years from the 60s to 2000’s. The show runs from March 1 - March 31, 2026. The gallery will be open Monday through Saturday, 12 to 5pm.
Marvin Mann at the Superfair
VAR member Marvin Mann will be participating in the Superfair at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on March 19-22. The Superfair has become a fixture of the Bay Area arts community with over 150 artists putting their money where their mouths are in presenting their work. Mann will present at Booth 40 on the left side of the Main Concourse of the first floor.
Neighborhood Artist Market
The Factory Bar is once again spearheading this neighborhood artist market (formerly known as Maker’s Faire). They will once again will partner with nearby neighbors including Tacos El Tucan, Waffles & Cream, Fabulous Plants, Metztli and Catahoula Coffee to host booths from more than 50 artists, artisans and neighborhood organizations. As mentioned by the Richmond Standard, “businesses are open to all and many will be serving food. Booths will be set up in The Factory’s parking lot and beyond.” The event is free and open to the public.
Exploring Spiritual Insight with Fine Art
Learn about how to recognize the creative "zone" to create your most productive and beautiful work! Listen to VAR member Elly Momi on March 22 at 4:30 pm.
Taste of Richmond Call for Artist Vendors
Imagine having a table to vend at one of Richmond’s most popular and attended events. This is what Taste of Richmond is. The event will take place at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium from 12-3 pm on March 28. Artists interested in having a table will not pay a fee or a commission, and should contact at jaminpursell@gmail.com as soon as possible to reserve their space.
Help VAR Obtain Funding
On the last Tuesday of March (March 31), VAR will go to the City Council to make its case for funding for Richmond Open Studios. We will be asking the City to help us with a third of the cost of this event. These funds would help to pay the 6-8 artists who work hard to organize it. Please come and support your visual artist organization!
5th Annual Makers Market in Richmond
Join us for our 5th Annual Makers Market at the San Pablo Sportsman Hall. Invite your friends and neighbors for some community fun. This is a family-friendly annual Richmond event with local artisans. Free admission! Hosted by Samantha Marie of PaperCut Pottery.
Indoors, you'll be able to shop handcrafted goods from 25 guest artisans. Outdoors, the Sportsman Club will be hosting their first car show.
Spotlight on the Ceramics Studio
Check out the Spotlight on the Ceramics Studio show at the Richmond Art Center’s Community Gallery. The show runs from Jan 14 to March 14. There will be an opening reception and awards announcement on Sat, Jan 24, 1-3 pm.
Home: A Solo Show by Adrian Delgado
Home is a solo exhibition of oil paintings that explore the everyday wonder of childhood within working-class urban environments. Through textured, sculptural surfaces and layered impressionistic brushwork, Bay Area artist, Adrian Delgado depict his daughters moving through the Bay Area—observing their world with curiosity, joy, and quiet awe.
This exhibition reflects the home he is building as a father and the people who shape that journey. The figures in these paintings—Delgado's children, neighbors, workers, and passersby—remind him of the parent he strives to be.
Kimberly Ross's Photography Series
AOTAD Satellite Exhibition at the Richmond Museum. My photography series "Gallery 403" is currently featured alongside an incredible collection of local art.
The exhibition is on view through Sunday, March 15, with the Closing Reception and Marketplace taking place on Saturday, March 14 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Norooz Call For Artist Vendors
The City of Richmond, the West Contra Costa Unified School District, and Diaspora Arts Connection present Norooz, A Celebration of Spring and Solidarity on Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at De Anza High School in Richmond. This event is free and open to the public.
TAODAD Artist talk
A conversation with Kristine Mays, James Moore, Malik Seneferu, and Denise Pate, moderated by Flo Wiley. Join us on Saturday, February 21, 12 – 1:30pm, at the Richmond Art Center, for a conversation exploring the power and process of public art.
Imagined Landscapes
VAR artist and Gallery621 co-op member Marvin Perry Mann will be joined by Elise Marshall of Orinda in a two person show at Gallery 621 in scenic Benicia. To be titled "Imagined Landscapes", the show will focus on abstract landscape paintings. A reception is planned for Saturday, February 7 between 5-7 pm.
VAR Artist Gathering
Please notice we are meeting a bit earlier this time: 6:00 to 7:30 pm. We will meet at the Richmond Art Center’s South Gallery. As is our custom, we will have time to chat in groups and get to know each other. Rebeca and Brian will report on the latest from VAR. Email us at contact@visualartistsofrichmond.org to confirm
Join The Richmond Open Studios Commitee
Help VAR organize our 2026 Richmond Open Studios. We do need all kinds of help this year because our event is growing by leaps and bounds. Artists attending meetings in this small group will help shape the way things are done, and will assist our leadership team, and this month we will alson be unveiling a menu of tasks with a beginning and an end : ) that anyone who wants to help can choose from. Ask for the link to our Zoom meeting on Jan 26, from 4-5 pm.
Flowers and Flow at Ar.ti.fact
Don’t miss Flowers and Flow: Where the Garden Meets the Sea closing reception on Saturday Feb 21, from 2-4 PM. a show featuring paintings by Susan Brady and Irina Yastremski. Ar.ti.fact Gallery is be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4 PM. Ar.ti.fact Gallery is located at 109 West Richmond Ave in Richmond.
From The Heart at Epperson Gallery
VAR member Laura Kamian McDermott has a tapestry, and VAR member Brian Rothstein has a painting in the From the Heart exhibition at Epperson Gallery. Join them at the show’s opening reception this Saturday, January 17, from 3-6pm…
Sense of Place
Where else can you see the work of five VAR artists? This Saturday January 17, from 2-4 pm, come to the opening reception of Sense of Place, a Visual Artists of Richmond show featuring paintings, mixed media works and constructs by Phoebe Deutsch, Regina Gilligan, Marvin Perry Mann, Luis Mercado and Sara Pisheh.These artists were selected by VAR’s Leadership Team after an open call. Sense of Place is hosted by the City of San Pablo and curated by Anne Austin. The San Pablo Community Center Gallery is located at 2450 Road 20 in San Pablo.
Building Portrait Sculpture Elements in Clay Classes
As you think ahead to 2026, don’t forget to include some art making. With that you, will want to consider learning some portrait figure sculpture in clay. It is a great way to express that inner longing to create. Come join a beginning sculpting class starting in the new year. These are in-person beginning sculpture classes focused on facial features with some intermediate projects for returning students. You will create five or more projects including individual facial features. The instructor is sculptor and art educator Jim Bruce. It is $270 for 6 classes. You can register here.
What We Hold: Protecting Sanctuary for Immigrant and Refugee Voices
Friday, Dec 12 6:00-9:00pm you can plan to attend What We Hold: Protecting Sanctuary for Immigrant and Refugee Voices, ARTogether’s annual fundraiser and community gathering dedicated to sustaining creative sanctuary for immigrant and refugee communities across the Bay Area. The evening includes a silent art auction, live music and poetry, an art-making activity with the artists-in-residence, catered offerings, a raffle, and connections with community members, artists and cultural leaders. ARTogether is dedicated to continuing support for immigrant and refugee communities despite deep cuts to arts and immigrant-service funding reduced their budget by nearly half in 2025. More info here.
63rd Annual Holiday Arts Festival
Celebrate the season at Richmond Art Center’s Annual Holiday Arts Festival! You can shop 60+ local vendors for handmade gifts, enjoy free art activities, ceramics sale, community pop-ups, and more. The festival is located at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA on Sunday, December 7 from 10am-4pm and admission is free! More info and the full list of vendors here.
"The 2025 Ho-Ho Holiday Show"
VAR artist Marvin Perry Mann joins Diane Williams, Chuck Potter, Judy Jacobs, Bruce Pareto, Merry Gregg and Jeffery Tover at the 2025 Ho-Ho Holiday Show at Estey Gallery in Benicia. Admission is free to the artist reception on Saturday Dec 6, 3-5PM. There are many reasons to spend an afternoon on First St in Benicia: galleries and shops, great food options, the Carquinez Straits and local abstract artists offering works priced under $500. More info here.
Sadiqeh Agah at Holiday Markets
This year Sadiqeh Agah is participating in two holiday art markets. Find her at Picnic Rotisserie's Holiday Makers Market on Sat, Dec 6 11AM-5PM and the Richmond Art Center's 63rd Annual Holiday Arts Festival on Sun, Dec 7 10AM-4PM. Pick up playing cards or a t-shirt for a holiday gift. She also has some newer affordable holiday themed items! She's tabling with fellow artists both days and there are many more artists to visit at these free events. More info here.
Regina Gilligan at EBOS
Regina Gilligan as part of East Bay Open Studios (EBOS), invites you to her studio at 1156 Peabody Lane Emeryville, CA 94608. Drawing, Painting and Sculpture will be on view. Don’t miss the chance to see Regina’s work in this large space, some of her series are being shown collectively for the first time! Admission is free to EBOS on Saturday, Dec 6 and Sunday, Dec 7, 11AM-5PM
More info here.
BIPOC Artist Gathering
BIPOC artists have been requesting a space in which to network and share their experiences, and thanks to Rich City we will be able to get together. Bring a friend!
Exhibition Opportunity at Artifact
Visual Artists of Richmond, are you looking to exhibit your art next year? ar.ti.fact Gallery in Pt Richmond is making itself available for interested and ambitious artists to rent the front room gallery space for solo and small group exhibitions. The owner will charge no commission. Click for more info.
Printmaking: Process and Possibility
Printmaking entails a wide diversity of techniques and a rich history. Many of the prints in this printmaking exhibition will be produced in the same way they were hundreds of years ago, while others will incorporate modern materials and technologies. Click to learn more about a show with and subject matter to suit every taste, just over the bridge in San Rafael!
El Cerrito Art Association 48th Annual Art Show
The El Cerrito Art Association’s 48th Annual Art Show is October 3rd - 5th at the El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito, CA 94530. The opening reception is October 3rd, 7 - 9 pm. The weekend show is October 4th-5th 11 am - 4 pm and includes unframed art bin sales. Both the opening reception and weekend show are free to attend. This a non-juried open show with a special category theme of “Luminosity”. Participating artists are eligible for cash prizes: 1st - $100, 2nd - $50, 3rd - $25 in categories with 12 or more entries + Special & Merchant Awards.
For more info and a list of winners, visit : http://www.elcerritoart.org
Richmond Open Studios
This is the 3rd year the Visual Artists of Richmond organizes the free, city-wide Richmond Open Studios with the intention of creating a diverse, safe, equitable and accessible space for Richmond artists to show and sell their work and thus contribute to our community’s transformation through the arts.
50|50 Show
Attending the opening fundraiser of the 50|50 Show is the only way to see ALL +2,650 works on the gallery walls! PLUS, you’ll be able to engage with many of the artists in the show over a leisurely 1 hr and 45 minute period, while you view the art and purchase these small treasures. (Total capacity during the opening ticketed events will not exceed 145 people throughout the three galleries including art lovers, artists, volunteers/staff.)
Art Near BART
Hines, owners of MacArthur Commons, and the Temescal Arts Community (TACo), an artist-led gathering, have come together in a landmark public/private partnership to activate a vacant commercial space through the power of art. Don’t miss the opening reception this Saturday, August 23 from 1:00pm to 4pm in the MacArthur Commons Courtyard, 540 40th Street, just East of the MacArthur BART Station. The public is encouraged to stop by and experience the transformation of this commercial space into a temporary public gallery.
10 x 10 Art Show
Please join us for the inaugural 10X10 Art on Sunday, July 13th at Seaport Studios - a vibrant community art space located in Richmond. This pop-up art show will feature a finely curated collection of 100 Bay Area artists - each who have contributed unique, small format pieces to this micro gallery. Join us for a colorful afternoon of art and community, excellent, locally made wines from our friends at Filial and vibey, vinyl tunes by DJ KingQube. Several VAR members will be participating in this exhibition! Your hosts will be Devyn Madsen and Cinthia Dennis. More info here.
Made In Richmond
You have until Sept 6, 4:00 to see ‘Made in Richmond’ the preview exhibition at the Main Gallery of the Richmond Art Center….
Art in the Park
ART in the PARK is looking for artists! The event is at Burg Park on Saturday, June 21st from 11-3 pm with artists’ booths, live music, art activities, food, and drink!
114th Annual Gold Medal Show/ California Art Club
This expansive showcase at the VEFA Gallery features nearly 170 paintings and sculptures is selected from hundreds of entries submitted by current qualified California Art Club members.
Northern California Arts, Inc. Members Show
Congratulations to Richmond artist Marvin Perry Mann, who received an Honorable Mention for his oil painting Rose Path at the Northern California Arts Members Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center. The show runs from May 27-June 14. Marvin has three juried exhibitions and a solo show this year, and will be working with C-lective Fine Arts, bringing original art to the home market.
Two Artists at ar.ti.fact Gallery
Stacy will talk about her amazing paper sculptures and Arthur will talk about his beautiful abstract watercolor paintings at the Point Richmond neighborhood on Saturday, May 17, from 2pm to 4pm. More info…