Lava Thomas

Join us for the last episode of Season 3 with multidisciplinary artist Lava Thomas. Drawing from her family’s Southern roots and current historical socio-political events,  artist Lava Thomas, centers on ideas that amplify visibility, healing, and empowerment in the face of erasure, trauma, and oppression. 

Hear from Angela Hennessy and Tahirah Rasheed , co-founders of the Bay Area artist collective See Black Womxn. Through art and theory, See Black Womxn, are telling their own stories as well as their communities in order to recognize and affirm the beauty, diversity, and complexity of Black Womxn and their aesthetic traditions.

Hear from Catherine Wagner, a conceptual multidisciplinary artist, whose process emphasizes investigation and deep appreciation for science. Learn more about Wagner’s practice, collaborations, and site-specific installations all across the Bay Area and the world.

A pioneer of San Francisco's community art movement, Susan Cervantes, has dedicated the last 57 years to foster community collaboration through murals. Hear from the founder and director of the Precita Eyes Muralists in the Mission District, on the importance of public art as a way to elevate voices and raise visibility. https://www.precitaeyes.org

Meet Dana King, classical figurative sculptor and creator of many public monuments of Black Bodies in Bronze. King opens up her studio space and shares how sculptures can provide culturally impactful memories and moments of connection.

Meet Jilchristina Vest, artist and organizer of the The Women of The Black Panther Party Mural. Learn more about the West Oakland house which became a public art installation honoring and paying homage to the legacy of over 300 women, encouraging every viewer and visitor to #SayHerName.

Public art transforms landscapes, builds our collective memory, and reveals distinctive characteristics of our city through shared experiences that add meaning to our everyday lives. Across the nation, monuments were toppled in protest to demand a reexamination of the narratives in our country's history, demonstrating how public art can be a reflection of our communal values.  Season 3 of Local Voices engages with critical global conversations of power and representation highlighting Bay Area public spaces and the thoughtful hands redefining them. Through intimate conversations, we will hear from artists and community leaders who are exploring the ways in which public art sparks dialogue and promotes creative expression as a tool for social change.

Artworks tell multiple stories. Join our museum ambassadors Noelle, Raquel, and Zune as they explore the narratives behind The Crowning of Mirtillo, Birmingham ’63, and the black-figure amphora with lid, from the perspectives of the artists and viewers. Objects: Birmingham ‘63, Black figure amphora with lid, The Crowning of Mirtillo

How do objects represent wealth, power, and privilege? In this episode, our museum ambassadors Elisabeth, Kaitlin, and Leighanna discuss how objects can become symbols of power and how they influence their communities and followers. Objects: Saint Francis, Aspiration, Chief’s Chair

Materials used in art can give us clues to the artist’s process, techniques, and ways of thinking. They can also spark our understanding of the artwork. Join our museum ambassadors Elisabeth, Kaitlin, and Leighanna as they discuss how and why various materials are used in three artworks in the Fine Arts Museums’ collections. Objects: Gift basket, Blood and Meat: Survival for the World, Hot Water Urn