Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden,” where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show we hear about an exhibit that honors the life and work of artist Ruth Asawa. Then, a photo book takes viewers back to the early days of the Grateful Dead; and we learn about a film festival that shines a spotlight on Black activism.
Today's show is about legacies.
Janet Bishop
Ruth Asawa is a familiar name in the visual-arts world. If you don't know her name, but have spent time in San Francisco, you've likely seen her work. Ruth Asawa was a Japanese-American artist known for creating wire sculptures and public art installations. For example, she made the mermaid fountain in Ghirardelli Square, a sculpture at the Embarcadero in the city and the Garden of Remembrance at San Francisco State University. She also spent much of her life advocating for arts education.
SFMOMA, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, honors her legacy in the exhibit "Ruth Asawa: Retrospective." It has more than 300 pieces of her work that span over six decades. The exhibit is currently running until September 2. Janet Bishop is one of the curators.
Amelia Davis and Dan Sullivan
Next month marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Grateful Dead. The psychedelic rock band that formed in the Bay Area, gave rise to the counterculture movement of the 1960s and '70s. The late, iconic music photographer Jim Marshall captured the band's career and life. He took over 10,000 photos of the Grateful Dead. Marshall snapped historic moments like their performance at Woodstock and their last free concert in the Haight-Ashbury. Over 200 of those photos are featured in the book "The Grateful Dead by Jim Marshall." It covers the bands' formative years from 1966 to 1977.
Photographer and co-author Amelia Davis was Jim Marshall's personal assistant. She preserves his work as the sole beneficiary of his estate. Dan Sullivan is a writer and German history scholar. He's also a lifelong Grateful Dead fan, or Deadhead, and contributed an essay to the book.
"The Grateful Dead by Jim Marshall" is out in bookstores on Tuesday, August 5.
ShakaJamal
Have you heard of Black August? For the entire month of August people honor organizers, activists and political prisoners who fought for Black liberation. In Oakland, some in the community are recognizing the month with the Black Arts Movement Film Fest (BAM Film Fest). It's a multi-day celebration of Black life and storytelling through film. You can also check out Q&A panels and mixers. The festival is happening in Downtown Oakland's Black Arts Movement Business District from August 1 to 3. ShakaJamal is the festival's director.
