Kala Art Institute Receives Grant Award From California Humanities
Date: June 25, 2018
Contact: Ellen Lake, Kala Art Institute, Development Director, ellen@kala.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kala Art Institute Receives Grant Award From California Humanities
Berkeley, CA — California Humanities has recently announced the May 2018 Humanities For All Project Grant awards. Kala Art Institute has been awarded $20,000 for marksearch’s project Commons Archive, an engaging, permanent neighborhood memory bank for a community in transition.
Humanities For All Project Grant is a competitive grant program of California Humanities which supports locally-developed projects that respond to the needs, interests and concerns of Californians, provide accessible learning experiences for the public, and promote understanding among our state’s diverse population.
About Sue Mark and Commons Archive:
Whose stories are preserved and whose are lost? This large question is at the heart of Commons Archive, organized by cultural researcher Sue Mark (marksearch) at North Oakland’s Golden Gate Branch Library. Initiated in 2016 in response to profound demographic shifts impacting this community, Commons Archive includes materials, special programs and installations throughout the library. The archive’s unconventional format highlights recollections that, if undocumented, will disappear.
“Commons Archive holds in place the stories of those who have lived here and provides access to these stories for years to come” states Erin Sanders, the Golden Gate Branch Library manager. “As neighbors continue to flow through the community, the Archive will stand to preserve these memories.” This year marks the library’s centennial anniversary, and Commons Archive will play a large role in the celebrations.
To learn more about the project and stay up to date on local events, visit www.commonsarchive.net
Community Impact: “These projects will bring the complexity and diversity of California to light in new ways that will engage Californians from every part of our state, and will help us all understand each other better,” said Julie Fry, President & CEO of California Humanities. “We congratulate these grantees whose projects will promote understanding and provide insight into a wide range of topics, issues, and experiences.”
About California Humanities: California Humanities promotes the humanities – focused on ideas, conversation and learning – as relevant, meaningful ways to understand the human condition and connect us to each other in order to help strengthen California. California Humanities has provided grants and programs across the state since 1975. To learn more visit www.calhum.org, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Kala: Kala is a vital community hub for artistic experimentation. Located in West Berkeley, Kala annually serves 125+ artist-in-residence and offers over 100 workshops open to the public in techniques ranging from screen-print to web design. Kala’s youth art programs reach 2,500 students in Alameda County public schools and through a seven-week on-site summer art camp, Camp Kala. In addition to core residency and education programs, Kala provides professional development opportunities for artists including commissions for new work, exhibitions, teaching, consulting, and art sales. With access to a wide array of traditional and digital equipment in the print studio and electronic media center, Kala fosters a fresh approach to artistic experimentation, as Kala artists investigate the interface of digital work, work made by hand, and everything in between. To learn more about Kala, please visit our website, https://www.kala.org