Seriously Bay Area, seriously! You look soooooooo gorgeous this weekend. So many fabulous, eccentric, eclectic things to do I just swoon with love for you. Before you peruse the plethora of things you can get into check out my interview with the Femme Cartel, the preeminent female artist collective based out of Oakland.
Miz Chris [MC]: Where are you from?
Femily [F]: Oakland/E’ville via New York City via Boston via the countryside of upstate NY.
[MC]: Tell us a little bit of history of the Femme Cartel.
[F]: After showing my own art (emorrow.org), I kept looking for lady artists and not finding them. When I did see females participating, the percentages were super-low (about 1-2 females per huge group shows). It was weird and should have been embarrassing to the curators. The women were highly talented and created really fresh, amazing art, but most of them weren’t getting the press attention, the follow-up solo shows, the highlighted big names on the flyers, etc… To work on this and find my lady artist community, I founded Femme Cartel in the Spring of 2011. Sound artist JAEGER co-produced the event with me and artist Elrod named the first show “Femme Cartel.” The name resonated with the ladies and our feminist contemporary art curatorial project was off and running. Shortly thereafter, whip-smart taste-maker and curator Christina Bohn came on board and we’ve been co-producing Femme Cartel ever since, doing what we do: celebrating female artists (more than 100 have been in our shows!), producing contemporary urban art shows (this is our 7th), promoting Oakland (from art to small businesses/vending), and connecting emerging
Concrete Dreams by Bousa Concepts
artists with opportunities (from art shows, to media opportunities, to studio space with other smart, arty
femmes).
In the mainstream art world, male artists are given a disproportionate share of the press attention, financial backing, and art shows. We’re changing that—and much, much faster than anyone could have imagined. In the last 2+ years, Femme Cartel—and other lady art groups and female curators
we love—have flooded the scene with high quality, powerful art by female artists literally opening the scene and increasing the lady percent in local art shows. Lots of room to improve though: we’re not done until we see at least 50% of the group show spaces, solo shows, art grants, hot art jobs, art sales, and museum shows going to the brilliant women of all Color artists who we know are out there!
Micah 2013 by Meg Allen
[MC]: What was the impetus to produce the Flaunt event?
[F]: After 6 shows with so many different kinds of art from oil paintings and glitter portraits, to mixed-media and video art, we focused on photography for 2013. We produced two gorgeous shows that, thematically, were “love letters” to our favorite cities: we raised our glasses to San Francisco with a hot foodie/cocktail scene photography show (“Sip, Savor, Share!”) in May and we’re celebrating Oakland with a fashion photography show (“Flaunt: Oakland-style”) in October.
In contrast to the negative press frequently given to our city, we wanted to do a show that really “flaunted” Oakland’s upbeat soul, Oakland’s confidence, sweetness, diversity, joy, hotness, bravery, beauty, complexity, and cutting edge creative rebellion. “Flaunt” presents a colorful, creative challenge to the narrow world of fashion “do’s and don’ts” dictated by the mainstream media. When we say “Oakland Style” we mean Oakland’s finest exploring and honoring their race, gender, sexual, national, and all kinds of other/related identities: bohemians, butches, femmes, drag queens, A’s fans, urban fashionistas, older women of all Colors, sexy male dancer models, Latina homegirls, Burning Man aficionados, futuristic city goths, street-savvy females of all stripes. We’ve got almost every neighborhoods represented, from Rockridge to downtown, to East and West Oakland and all throughout. Every which way, our photographers snapped local folks rocking their own self-made fashions and expressing their personalities through their own badass definitions of style.
Homegirls by Amanda Lopez
[MC]: Who is participating in this event?
[F]:
• · Femme Cartel (www.femmecartel.com)
• · GGPage Fashion (https://www.facebook.com/ggpagefashion)
• · Commonwealth Café & Public House (http://cmonoakland.com/)
• · Soul Catchers Photo Booth
• · Classic Cars West
• · Larkin Small event photography
ARTISTS: Abby Wilcox, Amanda Lopez, Bousa Concepts + GG Page, Caroline E. Dahlberg, Flee Kieselhorst, Jamie Thrower, Kevin Brown, Meg Allen, Sarah Cross, Thomas Victor
RUNWAY MODELS: Bevery, Angelic, Aqueila, Maggie, Chenelle, Jane, Hannah, Kimlynh, Aisha, Rainy
PROJECTION SHOW: a Multi-media “street styles” show by OAK STREET STYLE photographers Chun-Mui Miller, Fred Shavies, Jordan Ching and Mai-Lei Pecorari
Suit Man by Flee Kieselhorst
[MC]: What can people expect at this event?
[F]:First of all, a local Oakland-style fashion show that’s a part of the show. It’s by local designer GG page and you better arrive at 4:30 if you want a seat (it starts at 5pm)!
What else you can expect: Every kind of sweet Oakland community you dig. Beer garden and local eats by Commonwealth pub. Sunshiney chillin. Kids. Babies. Grannies. Art girls. Hella diversity in every shape, Color, size, and style. Queer folks. Art buyers. Emerging artists so psyched you came to their show. Also ping pong (free!) and a few hot venders and a costume photo booth (bring cash). It’s Saturday Stroll at all the galleries around there, so you can also expect the neighborhood to be alive! You might want to take it from original Femme Cartel artist, Elrod who said it best: “It really doesn’t get any better than a Femme Cartel art party,” says Leanne “Elrod” Rodriguez, an artist who has shown frequently with Femme Cartel, “Our audience range is massive and the vibes are sensational. I can’t get enough of it.”
Tourettes without Regrets
THE OAKLAND METRO
630 3rd St
ALL AGES * FULL BAR * $10
Sign up’s 8pm * Show 8:30pm
Because what Tourettes brings is the deepest concentration of raw talent you’re likely to see in the Bay Area.” -KQED
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STAND UP COMEDY *BURLESQUE * BEAT-BOXING * SLAM POETRY * FREESTYLE BATTLE * DIRTY HAIKU BOUT * CRAZY CONTESTS! * MIRTHFUL MAYHEM
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FEATURING
VATRA – FIRE!
Fire dancer VATRA does things that no Fire Marshal would ever deem safe. This shirtless, shredded heartthrob gives the crowd a wild show, spinning his specialized extra-long rope poi in tight rhythmic geometries.
SHANNON GAINES VAU De VIRE SOCIETY
Shannon Gaines (Gustafson) began in So Cal as a hyper lil squirt on the competitive gymnastics scene…later becoming an elite level rhythmic gymnast. She trained two summers at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and then decided to ditch the gym for boys. Upon meeting her favorite, Mike Gaines, she went on to earn a B.S. in physical & dance education from the University of Wyoming. In 2006 she stood very still for the U.S. at the World Championship for Living Statues competition in the Netherlands. She is co-founder, choreographer and performer with Vau de Vire and has done a pretty good job of it… earning VdV the Guardian’s 2008 Best of the Bay (Best Circus Troupe) in San Francisco.
SHERI D WILSON
Spoken Word Artist and Surrealist Poet known as the “Mama of Dada.” She has been named one of the Ten Poets in Canada. In 2003 she won the USA Heavyweight title for poetry, in 2006 The National Slam of Canada presented her with the Poet of Honour Award. Sheri D has published 8 collections of poetry, 2 Spoken Word CDs, and 4 award-winning Video-Poems. Her most recent work is titled Goddess gone fishing for a map of the Universe.
BLOODY BETTY
The most disturbing woman in Canada Returns to Tourettes with her own variety of Grotesque Burlesque
GRACE BONES AND LEEVIL
Burlesque
SIDNEY SIN AND THE UNDEAD
And guest appearances!
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Hosted by JAMIE DEWOLF and WONDER DAVE
The Maniac of Mouth, Wildman SIDESHOW SYZYGY!
Battle Beats by DJ MIGGY STARDUST!
Onstage Freaking by HUNNY BUNNAH and MISS ECCENTRIC!
Slammaster-KRYSTAL ASH
Spark!
Sir Francis Drake Hotel
450 Powell Street, SF
6 p.m.
TICKETS & SPONSORSHIP: http://transgenderlawcenter.org/spark
2013 marks Transgender Law Center’s 11thanniversary year. That’s right…We’ve spent 11 years igniting change to laws, hearts, and minds for the sake of advancing the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming people.
Your emcee: Tita Aida
With Performances by…
Josh Klipp and the Klipptones
&
Monica Beverly Hillz
Honoring…
Shawna Virago – Vanguard Award
“Shawna was a vital voice in TLC’s early days. She always pushed the organization to involve the community and be accountable to community needs, spending countless hours to help frame the organization and launch many of the programs that are still in effect today.”
– Chris Daley
Kortney Ryan Ziegler, PhD – Inaugural Authentic Life Award
“In his filmmaking, writing and community engagement, Kortney is forward thinking – he’s creating opportunities and visible space for transgender people broadly, and transgender people of color especially.”
– Shawn Demmons
Ally Award – Lisa Mottet
“ As she has improved the lives of those affected by her policy advocacy, she has also improved the lives of those she mentored and advocated for personally and professionally. This, in turn, has create a wider, more powerful movement.”
- Over 60 nominators nationwide
Drs. Judith Lively, Jennifer Slovis, and Susanne Watson – Community Partner
Physicians of Kaiser Permanente of Northern California
“These incredible women have changed the Kaiser experience for transgender community members in Northern CA. If you meet them, you’ll get goosebumps – they’re totally dedicated care-givers, authentic people, and world-class champions of transgender health care.”
– Alix Sabin
Oakland Zoo
Venue
420 14th Street, Oakland
9pm-2am
$5
The Perm Posse and Vinyl are pleased to invite you to act a donkey at
With resident DJs
TWELVZ (Oakland Live)
The C.M.E. (Slapnastiez)
Sake One (Restless Natives)
Hosted by: Igorbeats
& Dnas !!
PLAYING NOTHIN BUT #SLAP ALL NIGHT!!!!!!
At the fly and brand new VENUE OAKLAND — at VINYL on the second floor!!!
First Friday w/Ensemble Mik Nawooj
Awaken Cafe
1429 Broadway, Oakland
8 p.m.
Ensemble Mik Nawooj bring two ends of the musical spectrum together by combining classical instrumentation with hip hop vocal styling, and are definitely worth your attention. They may even illicit a chuckle or two with their sometimes comedic take on some real life happenings. You won’t want to miss this.
This beautiful soulstress oozes positivity, encouragement and hope grounded in images of nourishment, earthiness and simplicity and layered over a classical track. Come let Aisha Fukushima enamor AND motivate you with her Raptivism.
A sultry hip-hopper kickin’ it over some groovin’ beats rocks the crowd with tons of fearless style that will push anyone out their comfort zone. Aima the Dreamer has the kind of talent that will see to it that her dreams come true. So come soak up some inspiration, and stellar grooves for this First Friday lineup.
Flaunt
Classic Car West
411 26th Street, Oakland
noon – 7 p.m.
FLAUNT: an Oakland Party by Femme Cartel: Art Show, Commonwealth Beer Garden, Costume Photo Booth, 5pm Fashion Show, Sunshine, Community, “Oakland-Style” Photo Show, Hella Diversity, Ping Pong, Hometown Eats…You!
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5pm FASHION SHOW…by GGPage
12noon-dusk BEER GARDEN by Commonwealth pub, ART by Femme Cartel, SUN, PHOTO BOOTH by Soul Catchers, PING PONG, & EATS
FREE | Bring cash for eats, sips, earrings/fashion, and photo booths! (Credit cards accepted for art-buying.)
ARTISTS:
Abby Wilcox
Amanda Lopez
Bousa Concepts + GG Page
Caroline E. Dahlberg
Flee Kieselhorst
Jamie Thrower
Kevin Brown
Meg Allen
Sarah Cross
Thomas Victor
Multi-media “street styles” show by OAK STREET STYLE photographers Chun-Mui Miller, Fred Shavies, Jordan Ching and Mai-Lei Pecorari
Event photography by Larkin Small!
ART SHOW: Up all October. While the PARTY is Saturday, you sure can preview it first Friday.
RUNWAY MODELS include:
*Bevery
*Angelic
*Aqueila
*Maggie
*Chenelle
*Jane
*Hannah
*Kimlynh
*Aisha
*Rainy
PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW:
The show, organized by Oakland-based Femme Cartel, is a love letter to Oakland—our vibrant, diverse, creative, STYLIN’ city. The photography flaunts Oakland-style in all of it’s confidence, diversity, hotness, risk-taking, soulfulness, beauty, complexity, and cutting edge creative rebellion.
Photos showcase Oakland’s finest exploring/honoring their identities through what they’re wearing and how they’re wearing it, rocking their own self-made fashions, or expressing their personalities through individualized and unique definitions of style and fashion.
Highlighting the subversive, free-ing power of self-styling, the show explores tensions between feminism and fashion, consumerism and fashion, and presents a colorful, creative challenge to the narrow world of fashion “do’s and don’ts” dictated by the mainstream media.
Venus
The Cafe
2369 Market St, SF
4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
After all that leather action this weekend, get to sweet & sexi t-dance “VENUS” for the ladeez on Sat. Oct. 5th at The Café!
Lady DJ RYAN and C-FERN dropping all that phat old/new skool and hip-hop alongside the Venus go go’s!
Mama Knows in da house servin up some tasty delights and hella free shots shots shots! Outside patio and deck to get ur flirt on! Hella party girlz enjoying the Castro and 100′s of party peeps!
Ships in the Night
The New Parish
579 18th Street, Oakland9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
$5
This month we are proud to throw a benefit for:
The Living Room Project-Oakland is an accessible healing justice practice/community space for queer and trans people of color (qtpoc). Through resource sharing, and collaborative efforts, the space provides opportunities for creative expression, collective healing, and community building. Ultimately the Living Room Project hopes to inspire deeper relationship, interdependence, and care amongst qtpoc communities.
More information:
thelivingroomproject.tumblr.com
Ships In The Night
A Queer Dance Party
Sat October 5 +21
@ The New Parish
9pm-2am $5
* DJS: Durt, Bestfriendgrrlfriend, Lady Ryan, Trinity *
*plus a special EARLY set by DJ Snapback 9-10pm
so get there on time!*
* coat check *
* Vendors:
Shooting Star Botanicals—–> www.shootingstarbotanicals.org*
Free for Real Baked Goods—->
www.freeforrealbakery.com*
* Special Performance by The Lady Ms.Vagina Jenkins *
http://www.vaginajenkins.com/ *
***We started off as a small dance party for radical queers to come let loose. The party started off in SF but has relocated to Oakland. Our home is Oakland. We want to maintain this party as a safe space. We aim to prioritize and support: queers, women, people of color, trans people who are also: DJs, performers, vendors, and different organizations. We raised over $30,000 for causes ranging from housing rights to supporting the NJ4.***
Country Nights
Lake Merritt Dance Center
200 Grand Ave, Oakland
7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
$10
Join us on the FIRST Saturday’s for the rest of 2013!
7:00-8:00 Country Waltz and Line Dance SLAP LEATHER… Lesson and with the amazing and award winning Citabria Ozzuna!
8:00-10:30 Nonstop Dancing!
DOWNSTAIRS IN THE LOUNGE!
$10 for the night includes bottled water and light refreshments
Friendly and fun.
Leather soled shoes suggested
NO Partner required – many friendly women to dance the night away!
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