Transformations - Culture Crush

Ashby Arts District Pumps up the ’Hood

by Loolwa Khazzoom



As former East Bay resident Ali Handal straps on an acoustic guitar, her long, curly brown hair cascades softly around her face. "How you all doing tonight?" she asks with a radiant smile and a sparkle in her eyes, addressing the intimate crowd gathered at Epic Arts Studio on Ashby Avenue just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

With original music featured on the soundtracks of HBO’s Sex and the City, WB’s Dawson’s Creek, and MTV’s Undressed; with her vocals featured on Neil Young’s recently-released anti-war CD; and with a CD single in the works (and scheduled to drop in July) with producer Michael James (who has produced the likes of Jane’s Addiction and Hole), Handal is well on her way to national fame. Still, she and other successful artists enjoy performing at cozy local venues that are part of the Ashby Arts District, a consortium of eight local businesses and nonprofits dedicated to the arts. The consortium includes Epic Arts, La Peña Cultural Center, Nomad Cafe, Black Repertory Group, Triptych Gallery, Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage Unconditional Theatre and the Northern California Land Trust.

"As a performer, you can feel the difference in a venue that cares about bringing something positive to an area," says Oakland singer, songwriter and guitarist Shelley Doty, who has performed nationally with tours as prestigious as the Lilith Fair. "The folks that I know who are involved in building the scene are artists in their own right, so they know the importance of nurturing the performers."

"The district definitely supports my artistic efforts and those of other artists I know," agrees Berkeley guitarist Mike Jung. "First of all, they simply provide more venues for performance, especially for art forms like acoustic music that are harder to market to the traditional bar and club scene. The emphasis on local artists can be seen just by looking at the district calendar. The owners and operators of these venues are very proactive about promoting shows, recruiting new talent and providing a welcoming and enthusiastic atmosphere when the performance date comes around."

In addition to bolstering interest in the arts, the Ashby Arts District has encouraged the development of new businesses, including Spuds Pizza, which doubles as a music venue, and Sweet Adeline Bakery. "The neighborhood is starting to attract some really good attention," says Michael Caplan, assistant to the Berkeley city manager. "More people are coming in now, because you have places to go, things attracting people," says Sam Dyke, owner of People’s Bazaar antique store on Adeline Street in South Berkeley. "People go to theater, restaurants, Berkeley Bowl, have great pizza, beer, kick back, have a good evening out."

The Ashby Arts District "has sprung up organically," notes Oakland musician and silk artist Deborah Hamouris. "And the artists are here. I’ve lived in this area for 22 years," she says, adding that all types of artists have "lived next to me, across the street, around the corner, all along."

"We’d noticed that there were several arts organizations and performance venues within walking distance in our area," recounts Tanya Hurd, development director at Epic Arts, which spearheaded the formation of the Ashby Arts District, "so we began to lead an alliance with many of these venues."

One of the unique characteristics of Ashby Arts District is the fusion of art and business, which local business owners and cultural center leaders agree is a win-win situation, both ideologically and economically. "Art has been relegated to a strange niche in today’s culture. We either see it as a commodity or an afterthought," says Justin Katz, program director of Epic Arts. He says one of the major goals of the district is connecting and integrating the arts community within everyday life, ultimately uplifting the community in the process.

That integration is occurring throughout the district. Take Walgreens, on Shattuck Avenue near Ashby, as an example: The local chain agreed to let Triptych Gallery turn the Adeline Avenue wall into a series of cases displaying original local art, making both the local community and national corporation happy. "The management has been very supportive and covers some of the costs involved, such as electricity, while allowing me complete autonomy," says Katya Madrid, Triptych Gallery curator. "That’s made it possible to inject a little life into an underutilized sidewalk. It also gives a national chain the chance to act locally and give back to the community. We have received e-mails from neighbors saying that they are more interested in shopping at this store because it facilitates an art space."

It is, in a nutshell, what Ashby Arts is all about. "The Ashby Arts District was born out of the desire of a group of artists to reach out to the community that they are rooted in," Madrid says. "We all live, or spend all of our time, in North Oakland/ South Berkeley. This is our home. What makes the Ashby Arts District special is that we all care about what goes on in this neighborhood and want to contribute to its healthy growth—and that includes fostering an appreciation for the arts."