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Where The [Wind] Blows
Studio Ghibli plus our first book launch
I fork with anime. While certain parties in my household were floored by the revelation, I stand by it as an art form that can address the most difficult of issues in the most unexpected ways. The human inclination to destroy nature? Done. Mental illness and self-sacrifice? Check. The trials and tribulations of becoming a Pokémon master? Nailed it.
And for the anime-skeptical, don’t give up on me yet! Non-animated activities abound:
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Category: Film
Date: Sunday, April 7th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Roxie Theater
Price Range: $14
Why I Care: Before there was Chalamet, there was Miyazaki. Dune, Frank Herbert’s original 1965 sci-fi novel, inspired the film Nausicaä over 40 years ago, and its success in turn led to the founding of Studio Ghibli. The studio has since produced Academy Award winning features that have creatively impacted even the most iconic of American film series.
This film has done more to get me jazzed about Dune: Part 2 than Dune. But maybe that’s on me for watching part 1 half asleep on a plane.
SF Ballet’s Dos Mujeres
Category: Performance (Ballet)
Date: Thursday, April 4th @ 7:30pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: War Memorial Opera House
Price Range: $39+
Why I Care: Men choreograph 70% of ballets performed in the US. The disparity isn’t lost on Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, who has programmed an all-female, Latina ticket with Dos Mujeres. Choreographers Smith and Ochoa respectively bring Carmen and Frida Kahlo to life in two works that toy with traditions of music, agency, and set design on the ballet stage.
Stick around after to enjoy the female mariachi performance in the lobby.
Oakland Vintage Market
Category: Fashion (Vintage)
Date: Saturday, April 6th @ 10am (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Outdoor Parking Lot (222 Jefferson St, Oakland)
Price Range: Free to enter
Why I Care: Local vendors unite! Think Alameda Antiques Fair but with a curated flair. The market strikes a great balance of variety in price point and vintage category (furniture, clothing, art, etc) without being overwhelming. Favorite past finds include my desk and sleeping-bag-esque white puffy jacket.
Opening Celebration: Creative Growth
Category: Party (Art)
Date: Thursday, April 4th @ 5pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Drunk History (yes, you read correctly) opened my eyes to San Francisco’s role in advocating for disability rights. Creative Growth was at the forefront of the movement in its mission to promote artists with developmental disabilities. SFMoMA will help them celebrate 50 years of leadership as part of First Thursdays, so join in for jazz, drinks, and of course, art.
Wake Up And Dream
Category: Party (Art)
Date: Thursday, April 11th @ 7pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Saint Joseph’s Arts Society
Price Range: $25
Why I Care: Julian Lennon is the ‘Jude’ of “Hey Jude”, so to say he’s grown up around the arts is the understatement of the century. The artist is presenting his photography at Saint Joseph’s, a non-profit anchored in community and cultural engagement. Enjoy Lennon’s large-scale photography in the restored church where a wedding may or may not have been.
Continuum: Book Launch & Poetry Reading
Category: Party (Literary)
Date: Friday, April 5th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Et al. etc.
Price Range: Free to enter
Why I Care: Funny how traveling afar can bring you home. Et Al is an SF gallery, but I discovered them at the June Art Fair in Basel. I particularly enjoy Et Al’s approach to creativity: Their shows highlight visual as well as literary artists, stimulating conversation and connection across multiple artistic disciplines.
Artist Activation & Reception: Mary Graham
Category: Party (Art)
Date: Sunday, April 7th @ 2pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)
Price Range: Pay As You Can
Why I Care: We love to see local artists build momentum. Mary Graham was one of the most compelling creators at the “HUES” Exhibition and was recently named to the MoAD Emerging Artist program. Her work stems from the stomach-turning colorism of the ‘paper bag test’, where skin tone dictated access within Black spaces. Colorism still plagues our community today, making her references to the historical a discussion of the contemporary.
Next Drop: Thursday, April 11th