This was a very good museum to find in Downtown San Leandro!!…read more I came in here while I was at the San Leandro Cherry Festival, and it was free to enter. This museum tells the history of San Leandro, with murals, exhibits, and photographs!! There's also an exhibit about redlining and housing discrimination in the city and the effects it has had on people! A small, but very informative museum!!!

I love still finding hidden gems in my hometown 18 years later and the community theater at the…read moreMuseum/Auditorium right next door to the Casa Peralta is my latest find. Two years ago, I wrote a blog post comparing movie theater to live theater - http://aroundthebayandaway.blogspot.com/2016/05/live-theater-vs-movie-theater.html discovering that live theater especially community theaters can be a much better value than going to the movies. With my introduction to the SL Player's performance of Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, I cannot wait to return to see what mystery they have in store for us next season. Since this is a community theater with a limited budget, chairs are just stackable chairs put out for the performance but once you are immersed in the storyline unfolding before you, you won't even care.

Just attended Hayward Arts Council artist reception at Hayward City Hall Rotunda. Incredible…read moreentertainment by youth choir, poetry and the ART! Many of the artists were there to meet them. This is a valuable part of the community.

This free gallery brought to you by the Hayward Arts Council, has some amazing local artists!!!…read moreAbout every 2 months a new show is presented. Currently, they are showing an Open Event, where artists choose up to 6 of their own works ranging in various media. The next upcoming show is the 'Art of the Blues' running from June to July. It will be a nice blend into the Hayward, Russel City Blues and Jazz Festival!!! Come and check out some amazing work, and perhaps catch a drink at Buffalo Bills, Bijou, or grab a meal at the neighboring Sushi Buffet! Downtown Hayward is adding a great splash of culture with its amazing local art!!! Check out what is new at the gallery: http://haywardarts.org/pages/cinema.html

What a great place to let your creativity flow. They have pottery, raku firing, jewelry…read morefabrication, lost wax casting, painting and so much more. And if you are the creative kind, they have an awesome gallery that is used to exhibit some of the local artists. Oh, I should not forget to give a shoutout to the instructors. They are each top notch, kind and willing to share their experiences to set you down the path to prove your artistic talents. So don't wait, set yourself free from those reruns and sign up for a class through the Hayward Arts and Recreational Department (HARD) and try your hand at your new you. It's a great place to learn, meet people and share experiences.

My daughter attended an art camp at this location, and she loved it! She had so much! She will be…read moreback for sure next year.

Look no further for the perfect place to select the finishing touches for your home, office or…read moreanywhere you are wanting to make beautiful. Making beautiful home interiors is my profession and I always need help finishing up projects which is why I am so grateful to have Slate Gallery. Danielle and her partner Shelly are extremely knowledgeable about the artists they represent and they curate a beautiful collection. They are also able to source art from other galleries so when they don't have the exact thing a client wants they are able to pull from other local dealers. And not only that, they bring the art to my clients after they have spent time learning about what they want and where it is going to hang in the house. We have come to rely on them greatly here at LMB Interiors and our clients rave about their great service. I highly recommend.

I finally got to stop in at this new gallery in Temescal on my way home. The exhibit there now is…read moregorgeous, works by Jessica Martin, an emerging Bay Area artist. New exhibits every month, I look forward to finding a bit of Breathing Space at Slate when I need an art fix. Open Thu-Sat 10-5 + Art Murmur first friday nights, 7-9pm.

About three weeks ago I received an invite on Facebook to attend the opening event of a photo…read moreexhibit by Philip Hennen at the Joyce Gordon Gallery. I have never met Mr. Hennen, but I was always impressed with his photos titled Mood City posted on that website in one of the groups I belong to. His main focus were the urban areas of Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco, which brought back memories of growing up in the area. I love his work, especially the ones of Oakland Chinatown and West Oakland. The Joyce Gordon Gallery is a well lit gallery in the downtown area of Oakland. The ambiance is a comfortable one without being pretentious. What an amazing gallery to have works of the African American artists on display. Indeed this gallery and Sanchez Contemporary (Uptown) are welcome sites to the City of Oakland. I usually don't head back to Oakland in the evening, but Mood City beckoned my husband and me to attend this event and to show support to a Facebook friend. The presentation of the photos was beautiful. I finally met Mr. Hennen through another Facebook friend, Vanessa Williams, who was also at the event. Much appreciation to this gentleman who was very pleasant and engaging in conversation with everybody attending this event. The minor drawback to this gallery is trying to find street parking in the area. Public transportation (AC or BART) is easier than driving around the block or blocks in search of a parking space. Then there is also a parking garage close by. When in the area, stop by this gallery and admire the works on display of local artists.

This is a cool space that is conveniently located near downtown Oakland (transit hub). The main…read morespace itself is wheelchair accessible, but as for the single gender-neutral bathroom, I'm not so sure it'd be easy to get in there due to the angles and width of the doors, especially if your mobility equipment is wider than a typical doorframe. They have some nice artworks of black and African or African diaspora people on display right now. I came to the gallery as a part of an evening event in BlackSolidarityWeek and I appreciate that they allow this space to be used for such events and talks. It seems there's a lower level that requires stairs to access, did not get to see what was in there at the time.

I love this shop . I live up in Sf and try to stop by anytime I'm in San Mateo .. The wife /…read morehusband duo that owns / runs it are very nice .. and they carry some of the coolest stuff for your home or apartment ... very well curated !!

Finally came in after passing by who knows how many times. Was searching for a birthday present and…read morethey helped me out so much with recs. Went above and beyond to gift wrap things, even though not everything was purchased from them. Very friendly, would come back again!

Recently went there to chaperone a field trip. The children had a wonderful time. Started with a…read morelittle hands on art lesson. I learned some things, as well. Followed by a tour of the gallery. It is good exposure for children who have never been to an art gallery. Very good to support your local artists.

Wonderful, summer camps great art local artists a gym for the community. Especially love their day…read moreof the dead exhibits.

Hugo built several shelving units for display art glass. The design was well thought out and…read moreperfectly built. He did extensive research to find the best type of material to place the glass on so they lighting could come through. The price was very reasonable. We really enjoyed our experience working with Hugo.

Contacted the studio to replace an old and decaying frame for a beautiful and important piece of…read moreart, and they did an an incredible job restoring the piece as well as picking out the right matting and frame to show off the beauty of the piece. They displayed high levels of experience and care when dealing with this piece, and clearly demonstrated their expertise in this matter. Very fast turnaround times, and overall very pleasant and easy to work with.