Art of the African Diaspora Fine Art

Celebrating the Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition

Art of the African Diaspora is presenting a non-juried group exhibition featuring artwork by artists of African descent. The showcase exhibition is held at Richmond Art Center and is accompanied by self-guided open studio tours and satellite exhibitions throughout the Bay Area. We invite you to join us for 30th celebration of Art of the African Diaspora at the Richmond Art Center! Come celebrate the artists, learn about their journeys, and enjoy the rich legacy of this long-standing exhibition:

WHERE: The Richmond Art Center - 2540 Barrett Ave, Richmond CA

WHEN: January 20, 2027 – March 20, 2027

Registration opens August 15, 2026

Registration for the main exhibit is Full.

Satellite Only registration is available until October 30th.

Click Here to Register: LINK

https://richmondartcenter.org/announcements/aotad2027-artistregistration/

IMPORTANT DATES

In Person Info Session, Saturday October 3rd 11am-12pm at the RAC

Dates of Exhibition at RAC: January 20, 2027 - March 20, 2027

Artistic Achievement Awardee Talk: Saturday, January 23, 2027, 11am-12:30pm

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 23, 2027, 1pm-3pm

Guest Speaker Talk: Saturday, February 20, 2027, 12pm-1:30pm

Artist Vending Event: Saturday, March 13, 2027, 11am-3pm

Closing RAC Reception: Saturday, March 20, 2027, 2pm-4pm

Other Events, Such as Satellite Exhibitions and Artist Talks: Tbd

CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR SUCCESS

To view a recording of an important artists info session: CLICK HERE

For program questions contact: [email protected]

For registration questions contact: [email protected]

ARTIST ADS: CLICK HERE for more INFO

AOTAD 30th Anniversary Poster Contest & Fundraiser

For three decades, Art of The African Diaspora (AOTAD) has championed,
highlighted, and honored artists of African descent, creating vital opportunities for
creative expression, cultural preservation, and artistic excellence across the San Francisco Bay Area.

To mark this 30th Anniversary Milestone, AOTAD invited emerging, mid-career, and
established visual artists to submit original artwork for our official commemorative poster
contest. The winning design will serve as an integral part of our 30th Anniversary
Fundraising Campaign, published as a limited-edition art print and merchandise
collection to directly support AOTAD’s artist stipends, community programming, and
future exhibitions. Winning submission will be available for purchase in January.

PAST YEARS EXHIBITS

TO VIEW 2026 ONLINE GALLERY : CLICK HERE

Expand the Visibility of Your Business in the Art of the African Diaspora Catalog

The Catalog is 30+ pages of full color; published and distributed in conjunction with Art of African Diaspora. 3,000 copies will be printed in January 2027 and distributed to arts and community venues throughout the Bay Area.

Ad Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026, 11:59pm
Major exhibition at Richmond Art Center
Event Founded in 1997
100-150 artists participate annually
20-30 satellite exhibitions and open studios
Featured speaker events, special receptions, artist talks, live performances
Reaches an annual audience of over 10,000 Bay Area residents

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR AD

For questions, please contact: [email protected]

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Message from the AOTAD Steering Committee

Our Mission: To embrace, encourage, and elevate Bay Area artists of the African diaspora by creating opportunities to share their creativity with the world. To nurture and empower the next generation of artists to carry the torch.

Our Legacy: AOTAD is the continuation of The Art of Living Black, a visionary initiative founded by artists Rae Louise Hayward and Jan Hart Schuyers in 1996. Recognizing a lack of opportunities for African diaspora artists, they created a supportive and loving community that endures to this day. Their legacy lives on through AOTAD... 30 years and counting.

Our Achievements: The AOTAD steering Committee has produced successful annual exhibitions at the Richmond Art Center, along with hundreds of open studio and satellite exhibits. Each year, we provide unique opportunities for over 130 artists to participate in group and solo shows, mural installations, gallery collaborations, artist talks, and more.

Our Request: To continue and expand our mission, we seek individual and corporate sponsorship. 100% of your financial support will be directed towards sustaining our flagship exhibition at the Richmond Art Center and continuing to develop satellite exhibits that allow our artist to impact the world with their creativity. Among our immediate goals are to:

- Create year-round exhibitions to increase the number of artists we sponsor.

- Produce a traveling exhibit to expand the reach of Bay Area artists' voices.

- Professionally archive our efforts with video and photography.

- Continue production of our annual 40-page brochure and exhibition guide.

Donations can be made to AOTAD through:

The Richmond Art Center

2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond, CA 94804

Tax ID No. 94-610420

CLICK HERE

to make a Donation to The Art Of African Diaspora*

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