The big news this month is that plans are underway for another Grand Avenue Small Biz Art Walk on Thursday, October 24. As Debra Chaplan reported in our August issue, the Art Walk in July was extremely successful and the upcoming one is shaping up to be even better. Ordinaire is going to be participating for the first time as is Walden Pond Books, plus we’re looking at a significant increase in the number of participating artisans.

The biggest draw will likely be an exhibit of political posters at Panorama Framing titled “Vote Show,” which consists of pieces from Brook Turner’s personal collection and artwork submitted by local artists. The show may be up for viewing as early as today, but the Opening Night Reception will coincide with the Art Walk on October 24, during which attendees can meet Turner and the artists whose work is included. The event calendar will be updated regularly. Hope to see you on the 24th!

In other news, the 22nd Oakland International Film Festival kicked off at the Grand Lake Theatre on September 12 with a feature film (a documentary titled The Bridge) that told the story of the founding of the EastWest Community Bank that opened in Los Angeles’s Chinatown in 1973. The circumstances were described as follows:

“Fifty years ago, our country grappled with discrimination that profoundly impacted minority communities. In Los Angeles, neighborhood leaders united to challenge these barriers by establishing a community-focused bank, aiming to deliver the American dream to those marginalized.“

Representatives of the bank, which now has twenty-three branches, were in attendance as was the Film Director, Evan Leong as well as the Co-Founder and Director of the Film Festival, David Roach. The latter was the subject of a recent interview on KTVU.  

I was also delighted to see OIFF Board Member and Director of Partnerships Randolph Belle, who hosted the opening press conference and a conversation with filmmakers at his gallery RBA Creative.. Parenthetically, I first met Randolph at Jerry Brown’s inauguration as Mayor in 2007 when he inquired about my digital camera — a novelty at the time to the extent that I had been granted a press badge. We’ve crossed paths periodically ever since, but until this most recent encounter, I wasn’t aware of his ties to the Film Festival. Asked for more info about the history of the festival, Belle sent the following email:

The Oakland International Film Festival is presented by The Oakland Film Society to promote independent filmmakers and the stories they tell to empower people locally, nationally and internationally.

The Film Society was founded in 1996, and the inaugural Film Festival was held in 2002 at various venues in the Bay Area, including the annual kickoff at the historic Grand Lake Theater.

A host of organizational partners support the Film Festival every year, including The Familyhood Connection, 1st Saturdays, Support Oakland Artists, P. Harrell Wines, The Civility Zone, and Wright Enterprises, along with many sponsors and a dedicated Board of Directors.

Urban furniture will be celebrating their 15th Anniversary on October 10 with drinks, light refreshments, and the opportunity to purchase pillows and aprons created by single moms who participated in the apparel-making workshops organized by Meaza Haile from 8am Fashion.

On September 21, I wandered into Two Two and found Christina Minju from SAE Coffee Studio surrounded by a variety of fruits in honor of the Chinese Moon Festival. She was pouring cups of their gourmet coffee (that’s rated at 88+) either straight or with a guava pour-over. For more info, check out this SF Eater article.

By the way, the paper dress that owner C.C. Doan created for a special exhibit at the Asian Museum of Art in San Francisco is currently on display.

Tandem, an art show at Two Two opening on October 11 from 5 – 9 p.m., will feature hand-crafted jewelry by Junco Stickney and limited-edition prints of an original painting by her daughter, Maya Fuji, titled “We Took the 72R to Hilltop Mall.” Detailed info about the artist is available at this link.

In the “My, how time flies department,” Ordinaire Wine celebrated its 11th Anniversary on Sunday, September 15 with a food popup provided by Keisuke Akabori; Malian music was provided by Amina Janta and Kora Master, and reggae music by Karamo Susso followed at sunset. When I asked for a quote, owner Bradford Taylor thanked the hard-core neighborhood bar regulars who’ve made Ordinaire a huge success. In the shop’s newsletter, which I highly recommend, Bradford waxed at length about the meaning of the anniversary.

“If ten years is a milestone capping off a decade as some kind of unified accomplishment, then eleven years is the beginning of a seriality that recursively structures that history as a collection of daily acts strung together by countless people, glasses, bottles and bistros. Put another way: all anniversaries are somewhat arbitrary markers, and the eleventh, following the symbolically weighty tenth, merely draws attention to this. As such, it is the most ordinaire of Ordinaire anniversaries.”

You never known what will turn up on this stretch of Grand Avenue. Last week, it was a pedal-powered, Tiki-themed tour bus which is owned and managed by Ron Wysinger, a Violence Interrupter with the City of Oakland Dept. of Violence Prevention.

What no longer surprises me is the hordes of people playing Pokémon GO who regularly show up in the Walker parking lot glued to their phones.

News in Brief:

• Look for the Jim Grantham Jazz Quartet at The Barbary from 7-10 pm during the Art Walk. In addition, if you know anyone who is aspiring to become a jazz musician, Jim has just resumed providing private lessons. For more info, phone 510-271-7904.
• As always, this month’s calendar at MeloMelo Kava Bar is jam-packed. One of the highlights on October 4 is the opening of a show of art by P. Justine who is also their featured artist at the Art Walk on the 24th.
• Walden Pond is again buying books and records but only through the month of November. Guidelines are on this link.
• At the Grand Lake Theater in October.