Artists-in-Residence
This program aims to foster emerging and established Bay Area artists in creating new works. Some past artists include Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Philip Huang, Nitya Venkateswaran, Asian Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership (AYPAL) Cambodian site, Karmacy, Word & Violin, and the Shaolin Buddhist Temple & Education Foundation.
"The OACC, known for showcasing traditional Asian arts, was open to more experimental work from a queer artist like myself, and the staff showed unflagging enthusiasm as the show developed. OACC's investment took my work to levels I could not have reached on my own. As a queer artist, I didn't know how my work would fit in Oakland Chinatown. But with OACC's support and willingness to explore, we opened some new doors in this historic neighborhood. I am eternally grateful to the OACC for believing in me, and to the East Bay Community Foundations' East Bay Fund for Artists (EBFA) for providing the opportunity to play together. It's been quite a year, and I thank the EBFA and OACC for kick starting my career." Philip Huang - 2009 Artist in Resident (Winter 2008 - 2009)
Artists in Residence 2009-2010
Kyoungil Ong
OACC is thrilled to have Kyoungil Ong of the Ong Dance company join us for a second residency. She will continue to work with her youth ensemble to create a dance and drum piece focusing on Korean mask traditions, depicting class struggles both historically in the Korean High Court and currently in the Bay Area Korean Community.
The Ong Dance Company will be creating a traditional Korean drum and dance piece as a resident artist at OACC. The music is inspired by the sounds of nature, of wind in trees, waves, leaves and flowers. The composition will be unique in that the dancers will move the drums as they play, creating new sounds based on the movement and location of drum to viewer and spatial relationship of the drums and player/dancers to each other. Currently, the sam-go-mu (standing and tree drum) and mo-dume-buk (large barrel drum) are being considered.
Rina Mehta
Rina Mehta began her study of Kathak, Classical Dance of North India, under internationally renowned Kathak master and guru, Pandit Chitresh Das almost a decade ago. In 2004, I began teaching at the Chhandam School of Kathak (Chhandam) and became an active participant in the Chitresh Das Dance Company’s arts education programs. Two years later, I joined the Chitresh Das Dance Company and have since performed in the company’s major annual productions including the critically acclaimed Pancha-Jati, Shabd, and Sita Haran. She recently completed her second tour in India with the Chitresh Das Dance Company performing at Birla Sabaghar (Kolkata), Mumbai’s prestigious National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Shaniwarwada Dance Festival in Pune, and at the Bangalore Club in Bangalore, India. In 2009 Rina received the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant for intensive training with Pt. Das in the traditional kathak solo. She is currently a senior instructor at Chhandam and most recently spearheaded the school’s expansion to Los Angeles.
Click here to view Rina Mehta's OACC's Artists in Residence application
VidyA
VidyA is an adventurous group consisting of saxophone, acoustic bass and drums that combines the essence of Carnatic music and jazz in an organic manner through original compositions and re-imaginings of traditional material.. Led by critically-acclaimed saxophonist, Prasant Radhakrishnan along with David Ewell (bass) and Sameer Gupta (Drums), VidyA has emerged with a soulful, penetrating sound that pushes the labels of "fusion" or "world music." This music has attracted listeners of all styles, not only Carnatic and jazz. VidyA has been featured at venues such as SFJazz, San Jose Jazz, Yoshi's, Artwallah Festival, and more.
These three artists have an almost telepathic interplay, incorporating the forward motion of both Indian Classical and jazz rhythms while elaborating Carnatic ragas infused with melodic richness. The group weaves in and out of the two genres while all the time merging them into one. VidyA translates the language of Carnatic music into the idiom of Jazz.
Featuring Prasant Radhakrishnan (saxophone), David Ewell (bass) and Sameer Gupta (drums), VidyA combines the soul-stirring melodic richness of South Indian Classical Carnatic music with in-the-moment improvisations of American jazz music. VidyA will present a set of music highlighting original compositions as well as some re-imagined traditional Carnatic music pieces.