Artist Highlight: Safiyah Hernandez

Safiyah Hernandez is best known for her original songs and rich voice. She accompanies herself on the ukulele and piano, performing at festivals, cafes, and open mics.

Her musical influences include the Beatles, Lauren Hill, and Sade. Safiyah also finds inspiration through creative writing and animation.

Safiyah will be performing alongside Brother Theodore, Paul Keim, and Kate Lamont at our Songwriters Showcase on Friday night, September 28, 2018 from 7:30-10pm.

Songs About Dads

I had this idea awhile back: Why not write about songs that are about or refer to dads? That
could be fun, right?

I mean, I’m a Dad, and I like songs, and I like overthinking things and, in particular,
overthinking songs, and wanting to talk about songs, and also I like being a Dad and thinking
about how to be a good Dad and also I love writing so then I thought, “Well shit, let’s put ‘em
all together!”

So I did.

I’m excited about this. I want to look at lyrics to songs at that directly or indirectly address the
artists views of being a father or their father. What can we appreciate from these songs? What
can we learn? What silly jokes and pop culture references can be made?

So, if you’re interested, here we go! We’re going to go through a lot of fun stuff here, and some
sad stuff, and some heavy stuff and I think it’s going to get really interesting.

Here are some thoughts about this project in no particular order:

1. What kind of songs? It’ll mostly be punk or hip-hop. Maybe some indie or alternative. I
have a folk song in mind. Probably no country (well, maybe some Johnny Cash...). I think
it makes sense to do songs that I have a connection with so the blogs will be a little more
personal and heartfelt and thus, hopefully, interesting. Honestly, some of the songs here
will probably not be ones you’re familiar with, and that’s ok, I’m going to keep that in mind
as I write. The goal is for the subject matter to keep it interesting. I’ll include relevant links
as well.

2. Will I have to like the song to read the blog? Nope! I’m going to write them in a way
that’s fun to read and makes sense even if you are not familiar with the song, (say, for
whatever reason, you’re not interested in listening to someone screaming over loud
guitars).

3. Can I request a song? I’d be honored if you did! I’d love feedback as well. I’ll consider
any thing you suggest, but no promises! If I don’t personally connect with the song or find
something I can address in it, it probably won’t work.

4. Wait, are you even a Dad? I am! I’ve got a 10 year old boy and an 8 year old girl and
they’re amazing and they love hip-hop more than punk, but the other day they told my wife
they love Pentatonix and we honestly feel like we’ve failed as parents.

5. What about songs about Moms? Just like I don’t think John Mayer is qualified to address
Mothers and Daughters on his song, “Daughters”, I also don’t think I’m qualified to address
mothering on this blog. What I think would be even better is if some other fun, talented
Mom wanted to do a similar blog about Moms.

6. Hey! I know! What about “Cats in the Cradle”?!!??!!??!!!!! No. I mean, it’s an
incredible gut punch of a song, but it’s kind of clear what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s a little
too well known. There’s just not much more to say about it that it doesn’t say itself or that
hasn’t been said. Though, did you know Ugly Kid Joe covered it? And it’s not bad?
Anyway, there you go: Everything I planned on saying on “Cats in the Cradle”

Okay! I hope you’ll join me on this! Maybe we can all learn something about Dads!

Motivāt Coffee Roasters

One year ago, Collin Young began dabbling in home roasting using a $30 popcorn popper, “and it was amazing.” As he roasted small batches of coffee, Collin became, “pretty blown away with how good it was,” and he found his friends shared his sentiments. Having been drinking coffee from household names such as Blue Bottle Coffee and Verve Coffee, Collin knew his small batches, once fresh roasted, were comparable. With encouragement from friends who had tried his home roasted coffee, Collin became interested in how far he could take the roasting side of things.

Collin and his wife Carolyn transitioned into selling bags of fresh roasted coffee out of their home, using the popcorn popper, “and it was so slow, I think we could do an eighth of a pound at a time.” In spite of the tedious process, Collin found, “people would say it was the best coffee they ever had.”

“I’ve loved coffee for a really long time and Carolyn loves any new business idea that we can hustle.”
Carolyn adds, “I like the event side of things.” Motivāt has brought their coffee around communities at weddings, conferences, church plants, and birthday parties.

Carolyn and Collin worked their first event last August when Inspire church launched a theology and coffee series. At the time, the grassroots couple were pastoring and asked if they could serve in another capacity. For five weeks, Motivāt served coffee once a week at Inspire. Carolyn comments that set-up is her sweet spot, “That’s where I come in, I can’t handle too much caffeine, I’m already on a ten all the time,” she says with a laugh. Carolyn found the aesthetics, set-up, and community interaction to be so life-giving and fun that she knew they could branch out to weddings. As synchronicity would have it, just as the thought occurred, a member of their community asked if Motivāt did weddings.

In an effort to save money starting out, Collin used every email address he could get his hands on to acquire samples of unroasted beans from Blue Bottle coffee as he worked to perfect the roasting process. The husband and wife dream team studied at “bible college” and have hearts for ministry; they have been able to do pop-up coffee services at numerous church conferences and events in their community. For Motivāt it was important for them, “To figure out how we can take what we have in our hands and also do what we want to do as far as see this world experience more love.” A unique aspect of spreading love is Motivāt’s partnership with non-profits and seeing their work influence someone else’s community. All of their current selections are single origin coffees which means the beans come from one unique source in a specific corner of the world. Motivāt is committed to giving a dollar back to the country of origin they acquire their coffee from.

A new vision Collin and Carolyn have been fleshing out is the opportunity to do coffee blends with local non-profits. On the subject of non-profits, Motivāt is donating 25 cents of each purchase back to Smalltown Society. Carolyn reflected on Motivāt’s reach, “It has been really cool to see how us doing this small thing has inspired other people. We always want to leave a place better than it was before we got there.”

Although Motivāt has been a significant transition for a growing family Carolyn comments that they are all in, “We’re just really open to wherever God wants to take us. When we bought that popcorn roaster, that crazy $30 investment for Collin’s birthday we never thought we’d be here in six months.”

Motivāt is currently operating on organic self-funding and they work to make smart financial decisions as they grow.

A current goal Motivāt is working towards is direct sourcing their beans, they are especially interested in working with coffee farmers in Guatemala and will visit the country later in the year. They also aim to direct source from Kenya and Brazil. Motivāt currently has single origin coffees from Guatemala, Kenya, and Brazil. They described how proceeds are benefitting each country of origin. For Guatemala, they are supporting the farming community they source from while in Kenya they are giving to Freely in Hope, a non-profit that works to aid and restore the lives of young women who are survivors of sexual violence through emotional support and educational opportunities. Motivāt is currently seeking a non-profit in Brazil to give back to.

The smaller size of the business allows Motivāt the opportunity to engage in sustainable sourcing of beans while finding connections that help them support the community.

In the near future, Motivāt will partner will La Familia, a multicultural organization
committed to strengthening the emotional wellness of individuals and the preservation of families. La Familia provides opportunities for job training to individuals who are formerly incarcerated. Motivāt will work with individuals and provide them with 100 hours of barista training.

Collin and Carolyn hope that their coffee and work with the community continues to motivate people to go to the next level in their lives and abilities to impact their communities.

For more information on coffee subscriptions and featured products visit motivátcoffee.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Motivāt Coffee Roasters will be at Smalltown Society from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from February 19, 2018 until February 23, 2018.

What Smalltown Means to Me.

I really enjoy and look forward to attending events and meetings at Smalltown Society, The atmosphere is one of friendship, acceptance, and fun. Especially the end of month gatherings are high energy and big fun with great live music. It's also a generous place for hosting civic, social and artistic presentations and talks. I really appreciate the efforts of Paul, Cathy, Emily and all who contributed, for making this a very special and much-needed meeting place in Castro Valley.

- Roy Estrada (Community member)

The fear of getting old is a real thing.

The fear of getting old is a real thing.

            I used to look forward to the idea of aging and couldn’t, for the life of me, understand why Roger Daltrey would sing, “…hope I die before I get old”. However, while I’m still not feeling those lyrics, there is an aching discomfort emerging within me that occurs in many middle-aged men. I’m not so sure I want to get old.

            An example: I went to see the band Rancid last week. To me, Rancid always conveys a sense of carelessness and youth mixed with a healthy application of community. I’ve always loved their music. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the night, for the first time as I watched them it hit me: these guys are now old, playing to a predominately middle-aged crowd. More specifically, this realization struck while staring at the back of the head of the person right in front of me. I knew him, hadn’t seen him since high school, and for a moment I focused in on his greying hair. He was just a kid last time I saw him. Oh shit! It’s happening to me.

            Why this should bother me, I don’t know. The worship of youth in our society is a problem. I do believe this. Yet, I think there’s something more.

            The older I get the more self-aware I become, and the more I understand the fragility of life. There’s nothing really profound in that last statement. Nor do I have any profound answers. Mostly because these thoughts are just beginning to surface, but they come in waves and I am often swept under long enough to panic.

            Another example: I showed my boys Harry and the Henderson’s for the first time last month. If you’ve seen the movie, you might remember the part where Harry (the sasquatch) is roaming the streets, when he spots George Henderson (played by John Lithgow) on a TV through a storefront window. Harry breaks the glass to reach for the TV only to see George disappear as Harry unknowingly unplugs the set. The moment ends with Harry running off, and in the background you can hear an old Crash Test Dummies commercial. For a moment, I almost cried. I may have actually shed a tear. Now it wasn’t because the scene was that emotionally compelling, but rather my mind took me back to a time when those commercials were current, and for a brief moment nostalgia swept over me. This is happening more often than I’d like to admit.

            I don’t think aging is all bad. I’m just beginning to miss my youth. The new experiences that carry emotional weight seem to be happening less and less and moments of nostalgia more and more. While I’m finding it harder to enjoy a moment, I’m finding it easier to reminisce about the past, and I really don’t know why. I am grateful for the life I have now. Yet, as I dive deep into the vault of my emotions (something that also occurs more often the older I get) I’m discovering that part of my angst is from regret. Regret that I didn’t do more. Regret that my high school days were filled with fear and anger. Regret that for most of my life I’ve been plagued with this desire to seek the approval of others.

            Currently, when I reemerge to the surface of the present, after another wave of nostalgia, I respond with two considerations. First, I have to live in the present more often, I have to be less fearful and care less about people’s opinions and approval, laugh more, accept what is, change what I can, don’t take myself too seriously, etc. What’s that quote about life is what’s happening when you’re busy making plans? Yeah…that. The second thing I consider is how to foster a sense of…for lack of a better word, carelessness in my children. I know they will make mistakes, and I’m glad for this, because hopefully they’ll learn from them. However, if there’s one of my mistakes I hope they learn from, it’s this one.

            Don’t let your lives be driven by other people’s opinions or approval, take in the meat throw away the bones. Live the hell out of your life; strive to be content while you create as many experiences as you can.

Artist Highlight: Aisea Taimani

In 2011, he finally had that feeling the feeling that he had enough songs to create a project. His vision began to come naturally. “Fourth of July. . .I remember just like seeing this hill and I was like ‘Oh hey let’s go sit under this hill, we’ll be closer to the sun,’ and when I said closer to the sun, I liked the way it rolled off the tongue. After those three words hit the air, he called Kevin, trusted friend he could always go deep with, “and I was like, yo, I think I know what I’m gonna call the album. Closer to the sun.’ and he was like, ‘closer to the sun, how about closer to home’?” Still set on Closer to the sun, Aisea shifted into conversation with Kevin. They began to discuss life’s seasons, at the time he was dealing with two loses, his cousin and an uncle. Naturally, Aisea meditated on death, “and I said, ‘this one just hits a little closer to home.’” Aisea began to notice his fascination with home and how frequently he used to the term to describe life’s emotions. He leans on the term for its ability to communicate something wider.

“It wasn’t until he moved away from home that he discovered a desire to be deeply connected to his roots.”

When pondering home and family, Aisea is reminded of his roots, of pastors for parents. Growing up Aisea assimilated and wanted desperately to fit in with the rest of the kids in the suburbs of Newark, California. He moved away as soon as he was able to and attended school at the musicians institute in Hollywood, California. In Santa Monica, Aisea quickly realized that he was the only Tongan in his context.  It wasn’t until he moved away from home that he discovered a desire to be deeply connected to his roots. “Closer to home just became like the umbrella in which I navigate under as far as my ability to have conversation about faith . . . have conversations about the people that are responsible for who I am.”

In terms of his music, the movement of his album will run parallel to that self-discovery, of moving away from your home to truly find it. The record will begin rooted in tradition and from there will be expressed lyrically as a love story, with the narrative of a prodigal son’s journey back home. Aisea seeks the opportunity to use his album as a chance to talk about the dichotomy of roots and becoming, of culture and assimilation, of spirituality and love. “My hope is that a lot of us who end up abandoning home, abandoning ourselves or our own cultures can in the process have a different appreciation for what home is”.

What Smalltown Means to Me.

Smalltown Society represents a break from the norm in the Castro Valley / Eden area. Not just a physical place for people to gather but a collective of people with a heart for community building and outreach. 
The Space has been an inspiring place to connect and to create.  In the early days, particularly before there was a thermostat, I spent a lot of time alone in the cold writing or recording. 
It has been amazing to see new faces, artists, and passers-by leave a part of themselves with every gathering or casual hang at the Space. 

- Ted 'Blyss' Gould (Professional musician, educator, Smalltown Artist: www.sonofabass.com)

Artists Highlight: The Straight-Ups

The Straight Ups stopped by the space on a Sunday night to talk about their evolution, covers, current projects, and their dream album.

 “Should we all sit on one side of the table?” Julian asks, as Dan, Adam, and Conner all laugh. They each settle into brown chairs on one side of a plastic card table and make their introductions.

“I’m-I am, my name is Dan Guardado. Guar-dado. I’m lead vocals and I play guitar,” he says and Julian pipes in from the far end of the table, “Plays La Guitar!” and we all chuckle. 

“I’m Adam Hughes and I also play guitar.”

“And vocals.” Dan adds.

“Oh yeah, and vocals. Singin’,” he says with a laugh.

“Conner Lonsdale, I play drums.”

“And vocals,” Julian says in a low voice.

“And vocals,” Conner repeats.

“Light vocals,” Dan says.

Julian adds, “Light vocals, not lights and vocals,” as Conner laughs.

“I’m Julian Steele, friends call me ‘Ju’ and I play, bass, keyboard, and uh medium vocals.”

I ask how they all got started and they each look around the table, “uh who wants to-you want to?” Julian asks as he looks down the table. “I don’t know that story,” Adam says beneath a pile of molasses colored dreadlocks. “Well alright,” Dan says.

““...the Straight Ups is kind of like the final culmination that we were working towards.””

Dan and Julian started playing music as a duo while they were still in high school. “We’re all pretty much 30 now, except for Adams 27,” Dan states for perspective as Adam laughs. He mentions the numerous bands each member has been in over the years and stresses that, “the Straight Ups is kind of like the final culmination that we were working towards.” The Straight Ups began to take shape approximately 7 years ago, when the band consisted of Dan and Julian. In 2010, Conner, also a close friend since high school, joined the band, “and for a long time, we just played as a three piece,” Dan recalls.  Motivated by a desire to break away from the hip-hop scene and play mostly heavy rock the Straight Ups began to explore their sound as a trio and played numerous shows in Oakland and San Francisco.  Despite a successful trio, the Straight Ups had periods of time where they had people in and out of the band, “Yeah, we had several fourth members of the band,” Julian comments as Dan and Conner laugh.  Dan explains, “We were looking for that one perfect guitar player that was just out of reach every time until we finally found Adam,” “And then we found him,” Julian says with emphasis from the far side. “That’s so nice,” Adam says as a slow smile spreads across his face.

“I met Adam, in Santa Cruz,” Conner states. When the Straight Ups started out, Conner lived in Santa Cruz at the time, and, “then I’d take Greyhound once a week- “Yeah!” Julian says as his eyes light up,”  “to have band practice,” Conner finishes. “It’s what like an hour?” Dan asks, “Dude! It’s like two hours,” Conner says as he and Julian break out in giggles, “I’ve never done it man,” Dan says from his end of the table. “It like gets off the freeway and stops . . . gets on the freeway and then gets off,” Conner explains with a tired yet happy voice. “So like two hours?” Dan asks Conner, as Julian and Adam laugh, “No it’s like three and a half,” Conner asserts.

““I was like Damn these guys just rocked the puke out of these girls, I will play in that band” ”

Adam moved to Oakland in 2013 and ran into Conner, who had recently moved to Oakland as well. Conner recalled he was riding his bike home from band practice when Adam called out to him, “and he was like, ‘Let’s play music.’  And we did.”  Adam met Dan and Julian when he attended one of their shows, “that show was the reason I joined the band.” Adam explains, “There was this table of girls,” “Ohh yes,” Julian recalls as Dan laughs. Adam continues, “They were sitting in the front row and like the first set was really calm they were like just having a good time, just having drinks and being fun but then like half way through the second set that they played these girls just had like a round table of just puking on the table.” “It was like Stand by Me,” Julian interjects as Conner laughs and Dan says with confidence, “One after the other.” Adam smiles and comments, “I was like Damn these guys just rocked the puke out of these girls, I will play in that band” and all four boys laugh. “So since then, we’ve been a band. We’ve done a lot of different stuff, and we’ve got lofty goals,” Dan says with a smile as all four members bust up laughing.

Regarding their namesake, credit goes to Julian, “Mostly.” Julian elaborates, “I feel like we’re pretty straight up people in general, we try to cut the BS.” Initially, Dan did not like the name, but came around to it after seeing the great response they got to it. When asked what name he wanted it to be, Dan admits, “I didn’t have anything better. I had a few pretty bad ones,” he says with a Cheshire cat grin on his face as Julian laughs in the distance. In the past, Julian and Dan played in a band called “the Cobras”, which became, “the KO bros,” which evolved to, “the knock out brothers. That was the hip-hop days.”

Like any band, The Straight Ups, started out playing bars and clubs, which allowed them to build their repertoire. For the past few years, they have played numerous “hired gigs,” where they have been able to plug into covers, ranging from Rage against the Machine to the Beatles to TI. Recently, the Straight Ups played the barn party in Castro Valley.

The guys assert that although they love rock and live for songs that start out slow and pick up steam, they do have a softer side. They anticipate showing that softer side when they play in the Space this coming December.

The Straight Ups practice on Sundays, Adam says, “and we call it grooving’ in the afternoon.” But the Thursday and Friday night practices are, “pretty lit,” Julian says as Adam and Conner laugh. Despite their fun nature, the Straight Ups value the discipline of practice and have a lot to say about musicality and working to be better. Prior to Halloween, the band practiced four days a week to prepare for a promo video they filmed called Brimstone Boogie, “I think it paid off,” Dan said, “because one thing we are trying to do now is incorporate more three and four part harmonies vocally and that just takes a lot of work but it’s worth it,” “And less guitar,” Adam adds.

“Vocal harmonies are sick,” Adam says as the band agrees. “And that’s why we all say that we all do vocals,” Julian adds. Dan explains that the influences of heavy rock bands such as Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, and Led Zeppelin, do creep into their sound, along with modern 90’s rock.

When discussing the art of honing vocal harmonies and how harmonizing is more difficult than it seems, Julian states, “I only realize how bad I was, from getting better. . . It’s just like any other instrument you have to really keep practicing.” Adam adds that recording vocal harmonies gives insight into those moments when, “It sounded really good when we were just doing it, but one of these things is not like the other, something needs to shift just a little bit. But it’s really cool to be able to like have both sides of it where we’re like feeling good about it and thus encouraged to keep trying it and then we hear it and it’s like oh it’s so close, like we’re right there, we can get just a little bit better and do this thing, and it’ll be so cool if we could just get that right.” Dan agrees, “It really is one of the best feelings to get a multi-part vocal harmony right. When you just hit it fucking perfectly.” The Straight Ups are certain that vocal harmonies add a whole new dynamic to their musicality and, “It’s just something that people love,” Dan says.  

A current goal for the group is to record more of their music, which has only been motivated by their recent efforts to put more of their music on YouTube. In 2015, the band recorded a four track EP that didn’t reach a release, but they do intend to record more music as they have at least 30 originals. Although they couldn’t agree on the amount of originals, Adam commented, “You know that big ass list I have dude,” and Dan pipes in, “Yeah we have a list,” to which Julian shouts from the end of the table, “write that down, ‘we have a list’,” and we all laugh. The band feels that they stand out in that they never have to repeat songs in a set unless they want to.

When asked about their dream album, the four musicians reflect on the song choice for their EP and concur that they are “pretty democratic” when making creative decisions.  Adam hypothesizes that if they were offered two weeks of studio time, he would build a list of what songs he really wants to play. Conner breaks from his comfortable shyness, “This is where I would partly disagree I wouldn’t pick like what songs do I want to play, I would pick what songs should we have on an album as a cohesive thing,” and the other members begin to agree.

““Whenever we have a show depending on what the venue is we think like so much about that venue and we try to make our set that way, especially if we’ve played it before it gives us a better idea.” ”

Regarding their sound, Julian argues that putting too much emphasis on fitting a sound could interfere with reaching your potential, “I disagree with that whole school of thought too, because I don’t wanna be trying to play one sound so much that it might literally have made a song that I was gonna make not be because I’m trying to confine myself to that.” Julian’s thoughts shift to how venue influences a set list, “Whenever we have a show depending on what the venue is we think like so much about that venue and we try to make our set that way, especially if we’ve played it before it gives us a better idea.” Dan adds to the conversation, “If anything our album would just be very like our live set in that we try to make it flow as much as possible and like having songs that end in the same key that another song starts. . .trying to make smooth transitions in between the songs.”

The guys reflect on their weaknesses and bring up a live show they saw the other night, Dan says, “That’s that’s not us,” as Julian laughs. Adam explains, “It was crazy, they played for like two hours,” Julian interjects, “It was like an hour and a half like 5 seconds maybe at the most in between songs,” Adam adds, “It was insane.”

As a group, the band splits time between making music and, “being more responsible.” Adam is currently studying music at Cal State East Bay, “It’s like crazy I’ll be like I don’t get to go to a show and see this music because I have to learn this other music or read this other music.” However, Julian says, “We are going on a band field trip,” the guys are going to see the Pixies at the Fox on December 7. They are excited to hear a Pixies’ song they cover at the concert, “Take notes,” Julian jokes, and Adam says, “Be like oh man 5th fret dude I fucking never thought of it like that,” and all the guys laugh.

Like many artists, the band feels inspired by live shows and seeing artists who fill huge venues and they are able to compare it to the logistics of playing a show for 100 people versus 3000. Julian recalls a New Years Eve show, they played at “the Vic,” and, “it was just so much fun, we all wore suits were lookin hella good. . .and it was a huge stage! Like as a band I think it’s like one of the things that sucks but happens all the time is you’re cramped. So we’re just be like I could be like 30 feet away from you right now man! . . . I remember by Conner’s drums we still had like all the amps and stuff though were right there.” 

Regarding covers, the band reflects on the most-requested songs. Their audience has enjoyed Dear Prudence, No One Knows, the Promise, Whatever You Like, and Use Me. Julian adds, “I feel like Fight For Your Right gets requested a lot.” While trying to think of the variety of covers, Julian recalls, “We cover the pixies song, spoiler alert. . .We played at the Milk Bar and we played Hey and one bartender just like lost her shit. The stage was pretty far from the bar and she came and just ran like all the way over to the stage and was just singing along.” Dan begins to say, “I do know the worst cover we’ve ever done,” and from down the table Conner interrupts, “Oh! I know what you’re gonna say,” the guys did a Ska, reggae version of “Don’t wanna Miss a Thing,” by Aerosmith. Julian explains, “I think what made it so bad was we just thought it was gonna be so good. . .and it’s a really long song too, so you get like halfway through it and you can’t just like stop.” Dan asserts, “We never played it again.”

Currently, the Straight Ups are working multi-part harmonies in a new song called Good Times. As far as an album goes, Adam says with seriousness, “We’re working on getting the money,” and Julian laughs. Dan explains that typically the shows they enjoy the most, don’t pay much, while others, pay more, “For instance we played at the glass place remember that?” He asks, “It was like a 19 year old birthday party,” Julian throws in, as Dan continues, “literally like his drunk aunt was like the only one who watched us the whole time,” and laughs.  The band is also working to produce new music videos to bookend their dated videos that illustrate how far they have come and how much they have improved.

They have an upcoming show on December 2, 2017 at Neck of the Woods where they will play with Boots and the Kats and Room for Dream. The proceeds from their show at Neck of the Woods with benefit those affected by the North Bay Fires.

The Straight Ups will be at the Space on December 8, 2017 for our Smalltown December Gathering!

What Smalltown Means to Me.

Smalltown has given me a confidence boost as an artist that I never thought I would have. They made an amazing space accessible to me to display my work in and a platform to tell my story and why I do what I do. They've given me an active role to play in developing my hometown in a way I also never dreamt possible. They've let me be a part of the big picture of community and family style networking with no judgements or strings attached. It's a place I always feel welcome and always feel heard. You could say that this means the world to me especially as a creative and humanitarian. I would love to see everyone be able to find a place where they feel so at home like Smalltown Society feels to me.

- Cherie Zulim (Visual Artist/Smalltown Contributing Artist)

Advocate Highlight: Casper Cendre

Casper grew up in San Diego, California, an area he describes as, “terrible,” as he adjusts his mint green colored hair.  He elaborates on his roots in the college town, “there’s not a lot of room for differing opinions.”  Three years ago, Casper fell in love with Oakland and moved to the bay on a whim after he was offered a job doing bookkeeping for a local business. A self-described “goth anarchist”, Casper is months into an innovative project called No Walls Collective. No Walls Collective sells works created by incarcerated artists with 100 percent of the proceeds going back to the artists struggling to survive in prison. What is unique about No Walls Collective is that all of the artists the organization highlights identify as queer and trans. Casper explains that queer is an umbrella term for marginalized sexualities and gender identities used by those who don’t identify as straight or the gender they were born as. 

Casper has built up his population of queer and trans artists through his participation in Black and Pink, an organization made up of a “family” of LGBTQ Prisoners and “Free world” allies. Black and Pink resists all forms of oppression, meets people where they are at with acceptance, and is overwhelmingly inclusive to LGBTQ and/or HIV positive people. Black and Pink works to support prisoners through a pen-pal program that helps build relationships through prison walls. Furthermore, the organization hopes to abolish the prison industrial complex. Black and Pink is supported by volunteers and a small staff of four formerly incarcerated queer people. According to Casper, Black and Pink currently supports approximately 20,000 members in prisons throughout the United States. As an active supporter of Black and Pink, Casper has been writing letters to prisoners for years. He currently corresponds with at least 10 prisoners who are incarcerated for varying levels of crimes, from drug possession to conspiracy charges to murder. Casper receives stacks of letters every week, when asked about the emotional toll of such an endeavor, he replies, “it’s a hard balance, it’s definitely difficult, it’s great because you make connections with people on a level that I’ve never found if you just approach someone on the street.” With the letter writing, Casper has experienced, “instant connections,” with people and commends the level of trust and vulnerability displayed between Black and Pink pen pals and prisoners. He states that the relationships he is nurturing through Black and Pink, No Walls Collective, and ABO Comix, is significant because they are building community in the already small queer prison population. He explains, “I feel like we’re sort of the only ones that have reached out to them. A lot of people have lost all family connection, all friends connection, all connection to the outside world and feel completely alone and targeted in prison, so when someone reaches out and says, ‘I’m here for you, I care for you and I’m gonna do my best for you,’ maybe it’s the first time that they’ve heard that in a while.”  Although there are amazing connections, Casper still exercises caution for his personal safety as a queer person in his letters, because, “It’s still a stranger.”

Casper’s compassion for prisoners and ties to the prison system run deep. When he was very young, Casper visited his uncle in prison, an experience he describes as, “jarring.” He has vivid memories of the trek, specifically the prison being in “the middle of nowhere,” and the large distance between the parking lot and the prison. When he finally got inside, Casper and his family went through extensive security under harsh lighting in an environment, “built to make you feel very caged.” When he finally saw his uncle, it was from behind a glass window. He recalled, “Seeing the way the prison system impacts a person, it’s emotionally devastating, it’s very scary, it looked like he had aged like 20 years overnight.” 

No Walls Collective was inspired by the desire to support prisoners and make up for the funds they lack. Casper stated that prisoners are required to pay for their meals, supplies from commissary, and for their health care. The price of life in prison combined with the lack of paid work opportunities within prison makes access to items for daily living, according to Casper, “completely impossible.” No Walls Collective is managed by Casper and his teammates: Quiver, Rosella, and Courtney. The etsy store for No Walls Collective launched in October 2017 and has already had four sales.

ABO Comix was formed by Casper and his friends Io and Woof when the three activists decided to create an abolitionist comic. Casper is a true abolitionist fighting to end prisons which he describes as, “new age slavery.” He hopes to one day turn ABO Comix into a publication that can feature the work of incarcerated artists to facilitate story-telling, healing, and expose the emotional damage being done by prisons. Casper believes, “Community can only be built by reaching out and continuing that care with folks and we will never be able to change the world or change the system if we don’t build those relationships with people.” 

When asked about the trajectory of his pen-pals in prison, Casper’s face lights up and states that one of his pen-pals is being released next month. He is excited that they will be, “home for the holidays,” and wants to coordinate a meeting as the prisoner has expressed interest in helping run No Walls Collective. An inmate set to be released next year has also set his sights on moving to the Bay Area where he can be a part of ABO Publishing and help, “turn it into a real organization instead of three little punk anarchist kids who don’t know what they’re doing,” he says with a laugh.  With regards to any misconceptions about anarchists, Casper stated, “I think anarchism for the most part stems from uplifting one another in our community . . . compassion for one another, and protection of those who are most vulnerable in our society,” he added that anarchists work towards, “uplifting oppressed people and tearing down systems of oppression.”

Smalltown Society will feature No Walls Collective at the space where art will be available for purchase.

No Walls Collective can be found on facebook and art is available for purchase on etsy.

The Question

As I sit in front of my favorite window, the one that frames the mid-section of a colossal black acacia, a feather falls from the sky. A few inches from the window, it wafts and twists, floats and turns in a counterpoint of lift and drag, slowly, lazily, magically, like the feather in the opening scene of “Forrest Gump,” making its way downward.

In a second I decide I have to watch it the entire way and jumping up from the loveseat and stepping on the low shelf, I lean on tiptoe over the windowsill to follow its descent.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bird flies in, intercepts this feather in mid-flight, and flies off. With the feather in its bill, it flies off.  And I am left standing there with my mouth wide open.  What else is going on when I am not looking?  What else?

The Forgotten

I am the working poor, thankful for the food stamps and neighborhood pantries that help me feed my family.

I am the people of Flint, drinking poisoned water; and the Standing Rock Sioux fighting for my tribal resources.

I am the immigrant, working hard to build my life; the refugee seeking asylum; and the LGBTQI+ yearning for equality.

I am the citizen who’s taking shelter in a tent city that will be dismantled during the next big storm.

I am the sick child, born with a preexisting condition; and the addict suffering from the opioid epidemic.

I am the prisoner, a victim of the war on drugs; and the wrongly convicted on death row.

I was hungry so you subsidized the corn syrup that makes me sick.

I was thirsty but you benefitted by polluting rather than protecting the land.

I was a stranger so you created a ban and dreamed of a wall.

I was naked and homeless so you stripped away my human dignity.

I was sick but you said, “Repeal and Replace!”

I was in prison and you profited.

"When did we not help you? We’re pro-life!... ‘all lives matter!!!"

...

Photo by Paco S

The View

I have always loved a view.  Happily there’s a fine view from my California windows, a view more satisfying than I had once imagined it could be. It is not spectacular like the grand expanse my daughter looks on from her hillside home just a few miles from here. She can see San Francisco Bay from the San Mateo Bridge clear to the Golden Gate. The moon shows up in that vista regularly, along with rolling fog, gliding hawks, and a myriad of stars. What a wonder, the ever changing, ever new view. I am so happy she has it.

There was a time when I yearned for a more expansive view.  Time and again I would mentally redesign our home figuring ways to add a second story over this end or that, hoping to capture that view of twinkling lights on the distant hills.  I envisioned building a master suite above the family room.  It would have a large balcony or maybe a sleeping porch. I would sleep out there under the stars.  I got bids from contractors but the construction issues were always problematical. And besides, life had other ideas about me and my views.

My friend Jim, a builder, was aware of my fantasy construction projects. He understood the yearning, too, for broad sky and starlit nights to gaze on.  Indeed he had fulfilled some of his own skyward yearnings with skylights and second stories. But his review of the prospects for a second floor on this bungalow came up negative. One time he was down here putting in some windows, and a new hearth and chimney.  This necessitated multiple trips to the roof and back.   

“You know,” he said to me one day,

“you could sleep up there now.”

“Well now there’s an idea,” I said dismissively. 

“No really.  The family room roof is not that steep.

 And the view is really good.” 

This proposal went from seeming out of the question to being the next logical step.  A few nights later, with down bag and foam pad, I was up there. I climbed an extension ladder and set up my bag and mattress close to the branches of our old plum tree, which drooped gracefully over the roof, providing a tree house effect. Thus began the nightly ascent that, though I did not know it, was to go on for more than a year. 

To be sure, the sparkling lights from the home-topped hills were clearly visible and the sight gave me a definite though brief sense of having attained my sought-after view. But as it turned out, the real view was straight up. Or at least, that was the prelude to the view.

““...I recall that though our galaxy is vast beyond knowing, there are other galaxies, perhaps even billions of other galaxies…. Can this be right?””

At first the stars command all of my attention.  And how I wonder at the vast forever between us. I test myself trying to remember the distance to the closest star and I fail.  I know though that it is far, so far that nothing in my experience prepares me to grasp it. I accept the assertion of some elementary astronomy lesson that the light we see as a star shining or twinkling in the velvet night has taken so long to reach us that by now its source may no longer exist.  And I recall that though our galaxy is vast beyond knowing, there are other galaxies, perhaps even billions of other galaxies…. Can this be right? Again, I try picturing a billion of anything, a billion apples, a billion butterflies, a billion smiles; then I try something easier, five hundred, maybe, or a thousand, a sort of gradual assent to infinite numbers.

A plane enters my night space, a small plane, wing lights flashing, and I think about this pilot, heading somewhere, up in the night sky, alone maybe, making his way above it all, and I cherish him and his journey. I wish him safe and happy horizons. 

Over the months many planes, passenger planes heading for nearby airports or out from them, cut into my night reveries and I like thinking about those who travel in them. I feel very close to them as I lie there looking up. I send them my best.  Then a star falls, and it has all my attention, as I watch, waiting for another. Some nights there are many, increasing the wonder exponentially. Meteor showers, though scientifically predictable, seem magical to me.

Night after night I climb the rungs and settle in for the trip. I begin to notice that the star patterns with which I am so familiar are moving across the sky, so that Orion’s belt in May is not where it is in October.  I think about who might be seeing it now, in China or India, or Northern Africa.  The sense of the earth’s roundness and of folks on the other side sticking out like pins on a pincushion makes me smile. Then I remember digging in my backyard when I was a small child and being told, if I dug far enough, I might get to China. I thought this might be true and when my dig unearthed a few artifacts, old parts from a wind-up clock and other small debris, I was both encouraged and concerned.  What would I say to them, these people on the other side of the world? This is still a good question, I decide, one worth my attention.

While I stare into a sky with stars delineating what seems like the vast forever, the universe, and all of its inhabitants, seem closer to me. I feel a sort of infinite embrace. We are all canopied by the same sparkling gateway. I think of the early explorers, navigating by stars, or the earliest, the Polynesians launching outrigger canoes over thousands of ocean miles, the stars mapping their lonely way. And I cherish them, then and now.

““Night after night I continue the climb, both mental and physical.””

I recall bending over a radio in 1961 with colleagues in the office where I worked, as Alan Shepherd manned the first U.S. flight into space. I’d think twice before climbing to the next level of my roof so I am humbled by his courage, and I wish I could tell him. Actually, I did get to thank him, years later in a phone conversation.  He was so kind to me.   I mentally embrace all of the astronauts and the space pioneers, their wives and their children. I envision the now famous photo of blue earth from space. “Thank you,” I think, “for giving us that.” 

Night after night I continue the climb, both mental and physical. Some nights the sky is brilliantly alive, all diamond and glitz. Some nights it’s all moon, and I see in its crater-shadows (as I always have) the profile of an officer, a military man who looks like my uncle, a handsome army major. I never could see the round moon face supposed to be there.  Whatever its face, the moon amazes me.  I remember that it is shining by reflected light and though I understand it, I am awed by it anyway.

Some nights the fog rolls in from the bay and sits gently on me and my sleeping bag. Its immense quiet makes room for other views.  Ideas flow softly. Sleep seems unnecessary. In the quiet vastness of my wall-less roof room, thoughts abound, good thoughts, inspired thoughts, sometimes even holy thoughts.

Although on the roof I must have been a mere 12 or 14 feet closer to the stars than when standing on the ground, I was, it seemed, in my own sort of outer space. That small distance, and the resulting isolation from immediate and small concerns, combined with looking up, enabled me to see better.  I am not the first to wonder on a star, and be humbled by it. Doing it night after night though, can change you. It opens you up to a grander view, one fueled by gratitude and humility. The sheer awesome magnificence of it all must uplift the loneliest heart or pierce the most callous. I wonder, with all of this splendor going on above our heads, why we are not out under it more often.  Clearly it would do us good.

I read once of an architect’s vision for mass living spaces which would uplift and elevate. These small, well-designed spaces would include a roof deck, or at the very least, an escape hatch through which the inhabitants could lift their heads above the fray, above the mist of day to day, where they could see the stars and encounter, in that small distance above the ground, a hint of the infinite, an unselfish thought, a sense of awe, some perspective at least, and be refreshed. How that might elevate the collective consciousness and make for a gentler world!That elevation improves a view, there is no doubt. Mere physical elevation is only a prelude, a small step in the right direction.  Starlit nights invite contemplation of the infinite.  Accepting the invitation, we get to travel, not so much to outer space as to inner.   It is unlikely that we will all live in a house with a roof deck or an escape hatch, but as my friend Jim told me,

“you could sleep up there now!”

There’s no waiting. The stairway to the stars is available now.      

And so it is.

Why I Joined Smalltown Society

Growing up in Castro Valley, I deplored the lack of entertainment and activities. There’s the bowling alley, mini golf, and a theater which shows one movie at a time. While attending San Diego State University, I told people, Castro Valley is the Bay Area equivalent to any town you would encounter along the 5. If you need to stop for gas or fast food--you’re in the right place--but if you want an exceptional experience, your choices are few.

Traveling to other parts of the world has made me appreciate Castro Valley, and realize that conceptions are more important than settings. I was (and to some degree, currently) guilty of conforming to an individualistic mindset, slowly forgetting the giants that allowed me to see further. It took me twenty five years of living to humble myself and develop my desire to give back to a community that molded me into the man I am today.

My search for a community organization led me to Smalltown Society. After attending an event, and one performance from Smalltown Society (the band), I knew there was something special going on at “The Space”; and I had to contribute. The only thing that we had solidified at the beginning was--we are a community space--focused on providing an environment where community members can feel welcome. I hopped on the website and social media, harnessing my marketing experience, attempting to capture the voice of a movement. Growth is slow, but we are learning from each other; we want to be as inclusive as possible, but we avoid dogma and closed-mindedness like the black plague. We acknowledge our fallibility, humble ourselves, embracing the knowledge of the community. We gather, appreciate local art, and cherish the simple things. Eventually, we hope to produce a replicable model for other communities to implement, but first, we need to succeed.

My credo, “leave this world better than when you found it.” Brooding about global issues will never solve them--take action when and where you can--spend time with people and events that are immediately present.

To Smalltown’s everywhere, remember, “dropping a pebble into a pond will send ripples to all edges of the shore” (Neal Shusterman).

Artist Highlight: Cia Gould

Cia was born in San Jose, California and grew up in the Bay Area. She moved to the Eden area 10 years ago and settled into Castro Valley four years ago. She discovered a love of drawing at age 11. Inspired by Disney, she has fond memories of trying to free hand draw the little mermaid. Her childhood dream was to be a colorist for Disney.

Growing up, Cia was always engrossed with portraits and drawing faces. In addition to water color, Cia is fond of the “more lively,” cartoon style of drawing, “I’m not a very realistic drawer, I tend to border more on the cartoon-y side.”  She is currently working on a series of water color paintings inspired by women she has photographed. The project began as a portrait series, “Anybody I saw with big natural hair, I would want to photograph. I think that if you have the balls to wear your hair just as it is and just big—that’s really the most authentic you can be, that is just you. Some people fall into 'I need to look a certain way to please everybody around me, I need to straighten it, I need to relax it, I need to braid it' - so if you can just be who you are, I think that should be praised-because we praise too many things that are not letting a person be themselves.”

After capturing the images of the women, Cia felt motivated to start painting using water color because, “it’s not as easy to control- I think that fits it perfectly too-it’s not all perfect.” She plans to extend the water color portraits to a series of 12 so she will have the freedom to assemble a calendar in the future.

Cia credits art shows and galleries as having influenced her growth as an artist; she learned some of her technique from a water color artist in a one-on-one lesson; “she showed me some really cool techniques”. With practice, Cia picked up the style and made it her own. Cia is fond of impressionist art, some abstract art, “but modern art-I just can’t.”

Before she began her water color series, Cia had created a comic book character, Archimedes the Aqua Owl, which she wants to revisit. She described the story of Archimedes, an orphaned owl, adopted by a duck, “so he thinks he’s a swimming duck, he has these flippers and little goggles he always wears.” Cia acknowledges Archimedes as a character that she has put a lot of herself into, which makes it easy to avoid working on the project, “coming up with ideas and stuff is difficult because it is really personal-I think when you put so much of yourself into a character like that it’s really easy but also difficult.”

Cia enjoys, “the quiet,” of her creative process. She always enjoys seeing a project through to completion, “especially with this series-this is the most consistent I have been with something.” Cia is continuing her series based on inspiration from life. Regarding art in the Eden area, “I think people try.” Cia hopes that the presence ofSmalltown Society will help expose more art to the community. She is grateful for the opportunity to display her work and that a space is being created to do so.

Artist Highlight: Martin D.C.

Martin is from Argentina, he has lived in Los Angeles, Kansas, and now Castro Valley. Martin is a tattoo artist and painter. Martin started tattooing in 1991. During that time he was also studying graphic design and working in the bicycle industry. He became more immersed in tattooing when he lived in Los Angeles, during that time he tattooed in the Americana style of nautical tattoos, eagles, and pin-up girls and so on. Eventually, he found the Japanese style of tattooing, “I discovered it by accident I had a friend asking me to fix a Japanese piece he had and it was really old and the artist wasn’t around anymore.” Martin told his friend he was not familiar with the style, but this opportunity motivated him to study Japanese culture, art history, and the language to learn as much as he could about the Japanese style. Martin likes that in the Japanese style of tattooing the entire body is seen as one piece, he finds the freedom to create large pieces fascinating. Martin enjoys Japanese tattoos because, “they stand the test of time.” Martin moved to Castro Valley a year ago come September. He describes tattooing as, “a learning journey . . . you’re always evolving,” he enjoys being in such close proximity to artists in San Francisco.  Many artists are accessible and willing to network in the Bay Area, “if you’re a professional you learn from a simple conversation . . . I say the whole Bay Area has a tradition of tattooing.” Martin’s art has been influenced by place, in Los Angeles he was inundated with requests for portraits, praying hands, and Jesus Christ tattoos. With numerous requests for script writing in LA, Martin learned as much as he could from the Latino tattoo artists, some as young as fourteen years old. Martin has noticed the diversity of people who love the Japanese style, he commented, “You can see people from Silicon Valley who go back and forth to Japan because of their jobs and you can see them with suit and tie and you don’t know the guy have whole body style of Japanese tattoo or Americana.” Martin is excited that the acceptance of tattoos has allowed his clients to feel more comfortable with using more of their bodies as a canvas and allowing a liberal use of colors.

Martin's Website

Artist Highlight: Cherie Zulim

Chérie is a east Bay Area native creative passionate about using her art to make a difference in her community and beyond. "I love that I can put whatever message I want into a piece without needing to say a word. Art is so powerful, a language in its own and available to reach anyone. Whether I'm sketching a part of my neighborhood where I grew up or doing a mixed media piece to evoke emotion on a social issue I love how each piece speaks for and to me and is capable of so much meaning. And to be able to share it with people is so rewarding. Each collage is a story, taking hours or even days to piece together, with many pieces holding symbolism for what I'm trying to say. Each sketch of a place is a memory of where I grew up and came to be the person I am today. I want people to be happy of where they come from, realize their significance in this world and aware of where we can allow art to take us." 

Artist Highlight: Cathy, portrait of a mother finding her footing as an artist

“The place is a bit of a mess, and I’m really embarrassed,” Cathy says behind her bangs that curve perfectly over her forehead. I notice blush on her cheeks as her 3rd born smiles at me from across the room in the background of his two older brothers who are leaning on their elbows, their bodies pooling over the kitchen table, engrossed in a cartoon show. Her 11 month old, who took his first steps earlier in the day, is asleep and dreaming in the back bedroom. Her husband, Paul, is here too.

We sit down to homemade pizza and I ask Cathy about how she discovered her art. She confides that she is still figuring her creativity out amidst four young boys and spending 10 years placing herself in the shadow of her husband. She says this in a matter of fact way and with undeniable accountability, like someone who is slowly realizing their own potential. She has been working through, “the idea that you can be a mum in today’s society and care deeply about your children and be completely devoted to them but then also to carve out time to be creative and to care about the things outside of your family that means a lot to you and that being okay.” 

She discusses the “mothering circles” and guilt that comes along with the perception of if you are not one hundred percent “in the mummy world,” then you don’t love your children, if you don’t feel that being a mother completes you fully. When Cathy dropped her eldest off at class, she had to complete a form, under occupation, she wrote down artist, a small but deliberate step away from being defined by her past as just a stay at home mom. Like many budding (and established) artists, Cathy has had a hard time owning her creativity and referring to herself as an artist. She has reminded herself on more than one occasion that she does have something to offer people even if it isn’t as good as she would like it to be. 

She says that her children have influenced her art and helped her make realizations of how she views herself in relation to art. When Louis and Elliot were younger they would create things, she would complement their art, “and hide it in a drawer because, in a very embarrassing way, it didn’t feel nice enough to hang up in the house.” She admits that she has walked a long way to realize that, “things don’t have to look perfect to be valuable. That we’re all a work in progress.”  

Cathy is an accomplished baker, specializing in wedding cakes and celebration cakes. Early August, she made a four tier cheesecake complete with white roses trickling down the side as lush strawberries and blackberries sat atop the surface layers.  While she enjoys baking for special occasions, she is struck by, “how short-lived it is.” She explains her desire to create something with more permanence, “It’s so much work and it’s over so quickly, and so I’m trying to explore ways for me to be able to take the things I love without creating cakes. The side I love is feeding people and moving that to feeding people in a way that sustains them and then taking the artistic creative side and trying to find other mediums that allow what I’ve created to be preserved for a bit longer.” Cathy is intrigued by her quest to find a way to create art that lasts beyond a day. She has recently begun dabbling in watercolor paintings. Finding time away to create has brought insight into the creative process as well. While she would like to work at night she is often run ragged from a busy day nurturing and loving on four boys and a creative husband. She gets in where she can fit in, “This morning I was painting with Theo on my back pulling my hair,” she says with a laugh, “but I have to try.” Cathy is gradually becoming more empowered and having to consistently reassure herself that she is worth the time and act of creating. 

While reflecting on the delicacy of motherhood and creativity Cathy mentions something Paul often says to illustrate motherhood. With their toddler Nathan in his lap, Paul says that motherhood is, “Like pearls on a string, with no knot on the end,” Cathy laughs and adds, “It’s deeply valuable but those pearls just fall to the ground and get trampled on within minutes. . .seconds.”

Cathy met Paul when she was 17, she was married by 20, and in the United States with their first born baby boy Louis by 22. While reflecting on the past ten years, she says, “I always knew I wanted to be a mother, I don’t think I expected it would happen as early as it did and I don’t think I understood how deeply it would transform my life.” She is currently at a place in her journey where she is trying to find pieces of herself amidst the chaos of motherhood. She acknowledges how fleeting her current season of life is, “But I also don’t want my boys to go away from my home and realize I don’t know myself and I don’t know my husband because I haven’t invested in things that make me come alive.” 

The first time Cathy found she could create was when she stepped into the opportunity out of necessity. Her mother burned both of her arms badly while mid-way through creating an anniversary cake, “there was nothing to do then for me to kind of step in, and I didn’t really know what I was doing but she sat with me with her arms bandaged. . .and I realized I was capable of more than I have myself credit for.” 

Cathy was born in a small town in West England, her family moved to Brussels when she was eight, where she lived until age 18. She grew up with two siblings who are both in artistic trades. She credits her artistic impulses to her childhood and being raised without television, “We didn’t have anything else to occupy our time other than my mum providing art supplies for us and that was how we passed our time. So I am definitely grateful to her for doing that because I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating something.” That creative nurturing has rippled over into how she raises her children, she spends time creating with her boys, “we just enjoy building spaceships out of cardboard boxes-we’ve built kid stools and bird feeders.” 

Cathy loves creating meaning through her art and getting away from technology through tasks that allow her to use her hands. In the middle of our conversation about art in the area, Cathy’s third born bounces out of the back bedroom and tells his mother, “There’s a big spider in my bedroom,” he says it two more times so she knows; Cathy kisses his head and advises, “Go shoo him away.” She returns to our conversation and acknowledges her desire to spend more time in the adult art world, “I’m aware that I need to spend more time going to galleries and going to classes for myself, but what I’ve been involved in is looking at stuff for my kids to be a part of.” One set back she has identified to nourishing the teaching of art is the high prices of workshops and classes. The lack of affordability concerns her in that people of low socioeconomics will have less opportunity to learn and grow as artists. She hopes to see more community oriented art classes, “and for art to be available for all.” She believes the work of Smalltown Society and the opportunities of how to best use “the space” is helping to intervene in the gaps present in art in the community. 

As far as her artistic goals, Cathy plans to engage in her art more often. She is currently brainstorming ways to provide more opportunities for mothers to get out of the house “get away from housework and babies and have a time and a space to be creative together.”  

Artist Highlight: Naomi PQ "Clove & Whole"

Naomi Phan-Quang is a resident of Castro Valley. "At a very young age, I developed an affinity for old things. I always imagined the people who owned them and what stories they told. While my peers hung out at the mall, I charted out my next visit to the flea market. As a college student, I'd take a train almost every weekend to a warehouse packed with second hand treasures and would furnish our tiny apartment with my finds. These early experiences really shaped my creativity and resourcefulness. Now, as a mother of four, a trip to the thrift store or a neighborhood estate sale is a part of the rhythm of home making." It's no surprise that Naomi's art involves curation and careful restoration. 
 

Clove and Whole 

Artist Highlight: Tara W. "Freckled Floral"

A Bay Area native currently resides in Hayward with her husband. Six years ago, Tara owned a rental business, although the business was not her passion, she offered floral design within the company. Eventually she left the business and became more intentional about learning as much as she could about floral design. After practicing floral design and finding her path, Tara opened Redwood Floral in the fall of 2015. “The second I opened up my business and started designing for others, the flood gates opened, and everyone was so interested and supportive, so it was just a really cool confirmation.” When it comes to her art, Tara enjoys the constant changes of the seasons and flowers along with the freedom of floral design, “there’s really no rules to it." She describes her process as, “therapeutic,” and adds, “I love that I get to bless others with it.” A large amount of Tara’s work is for weddings, which she acknowledges, “It’s something that makes a lot of people happy, so I really like that.” Tara’s creative process is humbling and intentional. She begins each design with an earnest prayer and frequently has music on in the background as she creates, “I usually have some kind of candle burning and I just like to have all my senses there in what I’m doing.” Tara has been able to connect with community through her art. Given the personal nature of floral design, she finds opportunities to get to know her clients, sometimes for an entire year prior to creating their design. “I’m getting to know their families usually, who their marrying, what their likes are, what they do for a living, it helps me really design an arrangement that caters to that person.” Her clientele stretches from San Francisco all the way to Napa. Regarding the Eden area, Tara states, “I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of artists in this area...or maybe there are, and I just haven’t been exposed to them.” She notes how often artists are drawn to San Francisco and areas of co-working spaces and collaboration, a quality she finds that the Eden area lacks. Tara recognizes the universal struggle of the artists and their ability to support one another in their creative pursuits and desire to support themselves and their families. Although the struggle to sustain as an artist may be unspoken at times, Tara knows it is ever-present. She looks forward to building relationships where support and collaboration can grow.

Freckled Floral