William Rhodes Art

01/12/2025

Hello Friends,

Someone sent me these two images and I wanted to share.
These are picture from my lecture at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. I had the honor and pleasure to do a lecture with Ms. Tarika Lewis. Tarika is an artist, musician, author and activist. She was the first woman to join the Black Panther Political Party from the 1960's through the 1980's.

01/01/2025

May 2025 be the year your dreams and authentic self turn into reality. Happy New Year and power to Pluto in Aquarius.

12/30/2024

Hello Friends and art supporters,

Please check out my video below:
https://youtu.be/J6Uuo2KB-uo

2024 has been an amazing year for me. Recently, two of my artworks were included in the permanent collection of Casa de Africa Museum in Havana Cuba. I also had the pleasure to have the Curator from The National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba, Ms. Glenda Santiago Navarro talk about my work.
I feel very blessed.

Thank you for your love and support throughout 2024,
William

This is a promotional video for West Coast Artist William Rhodes. Two of his works are now part of a Cuban Museum's collection. Art Curator Glenda Santiago N...

12/28/2024

Hello Friends, I know it has taking me a while but I have been under weather. I finally had a chance to share my pictures from Cuba. I had an amazing time at the 15th Havana Biennial. My art was well received and I met some incredible people. Please check out the pictures below.
Much Love, William

12/24/2024

I hope 2025 will bring you much joy and contentment. I really appericate all the love and support you have giving me by following and supporting William Rhodes Art throughout the years. Thank you, William Rhodes

10/29/2024

Hello Friends,
I am so honored to have been one of 25 artists selected from around the country to have been invited to exhibit my artwork at the 15th Havana Biennial in Havana, Cuba

Please click on video link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WbLZa5BbRk

Mixed-Media Artist Selected to Showcase Quilts at the 15th Havana Biennial.
As a seasoned mixed-media artist blending fine art, craft, and design, William Rhodes has been chosen to represent a creative voice from the United States at the prestigious 15th Havana Biennial in Havana, Cuba. Organized by the Wifredo Lam Centre, the Bienal de la Habana is a celebration of global artistic expression and cultural exchange.

Rhodes’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in exploration and storytelling. With a dedication to preserving local African American history, he integrates a variety of mediums and materials, including wood, metal, glass, fabric, and needlework. Notably, quilting has become a significant focus, serving as a medium to immortalize narratives and collaborate with communities.

At the upcoming 15th Havana Biennial, William Rhodes will present two distinctive quilts: one traditional sewn quilt and a Community Knotted Quilt. The Community Knotted Quilt, a unique collaborative effort, involves participants from both San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point and Western Addition communities, as well as individuals from Cuba. Through quilt workshops hosted at La Casa de Africa, participants will design and create their own fabric squares. These will then be knotted together rather than sewn, symbolizing shared experiences and cultural exchange.

Reflecting on the theme of "Shared Horizons," Rhodes emphasizes the project's role in fostering connections between countries historically divided by political tensions. The quilts, along with the workshops, aim to bridge cultural gaps and promote dialogue through art.

Both quilts will join the permanent collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts - International Art, highlighting the power of art in uniting diverse communities and preserving cultural heritage.

The 15th Havana Biennial will take place from November 15th, 2024, to February 28th, 2025.

10/17/2024

Hello Friends and Colleagues,
Please join me this Saturday, Oct 19th and Sunday, Oct 20th from 11am - 6pm for my Open Studio event. I am at the Hunterspoint Shipyard building 101 in studio # 2317. Come see my new work and creative process.
After Open Studio this Saturday, join us for the Hunterspoint Crane Illumination event. Please see more information below.
Crane Lighting and projection
Saturday, Oct 19th- 6pm -10pm.
Crane Viewing Area & Performances: There will be an outdoor viewing area set up in the last bay of Building 101, by the kitchen, which offers the best view of the crane. Live music will be performed there, with speeches starting at 6 PM and sound performances beginning at 7:15, 8, and 9 PM. The sound performances will coincide with the crane light shows. Between performances, there will be ambient lighting on the crane and softer background sound.
Food & Beverages: Food and beverage service will be available at Building 101 from around 5 or 5:30 PM until 8 or 9 PM, provided by one of the kitchen vendors through En2action’s food vendor program (the same program that supports Open Studios). They will be serving vegetarian chili, clam chowder, cookies, and a variety of drinks including beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options.
Hunterspoint Shipyard
451 Galvez Ave
San Francisco, CA 94124

09/28/2024

I want to thank everyone that attended our event and exhibition which highlights the history and fight for equality of African American workers at the Hunterspoint shipyard. This project allowed me to create several quilts documenting shipyard life and struggles. I also facilitated the creation of a community knotted quilt, which allowed seniors to tell their stories of the migration from the South to California. Stacey Carter added historic pictures of shipyard and its workers. Barbara Ockel helped to manage and organize this year long project. Several seniors that worked at the Hunterspoint shipyard, shared their experiences in a panel discussion. Attached below are interviews of seniors. Please click on the link:
Community Day: Oral History Interviews
https://vimeo.com/showcase/11373985

09/05/2024

Hello Friends,
Please Join us tomorrow, Sept 5th for the opening of the: African American Shipyard History Quilts exhibition.
Also check out our radio interview on KQED below.
https://omny.fm/.../bayview-hunters-point-exhibit...

Thank you and see you tomorrow,
William

African American Shipyard History Quilt Project
Opening Reception Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-8 PM

Don't miss this display of local history and art, created collectively by Bayview seniors, Stacey Carter and William Rhodes.

Detail from one of the quilts by William Rhodes, based on a historic document sourced by Stacey Carter.
Stacey Carter recently received this very heavy historic plaque as a gift from the Hornet Museum in Alameda. A thoughtful curator found it in the bowels of the old ship: it details the amazing record of ships serviced here during WWII.
William Rhodes produced the quilts along with the help from seniors from Bayview Senior Services.

All Shipyard Stories Events

Reception: Thursday, September 5, 6-8 p.m.

Gallery Exhibition: Open Saturdays September 14, 21, 28, October 5, 1 -5 p.m.

Saturday Walkabouts with additional artists in their studios: Saturday September 14, 21, 28

Shipyard History Tour with Stacey Carter: Saturday, September 14, 1 p.m. (lasts one hour) Get tickets
Stacey Carter will give an overview of Shipyard history.

Community Day: Saturday, September 21, 2-4 p.m.
Bayview seniors will tell their stories

Talk with the Artists: Saturday, October 5, 2-4 p.m.
Stacey Carter and William Rhodes will discuss their year-long project

08/27/2024

Hello Friends,
Please join me this Wednesday, August 28th at 5pm for my artist talk at the San Francisco Art Commission Gallery.
Location:
SFAC Gallery
401 Van Ness Ave Suite 126, San Francisco, CA 94102

Sculpture by William Rhodes, "Fifth Dimensional Generation"; Carved wood, found objects from grandparents’ house, paint and gold leaf, 53in x 32in x 7in.
This artwork is constructed out of carved wood and found objects from my grandparents’ house. My grandparents were products of the “Great Depression”. This means, they saved everything and reused things many times over. Old screws, nails, keys, boxes, and tools were never discarded because my grandfather would reuse them to fix something in the house. After the
passing of my grandparents, I inherited their home filled with items. I couldn’t decide if I should throw away everything because no one wanted this junk. As I began going through everything, I realized how each object brought back memories. The objects told me a story of my family and how each generation changed. I began placing the objects together and they began to dictate the
construction of the artwork. When I look back at the final work I can see my family history through every object.

Alison Ho and William Rhodes
It is an honor to be in this two person exhibition with Alison Ho.
About the Artists:
Alison Ho is an interdisciplinary artist. Originally from Campbell, California, she currently resides in San Mateo, California with her husband and Australian Labradoodle. In 2013, she graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara as a Regents Special Fellow and holds an MFA in Art. In 2010, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Oregon and holds a BFA in Digital Arts.
William Rhodes has been a mixed media artist for more than 30 years. He was born in Baltimore, MD but relocated to San Francisco, CA 20 years ago. Rhodes received a BA in Furniture Building and Design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a MFA from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. His creative works are in the collections of various galleries and museums. Most recently, his work was included in permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. It’s been a passion for the last 12 years to share his enthusiasm for art and public service as both instructor and, more recently, as Intergenerational Program Director at Bayview Services. Rhodes also, dedicates part of his time to art education, including art collaborations with schools and Senior Centers in San Francisco, South Africa, Italy and Egypt. He is the co-founder of a Black art collective in San Francisco. The 3.9 Art Collective was formed in 2011 in response to the declining Black population in San Francisco.
https://www.sfartscommission.org/.../exh.../annex-limitation

08/24/2024

https://youtu.be/Hr4ZnvXgbJ4?si=uUrALjz19fkXqJQO

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

08/24/2024

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Thursday, August 22, 6 PM

For artists William Rhodes and Tarika Lewis, the history and narratives of the African American community in San Francisco are the inspirational lifeblood of their work. On Thursday, August 22, we invite you for a documentary screening of Blood Seeks Blood, a film by Lewis followed by a presentation of the Narrative Quilt Project by Rhodes. This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Art, Action, Change: YBCA Creative Corps Initiative, on view at YBCA through September 15.

08/21/2024

Hello Friends,

Please join me and the Black Panther Party member and artist, Tarika Lewis for our YBCA opening of "Feed the Soul and Feed the Belly Thursday Night Series" - History and Genealogy of Blacks in San Francisco on Thursday, August 22 from 6pm to 8pm.

For artists William Rhodes and Tarika Lewis, the history and narratives of the African American community in San Francisco are the inspirational lifeblood of their work. On Thursday, August 22, we invite you for a documentary screening of Blood Seeks Blood, a film by Lewis followed by a presentation of the Narrative Quilt Project by Rhodes.

Come celebrate with food, fun and history.

location: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts-701 Mission Street, SF, CA

08/07/2024

Working on one of my Community Knotted quilts. A big thank you to everyone that added their story to the quilt.

07/27/2024

Hello Friends, I am very excited about connecting with actor and activist Danny Glover. We are planning future collaborations with Danny and the Intergenerational Program at Bayview Senior Services. I will keep you posted on future community events that will include Danny Glover and the youth and seniors participating in our Intergenerational Program. Thank you, William

Photo from left to right: Ms. Jackie Williams, Actor and Activist- Danny Glover, Ms. Classie Kendrick and Artist and Intergenerational Director- William Rhodes.

07/18/2024

It has been such a blessing to have the opportunity to travel throughout Spain for my work, business vacation. My students there did a wonderful job and I got to see all of the beauty and history of Spain.

07/05/2024

I want to thank everyone for your love and support with our Intergenerational Theater, Art and Music performance featuring actor Barry Shabaka Henley. It was a day of fellowship, food, music and fun. None of this would have been possible without your kindness and effort.