Joyce Gordon Foundation Gala: A Powerful Evening for the Oakland Arts Community

By BJ Teriba, Editor in Chief of PREP Culture

For those with limited time, here's a TLDR:

What happened:

The Joyce Gordon Community Arts Gala transformed Town Fare @ OMCA into a blooming garden—a powerful celebration of Ms. Joyce Gordon's extraordinary impact on Oakland's Black arts community and the visionary artists she has mentored and championed over decades.

The vibe:

Black elegance, jazz-inflected energy, and a room that felt like a living love letter to Oakland's creative soul. The dress code was black tie, featuring colors of nude, gold, and white. Flowers everywhere—literal and metaphorical—honoring both beauty and resilience.

Standouts:

• Tolani Verissimo  kept the room inspired and on-mission as host, weaving together stories of artistic triumph with grace.
• The night's Fund-A-Need moment  and silent/live auctions raised critical support for youth scholarships and creative programming—ensuring the next generation of artists have pathways Joyce pioneered.
• Vision unveiled: The New Joyce Gordon Arts Hub , with 25% of future exhibits dedicated to under-25 artists and a comprehensive 5-year plan for expanded creative spaces and digital access—a living monument to Joyce's commitment to emerging voices.

👉  Watch the recap here : Joyce Gordon Foundation Gala - Recap

Why it mattered:

This wasn't just fundraising. It was a coronation of legacy. The room honored elders and trailblazers who carved the foundation for Black arts in Oakland—artists and cultural stewards like Joyce, whose mentorship, vision, and unwavering belief in community have shaped generations. The honorees weren't just recipients of accolades; they were celebrated as the architects of Oakland's cultural renaissance. Art was both a centerpiece and a call to action.

The legacy:

Joyce Gordon's impact ripples through every corner of Oakland's creative landscape. Her mentorship has nurtured countless artists; her vision created safe spaces for Black creative expression; her activism reminded us that art is always political. The evening wasn't just about honoring what she's done—it was about mobilizing energy around what comes next. The seeds planted that night—through donations, storytelling, and renewed commitment—will keep Oakland's creative garden blooming.

Want to help?

Support youth arts and the new arts hub: givebutter.com/communityartsgala
Follow the journey: Instagram @joycegordonfoundation

And now for the main entree...

2025 is the year of celebrating our contemporaries—of giving people their flowers while they're still in bloom. This sentiment has become a necessary rallying cry across Black culture, a pushback against the erasure and devaluation that too often defines our narratives. This work is urgent in Oakland, where the media systematically demonizes Black voices. It is essential to elevate and highlight the artists, visionaries, and cultural architects who have emerged from The Town's concrete, as they refuse to be marginalized. This work is critical to developing a more favorable image of the city and ensuring that future voices can be acknowledged and appreciated.

On Sunday evening, the Joyce Gordon Community Arts Gala & Fundraiser at Town Fare @ OMCA accomplished precisely that. Ms. Joyce Gordon is a towering figure whose mentoring, vision, and decades of artistic activism have molded Oakland's cultural soul. The event turned the city into a flower garden, bringing together people from generations and continents to honor her and the pioneers she has supported.

As a Nigerian American, a member of the Diaspora, and a creator still carving out my place in the canon of African Diaspora arts, serving as media director for this event wasn’t just work—it was a homecoming. Experiencing Mama Joyce’s impact firsthand—as her stories, mentorship, programs, and the artists she’s uplifted came to life on stage—felt like stepping into a living archive of Black art in Oakland.

The evening began long before the first guest arrived for the JGF team. By 3:30 PM, vendors and volunteers were already loading in rentals, AV, and catering. By 4:30, the Joyce Gordon Foundation team gathered for a mandatory briefing—one last collective deep breath before opening the doors.

At 5:30 PM, VIP guests arrived for a reception underscored by the ethereal sounds of Interstellar Soundscapes. The silent auction opened quietly but purposefully, each lot—paintings, sculptures, mixed media—acting as both artwork and artifact of a thriving local scene.

At 6:30 PM, general admission doors opened. By 7:00 PM, salads were on tables, guests were seated, and the energy had shifted from anticipation to ceremony.

The gala setup itself was an experience.

The Joyce Gordon team skillfully created an environment that embodied the essence of Black elegance and artistic expression. Nude-toned décor and table settings glowed under soft light, accented with thoughtful florals that echoed the “giving people their flowers” theme in real time. A live band underscored conversations, adding a warm, jazz-inflected heartbeat to the room.

The chosen black tie style in nude, gold, and white did more than guarantee stunning photos—it turned elders, artists, and community leaders into a live portrait of Oakland’s creative spirit. That night, everyone showed up ready for their close-up.

Hors d'oeuvres from Chef Nelson and the crew at A’la Mar set the night off right. Then Chef Michelle and the Town Fare team served up a dinner that matched the vibe—elevated, soulful, and rooted in Oakland. It felt less like a fundraiser and more like a family reunion around the table.

Every strong program needs a center of gravity, and our host and Executive Director, Tolani Verissimo , was exactly that.

Tolani didn’t just emcee; he guided the room—connecting with elders and youth, donors and artists, first-timers and long-time supporters. He articulated the vision of the Joyce Gordon Foundation with clarity and heart: securing a permanent creative home in Oakland, spotlighting youth, and expanding beyond visual art into music, ceramics, and digital media.

His words made it clear that this gala was not just about one night’s fundraising but about building sustainable infrastructure for the future of Oakland’s arts.

A major throughline of the evening was the unveiling of the Foundation’s next chapter: The New Joyce Gordon Arts Hub .

The vision is expansive:

• Securing a Home
• A permanent physical space that offers stability for artists and the community—an anchor in a rapidly changing city.
• Spotlight on Youth
• JGF dedicates at least 25% of exhibits to emerging artists under 25, ensuring that young creatives take the lead in their participation.
• Expanding Horizons
• Going beyond galleries to include music, ceramics, digital arts, and more—reflecting the full spectrum of how art lives and breathes in Oakland.
• Pathways to Creativity
• A 2-year goal to participate in exhibits and fundraising and a 5-year plan that includes:
  • A Creative Hub and “Art &___” event series
  • A Creative Career Lab for youth
  • Digital arts access —tools, training, and technology for the next generation

All of this was framed not as aspiration, but as an active, unfolding commitment—with the community in the room invited to help shape it.

The evening’s Fund-A-Need moment was one of the most powerful segments of the night. As the night’s auctioneer Chad Carvey put it, guests weren’t just bidding on items; they were underwriting the future of Oakland art, backing initiatives designed to nurture young talent and energize The Town’s creative community.

Key projects included the Joyce Gordon Art Scholarship Fund, which awards at least $1,000 annually to five outstanding high school seniors in the visual, performing, writing, or digital arts. This year, recipients Derick Davies (CCA) and Zara Hana-Karbo (UCLA) shared how Miss Joyce and the foundation have been pivotal in shaping their artistic journeys. Additional initiatives include the Creative Hub and Career Lab , which offers workshops, mentorship, and pathways into creative industries; Cultural Horizons , providing field trips that expand young people’s imaginations; community engagement through the “Art &___” series supporting youth-led public art; and Digital Arts Innovation & Youth Exhibitions , making sure Oakland’s young artists have the tools, training, and platforms they need to shine.

The programming the JGF team shared made it clear this night wasn’t about abstract philanthropy. Guests saw real faces and heard real voices—stories from those already changed by the foundation's work and glimpses of those who stand to benefit in the future.

The live auction turned the room into a theater of generosity. Thirteen lots—including works by Fortune Sitole, Oso Ranna, Agbee, Calime, D-Tai, Barnes, Allen , and others—became portals into Oakland’s artistic soul.

Pieces like Sitole’s “After Work” captured that familiar post-shift exhale in a city that never stops moving. Each artist represented a unique aspect of Oakland's cultural fabric, and the bidding reflected not only an appreciation for aesthetics but also an awareness of legacy.

Giving wrapped up with the “Last Art Hero” challenge, where the prize went not to the highest bidder but to the night’s final donor. Chad was a great sport throughout, keeping spirits high and ending the evening with the whole room laughing together.

Later in the evening, guests also participated in Heads or Tails , another playful way to give while staying engaged. In both cases, joy and fundraising moved in sync.

One of the emotional peaks of the night came with the 2025 Community Art Awards, recognizing trailblazers who have laid the foundation for Oakland’s vibrant arts scene. Dr. Angela Wellman captivated the audience with stories of her work alongside Miss Joyce and Ms. Harris, reflecting on the challenges and injustices all three faced as visionary Black “artrepreneurs.” Wellman’s impact as founder and CEO of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music has brought culturally grounded, community-based music education to Oakland, empowering generations of youth, especially among the African diaspora. Her decades-long commitment to the city, her scholarship, and her leadership in music and African diasporic studies stand as a testament to the power of art as liberation and healing.

Ms. Thelma Harris added historic depth to the occasion. A passionate educator at heart and founder of Oakland’s Thelma Harris Art Gallery, she is renowned for championing African American artists and giving them a vital platform since opening her gallery in 1987. Harris has helped guide generations of artists—some of whom have gone on to national acclaim—and educated collectors and local youth about the richness of Black art. Her gallery’s commitment to museum-quality exhibitions and personal connection has made it a cultural beacon in Oakland, and her speech spotlighted her long, collaborative history with Miss Joyce, as well as the barriers and discrimination she, Dr. Wellman, and Joyce faced throughout their artistic journeys.​

Elena Serrano and Susanne Takehara brought the focus to activism and creative collaboration, promising ongoing partnership with the Joyce Gordon Foundation’s new chapter and honoring their late co-founder Greg Morozumi , who passed in June 2025. Their testimony—celebrating community, creative resistance, and the legacy of those lost—underscored how Oakland’s thriving arts movement is the product of generations of dedication, vision, and often under-recognized work. Watching these leaders receive their flowers alongside Mama Joyce was a powerful, full-circle moment for everyone in the room.

The program blended movement, personal stories, and live performance, staying true to Black creative tradition. Impact stories from community members like Zara and Derick highlighted how art transformed their lives, bringing heart and meaning to every dollar raised. Oakland’s own Kev Choice opened with a heartfelt tribute to the late John Beam and then set the vibe with a jazz solo—a soundtrack to the city's resilience, perfectly echoing the powerful words he shared before taking the stage.

By the time the formal program closed around 9:15 PM, the room felt less like a fundraiser and more like a family reunion of people who may not all know each other personally but recognize themselves in one another’s stories.

From my vantage point—as media director of the event, editor-in-chief of PREP Culture, and a Nigerian American reconnecting with the Diaspora—the Joyce Gordon Community Arts Gala was so much more than just an event. It proved that Black arts institutions in Oakland aren’t relics stuck in the past; they’re living, evolving hubs of innovation. Youth arts aren’t an afterthought—they’re at the heart of the Foundation’s vision. And honoring our elders and trailblazers isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a conscious means for building continuity in a world that’s continually attempting to erase or fragment our stories.

Mama Joyce’s presence was woven into every moment—from the artists performing on stage to the programs she helped fund, and especially in the guests who credited her space with giving them their first real shot. Seeing her, surrounded by family, peers, and those she’s mentored, all receiving their flowers together, truly felt like a full-circle moment.

If you weren't in the room, you could still be part of this story and the JGF journey!

Donate to the Joyce Gordon Foundation

Support their work in youth arts, scholarships, and the new arts hub by giving at givebutter.com/communityartsgala

Stay Connected & Follow Their Journey

JGF will share programming for 2026 and beyond on social media. Follow them on Instagram @joycegordonfoundation

The night officially ended at 10:00 PM, but as vendors broke down and the last guests filtered out, it was clear that something much bigger was just beginning. The seeds planted in that room—through donations, recognition, storytelling, and vision—will continue to bloom in Oakland for years to come.

And I’m grateful I got to be there, camera in hand, pen (well, phone) in pocket, watching a community give its artists & mothers their flowers while they’re still in full, radiant bloom.