Press Release

• Tweet

For Release September 8, 2005

What did the chicken say when he crossed the road? The answer may be found at ArtsChange's new exhibition Laughter is the Best Medicine Locura Cura: Art Healing and Humor opening at the Richmond Health Center (RHC), 100 38th Street, Richmond (enter at 29th and Bissell). The opening reception will take place Wednesday, September 21, 5 - 7 p.m., in the RHC 2nd floor lobby and will include stand up comedy, featuring local comic Side2Side, an open mic, and funny foods and activities. The reception is free and open to the public.

The exhibit is co-curated by ArtsChange Artistic Director Ann Schnake and Guest Curator Rene Yanes, well-known Bay Area artist who was a founder of renowned Culture Clash theater group and who employs humor in his visual artwork. The exhibit, which runs through January 1, investigates how humor and laughter promote healing from illness and loss. It will employ a diverse mix of two-and three-dimensional pieces as well as media art. Artists from Richmond, the greater Bay Area and Los Angeles will show works.

Highlights include a large-scale painting by Kin Kwok, Sky Watcher, which explores universal unknowns; Richmond artist Lauren Ari's ceramic pieces depict strange characters waiting in line at a health center; Sharon Siskin employs humor to survive motherhood with sock and dryer lint balls, pacifier sculptures; Rio Yanez, Jos Sances and Esteban Montojo provide other comic relief with cartoons, prints and wooden tableaus. In addition, Oscar-award winning filmmaker Jessica Yu will screen an early short film Sour Death Balls that captures a diverse cast of characters chewing on extremely sour candy balls.

Arts Change (formerly known as The Quilt of Many Colors) has organized visual art exhibitions and education programs in public venues since 1997, engaging an urban and culturally diverse community with an art and education program that addresses issues related to health and community. The National Endowment provides major funding for the Arts, Contra Costa County and California Endowment. For more information about the exhibition or events, please contact ArtsChange at 510-231-1348 or artschange@artschange.org.

# # #