"Fresh Juice" bk release at Chapter 510 - July 22nd

 

Hey fam, my new book is coming out in a matter of weeks. If you're in the Bay Area I invite you to come to the book release where I'll read the book alongside local author DeMareon Gipson. DeMareon wrote a book called "Annalise's Cough".  Come get a copy of my book and DeMareon's, and visit the incredible organization that is Chapter 510 who've helped me grow as an artist and storyteller. 

Also, the first 50 people there will be able to get a free cup of healthy juice made by Oakland's own "Super Juiced".

MORE INFO

Dig this? Check out these photos from the 2016 book opening for "Furqan's First Flat Top"

Chapter 510-Sense of Belonging

 

This past fall I did some quick drawings for Oakland's "Chapter 510" who are always doing work around empowering young writers, readers, and thinkers. These are a few of the portraits of some young people for their collective poem called "A Sense of Belonging". More info about the project here.

Dig this? Check out this portrait I did of Leila for Chapter 510 and Oakland Public Library.

Or the illustrations for ACLU x Central Valley Report

3rd Annual Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair

What up family, this is the third year we've done the "Social Justice Children's Bk Holiday Fair" and the venue, date, and some of the guests are above. Please bring your children, families, teachers, librarians, friends, and activists to come meet some of these kids bk makers and hang out. The following is a list of some of the authors that will be present!

Laura Atkins

John Casselberry

Madeline Connor

Angela Dalton

Michael Genhart

Maya Gonzalez- Reflection Press

Daria Leavitt

Kamaria Lofton-Like The Moon

Janine Macbeth-Blood Orange Press

Innosanto Nagara

Beth Reichmuth

Lourdes Rivas

Matthew Smith-Reflection Press

Justine Villanueva- Sawaga River press

Khalid White

Here is the facebook event LINK please rsvp and share, share, share!

This year we're back at Chapter 510 in Oakland.

Chapter 510 Poet - Samuel

Yo, just finished painting this for Ch510. This Friday September 6-9pm come through to Chapter 510 to meet and hear this young brother spit. Here is the event LINK.

And more info:

This year's Laureate Samuel Getachew was recently deemed the "Freshest new poet in the town" by the East Bay Express and held well-deserved space on the cover!  Samuel was also featured in Black Joy; An Anthology of Black Boy Poems (Nomadic Press) as part of our 2019 Black Joy workshop. 

Doors open at 6pm.

Reading at 7pm.

Open mic at 7:30.

Featured poets (so far):

Siara Edmond, 2019 Finalist

Greer Nakadegawa-Lee, 2019 Finalist

Lizette Navarro, 2017 and 2019 Finalist

Darien Em, 2018 and 2019 Finalist

Eleanor Wikstrom, 2019 Vice Laureate

Samuel Getachew, 2019 Laureate

To see the previous Chapter 510/Oak Poet Laureate:

Leila Mottley

Chapter 510 Poet - Leila

This young lady is Oakland's new Poet Laureate. This is maybe the 8th or 9th time I've painted a portrait for Chapter 510 and the Oakland Public Library's annual poet laureate program. It's an honor to paint these rising and shining minds and an honor to be commissioned by Chapter 510.

You can read her work HERE

Update: This young poet just got her novel "Nightcrawling" featured by Oprah Winfrey!! 

Dig this? Check out some of the other portraits I've painted:
Journalist Jamilah King

Poet Lucy

Self Portrait 

Chapter 510 Poet - Lucy

Hello folks, happy new year again. I just got a chance to paint to another portrait of a young poet in Oakland for Chapter 510 and Oakland Public library. Hope you like it. The first image is the final design, the second is of the poet performing this past friday at Chapter 510 alongside some young poets. And the last is a final image. Follow them on Instagram.

M is for Movement- Bldg power by Janine Macbeth

Yo, this is a recap of the most recent Social Justice Book Fair in Oakland at Chapter 510 featuring a bunch of authors, illustrators, The Alphabet Rockers, Two Mamacitas Pop up kitchen, and DJ XCairocitosX.

LINK TO READ

Chapter 510 poet- Azariah

This is the 7th portrait that I've done for Chapter 510 , an Oakland based organization that works with young people to foster love for writing, reading, and literacy. Each year for the past 3-4 years they have asked me to paint one or more of Oakland youth who have become Oakland's poet laureate and this project is in collaboration with the Oakland Public Library and Youth Speaks in San Francisco. Check out the original below. And this Friday if you're in Oakland please go to Chapter 510 to see this young lady read among others, and Ch 510 will be releasing a new book!

Dig this: Check out these drawings/paintings for Art Vs Artist 2018

Tova Ricardo-Chapter 510

Woah!!!This is my sixth portrait illustration (youth poet poster) of an Oakland Youth Poet for Chapter 510. I painted the youth Poets in 2014 and one in 2015. Can't believe I've been so fortunate to work on these. It is truly a blessing to create artwork that is about the poets. Because each one of them has a voice, individual style, and something strong to say; they were chosen as Poet Laureate's of Oakland. As a collaboration between Youth Speaks, the Oakland Public Library, and Chapter 510 it is dope to see youth from many different backgrounds and poetry styles up there. Who knows what young person is seeing a reflection of their face or life through them? This is a shot of Tova Ricardo holding the poster i illustrated of her. 

Check out the  510 Journal which features the poetry of youth from the many programs that Chapter 510 holds to encourage and support creative writing in this city. 

Chapter 510 letter of support

Peace!

As a kid, I did not enjoy reading or writing. The stories I was introduced to from elementary to high school rarely reflected my life, interests, or my cultural roots. Now as a storytellerand a father, I’m telling some of the stories I wish I’d seen coming up. The stories are about culture, pride, love for self and community, adventure, and imagination. And for me, to tell these stories, it takes a lot of long hours make-believing.

A program like Chapter 510 is helping young people write. It’s helping them make learning a reality.

I got connected with Chapter 510 from the very beginning. Right away, I knew these educators and writers were awesome and that they not only wanted to reach kids, but that they had in fact already been doing it in their own ways. Getting children of color writing about their lives. Getting books made about cool subjects like Harlem and publishing them in Oakland. We collaborated on several projects. 

  donated my drawings to Chapter 510 because they are a beautiful community-based arts project. It has been so fantastic to watch the program grow.

Now they have this sanctuary. A writing center to be, where my murals sit everyday waiting to make new friends among books, zines, artwork, and artifacts that inspire “Make Believing.” 

We need your donation and support today to open the writing center. Your money supports free writing, bookmaking, and publishing workshops for K-12 students in Oakland. Your support by sharing the campaign and spreading the word helps build awareness about the work we’re doing and allows us to find new additions to the team.

Please donate to these special folks. They are doing monumental work equipping kids like Jade and Kayla at MetWest High School with tools for change: WORDS.

All our kids, mine included, need artists and allies in the classrooms supporting teachers and bringing learning home through making and believing. 

I have so much respect for Chapter 510 and the way they support kids, artists, teachers, nurturing the cultural pulse of this city. 

Join me in supporting an awesome writing program for Oakland’s kids. 

Blessings,

Robert Liu-Trujillo

Murals at Chapter 510 office

Just finished these two murals. They are replicas of illustrations that I created recently for Chapter 510's "Make Believe" campaign. Ok, so I painted because I was commissioned to, but I believe in the work that the organization does. What do they do? They engage young people in learning to read and write. If you can read, you can see "poison" in the ingredients of the food you are eating. Feel me? And if you can write, they cannot write you out of history. 

If you are in the Bay Area and are down with that (as many Bay Area organizations are) come through to the next First Friday October 2nd in Oakland at 2301 Telegraph ave.

Chapter 510's "Make Believe" Poster

Created to support Chapter 510's campaign to build support for their new program called "Make Believe" which will build and cultivate a larger community in Oakland for literacy. The programs architects aim to be a resource of support for Oakland's youth rather than another organization claiming to be a savior. Over the course of next year, they hop to get 510 new supporters, 5100 hours of volunteer support, and to raise $510,000 more programs using poetry, craft work, reading, and writing. You know some people they should talk to? Hit them up! Check out the artwork process above and the beautiful color work/design added by Bookish Design.

The idea for this poster was inspired by talking with Janet and Tavia of Chapter 510 about imagination and make believing. So, in it I wanted to portray some of what it's like to read or write about your current reality and worlds you've never seen before. Hope you dig.

Portrait for Chapter 510- Sophie Elkin

Heres a portrait I painted of Oakland's Poet Laurete 2014 Sophie Elkin. It is the fifth portrait of an Oakland youth poet that I've created for 510 Journal, a project created for Chapter 510 to exhibit and show young peoples creative writing all over Oakland. If you're in the Bay Area tomorrow, you can listen to her reading some of her work at Pegasus Books (5560 College Ave in Oakland) on Wednesday, February 25 7:30-9pm

Chapter 510, Oakland Poets, and Portrait illustrations

Just picked up my posters for the Oakland Youth Poet Laureates last night at the Chapter 510 event promoting a new venture and collaboration. Its is a collaboration between Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland Public Library, and Youth Speaks. The event featured the four poets seen below and poet/artist Freddy Gutierrez. Folks also got to meet many of the volunteers such as Max Gibson that make the programs work and Chapter 510 founders

Janet Heller, Erica Lorraine Scheidt, and Mariah Landers. The event was great hearing all of the super talented poets spin their tales of emotion, love, struggle, and life. And it was an honor to meet them and share the artwork with them; secretly hoping that they would approve, which they did.

Stephanie Yun

Olivia Hoffman

Francesca Paris

Obasi Davis

Check out the new site where there will be a magazine made of poems by the Oakland Poets and several other Oakland Youth. Chapter 510 is doing great work to further literacy, creative writing, and stories here in Oakland needs your support. So please check out the site, give if you can, and definitely share with folks or volunteer with them.

Dig this? Check out this portrait of poet Azariah

Chapter 510 event-May 1st, 2014

Join me as I celebrate a collaboration of art and poetry with Chapter 510 and some young spitters (poets). Also, reminder incase you missed the post about my illustration work with Oakland, literacy based Ch 510; they are seeking volunteers. If you know a young person or an adult who is interested in helping out with workshops, social media, etc please contact them. If you know of any funders who can support more literacy, creative writing, and poetry work they are doing with kids, contact them.

From Chapter510.org

Chapter 510 children's illustration

I'm very excited to share with you the creation of several new and some remixing of older characters for a new literacy based organization starting NOW in Oakland called Chapter 510. The organization Chapter 510 are a group of educators, writers, and artists like my self who are working to assist young people and teachers in furthering creative writing and reading! This is BIG. There are already many after school programs which offer tutoring and all Oakland schools offer basic english, but it is exciting to see an organization focus on the literacy aspect since so the ability is so important. And it has been a great honor to work with them in crafting character's that not only reflect kids from the town, but are genuinely fun to do as an artist.

For several months now I have been meeting and working with the team and I hope this is the first of many posts to come about this collaboration, which will no doubt help a lot of kids see through the BS and see a road to their expression through stories, journalism, etc.

 If you are a teacher, a student, or storyteller, they need you. They are looking for volunteers specifically at Met West High school in Oakland. Check out the process of one of these characters and soem of the finished ones. Please visit the website which features more information about what they do and please check out the facebook. To be continued....