Category: Arts & Culture
Posted inArts & Culture, Community, History, Neighborhoods

New Parade Dragon Carries on Local Legacy Dating Back Nearly 175 Years

Avatar photo by Zhe Wu

There will be a brand new dragon in this year’s Chinese New Year Parade finale, celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

The Chinese New Year Parade, the festival’s pinnacle event, is scheduled this Saturday. Until then, the new dragon is on display at Three Embarcadero Center.

The parade’s organizer, the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce, has announced the roster of floats and entertainers who will participate, including a 289-feet golden dragon that debuted in public on Lunar New Year’s Day, Feb. 10, for a Taoist “awakening” ceremony.

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Bay Area, Community, Education, Social Justice

In ‘Homeroom,’ Meet Oakland Youth Who Organized to End Policing in Schools

by Laura Wenus

A new documentary, “Homeroom,” shows how Oakland High School’s Class of 2020 faced a year of pandemic uncertainty with resilience and perseverance, amplifying calls to end policing in schools even as those schools shut down and their personal milestones were relegated to virtual spaces.

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Community, LGBTQ+, Media

In ‘No Straight Lines,’ We Meet Groundbreaking Queer Comic Artists

by Laura Wenus

In the new documentary “No Straight Lines,” artists who took serious risks by outing themselves and creating comics about the experiences and lives of LGBT Americans look back on their work and its impacts. Director Vivian Kleiman, a Peabody Award winning filmmaker, producer, director and writer, talked with “Civic” about how these artists shaped the underground comics scene and some of the film’s more poignant moments.

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Community

Return of the Roxie: SF Nonprofit Cinema Cautiously Reopens

by Laura Wenus

With vaccination rates on the rise and lockdown restrictions lifting, audiences are returning to indoor venues. For community cinemas like the Roxie Theater, reopening is emotional. The Roxie’s executive director Lex Sloan told “Civic” that limited seating for recent screenings sold out quickly, filling her with hope that cinephiles are eager to return in person.

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Economy & Business, Health, Social Services

Documentary ‘Sky Blossom’ Highlights Young Caregivers

by Laura Wenus

Millions of Americans have stepped in as caregivers for loved ones with illnesses or injuries that mean they need help with daily living. The work is generally unpaid and often invisible to the world outside the family. Some of these caregivers are children. A new documentary, “Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation,” highlights […]

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Community

Installation at Yerba Buena Center Examines Mourning in a Time of Isolation

by Laura Wenus

An installation at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts called “Mourning is an Act of Love” uses non-traditional forms of documentary film as well as poetry and photography, which visitors can view from the outside of the building, to explore concepts like memorials, grief and public space. Documentary filmmaker Susannah Smith, who curated the […]

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