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NIAD Art Center

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Richmond, CA
NIAD Art Center

Redefining contemporary art.

Each NIAD artwork is an original piece of contemporary art that tells an individual story from the perspective of an artist with disabilities. Frequently remarkable, surprising, and engaging, NIAD artwork has become a highlight of the Richmond art scene and has received recognition from the national art community.

01/13/2026

As Amanda Eicher departs NIAD, we're grateful for everything she has contributed over seven incredible years as Executive Director.

Under her leadership, we've expanded our studio to 80 artists, doubled our staff and achieved numerous milestones, all while keeping artists' voices and goals at the center of everything we do.

As we search for a permanent Executive Director this spring, we're excited to announce Lucy Zimmerman as Interim Executive Director, who has been serving as NIAD's Exhibitions and Partnerships Director.

Thank you, Amanda, for your vision, dedication, and profound impact on our artists and community. Ability Now Bay Area is lucky to have you, and we wish you the best of luck! 💙

Photos 2 and 4 by Dawline-Jane Oni-Eseleh

Image Descriptions:
1. Amanda Eicher sits smiling in a chair with red cushions, wearing green sunglasses on her head, silver hoop earrings, a black ribbed sweater with a white collar, and cream pants. Behind her is a mural featuring a painted gray figure against a soft blue background.
2. A smiling group of 24 NIAD artists and staff stand with Amanda Eicher in NIAD's studio, filled with artwork on the yellow walls.
3. Amanda Eicher, wearing a black ribbed sweater and cream-colored pants, stands on the left, her hair pulled back, smiling. Lucy Zimmerman, wearing glasses and a blue floral-patterned sweater with a white collar, stands on the right, also smiling. They are photographed in front of Rami's Fountain, a colorful mixed-media sculpture in the NIAD courtyard.
4. In a warm moment inside NIAD's studio, Amanda Eicher, wearing a tan blazer, holds flowers while embracing NIAD artist, Maria Radilla, in a yellow shirt and polka dot headband. Several community members are seated around them observing the intimate moment between the two.
5. A group of 23 NIAD staff members joyfully pose together in the studio, with many making peace signs and playful expressions toward the camera. The group is arranged in multiple rows against a yellow wall behind art storage shelves and a colorful woven textile banner.

01/06/2026

NIAD Art Center is pleased to announce its first exhibition of the new year, "Transforming Space." Join us January 12 through March 28 for an exploration of space.

🗓️ Plan your visit: https://tr.ee/transforming-space

This exhibition, featuring 16 NIAD artists, tells the story of artists challenging representations of place—maps turn into emotional landscapes, familiar spaces become dreamlike scenes filled with color, landscapes evolve into a collection of thoughts, and the laws of gravity are defied as heavy objects are effortlessly lifted into the air.

Image Descriptions:
1. Jonathan Velazquez, Untitled, 2015 – A black and white aerial photographic view of a city. Red and orange lines highlight different roads, buildings, and a river that runs horizontally across the top of the image.

2. Guadalupe Soto, Yosemite, 2025 – A black and white photograph by Ansel Adams of a forest scene in Yosemite National Park, California. The central focus is a tall tree trunk dividing the image vertically. On either side of the trunk are dense clusters of trees with abundant foliage. The photograph has been drawn on by the artist, and is edged with red acrylic marker lines that outline parts of the trees and the trunk, creating an abstract overlay.

3. Jason Powell-Smith, Jason Holds up the 72, 2022 – A mixed-media print in blue and white tones featuring a Jason Powell-Smith holding a green city bus over his head. Two large circles are drawn in yellow and red in the center of the print.

4. Jesus Salas, Interior Of The Bus, 2014 – A black and white drawing featuring abstract shapes and lines—some thin, some thick— that suggest a row of seats inside a bus.

5. James Heartsill, Untitled, 2024 – A sculptural arrangement of a cityscape painted in red against a white background. Rectangular blocks of varying heights are arranged on a flat square base, creating a cluster of skyscraper structures.

01/06/2026

The Portal of Practice oracle deck by features artwork by 16 NIAD artists. This 52-card deck is an invitation to slow down and connect with yourself and your community. Each unique card includes meditations, reflective prompts, and somatic practices written by coaches at RCF Connects.

Both physical and virtual versions of the deck are now available through the Embodied Leadership Website – visit our link in bio to learn more and purchase ✨

We’re grateful to partner with on this beautiful collaboration—one of the many ways we work with community partners to share the work of NIAD artists.

Image descriptions in comments.

12/31/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we're filled with gratitude for what an extraordinary year it has been for NIAD and our artists. From NIAD’s presence at art fairs in Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, to artist solo shows in MoMA and NIAD’s Annex Gallery, the creativity and innovation fostered in NIAD’s studio has leapt far beyond the frame in 2025.

As we look ahead to 2026, we know that community support is more important than ever. With federal funding for disability justice and the arts facing uncertainty, partners like you make all the difference.

Your gift today carries this momentum into the new year, ensuring the 80 artists creating at NIAD year-round can continue to thrive, lead, and create.

Donate today: https://niadart.org/pages/donate-now

Image: Sara Malpass, Untitled, 2017

Image Description:
A vibrant mixed-media artwork featuring handwritten text layered over horizontal bands of color. The composition is divided into roughly five horizontal sections: a textured red area at the top, a sliver of orange, a gray middle band, a bright pink section, and pale yellow and purple bands at the bottom with hints of turquoise at the base. Cursive and printed words and phrases in teal and black ink are scattered throughout the painting including "which," "almost has," "long skin," "body," "came across," "neck words," "detail," "only," "turned cross," "mind," "kind," "signaling," and "wrong."

12/23/2025

The way I think about it, she gave me my art." - Dorian Reid, artist at NIAD since 2003.

We send our condolences to Betty Reid Soskin's family, and to the many people in Richmond and beyond who are mourning her passing and celebrating her life.

A trailblazer in every way, Ms. Reid's legacy includes civil rights activism; one of the longest-running Black businesses in the East Bay (Reid's Records) and a life of creativity in art and music; a career inspiring others as our nation's oldest National Park Ranger; a working history as a riveter in Richmond during WWII; and a lifelong dedication to giving back to her communities, including NIAD, where Ms. Reid's daughter, Dorian, has made art for over two decades. We are grateful to share a community in Richmond with Ms. Reid's family and her extraordinary legacy.

Upon Ms. Reid's passing, NIAD joins her family in encouraging donations to honor her memory to two causes: the Betty Reid Soskin Middle School and/or the completion of her film, "Sign My Name to Freedom.” https://signmynametofreedom.allyrafundraising.com

For those wishing to donate in Mrs. Soskin’s memory to the Betty Reid Soskin Middle School, checks can be made out to West Contra Costa Unified School District and sent to Betty Reid Soskin Middle School c/o Principal Jason Lau, 1121 Allview Ave, El Sobrante, CA 94803.

May her memory inspire us all to innovate and create history!

Image Descriptions:
1) Two women with light brown skin hold a large decorative pillow featuring a stylized cat face with leopard print pattern at NIAD Art Center. Dorian Reid (left) has short black hair and wears a teal striped sweater and glasses, smiling broadly. Betty Reid Soskin (right) has gray hair, pulled back, and wears glasses and a gray turtleneck. The pillow between them displays a leopard-spotted cat design with yellow circular eyes, a brown rectangular nose, and a red smile with a purple tongue.

2) "Portrait of Betty Reid Soskin as a Cat," 2022 – A ceramic sculpture by Dorian Reid depicting a stylized cat figure sitting upright. The piece features a textured, earth-toned surface with cream and tan coloring. The cat has round ears, large eyes, and large white whiskers. The body shows hand-sculpted fur texture created through linear marks in the clay. "Portrait of Betty Reid Soskin as a Cat" is now part of the permanent collection at the Oakland Museum of California.

3) Three people pose together at NIAD Art Center for Betty Reid Soskin's 90th birthday celebration. From left to right: Betty Reid Soskin wears a National Park Service ranger uniform with a wide-brimmed hat and holds a plate with a small birthday cake displaying "90" in gold numerals. Dorian Reid stands in the center wearing a teal sweater decorated with floral embroidery. NIAD alumni artist Bubba Trieber sits on the right in a blue fleece jacket, glasses, and a navy bucket hat.

12/17/2025

Help NIAD artists continue to lead – over the last several weeks, we’ve shared how NIAD artists are paving the way for access in the art world and beyond. Now more than ever, their leadership is a source of momentum for accessibility and disability justice.

Donate today through the link in our bio.

When you give to NIAD you are funding:

🎨 Studio space where artists develop their creative practices

🖌️ Art materials and professional resources

🖼 Exhibition opportunities broadening visibility and bringing the work of artists with disabilities to new and ever-expanding audiences

🤝 Relationship-building inside NIAD’s studios and in our expanded communities

Your gift today ensures this vital work continues!

Photo: RJ Mickelson

Image Description: A photograph framed by a tilted teal border shows NIAD artist, Donzell Lewis and NIAD volunteer, Cazz Altomare, engaged in making art at NIAD’s studio space. In the foreground on the right, Donzell Lewis wearing a dark gray coat holds an iPad looking warmly at the camera. To the left, Cazz Altomare in a black sweatshirt observes the work. The background shows an active art studio with vibrant artwork visible on the walls, other people working at the tables surrounded by art supplies.

12/16/2025

Don’t miss your chance to gift some of your favorite pieces from NIAD artists. Place your online order by tomorrow, December 17th for standard shipping to arrive by the 25th.

🐈‍⬛ Show your support for the Black Cat Revolution by wearing the recently-released enamel pins by Dorian Reid.

☝️ Are you on Team I Know or Team I Don’t Know? New editions of hats by Jason Powell-Smith are also now available online.

Visit our link in bio to explore thousands of original artworks and wearables from over 80 active and alumni NIAD artists!

First photo: RJ Mickelson.

Image descriptions:
1. Dorian Reid standing on stage at NIAD’s annual Win Win event. Facilitator Steen Kjorlie is holding her artwork with an American flag and “Black Cat Revolution” imagery in black on top of the flag.

2. Black enamel pin with a drawing of a black cat with handwritten text that says “Black Cat Revolution.”

3. Em Kettner, a NIAD facilitator wearing a white shirt with “Team I Don’t Know” written in blue text. Jason Powell-Smith wearing a cream cap with “Team I know” written in red text.

4. Black baseball cap with “Team I don’t know” embroidered in blue thread across the front panel.

12/06/2025

Tomorrow, Dec 7th 10 - 4 PM!

We’ll have gifts aplenty handmade by NIAD artists for the 63rd Annual Holiday Arts Festival and Jean McElvane will be in attendance herself making her whimsical creatures and miniature forms. Don’t miss this opportunity support artists right here in your local community. ID in comments

12/05/2025

We’re grateful to everyone who supported NIAD on Giving Tuesday.

Thanks to so many of you, we raised an incredible $40,000 toward our End of Year fundraising goal of $50,000. Your gifts ensure that artists working in NIAD’s studio remain well-resourced and have access to opportunities for growth and recognition.

PS. If you missed , don’t worry. There’s still time to give! Each gift this year-end, no matter what size, promises an even brighter year ahead at NIAD. In partnership with incredible community members like you, NIAD artists are leading the way toward more innovation and creativity in 2026. Help us reach our goal of $50,000 before December 31st. ➡️ niadartcenter.org/pages/donate-now

Image: Rebecca Jantzen, Untitled (D1590), 2023. Marker on linocut print.

A linocut print of a girl wearing a dress in black ink, with a speach bubble that says "If you R happy and u know it clap your hands (with drawing of a hand), shout hurray (with drawing of a mouth) and stomp your feet (with a drawing of a foot). Now do all 3 together" in black pen ink.

12/04/2025

Last artist highlight of the day is the inimitable Luis Estrada.

Luis Estrada (b. 1982) has been creating work at NIAD Art Center in Richmond, CA since 2004. Estrada refers to himself as “The Weatherman,” and for years he has meticulously recorded environmental changes, catastrophic weather events, and the natural phenomena impacting our daily lives. As Estrada describes, “far away in Mexico and Texas, there’s tornados. There’s earthquakes 365 days a year, and New York City is frozen. Everything happens, the weather changes real fast. The weather changes backwards.”

His practice ranges from notational paintings and drawings to figurative ceramics and embroidered textiles. In addition to the weather, Estrada’s work also explores themes relating to personal history, celebrity WWE drama, and the passage of time. His work has been collected and exhibited nationally, and was most recently featured in exhibitions at the Oakland Museum of California and Wave Pool Gallery.

12/04/2025

Next on deck at Open Invitational, Arstanda Billy White!

Arstanda Billy White (b.1962) has practiced at NIAD since 1994. He primarily focuses on portraiture. White depicts figures from his personal life and pop culture in painting, drawing, ceramics, and printmaking. He has cited Vincent van Gogh as a major influence on his gestural painting style and bold color palette. White explains this act of homage and translation: “I’m the guy who is going to draw a picture of Van Gogh. In the painting he’s yellow because that’s how Van Gogh wanted it, but I put him in black. I’m going to draw the whole thing, and then I’m gonna draw my dad, the Golden Glove Champion.”

As a deeply social artist and a natural storyteller, White’s works function as intimate conversations among his subjects and with his community. Beloved figures from Black popular culture, hip-hop icons, art world celebrities, and local Richmond legends share equal standing in his pantheon.

Arstanda Billy White joined NIAD Art Center in 1994. He is represented by .nyc and has mounted solo exhibitions at both their New York and former Los Angeles locations. Other recent solo shows include those at Adams and Ollman, Portland, OR; Mule Gallery, San Francisco, CA; and South Willard, Los Angeles, CA. He has participated in group shows at the Oakland Museum of California, Chico Art Center, Sonoma State University; Land Gallery, Brooklyn; Public Annex, Portland, OR; and Pilar Corrias Gallery, London UK. White’s work has been reviewed in The New York Times, The Editorial Magazine, and Hyperallergic. His paintings are in the permanent collection of SFMOMA.

12/04/2025

For day 3 of Open Invitational we’re spotlighting 3 of our artists on view at the fair. First up, Karen May.

Karen May (b. 1950) has practiced at NIAD since 2011 and is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans collage, ceramics, painting, poetry, and fiber art. She refers to her art as a “memory tool,” and is deeply attuned to the lyrical potential in conversations with her own inner voice, “Kitty,” who variously takes the form of a cat or of Karen’s younger self.

In addition to themes of personal history, May also frequently works on found ephemera from art publications, co-opting the imagery with her own line-work and text. In 2023, seven of these mixed-media detournements were acquired by SFMOMA. Her work is in prominent private collections across the US.

May has worked at NIAD Art Center in Richmond, CA since 2011. Her work has been published and exhibited widely in the Bay Area, notably at the Oakland Museum of California, Minnesota Street Project in San Francisco, Kala Art Institute Gallery in Berkeley, and Personal Space Gallery in Vallejo, CA. A two-part solo exhibition entitled Karen May: ArtForum Interventions (2024) was presented by the Arts Center at Duck Creek in East Hampton, NY.

Address

551 23rd Street
Richmond, CA
94804

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	1pm - 4pm

Telephone

(510) 620-0290

Website

http://niadart.org/, http://linktr.ee/niadartcenter

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