window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"arts_13991566": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13991566",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13991566",
"found": true
},
"title": "Brave New Voices",
"publishDate": 1783965476,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13991552,
"modified": 1783979700,
"caption": "The Brave New Voices Poetry Slam is the world's largest slam event designed solely for teenage poets.",
"credit": "Courtesy of Youth Speaks",
"altTag": "A black and white image of a group of people standing on stage, posing and taking a photo.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-768x513.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 513,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-1536x1026.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1026,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-580.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1336
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13991121": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13991121",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13991121",
"found": true
},
"title": "022_TLB",
"publishDate": 1782434959,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1782435179,
"caption": "Kuhoo Verma stars as Ila in the world-premiere musical ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep.",
"credit": "Kevin Berne",
"altTag": "A young Indian woman holds a shiny silver cylinder aloft, wearing patterned fabric in a room decorated as a kitchen",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 106,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-768x511.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 511,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1022,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/022_TLB.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1331
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13990924": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13990924",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13990924",
"found": true
},
"title": "1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000",
"publishDate": 1781829373,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13990908,
"modified": 1781830674,
"caption": "Maren Hassinger, documentation of performance 'Tree Duet I,' at 5617 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, c. 1974.",
"credit": "Courtesy of Susan Inglett Gallery, NYC; Photo by Adam Avila",
"altTag": "black-and-white image of Black woman posing with leg and arm raised to mimic large tree branch she stands on",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1977_2021_HASSINGER_Tree-Duet-I_2000.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13984281": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13984281",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13984281",
"found": true
},
"title": "unnamed-4",
"publishDate": 1764643774,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1764660524,
"caption": "Marga Gomez in ‘The Search for Signs\nof Intelligent Life in the Universe,’ the last production at famed Berkeley institution Aurora Theatre before the company ceased operations. \n",
"credit": "Kevin Berne",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-768x511.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 511,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1022,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/unnamed-4.jpg",
"width": 1600,
"height": 1065
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13976487": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13976487",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13976487",
"found": true
},
"title": "SwimmingSpots.Guide.MAIN.16x9",
"publishDate": 1747688209,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13976437,
"modified": 1747688440,
"caption": "From public pools and beaches to waterparks like Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Concord (pictured), swimming spots in the Bay Area are plentiful all summer.",
"credit": "Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images",
"altTag": "Young kids in swimwear getting soaked by falling water",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 450,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 574,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 90,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 432,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 864,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/SwimmingSpots.Guide_.MAIN_.16x9.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1125
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13989706": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13989706",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13989706",
"found": true
},
"title": "IWYS_2000",
"publishDate": 1778875791,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13989211,
"modified": 1778882285,
"caption": "Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman in a scene from Gregg Arak's 'I Want Your Sex.'",
"credit": "Magnolia Pictures",
"altTag": "blonde woman and blindfolded man face each other in near kiss",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-160x86.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 86,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-768x415.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 415,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-1536x830.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 830,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1081
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13989665": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13989665",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13989665",
"found": true
},
"title": "20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED",
"publishDate": 1778862546,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1778862669,
"caption": "Jaelynn Walls, fiction writer and artist, poses for a portrait at their home in Oakland on May 11, 2026.",
"credit": "Gina Castro for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-160x104.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 104,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-768x501.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 501,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-1536x1001.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1001,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-10-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1304
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13905047": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13905047",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13905047",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13904913,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo.jpg",
"width": 2500,
"height": 1667
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-2048x1366.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1366
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1634858889,
"modified": 1634859105,
"caption": "Soyful's icy soy pudding drinks are a delightful cross between boba and chè.",
"description": null,
"title": "016_KQED100321_VietnameseSJDrinks_AndriaLo",
"credit": "Andria Lo",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A woman holds a soy pudding drink dotted with boba, pandan and shaved ice.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13989275": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13989275",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13989275",
"found": true
},
"title": "Vanessa.Hua.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN",
"publishDate": 1778179354,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1778200243,
"caption": "In Vanessa Hua’s novel ‘Coyoteland,’ a working-class family struggles to fit in in an exclusive East Bay suburb. ",
"credit": "Left: Macmillian; right: Marc Puich",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_-1050x675.jpg",
"width": 1050,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Vanessa.Hua_.credit.Marc-Puich.MAIN_.jpg",
"width": 1050,
"height": 700
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13988879": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13988879",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13988879",
"found": true
},
"title": "vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602",
"publishDate": 1777306436,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13988874,
"modified": 1777306773,
"caption": "Saying Bach is too mathematical ‘is like someone telling me that nature isn't beautiful,’ says Vikingur Ólafsson. ",
"credit": "Ari Magg",
"altTag": "A 42-year-old man in a deep green jacket stands against a cloudy sky and lush green fields and rocks.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/vikingurólafsson_opus109-arimagg_5602.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13988214": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13988214",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13988214",
"found": true
},
"title": "pyeongchang tofu kimchi pancake",
"publishDate": 1775175217,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13988211,
"modified": 1775175284,
"caption": "Pyeongchang Tofu House's delectably crispy kimchi pancake.",
"credit": "Luke Tsai/KQED",
"altTag": "A very crispy-looking, orange-tinted kimchi pancake, cut in wedges on a plate.",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/pyeongchang-tofu-kimchi-pancake.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13988156": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13988156",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13988156",
"found": true
},
"title": "The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9",
"publishDate": 1775062574,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13988127,
"modified": 1775062616,
"caption": "(L–R) William Giammona as Martin and Kevin Singer as Ross in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’",
"credit": "Ben Krantz",
"altTag": "Two men look off to the left, dramatically, in white clothing and questionable haircuts",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 90,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 432,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 864,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1.16x9.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1125
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"mfox": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "22",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "22",
"found": true
},
"name": "Michael Fox",
"firstName": "Michael",
"lastName": "Fox",
"slug": "mfox",
"email": "foxonfilm@yahoo.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Michael Fox has written about film for dozens of publications since 1987. He is a founding member of the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d9849d6c659c41414795c471d907bb97b396e2a32b88e20e6ff66f65fbdd6dcd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"Contributor",
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Michael Fox | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d9849d6c659c41414795c471d907bb97b396e2a32b88e20e6ff66f65fbdd6dcd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d9849d6c659c41414795c471d907bb97b396e2a32b88e20e6ff66f65fbdd6dcd?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/mfox"
},
"shotchkiss": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "61",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "61",
"found": true
},
"name": "Sarah Hotchkiss",
"firstName": "Sarah",
"lastName": "Hotchkiss",
"slug": "shotchkiss",
"email": "shotchkiss@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Senior Editor",
"bio": "Sarah Hotchkiss is a San Francisco \u003ca href=\"http://www.sarahhotchkiss.com\">artist\u003c/a> and arts writer. In 2019, she received the Dorothea & Leo Rabkin Foundation grant for visual art journalism and in 2020 she received a Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California award for excellence in arts and culture reporting.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc662df144b3d27fd8b1b6f1c2a420d34e91e53154d411bb7ad353cc8b6cea8d?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"Contributor",
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "artschool",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "spark",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "checkplease",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Sarah Hotchkiss | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc662df144b3d27fd8b1b6f1c2a420d34e91e53154d411bb7ad353cc8b6cea8d?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc662df144b3d27fd8b1b6f1c2a420d34e91e53154d411bb7ad353cc8b6cea8d?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/shotchkiss"
},
"gmeline": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "185",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "185",
"found": true
},
"name": "Gabe Meline",
"firstName": "Gabe",
"lastName": "Meline",
"slug": "gmeline",
"email": "gmeline@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Senior Editor, KQED Arts & Culture",
"bio": "Gabe Meline entered journalism at age 15 making photocopied zines, and has since earned awards from the Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Society for Professional Journalists, the Online Journalism Awards, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Prior to KQED, he was the editor of the \u003cem>North Bay Bohemian\u003c/em> and a touring musician. He lives with his wife and daughter in his hometown of Santa Rosa, CA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bebe57be0d8bc2dd318934feb47299e2d2d10cba28d09d8d7afb389a2ce2bdd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "artschool",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Gabe Meline | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor, KQED Arts & Culture",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bebe57be0d8bc2dd318934feb47299e2d2d10cba28d09d8d7afb389a2ce2bdd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bebe57be0d8bc2dd318934feb47299e2d2d10cba28d09d8d7afb389a2ce2bdd?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/gmeline"
},
"nvoynovskaya": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11387",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11387",
"found": true
},
"name": "Nastia Voynovskaya",
"firstName": "Nastia",
"lastName": "Voynovskaya",
"slug": "nvoynovskaya",
"email": "nvoynovskaya@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Editor and reporter",
"bio": "Nastia Voynovskaya is a reporter and editor at KQED Arts & Culture. She's been covering the arts in the Bay Area for over a decade, with a focus on music, queer culture, labor issues and grassroots organizing. She has edited KQED story series such as Trans Bay: A History of San Francisco's Gender-Diverse Community, and co-created KQED's Bay Area hip-hop history project, That's My Word. Nastia's work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and San Francisco Press Club. She holds a BA in comparative literature from UC Berkeley.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5025ee460e5a85d69ca20ea6c6f2f80d7e17795c828f61ea3aecfcd924e9042e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/nananastia/",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "podcasts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Nastia Voynovskaya | KQED",
"description": "Editor and reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5025ee460e5a85d69ca20ea6c6f2f80d7e17795c828f61ea3aecfcd924e9042e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5025ee460e5a85d69ca20ea6c6f2f80d7e17795c828f61ea3aecfcd924e9042e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/nvoynovskaya"
},
"ogpenn": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11491",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11491",
"found": true
},
"name": "Pendarvis Harshaw",
"firstName": "Pendarvis",
"lastName": "Harshaw",
"slug": "ogpenn",
"email": "ogpenn@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Community Engagement Reporter",
"bio": "Pendarvis Harshaw is an educator, host and writer with KQED Arts.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/972b77ee8e3f346ae2b00622661187fbfabd059b5693bbdc1475ea7a722fd4cd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "ogpenn",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Pendarvis Harshaw | KQED",
"description": "Community Engagement Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/972b77ee8e3f346ae2b00622661187fbfabd059b5693bbdc1475ea7a722fd4cd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/972b77ee8e3f346ae2b00622661187fbfabd059b5693bbdc1475ea7a722fd4cd?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ogpenn"
},
"ltsai": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11743",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11743",
"found": true
},
"name": "Luke Tsai",
"firstName": "Luke",
"lastName": "Tsai",
"slug": "ltsai",
"email": "ltsai@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Food Editor",
"bio": "Luke Tsai is KQED's food editor and resident stinky tofu connoisseur. Prior to KQED, he was an editor at Eater SF, \u003cem>San Francisco \u003c/em>magazine, and the \u003cem>East Bay Express\u003c/em>, and his work has also appeared in TASTE, the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>, and the \u003cem>Best Food Writing\u003c/em> anthology. When he isn't writing or editing, you'll find him eating most everything he can get his hands on.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1e59b45bf191526e7339d6ba46e33a57b2030d25c27660ecc64ea3cb863e34f7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "theluketsai",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Luke Tsai | KQED",
"description": "Food Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1e59b45bf191526e7339d6ba46e33a57b2030d25c27660ecc64ea3cb863e34f7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1e59b45bf191526e7339d6ba46e33a57b2030d25c27660ecc64ea3cb863e34f7?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ltsai"
},
"djchavez": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11905",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11905",
"found": true
},
"name": "David John Chávez",
"firstName": "David John",
"lastName": "Chávez",
"slug": "djchavez",
"email": "theatrechavez@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Based in San José, David is a theater critic and reporter who serves as Executive Chair of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association, as well as a regular theater contributor to The Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, American Theatre Magazine and KQED, among other publications. He is a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (’22-’23) and a 2020 fellow of the Eugene O'Neill National Critics Institute.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fabc2bc243ff109345d5c43867bc0b76?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": "https://www.facebook.com/bydavidjchavez",
"instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/davidjchavez/",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "David John Chávez | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fabc2bc243ff109345d5c43867bc0b76?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fabc2bc243ff109345d5c43867bc0b76?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/djchavez"
},
"sarahwright": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11956",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11956",
"found": true
},
"name": "Sarah Wright",
"firstName": "Sarah",
"lastName": "Wright",
"slug": "sarahwright",
"email": "swright@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Outdoors Engagement Reporter",
"bio": "Sarah Wright is KQED's Outdoors Engagement Reporter. Originally from Lake Tahoe, she completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019 and was a U.S. Fulbright Program grantee to Argentina in 2023. Her journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The San Francisco Standard, The Palo Alto Weekly and the Half Moon Bay Review.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c161a3d6441865cba25e6db4fa561099ad665799e9432e34da2b84d7e371524c?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"contributor",
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Sarah Wright | KQED",
"description": "Outdoors Engagement Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c161a3d6441865cba25e6db4fa561099ad665799e9432e34da2b84d7e371524c?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c161a3d6441865cba25e6db4fa561099ad665799e9432e34da2b84d7e371524c?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/sarahwright"
},
"nelias": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11990",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11990",
"found": true
},
"name": "Naomi Elias",
"firstName": "Naomi",
"lastName": "Elias",
"slug": "nelias",
"email": "naomielias09@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c9aa8dce2790e4a3e4270e62946b54ae?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Naomi Elias | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c9aa8dce2790e4a3e4270e62946b54ae?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c9aa8dce2790e4a3e4270e62946b54ae?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/nelias"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"arts_tag_berkeley": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1270",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1270",
"score": 6.9249187
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Berkeley",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Berkeley Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1282,
"slug": "berkeley",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Berkeley",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "arts",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 1
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/arts?tag=berkeley",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 1
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"arts_13991552": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13991552",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13991552",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1783983756000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "30-years-after-its-founding-youth-speaks-to-host-national-poetry-slam-competition",
"title": "30 Years After its Founding, Youth Speaks to Host National Poetry Slam Competition",
"publishDate": 1783983756,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "30 Years After its Founding, Youth Speaks to Host National Poetry Slam Competition | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Tears will fall, voices will raise and words will be cast to the ether like spells from the mouths of young magicians this week as \u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a>, the nation’s largest youth poetry slam, returns to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Starting Wednesday, young artists from across the country will recite poems, lyrics and limericks at workshops and performances, culminating on Saturday with the festival’s competitive poetry slam, an annual event that began nearly three decades ago. This year, the Bay Area team will defend its title after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTKUn7ix7D4\">winning the 2025 slam\u003c/a> — its first victory since 2006.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four poets making hand gestures while performing on stage.\" class=\"wp-image-13991565\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The first Brave New Voices Poetry Slam took place in the Bay Area in 1997. This year, the nationwide competition is back at its place of origin. (Courtesy of Youth Speaks)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brave New Voices was founded in 1997 by local nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/\">Youth Speaks\u003c/a>, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary of promoting the power of the spoken word. Among the organization’s many alumni are Tony- and Grammy-winning actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/daveed-diggs\">Daveed Diggs\u003c/a>, filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13798311/women-to-watch-chinaka-hodge\">Chinaka Hodge\u003c/a> and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rafael-casal\">Rafael Casal\u003c/a>. The larger network of Brave New Voices alums includes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Gorman\">Amanda Gorman\u003c/a>, who delivered a landmark poem at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEfZuSWiI_s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 2026 Brave New Voices lineup is stacked with top-tier names in wordsmithing, says Brave New Voices executive co-producer \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/bijou-mcdaniel/\">Bijou McDaniel\u003c/a>. This Wednesday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">opening ceremony\u003c/a> features well-known poet and activist \u003ca href=\"https://ajamonet.com/\">aja monet\u003c/a>, immediately followed by a showcase called ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">All Power to the Poets\u003c/a>,’ the theme of this year’s festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s second showcase features\u003ca href=\"https://substack.com/@historyin3\"> Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a>, as well as artists who are part of Youth Speaks national poetry fellowship. The event is inspired by the Bay Area’s legacy of activism, including the Black Panther Party, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year\u003c/a>. The goal, McDaniel says, is to allow young poets to grow politically, and see “what happens when poets go beyond the page and the stage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second day of events brings people to San Francisco’s In Chan Kaajal Park for ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-2-tickets-1990211501175?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Queeriosity in the Park\u003c/a>,’ a day of activities led by Youth Speaks’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Youth-Speaks-alum-Santiago-gives-back-6894186.php\">Brandon Santiago\u003c/a> and aja monet, with topics ranging from the politics of the hyphy movement to love as a personal and political practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An opening plenary with aja monet, youth poet fellow \u003ca href=\"https://thewowfoundation.com/profile/aniya-butler/\">Aniya Butler\u003c/a> and DJ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djcharleshawthorne/\">Charles Hawthorne\u003c/a> will be moderated by podcast host \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13981680/stars-and-stars-with-isa-nakazawa-futuro-studios\">Isa Nakazawa\u003c/a> to discuss the intersection of art and activism. Live performances from the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.raestudios-sf.com/post/vogue-fem\">Soho Tisci Vogue Class\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/xiuhcoatldanza/?hl=en\">Azteca Dancers\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaklandoriginalz/?hl=en\">Oakland Originalz\u003c/a> keep things lively, along with a drag story hour from San Francisco Drag Laureate \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/per_sia/?hl=en\">Per Sia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg\" alt=\"A crowd erupting with an ovation after a poetry performance.\" class=\"wp-image-13991564\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With the support of their peers in the audience, many young poets who participate in the Brave New Voices competition go on to impressive endeavors. (Courtesy of Youth Speaks)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Day three,” McDaniel exclaims, “is what everybody came for.” The semifinals of the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam, hosted at multiple venues across downtown Oakland, will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. That night brings two more events: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mc-olympics-ft-guapdad-4000-tickets-1990210660661?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">MC Olympics\u003c/a>,” guest-judged by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943512/oakland-rapper-guap-on-his-black-and-filipino-roots-and-what-inspired-the-song-chicken-adobo\">West Oakland rapper and entrepreneur Guapdad\u003c/a>, and a fundraiser at the Starline Social Club hosted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.shannonmatesky.com/\">Shannon Matesky\u003c/a> and showcasing the talents of Youth Speaks alums including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979065/jwalt-love-myself-every-version-of-me-album-oakland\">Jwalt\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925905/tia-nomore-earth-mama-a24-savanah-leaf\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/twisted.cant.fix.it/\">Ajai Kasim\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/jada-imani\">Jada Imani\u003c/a>. “And,” McDaniel adds, “we have Tank from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/517688972/tank-and-the-bangas\">Tank and the Bangas\u003c/a> headlining that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final day of the four-day series centers the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam finals at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater. As the newest poet champions compete for this year’s crown, the evening includes performances by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101911658/sf-poet-laureate-genny-lim-and-the-del-sol-quartets-new-performance-celebrates-asian-american-diaspora\">San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim\u003c/a> and singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/591500094/serpentwithfeet\">Serpentwithfeet\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know, that’s a lot,” says McDaniel preparing for the week ahead. “And next year we’re celebrating Brave New Voices’ 30th, which is crazy to think about.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a> runs Wednesday, July 15, through Saturday, July 18 at various venues around the Bay Area. Most events are all-ages and free to attend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/o/youth-speaks-319282441\">Tickets, RSVPs and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tears will fall, voices will raise and words will be cast to the ether like spells from the mouths of young magicians this week as \u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a>, the nation’s largest youth poetry slam, returns to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Tears will fall, voices will raise and words will be cast to the ether like spells from the mouths of young magicians this week as \u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a>, the nation’s largest youth poetry slam, returns to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Starting Wednesday, young artists from across the country will recite poems, lyrics and limericks at workshops and performances, culminating on Saturday with the festival’s competitive poetry slam, an annual event that began nearly three decades ago. This year, the Bay Area team will defend its title after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTKUn7ix7D4\">winning the 2025 slam\u003c/a> — its first victory since 2006.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Starting Wednesday, young artists from across the country will recite poems, lyrics and limericks at workshops and performances, culminating on Saturday with the festival’s competitive poetry slam, an annual event that began nearly three decades ago. This year, the Bay Area team will defend its title after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTKUn7ix7D4\">winning the 2025 slam\u003c/a> — its first victory since 2006.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13991565,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Courtesy of Youth Speaks",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four poets making hand gestures while performing on stage.\" class=\"wp-image-13991565\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The first Brave New Voices Poetry Slam took place in the Bay Area in 1997. This year, the nationwide competition is back at its place of origin.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four poets making hand gestures while performing on stage.\" class=\"wp-image-13991565\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The first Brave New Voices Poetry Slam took place in the Bay Area in 1997. This year, the nationwide competition is back at its place of origin.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brave New Voices was founded in 1997 by local nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/\">Youth Speaks\u003c/a>, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary of promoting the power of the spoken word. Among the organization’s many alumni are Tony- and Grammy-winning actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/daveed-diggs\">Daveed Diggs\u003c/a>, filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13798311/women-to-watch-chinaka-hodge\">Chinaka Hodge\u003c/a> and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rafael-casal\">Rafael Casal\u003c/a>. The larger network of Brave New Voices alums includes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Gorman\">Amanda Gorman\u003c/a>, who delivered a landmark poem at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Brave New Voices was founded in 1997 by local nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/\">Youth Speaks\u003c/a>, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary of promoting the power of the spoken word. Among the organization’s many alumni are Tony- and Grammy-winning actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/daveed-diggs\">Daveed Diggs\u003c/a>, filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13798311/women-to-watch-chinaka-hodge\">Chinaka Hodge\u003c/a> and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rafael-casal\">Rafael Casal\u003c/a>. The larger network of Brave New Voices alums includes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Gorman\">Amanda Gorman\u003c/a>, who delivered a landmark poem at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/embed",
"attrs": {
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEfZuSWiI_s",
"type": "video",
"providerNameSlug": "youtube",
"responsive": true,
"className": "wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEfZuSWiI_s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEfZuSWiI_s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 2026 Brave New Voices lineup is stacked with top-tier names in wordsmithing, says Brave New Voices executive co-producer \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/bijou-mcdaniel/\">Bijou McDaniel\u003c/a>. This Wednesday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">opening ceremony\u003c/a> features well-known poet and activist \u003ca href=\"https://ajamonet.com/\">aja monet\u003c/a>, immediately followed by a showcase called ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">All Power to the Poets\u003c/a>,’ the theme of this year’s festival.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The 2026 Brave New Voices lineup is stacked with top-tier names in wordsmithing, says Brave New Voices executive co-producer \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/bijou-mcdaniel/\">Bijou McDaniel\u003c/a>. This Wednesday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">opening ceremony\u003c/a> features well-known poet and activist \u003ca href=\"https://ajamonet.com/\">aja monet\u003c/a>, immediately followed by a showcase called ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">All Power to the Poets\u003c/a>,’ the theme of this year’s festival.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s second showcase features\u003ca href=\"https://substack.com/@historyin3\"> Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a>, as well as artists who are part of Youth Speaks national poetry fellowship. The event is inspired by the Bay Area’s legacy of activism, including the Black Panther Party, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year\u003c/a>. The goal, McDaniel says, is to allow young poets to grow politically, and see “what happens when poets go beyond the page and the stage.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s second showcase features\u003ca href=\"https://substack.com/@historyin3\"> Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a>, as well as artists who are part of Youth Speaks national poetry fellowship. The event is inspired by the Bay Area’s legacy of activism, including the Black Panther Party, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year\u003c/a>. The goal, McDaniel says, is to allow young poets to grow politically, and see “what happens when poets go beyond the page and the stage.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "fullwidth"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The second day of events brings people to San Francisco’s In Chan Kaajal Park for ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-2-tickets-1990211501175?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Queeriosity in the Park\u003c/a>,’ a day of activities led by Youth Speaks’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Youth-Speaks-alum-Santiago-gives-back-6894186.php\">Brandon Santiago\u003c/a> and aja monet, with topics ranging from the politics of the hyphy movement to love as a personal and political practice.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The second day of events brings people to San Francisco’s In Chan Kaajal Park for ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-2-tickets-1990211501175?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Queeriosity in the Park\u003c/a>,’ a day of activities led by Youth Speaks’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Youth-Speaks-alum-Santiago-gives-back-6894186.php\">Brandon Santiago\u003c/a> and aja monet, with topics ranging from the politics of the hyphy movement to love as a personal and political practice.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An opening plenary with aja monet, youth poet fellow \u003ca href=\"https://thewowfoundation.com/profile/aniya-butler/\">Aniya Butler\u003c/a> and DJ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djcharleshawthorne/\">Charles Hawthorne\u003c/a> will be moderated by podcast host \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13981680/stars-and-stars-with-isa-nakazawa-futuro-studios\">Isa Nakazawa\u003c/a> to discuss the intersection of art and activism. Live performances from the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.raestudios-sf.com/post/vogue-fem\">Soho Tisci Vogue Class\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/xiuhcoatldanza/?hl=en\">Azteca Dancers\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaklandoriginalz/?hl=en\">Oakland Originalz\u003c/a> keep things lively, along with a drag story hour from San Francisco Drag Laureate \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/per_sia/?hl=en\">Per Sia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>An opening plenary with aja monet, youth poet fellow \u003ca href=\"https://thewowfoundation.com/profile/aniya-butler/\">Aniya Butler\u003c/a> and DJ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djcharleshawthorne/\">Charles Hawthorne\u003c/a> will be moderated by podcast host \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13981680/stars-and-stars-with-isa-nakazawa-futuro-studios\">Isa Nakazawa\u003c/a> to discuss the intersection of art and activism. Live performances from the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.raestudios-sf.com/post/vogue-fem\">Soho Tisci Vogue Class\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/xiuhcoatldanza/?hl=en\">Azteca Dancers\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaklandoriginalz/?hl=en\">Oakland Originalz\u003c/a> keep things lively, along with a drag story hour from San Francisco Drag Laureate \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/per_sia/?hl=en\">Per Sia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13991564,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Courtesy of Youth Speaks",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-1536x1026.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg\" alt=\"A crowd erupting with an ovation after a poetry performance.\" class=\"wp-image-13991564\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With the support of their peers in the audience, many young poets who participate in the Brave New Voices competition go on to impressive endeavors.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg\" alt=\"A crowd erupting with an ovation after a poetry performance.\" class=\"wp-image-13991564\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With the support of their peers in the audience, many young poets who participate in the Brave New Voices competition go on to impressive endeavors.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Day three,” McDaniel exclaims, “is what everybody came for.” The semifinals of the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam, hosted at multiple venues across downtown Oakland, will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. That night brings two more events: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mc-olympics-ft-guapdad-4000-tickets-1990210660661?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">MC Olympics\u003c/a>,” guest-judged by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943512/oakland-rapper-guap-on-his-black-and-filipino-roots-and-what-inspired-the-song-chicken-adobo\">West Oakland rapper and entrepreneur Guapdad\u003c/a>, and a fundraiser at the Starline Social Club hosted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.shannonmatesky.com/\">Shannon Matesky\u003c/a> and showcasing the talents of Youth Speaks alums including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979065/jwalt-love-myself-every-version-of-me-album-oakland\">Jwalt\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925905/tia-nomore-earth-mama-a24-savanah-leaf\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/twisted.cant.fix.it/\">Ajai Kasim\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/jada-imani\">Jada Imani\u003c/a>. “And,” McDaniel adds, “we have Tank from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/517688972/tank-and-the-bangas\">Tank and the Bangas\u003c/a> headlining that.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Day three,” McDaniel exclaims, “is what everybody came for.” The semifinals of the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam, hosted at multiple venues across downtown Oakland, will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. That night brings two more events: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mc-olympics-ft-guapdad-4000-tickets-1990210660661?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">MC Olympics\u003c/a>,” guest-judged by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943512/oakland-rapper-guap-on-his-black-and-filipino-roots-and-what-inspired-the-song-chicken-adobo\">West Oakland rapper and entrepreneur Guapdad\u003c/a>, and a fundraiser at the Starline Social Club hosted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.shannonmatesky.com/\">Shannon Matesky\u003c/a> and showcasing the talents of Youth Speaks alums including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979065/jwalt-love-myself-every-version-of-me-album-oakland\">Jwalt\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925905/tia-nomore-earth-mama-a24-savanah-leaf\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/twisted.cant.fix.it/\">Ajai Kasim\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/jada-imani\">Jada Imani\u003c/a>. “And,” McDaniel adds, “we have Tank from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/517688972/tank-and-the-bangas\">Tank and the Bangas\u003c/a> headlining that.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The final day of the four-day series centers the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam finals at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater. As the newest poet champions compete for this year’s crown, the evening includes performances by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101911658/sf-poet-laureate-genny-lim-and-the-del-sol-quartets-new-performance-celebrates-asian-american-diaspora\">San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim\u003c/a> and singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/591500094/serpentwithfeet\">Serpentwithfeet\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The final day of the four-day series centers the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam finals at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater. As the newest poet champions compete for this year’s crown, the evening includes performances by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101911658/sf-poet-laureate-genny-lim-and-the-del-sol-quartets-new-performance-celebrates-asian-american-diaspora\">San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim\u003c/a> and singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/591500094/serpentwithfeet\">Serpentwithfeet\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I know, that’s a lot,” says McDaniel preparing for the week ahead. “And next year we’re celebrating Brave New Voices’ 30th, which is crazy to think about.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I know, that’s a lot,” says McDaniel preparing for the week ahead. “And next year we’re celebrating Brave New Voices’ 30th, which is crazy to think about.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/separator",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" />\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "floatright"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a> runs Wednesday, July 15, through Saturday, July 18 at various venues around the Bay Area. Most events are all-ages and free to attend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/o/youth-speaks-319282441\">Tickets, RSVPs and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a> runs Wednesday, July 15, through Saturday, July 18 at various venues around the Bay Area. Most events are all-ages and free to attend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/o/youth-speaks-319282441\">Tickets, RSVPs and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "The Bay Area nonprofit has championed the power of youth voices for three decades and counting.\n",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1783989728,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 13,
"wordCount": 722
},
"headData": {
"title": "Youth Speaks Hosts Brave New Voices Poetry Slam in the Bay Area | KQED",
"description": "The Bay Area nonprofit has championed the power of youth voices for three decades and counting.\n",
"ogTitle": "30 Years After its Founding, Youth Speaks to Host National Poetry Slam Competition",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "30 Years After its Founding, Youth Speaks to Host National Poetry Slam Competition",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "Youth Speaks Hosts Brave New Voices Poetry Slam in the Bay Area %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "30 Years After its Founding, Youth Speaks to Host National Poetry Slam Competition",
"datePublished": "2026-07-13T16:02:36-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-07-13T17:42:08-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "The Do List",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13991552",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13991552/30-years-after-its-founding-youth-speaks-to-host-national-poetry-slam-competition",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tears will fall, voices will raise and words will be cast to the ether like spells from the mouths of young magicians this week as \u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a>, the nation’s largest youth poetry slam, returns to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Starting Wednesday, young artists from across the country will recite poems, lyrics and limericks at workshops and performances, culminating on Saturday with the festival’s competitive poetry slam, an annual event that began nearly three decades ago. This year, the Bay Area team will defend its title after \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTKUn7ix7D4\">winning the 2025 slam\u003c/a> — its first victory since 2006.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four poets making hand gestures while performing on stage.\" class=\"wp-image-13991565\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/ceremony_bnv_gp-21-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The first Brave New Voices Poetry Slam took place in the Bay Area in 1997. This year, the nationwide competition is back at its place of origin. (Courtesy of Youth Speaks)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brave New Voices was founded in 1997 by local nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/\">Youth Speaks\u003c/a>, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary of promoting the power of the spoken word. Among the organization’s many alumni are Tony- and Grammy-winning actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/daveed-diggs\">Daveed Diggs\u003c/a>, filmmaker \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13798311/women-to-watch-chinaka-hodge\">Chinaka Hodge\u003c/a> and actor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rafael-casal\">Rafael Casal\u003c/a>. The larger network of Brave New Voices alums includes \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Gorman\">Amanda Gorman\u003c/a>, who delivered a landmark poem at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/EEfZuSWiI_s'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/EEfZuSWiI_s'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 2026 Brave New Voices lineup is stacked with top-tier names in wordsmithing, says Brave New Voices executive co-producer \u003ca href=\"https://youthspeaks.org/bijou-mcdaniel/\">Bijou McDaniel\u003c/a>. This Wednesday’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">opening ceremony\u003c/a> features well-known poet and activist \u003ca href=\"https://ajamonet.com/\">aja monet\u003c/a>, immediately followed by a showcase called ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-1-feat-aja-monet-tickets-1990210972594?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">All Power to the Poets\u003c/a>,’ the theme of this year’s festival.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s second showcase features\u003ca href=\"https://substack.com/@historyin3\"> Dr. Xavier Buck\u003c/a>, executive director of the \u003ca href=\"https://hueypnewtonfoundation.org/\">Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation\u003c/a>, as well as artists who are part of Youth Speaks national poetry fellowship. The event is inspired by the Bay Area’s legacy of activism, including the Black Panther Party, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bpp60.org/\">which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year\u003c/a>. The goal, McDaniel says, is to allow young poets to grow politically, and see “what happens when poets go beyond the page and the stage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second day of events brings people to San Francisco’s In Chan Kaajal Park for ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-new-voices-festival-day-2-tickets-1990211501175?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">Queeriosity in the Park\u003c/a>,’ a day of activities led by Youth Speaks’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Youth-Speaks-alum-Santiago-gives-back-6894186.php\">Brandon Santiago\u003c/a> and aja monet, with topics ranging from the politics of the hyphy movement to love as a personal and political practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An opening plenary with aja monet, youth poet fellow \u003ca href=\"https://thewowfoundation.com/profile/aniya-butler/\">Aniya Butler\u003c/a> and DJ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/djcharleshawthorne/\">Charles Hawthorne\u003c/a> will be moderated by podcast host \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13981680/stars-and-stars-with-isa-nakazawa-futuro-studios\">Isa Nakazawa\u003c/a> to discuss the intersection of art and activism. Live performances from the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://www.raestudios-sf.com/post/vogue-fem\">Soho Tisci Vogue Class\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/xiuhcoatldanza/?hl=en\">Azteca Dancers\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oaklandoriginalz/?hl=en\">Oakland Originalz\u003c/a> keep things lively, along with a drag story hour from San Francisco Drag Laureate \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/per_sia/?hl=en\">Per Sia\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg\" alt=\"A crowd erupting with an ovation after a poetry performance.\" class=\"wp-image-13991564\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/BNV_2015-554-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With the support of their peers in the audience, many young poets who participate in the Brave New Voices competition go on to impressive endeavors. (Courtesy of Youth Speaks)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Day three,” McDaniel exclaims, “is what everybody came for.” The semifinals of the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam, hosted at multiple venues across downtown Oakland, will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. That night brings two more events: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mc-olympics-ft-guapdad-4000-tickets-1990210660661?aff=ebdsoporgprofile\">MC Olympics\u003c/a>,” guest-judged by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11943512/oakland-rapper-guap-on-his-black-and-filipino-roots-and-what-inspired-the-song-chicken-adobo\">West Oakland rapper and entrepreneur Guapdad\u003c/a>, and a fundraiser at the Starline Social Club hosted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.shannonmatesky.com/\">Shannon Matesky\u003c/a> and showcasing the talents of Youth Speaks alums including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13979065/jwalt-love-myself-every-version-of-me-album-oakland\">Jwalt\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925905/tia-nomore-earth-mama-a24-savanah-leaf\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/twisted.cant.fix.it/\">Ajai Kasim\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/jada-imani\">Jada Imani\u003c/a>. “And,” McDaniel adds, “we have Tank from \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/517688972/tank-and-the-bangas\">Tank and the Bangas\u003c/a> headlining that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final day of the four-day series centers the Brave New Voices Poetry Slam finals at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater. As the newest poet champions compete for this year’s crown, the evening includes performances by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101911658/sf-poet-laureate-genny-lim-and-the-del-sol-quartets-new-performance-celebrates-asian-american-diaspora\">San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim\u003c/a> and singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/artists/591500094/serpentwithfeet\">Serpentwithfeet\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know, that’s a lot,” says McDaniel preparing for the week ahead. “And next year we’re celebrating Brave New Voices’ 30th, which is crazy to think about.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org/\">Brave New Voices\u003c/a> runs Wednesday, July 15, through Saturday, July 18 at various venues around the Bay Area. Most events are all-ages and free to attend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/o/youth-speaks-319282441\">Tickets, RSVPs and more information here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13991552/30-years-after-its-founding-youth-speaks-to-host-national-poetry-slam-competition",
"authors": [
"11491"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_22313"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1270",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1496",
"arts_1146",
"arts_2672"
],
"featImg": "arts_13991566",
"label": "source_arts_13991552"
},
"arts_13991117": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13991117",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13991117",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1782494207000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "the-lunchbox-review-berkeley-rep-kuhoo-verma",
"title": "It's No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason",
"publishDate": 1782494207,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "It’s No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cast of ‘The Lunchbox’ perform in a dream sequence about Bhutan. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sequestered in her apartment, Ila (Kuhoo Verma, in a starmaking role) is a thirtysomething wife and mother trying to cook her way back into her distant husband’s heart. She takes advice for recipes and life from her upstairs neighbor, whom she calls “auntie” (Anisha Nagarajan), and is clearly in need of a shakeup.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She gets one when the lunch Ila cooks for her husband is delivered to the wrong address: a defeated widower, Fernandes (Manu Narayan), who’s pushed papers at a desk for 30 years. The two strike up a correspondence of handwritten notes tucked inside the delivered lunchbox, each more revealing than the last. After a flirty battle of the sexes over the correct amount of salt, a charming, late-in-life puppy love takes root, one folded-up piece of paper at a time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1331\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg 1331w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1331px) 100vw, 1331px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kuhoo Verma in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Verma is just plain radiant in the lead role, on down to how Ila overthinks every detail in advance of a possible first meeting. She’s an excellent singer, emoting and hitting every trill, and she perfectly conveys both the coyness and frustration of Ila’s predicament, from introspective belters like “Courage” to the tiniest coquettishly raised eyebrow.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The play has many side quests, some more relevant than others. Fernandes’ coworker Shaikh (Aathaven Tharmarajah) helps open up Fernandes’ heart not just to love but to friendship. Nagarajan pulls all the humanity imaginable out of Mrs. Deshpande, the upstairs auntie whose lonely home life serves as a warning to what Ila’s life could become in the face of inaction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other numbers are less important, if not complete speedbumps. Twenty minutes in, Fernandes happens to tell a restaurant that its food was good, and its employees commence a hammy song-and-dance about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/indias-middle-class-growth-engine-or-loose-wheel/\">the Bird of Gold\u003c/a>. It’s somewhat cute, but this early in the show, we want more Ila and Fernandes, and it stifles the plot’s momentum. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manu Narayan (as Fernandes) and Savidu Geevaratne in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The orchestra performing the songs, however, could not be finer, and the music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour straddles traditional Indian rhythms and melodies (opening number “No Wrong Mistake,” sung by the lunchbox deliverymen known as dabbawallahs) and the accessible veneer of Broadway (a colorful, serene dream sequence about Bhutan). The choreography by Reshma Gajjar, particularly during a crowded train car scene, is inventive and captivating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> is a very traditional love story, with nearly conservative themes. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to flirt with a woman is by negging. Then there’s the age gap, and the notion of women being attracted to decades-older men, who appear more mature, deep and emotionally present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These are usually viewed as hindrances by your typical lefty Berkeley audience, but the rapturous crowd on Wednesday night certainly didn’t seem to mind. After the ups and downs of Ila and Fernandes’ yearning for each other, and an indelible final onstage image before the lights go out, who could really argue?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13991120,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Kevin Berne",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cast of ‘The Lunchbox’ perform in a dream sequence about Bhutan.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991120\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cast of ‘The Lunchbox’ perform in a dream sequence about Bhutan.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sequestered in her apartment, Ila (Kuhoo Verma, in a starmaking role) is a thirtysomething wife and mother trying to cook her way back into her distant husband’s heart. She takes advice for recipes and life from her upstairs neighbor, whom she calls “auntie” (Anisha Nagarajan), and is clearly in need of a shakeup.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Sequestered in her apartment, Ila (Kuhoo Verma, in a starmaking role) is a thirtysomething wife and mother trying to cook her way back into her distant husband’s heart. She takes advice for recipes and life from her upstairs neighbor, whom she calls “auntie” (Anisha Nagarajan), and is clearly in need of a shakeup.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She gets one when the lunch Ila cooks for her husband is delivered to the wrong address: a defeated widower, Fernandes (Manu Narayan), who’s pushed papers at a desk for 30 years. The two strike up a correspondence of handwritten notes tucked inside the delivered lunchbox, each more revealing than the last. After a flirty battle of the sexes over the correct amount of salt, a charming, late-in-life puppy love takes root, one folded-up piece of paper at a time. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She gets one when the lunch Ila cooks for her husband is delivered to the wrong address: a defeated widower, Fernandes (Manu Narayan), who’s pushed papers at a desk for 30 years. The two strike up a correspondence of handwritten notes tucked inside the delivered lunchbox, each more revealing than the last. After a flirty battle of the sexes over the correct amount of salt, a charming, late-in-life puppy love takes root, one folded-up piece of paper at a time. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "fullwidth"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13991123,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Kevin Berne",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg 1331w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-1022x1536.jpg 1022w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg 1331w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kuhoo Verma in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991123\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kuhoo Verma in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Verma is just plain radiant in the lead role, on down to how Ila overthinks every detail in advance of a possible first meeting. She’s an excellent singer, emoting and hitting every trill, and she perfectly conveys both the coyness and frustration of Ila’s predicament, from introspective belters like “Courage” to the tiniest coquettishly raised eyebrow.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Verma is just plain radiant in the lead role, on down to how Ila overthinks every detail in advance of a possible first meeting. She’s an excellent singer, emoting and hitting every trill, and she perfectly conveys both the coyness and frustration of Ila’s predicament, from introspective belters like “Courage” to the tiniest coquettishly raised eyebrow.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The play has many side quests, some more relevant than others. Fernandes’ coworker Shaikh (Aathaven Tharmarajah) helps open up Fernandes’ heart not just to love but to friendship. Nagarajan pulls all the humanity imaginable out of Mrs. Deshpande, the upstairs auntie whose lonely home life serves as a warning to what Ila’s life could become in the face of inaction. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The play has many side quests, some more relevant than others. Fernandes’ coworker Shaikh (Aathaven Tharmarajah) helps open up Fernandes’ heart not just to love but to friendship. Nagarajan pulls all the humanity imaginable out of Mrs. Deshpande, the upstairs auntie whose lonely home life serves as a warning to what Ila’s life could become in the face of inaction. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other numbers are less important, if not complete speedbumps. Twenty minutes in, Fernandes happens to tell a restaurant that its food was good, and its employees commence a hammy song-and-dance about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/indias-middle-class-growth-engine-or-loose-wheel/\">the Bird of Gold\u003c/a>. It’s somewhat cute, but this early in the show, we want more Ila and Fernandes, and it stifles the plot’s momentum. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Other numbers are less important, if not complete speedbumps. Twenty minutes in, Fernandes happens to tell a restaurant that its food was good, and its employees commence a hammy song-and-dance about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/indias-middle-class-growth-engine-or-loose-wheel/\">the Bird of Gold\u003c/a>. It’s somewhat cute, but this early in the show, we want more Ila and Fernandes, and it stifles the plot’s momentum. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13991122,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Kevin Berne",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manu Narayan (as Fernandes) and Savidu Geevaratne in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991122\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manu Narayan (as Fernandes) and Savidu Geevaratne in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The orchestra performing the songs, however, could not be finer, and the music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour straddles traditional Indian rhythms and melodies (opening number “No Wrong Mistake,” sung by the lunchbox deliverymen known as dabbawallahs) and the accessible veneer of Broadway (a colorful, serene dream sequence about Bhutan). The choreography by Reshma Gajjar, particularly during a crowded train car scene, is inventive and captivating. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The orchestra performing the songs, however, could not be finer, and the music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour straddles traditional Indian rhythms and melodies (opening number “No Wrong Mistake,” sung by the lunchbox deliverymen known as dabbawallahs) and the accessible veneer of Broadway (a colorful, serene dream sequence about Bhutan). The choreography by Reshma Gajjar, particularly during a crowded train car scene, is inventive and captivating. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Much of \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> is a very traditional love story, with nearly conservative themes. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to flirt with a woman is by negging. Then there’s the age gap, and the notion of women being attracted to decades-older men, who appear more mature, deep and emotionally present. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Much of \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> is a very traditional love story, with nearly conservative themes. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to flirt with a woman is by negging. Then there’s the age gap, and the notion of women being attracted to decades-older men, who appear more mature, deep and emotionally present. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These are usually viewed as hindrances by your typical lefty Berkeley audience, but the rapturous crowd on Wednesday night certainly didn’t seem to mind. After the ups and downs of Ila and Fernandes’ yearning for each other, and an indelible final onstage image before the lights go out, who could really argue?\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>These are usually viewed as hindrances by your typical lefty Berkeley audience, but the rapturous crowd on Wednesday night certainly didn’t seem to mind. After the ups and downs of Ila and Fernandes’ yearning for each other, and an indelible final onstage image before the lights go out, who could really argue?\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/separator",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "floatright"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "Delightful and sweet, the world-premiere musical at Berkeley Rep seems destined for larger stages. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1782543958,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 15,
"wordCount": 816
},
"headData": {
"title": "It's No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason | KQED",
"description": "Delightful and sweet, the world-premiere musical at Berkeley Rep seems destined for larger stages. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "It's No Secret: ‘The Lunchbox’ Continues to Pack ’Em in for a Reason",
"datePublished": "2026-06-26T10:16:47-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-27T00:05:58-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "The Do List",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13991117",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13991117/the-lunchbox-review-berkeley-rep-kuhoo-verma",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Since it opened in May at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley-rep\">Berkeley Rep\u003c/a>, the world-premiere musical \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> has sold out night after night. Based on and hewing closely to \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2350496/\">the well-loved 2013 film\u003c/a>, the show’s been extended twice already, and is, in plain terms, a bona fide hit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That much was plain during a mid-run visit, where the crowd — roughly half South Asian, half older white Berkeleyite — treated it like it was still opening night: excited chatter in the packed lobby, a standing ovation, flower bouquets at the ready.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the show is a warm, sweet, sensory delight. It starts with a magnificent four-story set (design by Mimi Lien), full of wrought iron, concrete, clotheslines and a 20-foot Bollywood movie billboard. Stairs, balconies and fire escapes recall a Mumbai version of \u003cem>West Side Story\u003c/em>; streetcars and deliverymen soon add to the crowded cityscape.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/178_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The cast of ‘The Lunchbox’ perform in a dream sequence about Bhutan. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sequestered in her apartment, Ila (Kuhoo Verma, in a starmaking role) is a thirtysomething wife and mother trying to cook her way back into her distant husband’s heart. She takes advice for recipes and life from her upstairs neighbor, whom she calls “auntie” (Anisha Nagarajan), and is clearly in need of a shakeup.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She gets one when the lunch Ila cooks for her husband is delivered to the wrong address: a defeated widower, Fernandes (Manu Narayan), who’s pushed papers at a desk for 30 years. The two strike up a correspondence of handwritten notes tucked inside the delivered lunchbox, each more revealing than the last. After a flirty battle of the sexes over the correct amount of salt, a charming, late-in-life puppy love takes root, one folded-up piece of paper at a time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You may think you know where this is going, and you’re half-right. But as any handcart operator in a big city can tell you, the fun is in the journey, bumps and all. It’s a joy to see just how completely smitten Ila and Fernandes are with one another. The script by Ritesh Batra, who wrote and directed the original film, nails with precision the feeling of being infatuated with someone distant and possibly unattainable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1331\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB.jpg 1331w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/119_TLB-1022x1536.jpg 1022w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1331px) 100vw, 1331px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kuhoo Verma in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Verma is just plain radiant in the lead role, on down to how Ila overthinks every detail in advance of a possible first meeting. She’s an excellent singer, emoting and hitting every trill, and she perfectly conveys both the coyness and frustration of Ila’s predicament, from introspective belters like “Courage” to the tiniest coquettishly raised eyebrow.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The play has many side quests, some more relevant than others. Fernandes’ coworker Shaikh (Aathaven Tharmarajah) helps open up Fernandes’ heart not just to love but to friendship. Nagarajan pulls all the humanity imaginable out of Mrs. Deshpande, the upstairs auntie whose lonely home life serves as a warning to what Ila’s life could become in the face of inaction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other numbers are less important, if not complete speedbumps. Twenty minutes in, Fernandes happens to tell a restaurant that its food was good, and its employees commence a hammy song-and-dance about \u003ca href=\"https://archive.nytimes.com/india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/indias-middle-class-growth-engine-or-loose-wheel/\">the Bird of Gold\u003c/a>. It’s somewhat cute, but this early in the show, we want more Ila and Fernandes, and it stifles the plot’s momentum. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13991122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/063_TLB-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manu Narayan (as Fernandes) and Savidu Geevaratne in ‘The Lunchbox’ at Berkeley Rep. (Kevin Berne)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The orchestra performing the songs, however, could not be finer, and the music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour straddles traditional Indian rhythms and melodies (opening number “No Wrong Mistake,” sung by the lunchbox deliverymen known as dabbawallahs) and the accessible veneer of Broadway (a colorful, serene dream sequence about Bhutan). The choreography by Reshma Gajjar, particularly during a crowded train car scene, is inventive and captivating. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of \u003cem>The Lunchbox\u003c/em> is a very traditional love story, with nearly conservative themes. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; the way to flirt with a woman is by negging. Then there’s the age gap, and the notion of women being attracted to decades-older men, who appear more mature, deep and emotionally present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These are usually viewed as hindrances by your typical lefty Berkeley audience, but the rapturous crowd on Wednesday night certainly didn’t seem to mind. After the ups and downs of Ila and Fernandes’ yearning for each other, and an indelible final onstage image before the lights go out, who could really argue?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Lunchbox’ runs through Sunday, July 12 at Berkeley Rep. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyrep.org/shows/the-lunchbox-nkft\">\u003cem>Tickets and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13991117/the-lunchbox-review-berkeley-rep-kuhoo-verma",
"authors": [
"185"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_22313",
"arts_967"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1270",
"arts_1237",
"arts_10278",
"arts_13825",
"arts_769",
"arts_16152"
],
"featImg": "arts_13991121",
"label": "source_arts_13991117"
},
"arts_13990908": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13990908",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13990908",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781831307000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "maren-hassinger-bampfa-living-moving-growing-review",
"title": "Even When It Stays Still, Maren Hassinger’s Art Is Full of Movement",
"publishDate": 1781831307,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Even When It Stays Still, Maren Hassinger’s Art Is Full of Movement | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>During the 55 years of her materially expansive art career, repetition has become one of Maren Hassinger’s most powerful tools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She started multiplying elements of her sculptures early on. In 1972, while still in graduate school at UCLA, she placed four large, loosely tied knots of thick hemp rope on the floor. Eight years later, she made \u003cem>Leaning\u003c/em>, 32 bundles of wire rope arranged at tottering angles. \u003cem>Consolation\u003c/em>, from 1996, is a grid of over 100 sprays of even thinner wire rope, an orderly rendition of ready-to-burst-apart dandelions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There could be something formulaic about repeating a gesture, of making a thing again and again. But in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Hassinger’s retrospective at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/bampfa\">Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/a>, her version of repetition is organic. What she captures is not the precision of mass-produced metal or plastic, but the proliferation of nature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"gallery view with many small wire rope bundles in foreground, framed photos and large vinyl on wall behind\" class=\"wp-image-13990927\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of ‘Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing’ at BAMPFA, with ‘Leaning,’ 1980 in the foreground. (Chris Grunder)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The exhibition, organized by BAMPFA curators Margot Norton and Anthony Graham, moves mostly chronologically from Hassinger’s early grad school work to the present day, presenting Hassinger’s fluid movement across sculpture, video, installation, performance and public art. The newest element, a participatory piece called \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Wrenching News\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — made from twisted and tied pages of \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> — will grow over the course of the exhibition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the hands of another artist, Hassinger’s materials (wire rope, tree branches, plastic bags) might feel cold and spare. But in pieces like \u003cem>River\u003c/em>, a 1972 sculpture of steel chains entwined with nautical rope, the heft and scale of the industrial materials demonstrate the sheer physicality of Hassinger’s practice. You can’t see the art without seeing her, as photographed by her friend Adam Avila in the ’70s, unwinding thick cables of wire, crouching by rows of cast plaster, posing with her sculptures as if they’re dance partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Halfway through the show, duets abound. Recreations of three 1970s sculptures pair tree branches with wire rope. The silvery, bare bark blends with the slightly undulating wire, intermingling and simultaneously underlining their material contrasts. Movement — that the trees once experienced, that went into the making of this work — is never far away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"installation view with large branch sculpture in foreground, small sticks in left corner and pink plastic bags on back wall\" class=\"wp-image-13990925\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left to right: Maren Hassinger, ‘Beach,’ 1980/2025; ‘Pas de Deux,’ 1977/2026; and ‘Love,’ 2008/2026. (Chris Grunder)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is especially the case with \u003cem>Beach\u003c/em>, a 1980 piece Hassinger first installed at Linda Goode Bryant’s \u003ca href=\"https://research.moma.org/c.php?g=1409558&p=10437691\">Just Above Midtown Gallery\u003c/a> in New York. A simple, repeated arrangement of angled wooden dowels and irregular plaster bases immediately conjures an image of long grasses blowing in the wind. At BAMPFA, the dowels point the way forward to the next gallery, and to Hassinger’s own move from Los Angeles to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here, color enters Hassinger’s work in the form of pink plastic bags, red crosses made from tape and the dark green of rose leaves affixed, like wallpaper, across two walls of a gallery. \u003cem>Heaven\u003c/em> serves as a backdrop for \u003cem>Beige\u003c/em> (1992) and \u003cem>Green\u003c/em> (1993), Hassinger’s first video works. The former documents the winter landscape seen on her commute across Long Island, the latter, the verdant images of summer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In two other works, Hassinger turns the camera on herself and her family, examining the construction of race (the 16mm film \u003cem>Daily Mask\u003c/em>) and her own complicated family tree (the video \u003cem>Birthright\u003c/em>). The exhibition creates a dark, sequestered corner for visitors to watch these pieces, the pink plastic bags of \u003cem>Love\u003c/em> warming the space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As to lingering: Some of Hassinger’s sculptural works are so large, so stunning, it might be easy to breeze by the much-smaller photographs and ephemera in and around the show’s vitrines. These include images of her Malcolm X-quoting mosaics in the New York City subway; documentation of the 1982 performance \u003cem>Flying\u003c/em>, Hassinger and her Studio Z collaborators smiling, arms spread; and pictures of the artist performing \u003cem>Pink Trash, \u003c/em>dispersing pink-painted detritus across three New York City parks. (\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/pink-trash-crescent-lawn-uc-berkeley\">Hassinger will perform \u003cem>Pink Trash\u003c/em>\u003c/a> on the Crescent Lawn, across the street from BAMPFA, on Sept. 20, 2026.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1570\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990928\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-1536x1002.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maren Hassinger, Juana Nash, Senga Nengudi, Ulysses Jenkins, Franklin Parker, Lofty Amono, “Nastyee,” and N’dugu Jungles, ‘Flying,’ 1982. A performance at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park. (Courtesy the artists and Susan Inglett Gallery; Photo by Adam Avila)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These pieces of documentation depict a deeply collaborative and joyful practice. Even when it’s Hassinger in the frame, we know there’s a photographer on the other side of the lens, making sure this moment — if not this object — is preserved as art history.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Living Moving Growing \u003c/em>is the latest in a string of especially strong shows at BAMPFA. The museum is, as executive director Julie Rodrigues Widholm writes in the catalog that accompanies this exhibition, “[committed] to increasing the visibility of influential women artists and generating new scholarship on their work.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Amalia Mesa-Bains\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916997/alison-knowles-retrospective-fluxus-bampfa-review\">Alison Knowles\u003c/a> retrospectives were all part of this effort. Even more exciting is the way these shows allow contemporary audiences to plot the connections between artists, thanks to the combined (if perhaps unintentional) efforts of multiple Bay Area institutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I was delighted, for instance, to see Suzanne Jackson’s name in Hassinger’s chronology. Jackson, the subject of a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982215/sfmoma-suzanne-jackson-what-is-love-review\">San Francisco Museum of Modern Art retrospective\u003c/a>, selected Hassinger as one of 10 artists to receive a public art commission through the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), a WPA-style employment program, in 1978. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Presenting histories like these highlights not just individual artists’ accomplishments, but their equally important networks of collaboration and support. So many of Hassinger’s works are the result of these types of relationships — artworks made by many bodies and with the help of many hands. \u003cem>Pais/Ascension\u003c/em> (1976/2022) illustrates it perfectly: two wire ropes lean against a wall and towards each other, their ends splaying outward, overlapping and entwining.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>’ is on view at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (2155 Center St., Berkeley) through Nov. 29, 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the 55 years of her materially expansive art career, repetition has become one of Maren Hassinger’s most powerful tools. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>During the 55 years of her materially expansive art career, repetition has become one of Maren Hassinger’s most powerful tools. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She started multiplying elements of her sculptures early on. In 1972, while still in graduate school at UCLA, she placed four large, loosely tied knots of thick hemp rope on the floor. Eight years later, she made \u003cem>Leaning\u003c/em>, 32 bundles of wire rope arranged at tottering angles. \u003cem>Consolation\u003c/em>, from 1996, is a grid of over 100 sprays of even thinner wire rope, an orderly rendition of ready-to-burst-apart dandelions.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She started multiplying elements of her sculptures early on. In 1972, while still in graduate school at UCLA, she placed four large, loosely tied knots of thick hemp rope on the floor. Eight years later, she made \u003cem>Leaning\u003c/em>, 32 bundles of wire rope arranged at tottering angles. \u003cem>Consolation\u003c/em>, from 1996, is a grid of over 100 sprays of even thinner wire rope, an orderly rendition of ready-to-burst-apart dandelions.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There could be something formulaic about repeating a gesture, of making a thing again and again. But in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Hassinger’s retrospective at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/bampfa\">Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/a>, her version of repetition is organic. What she captures is not the precision of mass-produced metal or plastic, but the proliferation of nature. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>There could be something formulaic about repeating a gesture, of making a thing again and again. But in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Hassinger’s retrospective at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/bampfa\">Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/a>, her version of repetition is organic. What she captures is not the precision of mass-produced metal or plastic, but the proliferation of nature. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13990927,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Chris Grunder",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"gallery view with many small wire rope bundles in foreground, framed photos and large vinyl on wall behind\" class=\"wp-image-13990927\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of ‘Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing’ at BAMPFA, with ‘Leaning,’ 1980 in the foreground.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"gallery view with many small wire rope bundles in foreground, framed photos and large vinyl on wall behind\" class=\"wp-image-13990927\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of ‘Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing’ at BAMPFA, with ‘Leaning,’ 1980 in the foreground.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The exhibition, organized by BAMPFA curators Margot Norton and Anthony Graham, moves mostly chronologically from Hassinger’s early grad school work to the present day, presenting Hassinger’s fluid movement across sculpture, video, installation, performance and public art. The newest element, a participatory piece called \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Wrenching News\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — made from twisted and tied pages of \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> — will grow over the course of the exhibition. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The exhibition, organized by BAMPFA curators Margot Norton and Anthony Graham, moves mostly chronologically from Hassinger’s early grad school work to the present day, presenting Hassinger’s fluid movement across sculpture, video, installation, performance and public art. The newest element, a participatory piece called \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Wrenching News\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — made from twisted and tied pages of \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> — will grow over the course of the exhibition. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the hands of another artist, Hassinger’s materials (wire rope, tree branches, plastic bags) might feel cold and spare. But in pieces like \u003cem>River\u003c/em>, a 1972 sculpture of steel chains entwined with nautical rope, the heft and scale of the industrial materials demonstrate the sheer physicality of Hassinger’s practice. You can’t see the art without seeing her, as photographed by her friend Adam Avila in the ’70s, unwinding thick cables of wire, crouching by rows of cast plaster, posing with her sculptures as if they’re dance partners.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In the hands of another artist, Hassinger’s materials (wire rope, tree branches, plastic bags) might feel cold and spare. But in pieces like \u003cem>River\u003c/em>, a 1972 sculpture of steel chains entwined with nautical rope, the heft and scale of the industrial materials demonstrate the sheer physicality of Hassinger’s practice. You can’t see the art without seeing her, as photographed by her friend Adam Avila in the ’70s, unwinding thick cables of wire, crouching by rows of cast plaster, posing with her sculptures as if they’re dance partners.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "fullwidth"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Halfway through the show, duets abound. Recreations of three 1970s sculptures pair tree branches with wire rope. The silvery, bare bark blends with the slightly undulating wire, intermingling and simultaneously underlining their material contrasts. Movement — that the trees once experienced, that went into the making of this work — is never far away. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Halfway through the show, duets abound. Recreations of three 1970s sculptures pair tree branches with wire rope. The silvery, bare bark blends with the slightly undulating wire, intermingling and simultaneously underlining their material contrasts. Movement — that the trees once experienced, that went into the making of this work — is never far away. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13990925,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Chris Grunder",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"installation view with large branch sculpture in foreground, small sticks in left corner and pink plastic bags on back wall\" class=\"wp-image-13990925\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left to right: Maren Hassinger, ‘Beach,’ 1980/2025; ‘Pas de Deux,’ 1977/2026; and ‘Love,’ 2008/2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"installation view with large branch sculpture in foreground, small sticks in left corner and pink plastic bags on back wall\" class=\"wp-image-13990925\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left to right: Maren Hassinger, ‘Beach,’ 1980/2025; ‘Pas de Deux,’ 1977/2026; and ‘Love,’ 2008/2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is especially the case with \u003cem>Beach\u003c/em>, a 1980 piece Hassinger first installed at Linda Goode Bryant’s \u003ca href=\"https://research.moma.org/c.php?g=1409558&p=10437691\">Just Above Midtown Gallery\u003c/a> in New York. A simple, repeated arrangement of angled wooden dowels and irregular plaster bases immediately conjures an image of long grasses blowing in the wind. At BAMPFA, the dowels point the way forward to the next gallery, and to Hassinger’s own move from Los Angeles to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This is especially the case with \u003cem>Beach\u003c/em>, a 1980 piece Hassinger first installed at Linda Goode Bryant’s \u003ca href=\"https://research.moma.org/c.php?g=1409558&p=10437691\">Just Above Midtown Gallery\u003c/a> in New York. A simple, repeated arrangement of angled wooden dowels and irregular plaster bases immediately conjures an image of long grasses blowing in the wind. At BAMPFA, the dowels point the way forward to the next gallery, and to Hassinger’s own move from Los Angeles to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here, color enters Hassinger’s work in the form of pink plastic bags, red crosses made from tape and the dark green of rose leaves affixed, like wallpaper, across two walls of a gallery. \u003cem>Heaven\u003c/em> serves as a backdrop for \u003cem>Beige\u003c/em> (1992) and \u003cem>Green\u003c/em> (1993), Hassinger’s first video works. The former documents the winter landscape seen on her commute across Long Island, the latter, the verdant images of summer.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Here, color enters Hassinger’s work in the form of pink plastic bags, red crosses made from tape and the dark green of rose leaves affixed, like wallpaper, across two walls of a gallery. \u003cem>Heaven\u003c/em> serves as a backdrop for \u003cem>Beige\u003c/em> (1992) and \u003cem>Green\u003c/em> (1993), Hassinger’s first video works. The former documents the winter landscape seen on her commute across Long Island, the latter, the verdant images of summer.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In two other works, Hassinger turns the camera on herself and her family, examining the construction of race (the 16mm film \u003cem>Daily Mask\u003c/em>) and her own complicated family tree (the video \u003cem>Birthright\u003c/em>). The exhibition creates a dark, sequestered corner for visitors to watch these pieces, the pink plastic bags of \u003cem>Love\u003c/em> warming the space.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In two other works, Hassinger turns the camera on herself and her family, examining the construction of race (the 16mm film \u003cem>Daily Mask\u003c/em>) and her own complicated family tree (the video \u003cem>Birthright\u003c/em>). The exhibition creates a dark, sequestered corner for visitors to watch these pieces, the pink plastic bags of \u003cem>Love\u003c/em> warming the space.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As to lingering: Some of Hassinger’s sculptural works are so large, so stunning, it might be easy to breeze by the much-smaller photographs and ephemera in and around the show’s vitrines. These include images of her Malcolm X-quoting mosaics in the New York City subway; documentation of the 1982 performance \u003cem>Flying\u003c/em>, Hassinger and her Studio Z collaborators smiling, arms spread; and pictures of the artist performing \u003cem>Pink Trash, \u003c/em>dispersing pink-painted detritus across three New York City parks. (\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/pink-trash-crescent-lawn-uc-berkeley\">Hassinger will perform \u003cem>Pink Trash\u003c/em>\u003c/a> on the Crescent Lawn, across the street from BAMPFA, on Sept. 20, 2026.)\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As to lingering: Some of Hassinger’s sculptural works are so large, so stunning, it might be easy to breeze by the much-smaller photographs and ephemera in and around the show’s vitrines. These include images of her Malcolm X-quoting mosaics in the New York City subway; documentation of the 1982 performance \u003cem>Flying\u003c/em>, Hassinger and her Studio Z collaborators smiling, arms spread; and pictures of the artist performing \u003cem>Pink Trash, \u003c/em>dispersing pink-painted detritus across three New York City parks. (\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/pink-trash-crescent-lawn-uc-berkeley\">Hassinger will perform \u003cem>Pink Trash\u003c/em>\u003c/a> on the Crescent Lawn, across the street from BAMPFA, on Sept. 20, 2026.)\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13990928,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "Courtesy the artists and Susan Inglett Gallery; Photo by Adam Avila",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-1536x1002.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990928\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-1536x1002.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maren Hassinger, Juana Nash, Senga Nengudi, Ulysses Jenkins, Franklin Parker, Lofty Amono, “Nastyee,” and N’dugu Jungles, ‘Flying,’ 1982. A performance at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990928\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maren Hassinger, Juana Nash, Senga Nengudi, Ulysses Jenkins, Franklin Parker, Lofty Amono, “Nastyee,” and N’dugu Jungles, ‘Flying,’ 1982. A performance at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These pieces of documentation depict a deeply collaborative and joyful practice. Even when it’s Hassinger in the frame, we know there’s a photographer on the other side of the lens, making sure this moment — if not this object — is preserved as art history.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>These pieces of documentation depict a deeply collaborative and joyful practice. Even when it’s Hassinger in the frame, we know there’s a photographer on the other side of the lens, making sure this moment — if not this object — is preserved as art history.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Living Moving Growing \u003c/em>is the latest in a string of especially strong shows at BAMPFA. The museum is, as executive director Julie Rodrigues Widholm writes in the catalog that accompanies this exhibition, “[committed] to increasing the visibility of influential women artists and generating new scholarship on their work.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Living Moving Growing \u003c/em>is the latest in a string of especially strong shows at BAMPFA. The museum is, as executive director Julie Rodrigues Widholm writes in the catalog that accompanies this exhibition, “[committed] to increasing the visibility of influential women artists and generating new scholarship on their work.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"arts_13989193"
],
"labelWasCleared": true
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Amalia Mesa-Bains\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916997/alison-knowles-retrospective-fluxus-bampfa-review\">Alison Knowles\u003c/a> retrospectives were all part of this effort. Even more exciting is the way these shows allow contemporary audiences to plot the connections between artists, thanks to the combined (if perhaps unintentional) efforts of multiple Bay Area institutions. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Amalia Mesa-Bains\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916997/alison-knowles-retrospective-fluxus-bampfa-review\">Alison Knowles\u003c/a> retrospectives were all part of this effort. Even more exciting is the way these shows allow contemporary audiences to plot the connections between artists, thanks to the combined (if perhaps unintentional) efforts of multiple Bay Area institutions. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>I was delighted, for instance, to see Suzanne Jackson’s name in Hassinger’s chronology. Jackson, the subject of a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982215/sfmoma-suzanne-jackson-what-is-love-review\">San Francisco Museum of Modern Art retrospective\u003c/a>, selected Hassinger as one of 10 artists to receive a public art commission through the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), a WPA-style employment program, in 1978. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>I was delighted, for instance, to see Suzanne Jackson’s name in Hassinger’s chronology. Jackson, the subject of a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982215/sfmoma-suzanne-jackson-what-is-love-review\">San Francisco Museum of Modern Art retrospective\u003c/a>, selected Hassinger as one of 10 artists to receive a public art commission through the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), a WPA-style employment program, in 1978. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Presenting histories like these highlights not just individual artists’ accomplishments, but their equally important networks of collaboration and support. So many of Hassinger’s works are the result of these types of relationships — artworks made by many bodies and with the help of many hands. \u003cem>Pais/Ascension\u003c/em> (1976/2022) illustrates it perfectly: two wire ropes lean against a wall and towards each other, their ends splaying outward, overlapping and entwining.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Presenting histories like these highlights not just individual artists’ accomplishments, but their equally important networks of collaboration and support. So many of Hassinger’s works are the result of these types of relationships — artworks made by many bodies and with the help of many hands. \u003cem>Pais/Ascension\u003c/em> (1976/2022) illustrates it perfectly: two wire ropes lean against a wall and towards each other, their ends splaying outward, overlapping and entwining.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/separator",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "floatright"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>’ is on view at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (2155 Center St., Berkeley) through Nov. 29, 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>’ is on view at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (2155 Center St., Berkeley) through Nov. 29, 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "At BAMPFA, ‘Living Moving Growing’ chronicles over five decades of sculpture, performance, video and public art.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781831316,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 18,
"wordCount": 1085
},
"headData": {
"title": "Marin Hassinger at BAMPFA: A Moving Retrospective | KQED",
"description": "At BAMPFA, ‘Living Moving Growing’ chronicles over five decades of sculpture, performance, video and public art.",
"ogTitle": "Even When It Stays Still, Maren Hassinger’s Art Is Full of Movement",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "Even When It Stays Still, Maren Hassinger’s Art Is Full of Movement",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "Marin Hassinger at BAMPFA: A Moving Retrospective %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Even When It Stays Still, Maren Hassinger’s Art Is Full of Movement",
"datePublished": "2026-06-18T18:08:27-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-18T18:08:36-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "The Do List",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13990908",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13990908/maren-hassinger-bampfa-living-moving-growing-review",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>During the 55 years of her materially expansive art career, repetition has become one of Maren Hassinger’s most powerful tools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She started multiplying elements of her sculptures early on. In 1972, while still in graduate school at UCLA, she placed four large, loosely tied knots of thick hemp rope on the floor. Eight years later, she made \u003cem>Leaning\u003c/em>, 32 bundles of wire rope arranged at tottering angles. \u003cem>Consolation\u003c/em>, from 1996, is a grid of over 100 sprays of even thinner wire rope, an orderly rendition of ready-to-burst-apart dandelions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There could be something formulaic about repeating a gesture, of making a thing again and again. But in \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Hassinger’s retrospective at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/bampfa\">Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/a>, her version of repetition is organic. What she captures is not the precision of mass-produced metal or plastic, but the proliferation of nature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"gallery view with many small wire rope bundles in foreground, framed photos and large vinyl on wall behind\" class=\"wp-image-13990927\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_024_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of ‘Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing’ at BAMPFA, with ‘Leaning,’ 1980 in the foreground. (Chris Grunder)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The exhibition, organized by BAMPFA curators Margot Norton and Anthony Graham, moves mostly chronologically from Hassinger’s early grad school work to the present day, presenting Hassinger’s fluid movement across sculpture, video, installation, performance and public art. The newest element, a participatory piece called \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Wrenching News\u003c/a>\u003c/em> — made from twisted and tied pages of \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> — will grow over the course of the exhibition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the hands of another artist, Hassinger’s materials (wire rope, tree branches, plastic bags) might feel cold and spare. But in pieces like \u003cem>River\u003c/em>, a 1972 sculpture of steel chains entwined with nautical rope, the heft and scale of the industrial materials demonstrate the sheer physicality of Hassinger’s practice. You can’t see the art without seeing her, as photographed by her friend Adam Avila in the ’70s, unwinding thick cables of wire, crouching by rows of cast plaster, posing with her sculptures as if they’re dance partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Halfway through the show, duets abound. Recreations of three 1970s sculptures pair tree branches with wire rope. The silvery, bare bark blends with the slightly undulating wire, intermingling and simultaneously underlining their material contrasts. Movement — that the trees once experienced, that went into the making of this work — is never far away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg\" alt=\"installation view with large branch sculpture in foreground, small sticks in left corner and pink plastic bags on back wall\" class=\"wp-image-13990925\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Install_Living-Moving-Growing_2026_016_AMFA_art_2000-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left to right: Maren Hassinger, ‘Beach,’ 1980/2025; ‘Pas de Deux,’ 1977/2026; and ‘Love,’ 2008/2026. (Chris Grunder)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is especially the case with \u003cem>Beach\u003c/em>, a 1980 piece Hassinger first installed at Linda Goode Bryant’s \u003ca href=\"https://research.moma.org/c.php?g=1409558&p=10437691\">Just Above Midtown Gallery\u003c/a> in New York. A simple, repeated arrangement of angled wooden dowels and irregular plaster bases immediately conjures an image of long grasses blowing in the wind. At BAMPFA, the dowels point the way forward to the next gallery, and to Hassinger’s own move from Los Angeles to the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here, color enters Hassinger’s work in the form of pink plastic bags, red crosses made from tape and the dark green of rose leaves affixed, like wallpaper, across two walls of a gallery. \u003cem>Heaven\u003c/em> serves as a backdrop for \u003cem>Beige\u003c/em> (1992) and \u003cem>Green\u003c/em> (1993), Hassinger’s first video works. The former documents the winter landscape seen on her commute across Long Island, the latter, the verdant images of summer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In two other works, Hassinger turns the camera on herself and her family, examining the construction of race (the 16mm film \u003cem>Daily Mask\u003c/em>) and her own complicated family tree (the video \u003cem>Birthright\u003c/em>). The exhibition creates a dark, sequestered corner for visitors to watch these pieces, the pink plastic bags of \u003cem>Love\u003c/em> warming the space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As to lingering: Some of Hassinger’s sculptural works are so large, so stunning, it might be easy to breeze by the much-smaller photographs and ephemera in and around the show’s vitrines. These include images of her Malcolm X-quoting mosaics in the New York City subway; documentation of the 1982 performance \u003cem>Flying\u003c/em>, Hassinger and her Studio Z collaborators smiling, arms spread; and pictures of the artist performing \u003cem>Pink Trash, \u003c/em>dispersing pink-painted detritus across three New York City parks. (\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/pink-trash-crescent-lawn-uc-berkeley\">Hassinger will perform \u003cem>Pink Trash\u003c/em>\u003c/a> on the Crescent Lawn, across the street from BAMPFA, on Sept. 20, 2026.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1570\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990928\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5.jpg 1570w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/1982_HASSINGER_Flying_Documentation-View-5-1536x1002.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1570px) 100vw, 1570px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Maren Hassinger, Juana Nash, Senga Nengudi, Ulysses Jenkins, Franklin Parker, Lofty Amono, “Nastyee,” and N’dugu Jungles, ‘Flying,’ 1982. A performance at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park. (Courtesy the artists and Susan Inglett Gallery; Photo by Adam Avila)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These pieces of documentation depict a deeply collaborative and joyful practice. Even when it’s Hassinger in the frame, we know there’s a photographer on the other side of the lens, making sure this moment — if not this object — is preserved as art history.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Living Moving Growing \u003c/em>is the latest in a string of especially strong shows at BAMPFA. The museum is, as executive director Julie Rodrigues Widholm writes in the catalog that accompanies this exhibition, “[committed] to increasing the visibility of influential women artists and generating new scholarship on their work.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/wrenching-news-workshops\">Amalia Mesa-Bains\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916997/alison-knowles-retrospective-fluxus-bampfa-review\">Alison Knowles\u003c/a> retrospectives were all part of this effort. Even more exciting is the way these shows allow contemporary audiences to plot the connections between artists, thanks to the combined (if perhaps unintentional) efforts of multiple Bay Area institutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>I was delighted, for instance, to see Suzanne Jackson’s name in Hassinger’s chronology. Jackson, the subject of a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982215/sfmoma-suzanne-jackson-what-is-love-review\">San Francisco Museum of Modern Art retrospective\u003c/a>, selected Hassinger as one of 10 artists to receive a public art commission through the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), a WPA-style employment program, in 1978. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Presenting histories like these highlights not just individual artists’ accomplishments, but their equally important networks of collaboration and support. So many of Hassinger’s works are the result of these types of relationships — artworks made by many bodies and with the help of many hands. \u003cem>Pais/Ascension\u003c/em> (1976/2022) illustrates it perfectly: two wire ropes lean against a wall and towards each other, their ends splaying outward, overlapping and entwining.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/maren-hassinger\">Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing\u003c/a>’ is on view at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (2155 Center St., Berkeley) through Nov. 29, 2026.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13990908/maren-hassinger-bampfa-living-moving-growing-review",
"authors": [
"61"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_22313",
"arts_70"
],
"tags": [
"arts_2227",
"arts_1270",
"arts_10278",
"arts_769",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13990924",
"label": "source_arts_13990908"
},
"arts_13990661": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13990661",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13990661",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1781048313000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "aurora-theatre-berkeley-reopen-new-leadership",
"title": "Aurora Theatre to Reopen Under New Leadership",
"publishDate": 1781048313,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Aurora Theatre to Reopen Under New Leadership | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13977150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. (David Allen)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"arts_13978734",
"news_12046149"
],
"label": "Related Articles"
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"attrs": {
"format": "fullwidth"
},
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 13977150,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"imageCredit": "David Allen",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13977150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13977150\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "The beloved Berkeley theater suspended programming last summer. Now two directors are bringing it back.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1781048319,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 13,
"wordCount": 542
},
"headData": {
"title": "Aurora Theatre to Reopen Under New Leadership | KQED",
"description": "The beloved Berkeley theater suspended programming last summer. Now two directors are bringing it back.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Aurora Theatre to Reopen Under New Leadership",
"datePublished": "2026-06-09T16:38:33-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-06-09T16:38:39-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13990661",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13990661/aurora-theatre-berkeley-reopen-new-leadership",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/aurora-theatre\">Aurora Theatre\u003c/a> announced it was suspending productions last summer, audiences worried the 33-year-old theater wouldn’t make it through a year of hibernation. So many other theaters, both experimental and mainstream, had closed in recent years: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13961349/farewell-to-cutting-ball-theater-a-bastion-of-fearless-experimentation\">Cutting Ball\u003c/a>, Theater First, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924185/pianofights-theatre-was-independent-creative-accessible-and-necessary\">PianoFight\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13966472/cal-shakes-to-close-down-citing-insurmountable-financial-impasse\">Cal Shakes\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929386/bay-area-childrens-theatre-to-close-citing-financial-challenges\">Bay Area Children’s Theatre\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bucking that trend, Aurora Theatre announced its return on Monday under the new leadership of Artistic Director Jennifer King and Managing Director Jenn Ruygt. The theater will return to producing shows in the 2027/2028 season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both King and Ruygt have a history with the company. King was a frequent Aurora actor and director; she directed \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.auroratheatre.org/search-for-signs\">The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Aurora’s last show before the 2025 closure. Ruygt was previously the company’s production manager.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the theater closed last year, it had a $500,000 operating deficit. “We’ve taken the past nine months to really get our ducks in a row so we can move out of having to be in crisis management,” King told KQED. “That means being really responsible, both fiscally and artistically, with our community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many details about Aurora’s return are yet to be determined. King and Ruygt hope to remain in Berkeley — whether as a roving project or a brick-and-mortar space, which may be decided by trying out both.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the first update in a series of updates,” Ruygt said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora fans may also be wondering about the theater’s distinctive thrust stage, the one that made audiences feel like they were part of the action. King said that even if their future space lacks that specific characteristic, that “intimacy” will be part of the experience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13977150\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/EurekaDay.AuroraTheatre.DavidAllen-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lisa Anne Porter, Elizabeth Carter, Rolf Saxon, Teddy Spencer, and Charisse Loriaux in Aurora Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘Eureka Day’ in 2018. (David Allen)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Founded in 1992 by Barbara Oliver, Aurora Theatre became known over the decades for its high-quality productions with talented local actors. By restarting the program, King and Ruygt inherit Aurora’s reputation with both audiences and the local theater community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We look at Berkeley Rep, we look at ACT, and they’ve really moved to a different model. They utilize local actors, but they really have become places where you’re seeing things either come from New York or move on to New York,” King said. (Aurora has also produced New York-bound shows, including the Tony Award-winning \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13980686/eureka-day-marin-theatre-aurora-mill-valley-covid\">Eureka Day\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 2018.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>King’s point is that Aurora played an important role in the ecology of the local theater scene — what theater critic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12046149/why-local-theater-is-in-free-fall\">Lily Janiak called\u003c/a> “a ladder from ‘Here I am making theater with my college buddies on $1,000,’ to something with more prominence and more reach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we heard over and over again is that artists and artisans reached for the opportunity to work at the Aurora,” King said, explaining that bringing it back isn’t about staking a personal claim. “It is the Bay Area’s theater company.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13990661/aurora-theatre-berkeley-reopen-new-leadership",
"authors": [
"61"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_967"
],
"tags": [
"arts_21925",
"arts_1270",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1072"
],
"featImg": "arts_13984281",
"label": "arts"
},
"arts_13976437": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13976437",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13976437",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1779458403000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "best-swimming-spots-public-pools-rivers-lakes-beaches-holes-bay-area",
"title": "Beat the Heat at These Top 20 Swimming Spots in the Bay Area",
"publishDate": 1779458403,
"format": "aside",
"headTitle": "Beat the Heat at These Top 20 Swimming Spots in the Bay Area | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976488\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633.jpg\" alt=\"Young kids in swimwear getting soaked by falling water\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-800x577.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-1020x736.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-768x554.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-1536x1108.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-1920x1385.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From public pools and beaches to waterparks like Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Concord (pictured), swimming spots in the Bay Area are plentiful all summer. \u003ccite>(Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025\">2025 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Warmer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area-weather\">Bay Area weather\u003c/a> has finally arrived, and there are few better ways to enjoy the summer to its fullest than by going for a dip outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, the Bay Area offers an abundance of places to take advantage of the heat, whether it’s getting laps in at a local open-air pool, wading at nearby lakes and rivers or diving into the San Francisco Bay itself. Keep reading our round-up of idyllic Bay Area outdoor swimming spots, as recommended by local experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988947/heading-to-a-river-this-summer-heres-how-to-stay-safe\">prioritize safety when swimming\u003c/a>, and consider bringing along a wetsuit and a flotation device to ensure you stay safe and warm – especially in waters like the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(And if you’re reading this while the Bay Area is wrapped in summer fog? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963334/your-guide-to-bay-area-spas-and-hot-springs\">Try our local hot springs and spas guide instead\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jump straight to:\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#bay-area-beaches-to-swim\">Bay Area beaches for swimming\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#bay-area-outdoor-swimming-pools\">Bay Area outdoor swimming pools\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#lakes-rivers-bay-area-swimming\">Bay Area rivers and lakes\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#waterparks-in-bay-area\">Bay Area waterparks\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"bay-area-beaches-to-swim\">\u003c/a>Bay Area beaches for swimming\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976474\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Visitors wade in the water at Angel Island’s Quarry Beach on March 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Casey Dexter-Lee/California State Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Ayala Cove, Angel Island\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Accessible by ferry \u003ca href=\"https://www.goldengate.org/ferry/route-schedule/angel-island-sf/\">from San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://angelislandferry.com/schedule\">Tiburon\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://angelisland.org/history/ayala-cove/\">Angel Island’s Ayala Cove\u003c/a> feels a world away from the bustle of the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This small strip of sandy beach is just a short walk from the ferry dock, with waters that are fairly protected from strong bay currents and an expansive grassy picnic area equipped with tables and barbecues.Bathrooms and the Angel Island Café\u003cb>, \u003c/b>which has a full menu of meals and drinks\u003cb>, \u003c/b>are also on hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='science_1993633']If you’re worried about swimming in the Bay, be reassured that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12020761/is-it-safe-to-swim-in-the-bay-braving-the-cold-and-sometimes-dirty-water\">it’s generally safe – plus, it’s free\u003c/a>. Nonetheless, no lifeguards are on duty here, and Angel Island State Park Interpreter Casey Dexter-Lee cautioned swimmers to remember they’ll be sharing this cold water with boats, which will frequently dock here for the day or drop anchor for sailors to take a dip. Swimmers should also be vigilant for currents, which can pick up quickly here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>If you’re looking for a little more adventure, Dexter-Lee suggested hiking a couple of miles from the cove to \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/angel-island-perimeter-loop\">Quarry Beach or Perles Beach\u003c/a>, both of which offer spectacular south-facing views of the city. Be warned that the swimming on the south side is a little more exposed to wind and currents – and “make sure to save a little energy for the hike back,” Dexter-Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Ferry tickets from San Francisco cost $15.50 each way ($9.50 with Clipper card), which also covers the park entrance fee. Youth and seniors pay $8 per ticket from San Francisco. From Tiburon, ferry tickets cost $18 for the round trip for adults, with discounts for kids and seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976475\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-800x532.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-1920x1278.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the pier at China Camp State Park in 2009. \u003ccite>(Brian Baer/California State Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>China Camp and McNears Beach, San Rafael\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the shores of San Pablo Bay are two adjacent outdoor swimming spots: \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=466\">China Camp State Park\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://parks.marincounty.gov/parkspreserves/parks/mcnears-beach-park\">McNears Beach Park\u003c/a>, the first a state park and the second managed by Marin County Parks. Each offers a sandy shoreline ideal for swimmers plus convenient park facilities like bathrooms, barbecues and group picnic areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If more protected swimming is your goal, McNears Beach Park also offers a swimming pool that’s typically open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. According to Marin County Park and Open Space Superintendent Ari Golan, the county hopes to open the pool on May 24 this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One challenge of this spot: Since it’s one of the few free parks and pools in the area, weekends can get crowded with limited parking and lines to enter. If you can, Golan recommends visiting Tuesday through Thursday instead for the best experience (the pool is closed on Mondays) – or as he puts it, “more pool and less people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re specifically looking to swim out into the bay, a popular place to enter the water is at China Camp, just to the north of McNears. The Friends of China Camp, the local nonprofit that runs events and manages picnic and camping reservations at the state park, \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofchinacamp.org/water-safety-smarts/\">suggest checking wind directions and tide charts before you head out\u003c/a> – there’s nothing worse than rolling up, ready to dive in, when all you see is mud, said China Camp park manager Chris Young. This preparation will also help swimmers plan for tidal currents and aim for “slack tides,” when the tide is going neither in nor out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young also suggested wearing tight-fitting shoes in the water to protect your feet from sharp rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Pro tip: \u003c/i>While you’re at China Camp beach, \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofchinacamp.org/about-china-camp/history/\">visit the museum at China Camp Village\u003c/a> that recounts the history of the site, which housed around 500 Chinese shrimp fishers in the 1880s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: China Camp costs $5 for parking and entry or $3 without parking. McNears Beach Park has no entry fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Crown Beach, Alameda\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The water is shallow and warm. The currents aren’t very strong. The city views are unbeatable. What more could you want?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there are no lifeguards on duty at Alameda’s Crown Beach, changing rooms and showers are stationed nearby, and the beach is also wheelchair accessible, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/crown-beach\">free beach wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-serve basis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip:\u003c/b> Consider visiting Crown Beach in the morning, as the wind tends to pick up most afternoons, making those hours more ideal for kite and windsurfing than swimming. The East Bay Regional Parks District also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/crown-beach\">publishes water quality reports\u003c/a> on its website, so you can confirm that the beach is open and swimming conditions are safe before you head out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: Free to enter the beach, parking is $5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976478\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olivia Noceda), center, and Jessica Lazarus prepare for a swim at Aquatic Park Cove on August 26, 2024 in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Aquatic Park, San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A favorite spot of KQED’s own Bianca Taylor, host and producer of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/thelatest\">\u003ci>The Latest \u003c/i>podcast\u003c/a>\u003ci>,\u003c/i> is right in front of Ghirardelli Square at \u003ca href=\"http://nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/aquatic-park-bathhouse.htm\">San Francisco’s Aquatic Park\u003c/a>. There, you can lay a towel out on the bleachers and swim to the buoys that line the shore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, the water is cold, with lows of 49 degrees in winter and highs of 65 in late summer. It’s also murky – even with goggles, be prepared to see nothing – and comes with the usual risks of swimming in the wild. (Yes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/seal-bites-swimmer-san-francisco-aquatic-park-17858852.php\">seal bites are a thing.\u003c/a>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, there’s nothing like floating on your back with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge to the west and the Salesforce Tower to the east, Taylor said. And if you’re still hesitant to take the plunge, \u003ca href=\"https://ggtc.org/swimming-in-aquatic-park\">Golden Gate Triathlon Club has valuable safety tips and route ideas for swimmers new to the park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Leave any valuables at home, as the area is known for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11959477/car-break-ins-bay-area-glass-repair-what-to-do\">car break-ins\u003c/a>. After your swim, Taylor recommends heading to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafedecasa.com/stores/fisherman's-wharf\">Cafe de Casa\u003c/a> at Fisherman’s Wharf to warm up with a coffee and Brazilian pastry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>There is no cost to swim in the water at Aquatic Park, but parking close by will be metered – so you can save a few bucks by biking or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/trip-planner\">taking transit to the park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976479\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kayaks await their passengers at Heart’s Desire Beach in Tomales Bay State Park in 2021. \u003ccite>(Brian Baer/California State Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Heart’s Desire Beach, Point Reyes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Just a short drive from the entrance to the Tomales Bay State Park in Point Reyes National Seashore is \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=470\">Heart’s Desire Beach\u003c/a>, an oasis on the shores of shallow Tomales Bay – which tends to be quite a bit warmer than the deeper waters of the San Francisco Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beach is peaceful enough to enjoy by itself, with picnic tables and barbecues available for use. But if you’re looking for a little more adventure, the shoreline is riddled with small, hidden beaches and rocky coves that are close enough to swim out to. While you’re enjoying the beach, make sure to keep your eyes peeled overhead for \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_birds.htm\">bald eagles, which nest nearby\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, there are sometimes leopard sharks and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1996552/thousands-mysterious-blue-creatures-bay-area-beaches-san-francisco\">blue jellyfish-like creatures\u003c/a> in these waters. And no, they generally won’t hurt you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Pro tip: \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bluewaterskayaking.com/rentals/\">Blue Waters Kayaking operates kayak\u003c/a> and stand-up paddle board rentals on the shores of Heart’s Desire beach itself. Get a reservation in advance for busy weekends or try for a walk-up rental during quieter times. They also have a location in Point Reyes Station and offer drop-off rentals if you’d prefer to launch from a different location.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: $8 per vehicle for the park entrance fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"bay-area-outdoor-swimming-pools\">\u003c/a>Bay Area public outdoor swimming pools\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976482\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976482\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A woman prepares to lap swim at Golden Bear Rec Center Pool at UC Berkeley. \u003ccite>(UC Berkeley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Strawberry Canyon Pool and Golden Bear Pool, UC Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley’s campus houses four pools, two of which are available to the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located at the gateway to \u003ca href=\"https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32066-d9732891-Reviews-Berkeley_Fire_Trails-Berkeley_California.html\">Berkeley’s popular hillside fire trails\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/facilities/golden-bear-recreation-pool/\">Golden Bear Pool\u003c/a> is lap swim only, with six lanes available, so be sure to check their year-round public \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/schedules-reservations/lap-swim/\">swim schedule online\u003c/a> before you head out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nestled above campus in the hillside, the Z-shaped \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/facilities/strawberry-canyon-recreation-pool/\">Strawberry Canyon Pool\u003c/a> is the best family-friendly option, with just three lanes dedicated to lap swimming and the rest of the pool open for anyone to splash around and escape the heat. The pool is open seasonally from the end of May to mid-October. There are locker rooms, showers, kickboards and \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/facilities/strawberry-canyon-recreation-pool/\">wheelchair access to both the pool and its amenities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Since Cal students will be your competition for these pools, bear their schedules in mind when planning your visit. Weekdays during the mid-morning or early afternoon, when classes are most likely to be in session, could offer you the best shot at an uncrowded pool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Day passes cost $15 per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Castle Rock Pool Complex, Walnut Creek\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At the foot of Mt. Diablo is \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/castle-rock\">Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area\u003c/a>, which features a serene swimming pool that allows visitors to take full advantage of the East Bay’s natural beauty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Surrounded by oak woodlands below Pine Canyon’s famous rock formations, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/castle-rock\">Castle Rock Pool Complex\u003c/a> is open on weekends from mid-May to mid-September and also on Thursdays and Fridays during the height of summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>The pool is a full 10-minute walk from the parking lot, and once the swimming facility’s capacity is reached, no new entries are permitted that day – so get there early on hot, busy weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>$5 for adults, $3 for youth and seniors and free for kids under 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mission Pool, San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13975794']The only outdoor city-operated pool in San Francisco is \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Mission-Community-Pool-217\">Mission Pool\u003c/a>, located on 19th Street in the sunny Mission District. The pool opens this year on May 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just a block from Dolores Park, this is a prime spot for a swim when even the city is sweltering. Plus, it’s easily accessible via BART and Muni with lots of local businesses and food options nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>If you’re in the mood for something sweet before or after your swim, the famed Bi-Rite Creamery is a short two blocks away, offering seasonal and classic ice-cream flavors plus frozen treats like ice cream sandwiches and popsicles. The Creamery opened almost 20 years ago, while the historic Bi-Rite Market down the street dates from 1940.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $6 for adults and $1 for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Burlingame Aquatics Center, Burlingame\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Peninsula offers what KQED’s Taylor calls “one of the nicest outdoor pools I have ever swum in.” At \u003ca href=\"https://www.burlingameaquatics.com/\">Burlingame Aquatics Center\u003c/a>, there are tons of lanes for \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacificmasters.org/page.cfm?pagetitle=what+is+masters+swimming\">masters (18+) swimming\u003c/a>, recreational swimming and an aqua aerobics class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check the schedule before you go, as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.burlingameaquatics.com/Lapswim/\">open swim hours\u003c/a> are subject to change since the pool is often used for Burlingame High School classes, and may require lane reservations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Pro tip: \u003c/i>A short walk from the Burlingame Caltrain stop, this pool is easily transit accessible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: The $9 entry fee includes access to a locker room. Ages 3 and under swim for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976483\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976483\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-1536x1016.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-2048x1354.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-1920x1270.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Area News Group reporter Marisa Kendall is photographed at the Temescal swimming pool on Sunday, March 26, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. \u003ccite>(Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Temescal Pool, Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you want to swim for exercise, Taylor recommends \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/learn-more-about-temescal-pool\">Temescal Pool\u003c/a> as a good outdoors spot for lap swimming (just \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/learn-more-about-temescal-pool\">check the schedule for those lap hours\u003c/a>). There’s also a large pool deck here, plus grassy areas for a post-swim lay out. The East Bay sunshine can be strong, so don’t forget to wear sunscreen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip:\u003c/b> This pool is actually 33 ⅓ yards long, as opposed to the traditional 25 yards, pushing swimmers to go those extra few strokes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Entry is $6 for lap swimming and $3 for recreational swimming.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"lakes-rivers-bay-area-swimming\">\u003c/a>Bay Area rivers and lakes you can swim in\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976484\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-800x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-1020x689.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-1536x1037.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-2048x1383.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-1920x1296.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Folks cool off as they play in Lake del Valle at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore, Calif., on Saturday, July 13, 2019. \u003ccite>(Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Lake Del Valle, Livermore\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ever wondered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11780692/why-cant-you-swim-in-most-of-the-bay-area-lakes\">why most “lakes” in the Bay Area aren’t swimmable\u003c/a>? The answer: they tend to actually be reservoirs for drinking water, meaning body contact with the water typically isn’t allowed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there \u003ci>is \u003c/i>one reservoir where you can happily (and legally) splash away: \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/del-valle\">Lake Del Valle\u003c/a> in Livermore. Part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/del-valle\">State Water Project\u003c/a>, a statewide system of drinking water storage and supply, this spot is exempted from the rule banning swimming in most Bay Area reservoirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Del Valle Regional Park \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/del-valle\">has two swimming areas\u003c/a> that are monitored by lifeguards on the east and west sides of the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Swimming is far from Del Valle’s only attraction. The rest of the five-mile-long lake offers all sorts of water recreation and fishing, not to mention the nearly 4,500 acres open to hiking and horseback riding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $10 fee to park at Del Valle Regional Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lake Temescal, Oakland, and Lake Anza, Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hidden in the Berkeley Hills are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/temescal\">Temescal Regional Recreation Area\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden\">Tilden Regional Park\u003c/a>, both offering safe and kid-friendly swimming areas that have lifeguards on duty in the summer months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sheltered from the wind and up away from the fog, these swim areas may especially appeal to San Franciscans for whom the city summers aren’t quite feeling hot enough. Both \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/lake-temescal\">Lake Temescal\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/lake-anza\">Lake Anza\u003c/a> have full beach amenities like refreshment stands, changing rooms and showers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip:\u003c/b> Both lakes are tested weekly for bacteria levels, but if you’re still If worried, pay a visit in the late spring or early summer, before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993633/algal-blooms-love-heat-waves-when-is-bay-area-swimming-dangerous-for-humans-and-pets\">the heat of the summer produces algae blooms\u003c/a> that can sometimes close these waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: Entry is $5 to enter and $3 for seniors and kids, while infants under 2 enter for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don Castro and Cull Canyon, Castro Valley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking for a safe spot for kids to get used to the water, these two shallow swim spots in the Castro Valley might fit the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combining the natural beauty of a lagoon with the safety features of a pool, both \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/don-castro\">Don Castro\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/cull-canyon\">Cull Canyon\u003c/a> have large, sandy beaches, extensive lawns and shallow chlorinated water for swimmers of any age and ability to safely enjoy a summer’s day. The two lagoons are also monitored by lifeguards and feature full pool amenities like bathhouses and vending machines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both spots open first on weekends only in the spring and then every day during peak summer months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Although barbecues and picnic tables are aplenty for you to settle in for a full day in the sun, no alcohol is allowed at either spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> Both spots charge $5 for adults and $3 for youth and seniors, but kids under 2 swim for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A boy dons a life jacket and prepares for a swim at Steelhead Beach Regional Park on the Russian River. \u003ccite>(Sonoma County Regional Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Russian River, Sonoma County\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many Bay Area residents looking to cool off head to the Russian River, where water – and access to the shore – is plentiful. Try the protected \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/healdsburg-veterans-memorial-beach\">Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/cloverdale-river-park\">Cloverdale River Park\u003c/a> for superior wildlife viewing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mrrpd.org/monte-rio-beach/\">Monte Rio Beach\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is a favorite for family beach days, with boat rentals and volleyball courts onsite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Russian River is usually pristine and calm, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988947/heading-to-a-river-this-summer-heres-how-to-stay-safe\">swimming in any river isn’t entirely without risk\u003c/a>. That’s why Greg Desmond, aquatics and recreation supervisor for Sonoma County Regional Parks, particularly recommends Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, where a dam creates an area deep enough to swim but lifeguards are also on duty. And from Memorial Day to Labor Day, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/play/swimming/russian-river-patrol\">the county deploys a river patrol\u003c/a> to help people floating the river or enjoying the beach with life jackets and safety tips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want people to be afraid of the water, but just take the necessary precautions,” Desmond said. “If you’re not a strong swimmer, try to stay out of the deep end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>At Healdsburg and nearby beaches \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/del-rio-woods\">Del Rio Woods\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/steelhead-beach-regional-park\">Steelhead Beach\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/forestville-river-access\">Forestville River Access\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/sunset-beach-river-park\">Sunset Beach\u003c/a>, the county parks department provides free life vests for visitors to borrow all day. “It’s sort of like a library for life jackets,” Desmond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Parking at Sonoma County Regional Parks is $10 in the summer and $7 the rest of the year. Monte Rio Beach has no entry fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"waterparks-in-bay-area\">\u003c/a>… and don’t forget Bay Area waterparks\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976486\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976486\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-2048x1364.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kids of all ages seek relief from the sweltering heat at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor waterpark in Concord, Calif. on Saturday, July 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’re comfortable with a somewhat more noisy and crowded – and costly – outdoor aquatic experience, the Bay Area offers several popular waterparks:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Concord\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The biggest water park in the Bay Area, with a lazy river for those seeking a more relaxed experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Online tickets cost $34 per person, which rises to $70 at the gate. Kids under 3 enter for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Aqua Adventure Water Park, Fremont\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Best for young kids, this spot tends to be less busy and a more relaxed environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>$27 for adults ($25 for Fremont residents), $22 for kids. Discounts for seniors, military, large groups and kids under 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Antioch Water Park, Antioch\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ideal for families, this Contra Costa water park offers lots of space for spreading out and picnicking all day long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $17 on weekends, $15 on weekdays, with discounts for seniors, military and large groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>South Bay Shores at California’s Great America, Santa Clara\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pro: A full range of water slide heights and speeds. Con: Lines can get long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Tickets, which include admission to the full amusement park, are $42 online but $70 at the gate, with military and first responder discounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Golfland Sunsplash, Roseville\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Further afield northeast of Sacramento, Golfland Sunsplash has intense slides, a killer wave pool and night slide admission after 5 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $63 on weekends for adults and $53 for kids, plus discounts on weekdays and for toddlers.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "From public pools and beaches to lakes and rivers, here are the best places to swim outdoors in the Bay Area this summer.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1779819357,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 84,
"wordCount": 3386
},
"headData": {
"title": "The 20 Best Swimming Spots and Public Pools in the Bay Area | KQED",
"description": "From public pools and beaches to lakes and rivers, here are the best places to swim outdoors in the Bay Area this summer.",
"ogTitle": "Beat the Heat at These Top 20 Swimming Spots in the Bay Area",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "Beat the Heat at These Top 20 Swimming Spots in the Bay Area",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "The 20 Best Swimming Spots and Public Pools in the Bay Area %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Beat the Heat at These Top 20 Swimming Spots in the Bay Area",
"datePublished": "2026-05-22T07:00:03-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-05-26T11:15:57-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "Summer Guide 2026",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13976437",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13976437/best-swimming-spots-public-pools-rivers-lakes-beaches-holes-bay-area",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976488\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633.jpg\" alt=\"Young kids in swimwear getting soaked by falling water\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-800x577.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-1020x736.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-160x115.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-768x554.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-1536x1108.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780633-1920x1385.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From public pools and beaches to waterparks like Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Concord (pictured), swimming spots in the Bay Area are plentiful all summer. \u003ccite>(Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025\">2025 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Warmer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area-weather\">Bay Area weather\u003c/a> has finally arrived, and there are few better ways to enjoy the summer to its fullest than by going for a dip outdoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, the Bay Area offers an abundance of places to take advantage of the heat, whether it’s getting laps in at a local open-air pool, wading at nearby lakes and rivers or diving into the San Francisco Bay itself. Keep reading our round-up of idyllic Bay Area outdoor swimming spots, as recommended by local experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988947/heading-to-a-river-this-summer-heres-how-to-stay-safe\">prioritize safety when swimming\u003c/a>, and consider bringing along a wetsuit and a flotation device to ensure you stay safe and warm – especially in waters like the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(And if you’re reading this while the Bay Area is wrapped in summer fog? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963334/your-guide-to-bay-area-spas-and-hot-springs\">Try our local hot springs and spas guide instead\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jump straight to:\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#bay-area-beaches-to-swim\">Bay Area beaches for swimming\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#bay-area-outdoor-swimming-pools\">Bay Area outdoor swimming pools\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#lakes-rivers-bay-area-swimming\">Bay Area rivers and lakes\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#waterparks-in-bay-area\">Bay Area waterparks\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"bay-area-beaches-to-swim\">\u003c/a>Bay Area beaches for swimming\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976474\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_8739-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Visitors wade in the water at Angel Island’s Quarry Beach on March 2, 2025. \u003ccite>(Casey Dexter-Lee/California State Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Ayala Cove, Angel Island\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Accessible by ferry \u003ca href=\"https://www.goldengate.org/ferry/route-schedule/angel-island-sf/\">from San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://angelislandferry.com/schedule\">Tiburon\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://angelisland.org/history/ayala-cove/\">Angel Island’s Ayala Cove\u003c/a> feels a world away from the bustle of the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This small strip of sandy beach is just a short walk from the ferry dock, with waters that are fairly protected from strong bay currents and an expansive grassy picnic area equipped with tables and barbecues.Bathrooms and the Angel Island Café\u003cb>, \u003c/b>which has a full menu of meals and drinks\u003cb>, \u003c/b>are also on hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "science_1993633",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>If you’re worried about swimming in the Bay, be reassured that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12020761/is-it-safe-to-swim-in-the-bay-braving-the-cold-and-sometimes-dirty-water\">it’s generally safe – plus, it’s free\u003c/a>. Nonetheless, no lifeguards are on duty here, and Angel Island State Park Interpreter Casey Dexter-Lee cautioned swimmers to remember they’ll be sharing this cold water with boats, which will frequently dock here for the day or drop anchor for sailors to take a dip. Swimmers should also be vigilant for currents, which can pick up quickly here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>If you’re looking for a little more adventure, Dexter-Lee suggested hiking a couple of miles from the cove to \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/angel-island-perimeter-loop\">Quarry Beach or Perles Beach\u003c/a>, both of which offer spectacular south-facing views of the city. Be warned that the swimming on the south side is a little more exposed to wind and currents – and “make sure to save a little energy for the hike back,” Dexter-Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Ferry tickets from San Francisco cost $15.50 each way ($9.50 with Clipper card), which also covers the park entrance fee. Youth and seniors pay $8 per ticket from San Francisco. From Tiburon, ferry tickets cost $18 for the round trip for adults, with discounts for kids and seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976475\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-800x532.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025-1920x1278.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/China-Camp-State-Park-_California-State-Parks-2025.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the pier at China Camp State Park in 2009. \u003ccite>(Brian Baer/California State Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>China Camp and McNears Beach, San Rafael\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On the shores of San Pablo Bay are two adjacent outdoor swimming spots: \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=466\">China Camp State Park\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://parks.marincounty.gov/parkspreserves/parks/mcnears-beach-park\">McNears Beach Park\u003c/a>, the first a state park and the second managed by Marin County Parks. Each offers a sandy shoreline ideal for swimmers plus convenient park facilities like bathrooms, barbecues and group picnic areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If more protected swimming is your goal, McNears Beach Park also offers a swimming pool that’s typically open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. According to Marin County Park and Open Space Superintendent Ari Golan, the county hopes to open the pool on May 24 this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One challenge of this spot: Since it’s one of the few free parks and pools in the area, weekends can get crowded with limited parking and lines to enter. If you can, Golan recommends visiting Tuesday through Thursday instead for the best experience (the pool is closed on Mondays) – or as he puts it, “more pool and less people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re specifically looking to swim out into the bay, a popular place to enter the water is at China Camp, just to the north of McNears. The Friends of China Camp, the local nonprofit that runs events and manages picnic and camping reservations at the state park, \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofchinacamp.org/water-safety-smarts/\">suggest checking wind directions and tide charts before you head out\u003c/a> – there’s nothing worse than rolling up, ready to dive in, when all you see is mud, said China Camp park manager Chris Young. This preparation will also help swimmers plan for tidal currents and aim for “slack tides,” when the tide is going neither in nor out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young also suggested wearing tight-fitting shoes in the water to protect your feet from sharp rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Pro tip: \u003c/i>While you’re at China Camp beach, \u003ca href=\"https://friendsofchinacamp.org/about-china-camp/history/\">visit the museum at China Camp Village\u003c/a> that recounts the history of the site, which housed around 500 Chinese shrimp fishers in the 1880s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: China Camp costs $5 for parking and entry or $3 without parking. McNears Beach Park has no entry fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Crown Beach, Alameda\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The water is shallow and warm. The currents aren’t very strong. The city views are unbeatable. What more could you want?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While there are no lifeguards on duty at Alameda’s Crown Beach, changing rooms and showers are stationed nearby, and the beach is also wheelchair accessible, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/crown-beach\">free beach wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-serve basis\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip:\u003c/b> Consider visiting Crown Beach in the morning, as the wind tends to pick up most afternoons, making those hours more ideal for kite and windsurfing than swimming. The East Bay Regional Parks District also \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/crown-beach\">publishes water quality reports\u003c/a> on its website, so you can confirm that the beach is open and swimming conditions are safe before you head out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: Free to enter the beach, parking is $5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976478\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976478\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-2167846275-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olivia Noceda), center, and Jessica Lazarus prepare for a swim at Aquatic Park Cove on August 26, 2024 in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Aquatic Park, San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A favorite spot of KQED’s own Bianca Taylor, host and producer of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/thelatest\">\u003ci>The Latest \u003c/i>podcast\u003c/a>\u003ci>,\u003c/i> is right in front of Ghirardelli Square at \u003ca href=\"http://nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/aquatic-park-bathhouse.htm\">San Francisco’s Aquatic Park\u003c/a>. There, you can lay a towel out on the bleachers and swim to the buoys that line the shore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, the water is cold, with lows of 49 degrees in winter and highs of 65 in late summer. It’s also murky – even with goggles, be prepared to see nothing – and comes with the usual risks of swimming in the wild. (Yes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/seal-bites-swimmer-san-francisco-aquatic-park-17858852.php\">seal bites are a thing.\u003c/a>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, there’s nothing like floating on your back with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge to the west and the Salesforce Tower to the east, Taylor said. And if you’re still hesitant to take the plunge, \u003ca href=\"https://ggtc.org/swimming-in-aquatic-park\">Golden Gate Triathlon Club has valuable safety tips and route ideas for swimmers new to the park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Leave any valuables at home, as the area is known for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11959477/car-break-ins-bay-area-glass-repair-what-to-do\">car break-ins\u003c/a>. After your swim, Taylor recommends heading to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cafedecasa.com/stores/fisherman's-wharf\">Cafe de Casa\u003c/a> at Fisherman’s Wharf to warm up with a coffee and Brazilian pastry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>There is no cost to swim in the water at Aquatic Park, but parking close by will be metered – so you can save a few bucks by biking or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/trip-planner\">taking transit to the park.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976479\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/HeartsDesire._Courtesy-of-California-State-Parks-2025.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kayaks await their passengers at Heart’s Desire Beach in Tomales Bay State Park in 2021. \u003ccite>(Brian Baer/California State Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Heart’s Desire Beach, Point Reyes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Just a short drive from the entrance to the Tomales Bay State Park in Point Reyes National Seashore is \u003ca href=\"https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=470\">Heart’s Desire Beach\u003c/a>, an oasis on the shores of shallow Tomales Bay – which tends to be quite a bit warmer than the deeper waters of the San Francisco Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beach is peaceful enough to enjoy by itself, with picnic tables and barbecues available for use. But if you’re looking for a little more adventure, the shoreline is riddled with small, hidden beaches and rocky coves that are close enough to swim out to. While you’re enjoying the beach, make sure to keep your eyes peeled overhead for \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_birds.htm\">bald eagles, which nest nearby\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, there are sometimes leopard sharks and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1996552/thousands-mysterious-blue-creatures-bay-area-beaches-san-francisco\">blue jellyfish-like creatures\u003c/a> in these waters. And no, they generally won’t hurt you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Pro tip: \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bluewaterskayaking.com/rentals/\">Blue Waters Kayaking operates kayak\u003c/a> and stand-up paddle board rentals on the shores of Heart’s Desire beach itself. Get a reservation in advance for busy weekends or try for a walk-up rental during quieter times. They also have a location in Point Reyes Station and offer drop-off rentals if you’d prefer to launch from a different location.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: $8 per vehicle for the park entrance fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"bay-area-outdoor-swimming-pools\">\u003c/a>Bay Area public outdoor swimming pools\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976482\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976482\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Golden-Bear-UC-Berkeley-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A woman prepares to lap swim at Golden Bear Rec Center Pool at UC Berkeley. \u003ccite>(UC Berkeley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Strawberry Canyon Pool and Golden Bear Pool, UC Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley’s campus houses four pools, two of which are available to the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located at the gateway to \u003ca href=\"https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32066-d9732891-Reviews-Berkeley_Fire_Trails-Berkeley_California.html\">Berkeley’s popular hillside fire trails\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/facilities/golden-bear-recreation-pool/\">Golden Bear Pool\u003c/a> is lap swim only, with six lanes available, so be sure to check their year-round public \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/schedules-reservations/lap-swim/\">swim schedule online\u003c/a> before you head out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nestled above campus in the hillside, the Z-shaped \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/facilities/strawberry-canyon-recreation-pool/\">Strawberry Canyon Pool\u003c/a> is the best family-friendly option, with just three lanes dedicated to lap swimming and the rest of the pool open for anyone to splash around and escape the heat. The pool is open seasonally from the end of May to mid-October. There are locker rooms, showers, kickboards and \u003ca href=\"https://recwell.berkeley.edu/facilities/strawberry-canyon-recreation-pool/\">wheelchair access to both the pool and its amenities\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Since Cal students will be your competition for these pools, bear their schedules in mind when planning your visit. Weekdays during the mid-morning or early afternoon, when classes are most likely to be in session, could offer you the best shot at an uncrowded pool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Day passes cost $15 per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Castle Rock Pool Complex, Walnut Creek\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At the foot of Mt. Diablo is \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/castle-rock\">Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area\u003c/a>, which features a serene swimming pool that allows visitors to take full advantage of the East Bay’s natural beauty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Surrounded by oak woodlands below Pine Canyon’s famous rock formations, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/castle-rock\">Castle Rock Pool Complex\u003c/a> is open on weekends from mid-May to mid-September and also on Thursdays and Fridays during the height of summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>The pool is a full 10-minute walk from the parking lot, and once the swimming facility’s capacity is reached, no new entries are permitted that day – so get there early on hot, busy weekends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>$5 for adults, $3 for youth and seniors and free for kids under 2.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mission Pool, San Francisco\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13975794",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The only outdoor city-operated pool in San Francisco is \u003ca href=\"https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Mission-Community-Pool-217\">Mission Pool\u003c/a>, located on 19th Street in the sunny Mission District. The pool opens this year on May 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just a block from Dolores Park, this is a prime spot for a swim when even the city is sweltering. Plus, it’s easily accessible via BART and Muni with lots of local businesses and food options nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>If you’re in the mood for something sweet before or after your swim, the famed Bi-Rite Creamery is a short two blocks away, offering seasonal and classic ice-cream flavors plus frozen treats like ice cream sandwiches and popsicles. The Creamery opened almost 20 years ago, while the historic Bi-Rite Market down the street dates from 1940.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $6 for adults and $1 for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Burlingame Aquatics Center, Burlingame\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Peninsula offers what KQED’s Taylor calls “one of the nicest outdoor pools I have ever swum in.” At \u003ca href=\"https://www.burlingameaquatics.com/\">Burlingame Aquatics Center\u003c/a>, there are tons of lanes for \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacificmasters.org/page.cfm?pagetitle=what+is+masters+swimming\">masters (18+) swimming\u003c/a>, recreational swimming and an aqua aerobics class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check the schedule before you go, as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.burlingameaquatics.com/Lapswim/\">open swim hours\u003c/a> are subject to change since the pool is often used for Burlingame High School classes, and may require lane reservations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Pro tip: \u003c/i>A short walk from the Burlingame Caltrain stop, this pool is easily transit accessible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: The $9 entry fee includes access to a locker room. Ages 3 and under swim for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976483\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976483\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-800x529.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-1020x674.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-1536x1016.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-2048x1354.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1172431740-1920x1270.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Area News Group reporter Marisa Kendall is photographed at the Temescal swimming pool on Sunday, March 26, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. \u003ccite>(Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Temescal Pool, Oakland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you want to swim for exercise, Taylor recommends \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/learn-more-about-temescal-pool\">Temescal Pool\u003c/a> as a good outdoors spot for lap swimming (just \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/learn-more-about-temescal-pool\">check the schedule for those lap hours\u003c/a>). There’s also a large pool deck here, plus grassy areas for a post-swim lay out. The East Bay sunshine can be strong, so don’t forget to wear sunscreen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip:\u003c/b> This pool is actually 33 ⅓ yards long, as opposed to the traditional 25 yards, pushing swimmers to go those extra few strokes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Entry is $6 for lap swimming and $3 for recreational swimming.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"lakes-rivers-bay-area-swimming\">\u003c/a>Bay Area rivers and lakes you can swim in\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976484\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-800x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-800x540.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-1020x689.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-1536x1037.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-2048x1383.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298786410-1920x1296.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Folks cool off as they play in Lake del Valle at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore, Calif., on Saturday, July 13, 2019. \u003ccite>(Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Lake Del Valle, Livermore\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ever wondered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11780692/why-cant-you-swim-in-most-of-the-bay-area-lakes\">why most “lakes” in the Bay Area aren’t swimmable\u003c/a>? The answer: they tend to actually be reservoirs for drinking water, meaning body contact with the water typically isn’t allowed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there \u003ci>is \u003c/i>one reservoir where you can happily (and legally) splash away: \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/del-valle\">Lake Del Valle\u003c/a> in Livermore. Part of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/del-valle\">State Water Project\u003c/a>, a statewide system of drinking water storage and supply, this spot is exempted from the rule banning swimming in most Bay Area reservoirs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Del Valle Regional Park \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/del-valle\">has two swimming areas\u003c/a> that are monitored by lifeguards on the east and west sides of the lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Swimming is far from Del Valle’s only attraction. The rest of the five-mile-long lake offers all sorts of water recreation and fishing, not to mention the nearly 4,500 acres open to hiking and horseback riding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $10 fee to park at Del Valle Regional Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lake Temescal, Oakland, and Lake Anza, Berkeley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hidden in the Berkeley Hills are the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/temescal\">Temescal Regional Recreation Area\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden\">Tilden Regional Park\u003c/a>, both offering safe and kid-friendly swimming areas that have lifeguards on duty in the summer months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sheltered from the wind and up away from the fog, these swim areas may especially appeal to San Franciscans for whom the city summers aren’t quite feeling hot enough. Both \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/lake-temescal\">Lake Temescal\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/lake-anza\">Lake Anza\u003c/a> have full beach amenities like refreshment stands, changing rooms and showers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip:\u003c/b> Both lakes are tested weekly for bacteria levels, but if you’re still If worried, pay a visit in the late spring or early summer, before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993633/algal-blooms-love-heat-waves-when-is-bay-area-swimming-dangerous-for-humans-and-pets\">the heat of the summer produces algae blooms\u003c/a> that can sometimes close these waters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cost: Entry is $5 to enter and $3 for seniors and kids, while infants under 2 enter for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don Castro and Cull Canyon, Castro Valley\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re looking for a safe spot for kids to get used to the water, these two shallow swim spots in the Castro Valley might fit the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combining the natural beauty of a lagoon with the safety features of a pool, both \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/don-castro\">Don Castro\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/swimming/cull-canyon\">Cull Canyon\u003c/a> have large, sandy beaches, extensive lawns and shallow chlorinated water for swimmers of any age and ability to safely enjoy a summer’s day. The two lagoons are also monitored by lifeguards and feature full pool amenities like bathhouses and vending machines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both spots open first on weekends only in the spring and then every day during peak summer months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>Although barbecues and picnic tables are aplenty for you to settle in for a full day in the sun, no alcohol is allowed at either spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> Both spots charge $5 for adults and $3 for youth and seniors, but kids under 2 swim for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13976485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/Steelhead-Beach-Regional-Park.-Photo-courtesy-of-Sonoma-County-Regional-Parks-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A boy dons a life jacket and prepares for a swim at Steelhead Beach Regional Park on the Russian River. \u003ccite>(Sonoma County Regional Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Russian River, Sonoma County\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many Bay Area residents looking to cool off head to the Russian River, where water – and access to the shore – is plentiful. Try the protected \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/healdsburg-veterans-memorial-beach\">Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/cloverdale-river-park\">Cloverdale River Park\u003c/a> for superior wildlife viewing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mrrpd.org/monte-rio-beach/\">Monte Rio Beach\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is a favorite for family beach days, with boat rentals and volleyball courts onsite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Russian River is usually pristine and calm, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988947/heading-to-a-river-this-summer-heres-how-to-stay-safe\">swimming in any river isn’t entirely without risk\u003c/a>. That’s why Greg Desmond, aquatics and recreation supervisor for Sonoma County Regional Parks, particularly recommends Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, where a dam creates an area deep enough to swim but lifeguards are also on duty. And from Memorial Day to Labor Day, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/play/swimming/russian-river-patrol\">the county deploys a river patrol\u003c/a> to help people floating the river or enjoying the beach with life jackets and safety tips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want people to be afraid of the water, but just take the necessary precautions,” Desmond said. “If you’re not a strong swimmer, try to stay out of the deep end.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pro tip: \u003c/b>At Healdsburg and nearby beaches \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/del-rio-woods\">Del Rio Woods\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/steelhead-beach-regional-park\">Steelhead Beach\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/forestville-river-access\">Forestville River Access\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/visit/find-a-park/sunset-beach-river-park\">Sunset Beach\u003c/a>, the county parks department provides free life vests for visitors to borrow all day. “It’s sort of like a library for life jackets,” Desmond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Parking at Sonoma County Regional Parks is $10 in the summer and $7 the rest of the year. Monte Rio Beach has no entry fee.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch1>\u003ca id=\"waterparks-in-bay-area\">\u003c/a>… and don’t forget Bay Area waterparks\u003c/h1>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13976486\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13976486\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-2048x1364.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/GettyImages-1298780652-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kids of all ages seek relief from the sweltering heat at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor waterpark in Concord, Calif. on Saturday, July 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you’re comfortable with a somewhat more noisy and crowded – and costly – outdoor aquatic experience, the Bay Area offers several popular waterparks:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Concord\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The biggest water park in the Bay Area, with a lazy river for those seeking a more relaxed experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Online tickets cost $34 per person, which rises to $70 at the gate. Kids under 3 enter for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Aqua Adventure Water Park, Fremont\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Best for young kids, this spot tends to be less busy and a more relaxed environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>$27 for adults ($25 for Fremont residents), $22 for kids. Discounts for seniors, military, large groups and kids under 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Antioch Water Park, Antioch\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ideal for families, this Contra Costa water park offers lots of space for spreading out and picnicking all day long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $17 on weekends, $15 on weekdays, with discounts for seniors, military and large groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>South Bay Shores at California’s Great America, Santa Clara\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pro: A full range of water slide heights and speeds. Con: Lines can get long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost: \u003c/b>Tickets, which include admission to the full amusement park, are $42 online but $70 at the gate, with military and first responder discounts.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Golfland Sunsplash, Roseville\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Further afield northeast of Sacramento, Golfland Sunsplash has intense slides, a killer wave pool and night slide admission after 5 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Cost:\u003c/b> $63 on weekends for adults and $53 for kids, plus discounts on weekdays and for toddlers.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13976437/best-swimming-spots-public-pools-rivers-lakes-beaches-holes-bay-area",
"authors": [
"11956"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_235",
"arts_13238"
],
"tags": [
"arts_14987",
"arts_16944",
"arts_22483",
"arts_22642",
"arts_1270",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1143",
"arts_1146",
"arts_3595",
"arts_3217",
"arts_22488",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13976487",
"label": "source_arts_13976437"
},
"arts_13989211": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13989211",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13989211",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1779199240000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "best-summer-movies-film-festivals-sf-berkeley-2026",
"title": "11 of the Best Movies and Film Festivals to See This Summer",
"publishDate": 1779199240,
"format": "aside",
"headTitle": "11 of the Best Movies and Film Festivals to See This Summer | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026\">2026 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After 10 years of unbridled lunacy on a national scale, I am reminded of a pleasurable childhood lesson: Movies are a fantastic means of escape. I confess I have sniffed, scoffed and sneered at mainstream flicks — an occupational hazard — for a good long while, but now I comprehend the need to tune out the news for (at least) a couple hours. I suspect you have reached that point as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So you have my blessing to submerge yourself in any of the blithering, blubbering, eardrum-blasting flicks that Hollywood has lined up for our summer entertainment. Nerve-plucking horror, adolescent superhero shtick, impossible action-adventure, implausible romantic fantasy — live it up, friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, if you’re looking for a deep dive into the shlock de la saison, you walked into the wrong bistro, er, soapbox. Although I’ve included a few tentpoles below, if you own a television the studios will make sure you see the menu. So here are suggestions for lower-profile, higher-order escapism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989704\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000.jpg\" alt=\"women in costumes with signs\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1361\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000-1536x1045.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Nickelettes in June 1974. \u003ccite>(Betsy Newman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/welcome\">DocFest\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>May 28–June 7, 2026\u003cbr>\nRoxie Theater, San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonfiction is the pathway to vicariously living other lives — some more precarious – for a little while. The expansive 25th edition of DocFest hosts the world premieres of a pair of prison-themed films by Oakland filmmakers, \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69c2b1f04f4f536bedc7cc8e\">\u003cem>The Surrender of Waymond Hall\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69c2b2ce7d35348a5d1e4455\">\u003cem>The End of Isolation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Hitting a lighter musical note, the festival opens with the NOFX doc \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69c801087edb042bb5e3975a\">\u003cem>40 Years of Fuckin’ Up\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and debuts \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69e22e22e5214d1cb3267a32\">\u003cem>Anarchy in High Heels: The Story of Les Nickelettes\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. DocFest revisits its roots, and the immortal \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/films/69ace874858aeadeab6936b4\">Atomic Ed\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/films/69ad97cc66714431517e6eaf\">Cynthia Plaster Caster\u003c/a>, with a trio of films from the festival’s inaugural 2001 year (with tickets at 2001 prices!).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000.jpg\" alt=\"two men face each other over typewriter\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Scott as Captain James Stagg and Chris Messina as Irving P. Krick in director Anthony Maras’ ‘Pressure.’ \u003ccite>(Alex Bailey/Focus Features/STUDIOCANAL)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Pressure’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens May 29, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Maras’s behind-the-scenes World War II drama is of particular interest to history buffs and tech workers. Meteorologists Scottish (a splendid Andrew Scott) and American (Chris Messina, as the erstwhile villain of the piece) square off in a high-stakes, digital v. analog debate over the optimal date for D-Day. Brendan Fraser and Kerry Condon (as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and his personal secretary Kay Summersby) round out the cast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13919010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130.jpg\" alt=\"A teenage girl, green light glowing across her eyes, looks at something off in the distance with great horror.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13919010\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Winona Ryder in Tim Burton’s 1988 film ‘Beetlejuice,’ playing Oct 16. at Crane Cove Park.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/sundown-cinema/\">Sundown Cinema\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>June 12–Oct. 16, 2026\u003cbr>\nVarious San Francisco locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following last year’s truncated schedule, the free outdoor screening series returns with a full slate. The lineup won’t get your pulse racing — it’s geared toward families rather than the date crowd — which is what it takes sometimes to spend a summer evening in the elements hereabouts. The late Rob Reiner’s \u003cem>The Princess Bride\u003c/em> is the curtain-raiser, with Pixar’s \u003cem>Inside Out\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Parent Trap\u003c/em>, \u003cem>School of Rock\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Beetlejuice\u003c/em> in the wings. Bundle up, kiddos!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000.jpg\" alt=\"woman screams as axe head comes through door\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shelley Duvall in a scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film ‘The Shining,’ playing July 26 and 31 at BAMPFA. \u003ccite>(BAMPFA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/complete-stanley-kubrick\">A Complete Stanley Kubrick\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>June 12–Aug. 30, 2026\u003cbr>\nBerkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coincidentally, Steven Spielberg’s latest hunk of speculative pulp fiction, \u003cem>Disclosure Day\u003c/em>, opens the same day this monumental retrospective begins. The directors are inextricably linked by \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/ai-artificial-intelligence\">A.I. Artificial Intelligence\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Aug. 20) which Kubrick developed and Spielberg directed in 2001. Resist the tempting timeliness of that title and catch up instead with the former photojournalist’s black-and-white masterpieces \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/killing\">The Killing\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/paths-glory\">Paths of Glory\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-bomb\">Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. Actually, see everything on the big screen that the brilliant perfectionist made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989714\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000.jpg\" alt=\"blonde person in heavy makeup peers through jungle foliage\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989714\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">D’Arcy Drollinger in ‘Lady Champagne,’ playing June 17 as Frameline’s opening night film. \u003ccite>(Frameline)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/festival\">Frameline50\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>June 17–27, 2026\u003cbr>\nVarious locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Queer summer launches in theaters with the campy disaster comedy \u003cem>Stop! That! Train!\u003c/em> (opening June 12) and Hayley Kiyoko’s coming-of-age saga \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline50/girls-like-girls\">Girls Like Girls\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (June 19). Then the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival rolls out the gold carpet with a massive celebration of the present and past of gay and lesbian cinema. Local multihyphenate D’Arcy Drollinger kick-starts the festivities with the hoot-and-holler drag comedy \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline50/lady-champagne\">Lady Champagne\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, while documentary ace Jennifer M. Kroot launches Pride weekend with \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline50/hunky-jesus\">Hunky Jesus\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a profile of San Francisco’s altogether wonderful Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. (If you’ve somehow never seen the landmark doc \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/times-harvey-milk\">The Times of Harvey Milk\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, BAMPFA shows it July 10.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989713\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000.jpg\" alt=\"toy cowboy and toy astronaut crawl on flood of child's bedroom looking anxious\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1074\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989713\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000-768x412.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000-1536x825.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 5.’ \u003ccite>(Pixar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Toy Story 5’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens June 19, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emeryville’s Disney House has already scored one hit this year with \u003cem>Hoppers\u003c/em>. This Buzz and Woody and Bonnie and Jessie sequel to the sequel to the sequel, etc., arriving seven years to the weekend after the last installment, will rake in even more moolah. First, because it’s good, and second because it really might mark the end of the beloved animated franchise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989865\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Black man frozen in terror with tears in eyes\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daniel Kaluuya in a scene from Jordan Peele’s 2017 film ‘Get Out,’ playing July 9 at the Roxie. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Fraenkel Gallery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/series/fraenkel-film-festival-2026/\">Fraenkel Film Festival 2026\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>July 8–18, 2026\u003cbr>\nRoxie Theater, San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curated by visual artists represented by San Francisco’s Fraenkel Gallery, this now-annual program is refreshingly unpredictable and eclectic. Brian De Palma’s timeless shocker \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/carrie/\">Carrie\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, chosen by Christian Marclay, kicks off the series with a scream while Jim Jarmusch’s haunted \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/mystery-train-35mm/\">Mystery Train\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Alec Soth’s pick) wraps things up with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Sandwiched in between you’ll find savory treats like Ingmar Bergman’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/persona/\">Persona\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (selected by Robert Adams), Claude Chabrol’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/la-ceremonie/\">La Cérémonie\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Katy Grannan) and Alfred Hitchcock’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/north-by-northwest-35mm/\">North by Northwest\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Lee Friedlander).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie.jpg\" alt=\"close-up of man with tipped back hat and plaid shirt\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Still from ‘Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls: Another Side of Woody Guthrie,’ directed by Steven Pressman. \u003ccite>(SFJFF)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://jfi.org/2026-film-festival\">San Francisco Jewish Film Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>July 16–Aug. 2, 2026\u003cbr>\nVarious locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the gutsiest film festivals in this time zone — by mission, by choice and by the circumstances of current events — SFJFF cultivates a space for discussion, debate and, yes, co-existence. It’s trickier to predict the program this year with Israeli filmmakers dealing with unprecedented levels of government opposition, but we can still expect a couple gut-punching documentaries along with French rom-coms and American explorations of identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/f_bKjZeJBBI?si=3PD3G_YorquA3mnl\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The Odyssey’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens July 17, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christopher Nolan (\u003cem>Oppenheimer\u003c/em>), the self-anointed Philosopher King of Blockbuster Cinema, spent a quarter of a billion dollars of Universal’s money to adapt Homer’s epic. Bland-as-beans Matt Damon plays the Greek king Odysseus with an American accent and a natural beard. Anne Hathaway portrays Queen Penelope with an American accent and (presumably) no musical numbers. I’m rooting for Nolan’s turgid sword-and-sandal saga to resolve the historical mystery of how and where beach volleyball was invented, but I fear my hopes shall be dashed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989706\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-768x415.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-1536x830.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman in a scene from Gregg Araki’s ‘I Want Your Sex.’ \u003ccite>(Magnolia Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘I Want Your Sex’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens July 31, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its come-hither title notwithstanding, Gregg Araki’s return to the big screen isn’t destined to be a multiplex phenomenon. Or maybe I’m completely off base, for LA’s gutter-glorious punk provocateur of the ’90s describes his new film as “a sex-positive love letter for Gen Z.” Cooper Hoffman plays a newbie hired by artist Olivia Wilde to be her quote-unquote sexual muse. Our hero embarks on an odyssey that presumably encompasses the siren call of lust, the rocky shoals of love, the green-eyed beast of jealousy and other mythic creatures. Daveed Diggs, Margaret Cho and Charli xcx join the tongue-in-cheek fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989709\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000.jpg\" alt=\"close group of Black men pose together\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1287\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989709\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marlon Riggs, ‘Tongues Untied,’ 1989, playing Aug. 29 at BAMPFA. \u003ccite>(BAMPFA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/made-berkeley-house-zaentz-built\">Made in Berkeley: The House That Zaentz Built\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Aug. 1–30, 2026\u003cbr>\nBerkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the 1980s, Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty wrote a song called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMlRzw1saw\">Zanz Kant Danz\u003c/a>” inspired by his furious legal battles with Fantasy Records owner Saul Zaentz. You may remember Zaentz as the Oscar-winning producer of \u003cem>Amadeus\u003c/em> and \u003cem>One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest\u003c/em>. The countless local documentary filmmakers with offices in the Fantasy Building saw Zaentz as a generally beneficent figure. This succinct series, co-presented with the Berkeley Film Foundation and featuring Marlon Riggs’ \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/tongues-untied\">Tongues Untied\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Steven Okazaki’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/white-light-black-rain\">White Light/Black Rain\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and Vivian Kleiman’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/no-straight-lines\">No Straight Lines\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, honors the legacies of an erstwhile patron and singular artists.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "From Bay Area festivals to retrospectives to big-budget blockbusters, here are the not-to-miss movies. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1779227740,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 28,
"wordCount": 1577
},
"headData": {
"title": "Bay Area Summer Movie Guide: Films and Fests Not to Miss | KQED",
"description": "From Bay Area festivals to retrospectives to big-budget blockbusters, here are the not-to-miss movies. ",
"ogTitle": "11 of the Best Movies and Film Festivals to See This Summer",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "11 of the Best Movies and Film Festivals to See This Summer",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "Bay Area Summer Movie Guide: Films and Fests Not to Miss %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "11 of the Best Movies and Film Festivals to See This Summer",
"datePublished": "2026-05-19T07:00:40-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-05-19T14:55:40-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 74,
"slug": "movies",
"name": "Movies"
},
"source": "Summer Guide 2026",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13989211",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13989211/best-summer-movies-film-festivals-sf-berkeley-2026",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026\">2026 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After 10 years of unbridled lunacy on a national scale, I am reminded of a pleasurable childhood lesson: Movies are a fantastic means of escape. I confess I have sniffed, scoffed and sneered at mainstream flicks — an occupational hazard — for a good long while, but now I comprehend the need to tune out the news for (at least) a couple hours. I suspect you have reached that point as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So you have my blessing to submerge yourself in any of the blithering, blubbering, eardrum-blasting flicks that Hollywood has lined up for our summer entertainment. Nerve-plucking horror, adolescent superhero shtick, impossible action-adventure, implausible romantic fantasy — live it up, friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, if you’re looking for a deep dive into the shlock de la saison, you walked into the wrong bistro, er, soapbox. Although I’ve included a few tentpoles below, if you own a television the studios will make sure you see the menu. So here are suggestions for lower-profile, higher-order escapism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989704\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000.jpg\" alt=\"women in costumes with signs\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1361\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Anarchy-in-High-Heels_2000-1536x1045.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Nickelettes in June 1974. \u003ccite>(Betsy Newman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/welcome\">DocFest\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>May 28–June 7, 2026\u003cbr>\nRoxie Theater, San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonfiction is the pathway to vicariously living other lives — some more precarious – for a little while. The expansive 25th edition of DocFest hosts the world premieres of a pair of prison-themed films by Oakland filmmakers, \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69c2b1f04f4f536bedc7cc8e\">\u003cem>The Surrender of Waymond Hall\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69c2b2ce7d35348a5d1e4455\">\u003cem>The End of Isolation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. Hitting a lighter musical note, the festival opens with the NOFX doc \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69c801087edb042bb5e3975a\">\u003cem>40 Years of Fuckin’ Up\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and debuts \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/schedule/69e22e22e5214d1cb3267a32\">\u003cem>Anarchy in High Heels: The Story of Les Nickelettes\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. DocFest revisits its roots, and the immortal \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/films/69ace874858aeadeab6936b4\">Atomic Ed\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://sfdocfest2026.eventive.org/films/69ad97cc66714431517e6eaf\">Cynthia Plaster Caster\u003c/a>, with a trio of films from the festival’s inaugural 2001 year (with tickets at 2001 prices!).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989708\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000.jpg\" alt=\"two men face each other over typewriter\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/P_11544_R_rgb_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Scott as Captain James Stagg and Chris Messina as Irving P. Krick in director Anthony Maras’ ‘Pressure.’ \u003ccite>(Alex Bailey/Focus Features/STUDIOCANAL)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Pressure’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens May 29, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anthony Maras’s behind-the-scenes World War II drama is of particular interest to history buffs and tech workers. Meteorologists Scottish (a splendid Andrew Scott) and American (Chris Messina, as the erstwhile villain of the piece) square off in a high-stakes, digital v. analog debate over the optimal date for D-Day. Brendan Fraser and Kerry Condon (as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and his personal secretary Kay Summersby) round out the cast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13919010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130.jpg\" alt=\"A teenage girl, green light glowing across her eyes, looks at something off in the distance with great horror.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13919010\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/19-130-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Winona Ryder in Tim Burton’s 1988 film ‘Beetlejuice,’ playing Oct 16. at Crane Cove Park.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/sundown-cinema/\">Sundown Cinema\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>June 12–Oct. 16, 2026\u003cbr>\nVarious San Francisco locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following last year’s truncated schedule, the free outdoor screening series returns with a full slate. The lineup won’t get your pulse racing — it’s geared toward families rather than the date crowd — which is what it takes sometimes to spend a summer evening in the elements hereabouts. The late Rob Reiner’s \u003cem>The Princess Bride\u003c/em> is the curtain-raiser, with Pixar’s \u003cem>Inside Out\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Parent Trap\u003c/em>, \u003cem>School of Rock\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Beetlejuice\u003c/em> in the wings. Bundle up, kiddos!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000.jpg\" alt=\"woman screams as axe head comes through door\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000-768x522.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Kubrick_The-Shining_003_2000-1536x1044.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shelley Duvall in a scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film ‘The Shining,’ playing July 26 and 31 at BAMPFA. \u003ccite>(BAMPFA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/complete-stanley-kubrick\">A Complete Stanley Kubrick\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>June 12–Aug. 30, 2026\u003cbr>\nBerkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coincidentally, Steven Spielberg’s latest hunk of speculative pulp fiction, \u003cem>Disclosure Day\u003c/em>, opens the same day this monumental retrospective begins. The directors are inextricably linked by \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/ai-artificial-intelligence\">A.I. Artificial Intelligence\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Aug. 20) which Kubrick developed and Spielberg directed in 2001. Resist the tempting timeliness of that title and catch up instead with the former photojournalist’s black-and-white masterpieces \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/killing\">The Killing\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/paths-glory\">Paths of Glory\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-bomb\">Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. Actually, see everything on the big screen that the brilliant perfectionist made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989714\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000.jpg\" alt=\"blonde person in heavy makeup peers through jungle foliage\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989714\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Lady-Champagne-2_D_Arcy-Drollinger_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">D’Arcy Drollinger in ‘Lady Champagne,’ playing June 17 as Frameline’s opening night film. \u003ccite>(Frameline)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/festival\">Frameline50\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>June 17–27, 2026\u003cbr>\nVarious locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Queer summer launches in theaters with the campy disaster comedy \u003cem>Stop! That! Train!\u003c/em> (opening June 12) and Hayley Kiyoko’s coming-of-age saga \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline50/girls-like-girls\">Girls Like Girls\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (June 19). Then the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival rolls out the gold carpet with a massive celebration of the present and past of gay and lesbian cinema. Local multihyphenate D’Arcy Drollinger kick-starts the festivities with the hoot-and-holler drag comedy \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline50/lady-champagne\">Lady Champagne\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, while documentary ace Jennifer M. Kroot launches Pride weekend with \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline50/hunky-jesus\">Hunky Jesus\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, a profile of San Francisco’s altogether wonderful Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. (If you’ve somehow never seen the landmark doc \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/times-harvey-milk\">The Times of Harvey Milk\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, BAMPFA shows it July 10.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989713\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000.jpg\" alt=\"toy cowboy and toy astronaut crawl on flood of child's bedroom looking anxious\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1074\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989713\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000-768x412.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/TOY-STORY5-2000-1536x825.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Disney and Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 5.’ \u003ccite>(Pixar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘Toy Story 5’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens June 19, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Emeryville’s Disney House has already scored one hit this year with \u003cem>Hoppers\u003c/em>. This Buzz and Woody and Bonnie and Jessie sequel to the sequel to the sequel, etc., arriving seven years to the weekend after the last installment, will rake in even more moolah. First, because it’s good, and second because it really might mark the end of the beloved animated franchise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989865\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Black man frozen in terror with tears in eyes\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/get-out_2000-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daniel Kaluuya in a scene from Jordan Peele’s 2017 film ‘Get Out,’ playing July 9 at the Roxie. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Fraenkel Gallery)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/series/fraenkel-film-festival-2026/\">Fraenkel Film Festival 2026\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>July 8–18, 2026\u003cbr>\nRoxie Theater, San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curated by visual artists represented by San Francisco’s Fraenkel Gallery, this now-annual program is refreshingly unpredictable and eclectic. Brian De Palma’s timeless shocker \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/carrie/\">Carrie\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, chosen by Christian Marclay, kicks off the series with a scream while Jim Jarmusch’s haunted \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/mystery-train-35mm/\">Mystery Train\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Alec Soth’s pick) wraps things up with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Sandwiched in between you’ll find savory treats like Ingmar Bergman’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/persona/\">Persona\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (selected by Robert Adams), Claude Chabrol’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/la-ceremonie/\">La Cérémonie\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Katy Grannan) and Alfred Hitchcock’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://roxie.com/film/north-by-northwest-35mm/\">North by Northwest\u003c/a>\u003c/em> (Lee Friedlander).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie.jpg\" alt=\"close-up of man with tipped back hat and plaid shirt\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Still_Dust_Bowls_and_Jewish_Souls_Another_Side_of_Woody_Guthrie-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Still from ‘Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls: Another Side of Woody Guthrie,’ directed by Steven Pressman. \u003ccite>(SFJFF)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://jfi.org/2026-film-festival\">San Francisco Jewish Film Festival\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>July 16–Aug. 2, 2026\u003cbr>\nVarious locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the gutsiest film festivals in this time zone — by mission, by choice and by the circumstances of current events — SFJFF cultivates a space for discussion, debate and, yes, co-existence. It’s trickier to predict the program this year with Israeli filmmakers dealing with unprecedented levels of government opposition, but we can still expect a couple gut-punching documentaries along with French rom-coms and American explorations of identity.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/f_bKjZeJBBI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/f_bKjZeJBBI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>‘The Odyssey’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens July 17, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christopher Nolan (\u003cem>Oppenheimer\u003c/em>), the self-anointed Philosopher King of Blockbuster Cinema, spent a quarter of a billion dollars of Universal’s money to adapt Homer’s epic. Bland-as-beans Matt Damon plays the Greek king Odysseus with an American accent and a natural beard. Anne Hathaway portrays Queen Penelope with an American accent and (presumably) no musical numbers. I’m rooting for Nolan’s turgid sword-and-sandal saga to resolve the historical mystery of how and where beach volleyball was invented, but I fear my hopes shall be dashed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989706\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989706\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1081\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-160x86.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-768x415.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/IWYS_2000-1536x830.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman in a scene from Gregg Araki’s ‘I Want Your Sex.’ \u003ccite>(Magnolia Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>‘I Want Your Sex’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Opens July 31, 2026\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Its come-hither title notwithstanding, Gregg Araki’s return to the big screen isn’t destined to be a multiplex phenomenon. Or maybe I’m completely off base, for LA’s gutter-glorious punk provocateur of the ’90s describes his new film as “a sex-positive love letter for Gen Z.” Cooper Hoffman plays a newbie hired by artist Olivia Wilde to be her quote-unquote sexual muse. Our hero embarks on an odyssey that presumably encompasses the siren call of lust, the rocky shoals of love, the green-eyed beast of jealousy and other mythic creatures. Daveed Diggs, Margaret Cho and Charli xcx join the tongue-in-cheek fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989709\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000.jpg\" alt=\"close group of Black men pose together\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1287\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989709\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Riggs_Tongues-Untied_003_2000-1536x988.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marlon Riggs, ‘Tongues Untied,’ 1989, playing Aug. 29 at BAMPFA. \u003ccite>(BAMPFA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/program/made-berkeley-house-zaentz-built\">Made in Berkeley: The House That Zaentz Built\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Aug. 1–30, 2026\u003cbr>\nBerkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the 1980s, Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty wrote a song called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMlRzw1saw\">Zanz Kant Danz\u003c/a>” inspired by his furious legal battles with Fantasy Records owner Saul Zaentz. You may remember Zaentz as the Oscar-winning producer of \u003cem>Amadeus\u003c/em> and \u003cem>One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest\u003c/em>. The countless local documentary filmmakers with offices in the Fantasy Building saw Zaentz as a generally beneficent figure. This succinct series, co-presented with the Berkeley Film Foundation and featuring Marlon Riggs’ \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/tongues-untied\">Tongues Untied\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, Steven Okazaki’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/white-light-black-rain\">White Light/Black Rain\u003c/a>\u003c/em> and Vivian Kleiman’s \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://bampfa.org/event/no-straight-lines\">No Straight Lines\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, honors the legacies of an erstwhile patron and singular artists.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13989211/best-summer-movies-film-festivals-sf-berkeley-2026",
"authors": [
"22"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_74"
],
"tags": [
"arts_2227",
"arts_22642",
"arts_1270",
"arts_3465",
"arts_3163",
"arts_1146",
"arts_5305",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13989706",
"label": "source_arts_13989211"
},
"arts_13989682": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13989682",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13989682",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1779138508000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "artist-housing-advocates-eye-a-once-in-100-year-opportunity",
"title": "Artist Housing Advocates Eye a ‘Once-in-100-Year’ Opportunity",
"publishDate": 1779138508,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Artist Housing Advocates Eye a ‘Once-in-100-Year’ Opportunity | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jaelynn Walls thought it would take years of saving before they could buy their own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">home\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>. But after seeing an Instagram post from \u003ca href=\"https://www.artistspacetrust.org/\">Artist Space Trust\u003c/a>, home ownership went from dream to reality for the 27-year-old fiction writer, curator and visual artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust, a new Bay Area organization that helps artists secure affordable housing, helped Walls secure $168,000 in downpayment assistance from CalHOME, a state program for first-time homebuyers. After a whirlwind three months of compiling financial paperwork and spending their free time at open houses, Walls and their wife got the keys to a cozy East Oakland three-bedroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just having a place to land, and not feeling like I could have the rug pulled out from under me at any moment by the greater powers that be, such as a landlord or a housing company, is very assuring,” Walls said during a video call from their fabric- and plant-filled home studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walls used to live in a cramped Tenderloin studio apartment where most of their income went to rent. Now, a much smaller portion of their paycheck goes to their mortgage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have more space to focus on their next young-adult novel and quilting projects, and can even set aside some savings. Walls’ wife has a music studio where friends collaborate. Out-of-town artists sometimes crash with the couple when they’re in the Bay Area for gigs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is pretty much the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in terms of my creative practice,” Walls said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989670\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jaelynn Walls, fiction writer and artist, holds their book “The Queer Girl is Going to be Okay” at their home in Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area artists have always been resilient, but in recent years, economic upheaval, the worldwide pandemic and federal funding cuts have put a financial strain on artists, and forced some to leave the region altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As housing costs continue to rise, artists, policymakers and nonprofit leaders are testing new models to make sure the people who give the Bay Area its creative identity can afford to stay. Artist Space Trust uses a community land trust model to take homes off the for-profit real estate market and make them permanently affordable for artists. It’s part of a larger movement to create artist housing throughout the Bay Area, including projects underway in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989671\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jaelynn Walls’ handmade quilt at their home in Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Walls sees the Bay Area as their long-term home, and they’re relieved they can remain here. “I’m surrounded by artists who have unstable housing, who are not sure of \u003cem>where\u003c/em> they’re going to create, or \u003cem>how\u003c/em> they’re gonna create their work,” Walls said, “and even beyond that, where they’re going to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meg Shiffler, the director of Artist Space Trust, said her organization is looking generations ahead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you lift up and look down at the Bay Area, 10, 20, 50, 100 years from now, there are gonna be artists permanently embedded all over the Bay Area,” Shiffler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Great Wealth Transfer creates an opening for artist housing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While there isn’t enough recent data available to paint a complete picture of Bay Area artists as a workforce, it’s safe to say they’re struggling to get by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10960748/survey-confirms-market-forces-pushing-artists-out-of-san-francisco\">last large-scale survey of artists in San Francisco\u003c/a>, from 2015, found that 70% had been or were being displaced from their home, workspace or both. A \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02/Berkeley%20Affordable%20Housing%20for%20Artists.pdf\">2021 survey of artists in Berkeley\u003c/a> found that the majority were low-income, and 77% were either “rent burdened” or “severely rent burdened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989668\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989668\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED-1536x1040.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Artist Space Trust team, Qiana Ellis, Programs Manager, and Meg Shiffler, Director, pose for a photo in Berkeley on May 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the past decade, Bay Area artists have faced setback after setback. In 2016, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/ghostshipmemorial\">Ghost Ship fire\u003c/a> at a live-work artist warehouse in Oakland, during which 36 people died, prompted a wave of evictions from makeshift dwellings where artists lived because they couldn’t afford anything else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then came the 2020 pandemic shutdowns, which cut off performance income, and another wave of displacement when state and city governments lifted eviction moratoriums. In more recent years, surging gas, food and rent prices have kept artists and other workers stuck in financial precarity.[aside postID=arts_13989622 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-03-KQED.jpg']Advocates say that securing permanently affordable housing for artists is key to ensuring that the Bay Area can remain a cultural hub. Qiana Ellis, Artist Space Trust’s programs manager, sees a rare opportunity for artists to secure a permanent place in the region. “They’re calling it the Great Wealth Transfer,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next two decades, an estimated $124 trillion will change hands nationally as Baby Boomers and members of the Silent Generation die and pass on their assets, according to the consulting firm Cerulli Associates. “We’re really in this point that may not happen for another 100 years,” Ellis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s mostly members of these generations who are bequeathing their homes to Artist Space Trust. Some of them are artists and most aren’t wealthy themselves; they bought their homes decades ago, when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">houses in the Bay Area went for around $23,000\u003c/a>. Today’s average home price is over $700,000 in Oakland and over $1.3 million in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re looking back on their lives and saying, ‘Wow, I see how difficult it’s gotten for artists,’” Ellis said. “‘I’m in conversation with younger generations, and I know that they cannot make their work in the same way that I could and be able to afford housing anymore.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Assessing artists’ needs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust is the first organization in the nation to use a community land trust model to create permanently affordable housing specifically for artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley nonprofit takes properties off the for-profit real-estate market and sells them well below market rate. Prices are set so that an individual making 60% to 80% of the area median income — roughly $65,000 to $87,000 — would spend no more than 30% of their monthly income on housing expenses. The organization is also working to create other home ownership opportunities, such as tiny homes and condos, for artists making below 60% of the area’s median income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989663\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989663\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sharmi Basu, Vital Arts director, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust has $15 million in properties that have either been donated or will be in the coming years. Some are single-family homes while others are more unconventional, including a property with a house, a warehouse and enough room to build another unit. So far, in partnership with the Northern California Land Trust (NCLT), the organization has helped artists purchase homes by helping them take advantage of the CalHOME downpayment-assistance program. This year, Artist Space Trust will sell the first property from its own portfolio: a duplex in San Francisco’s Mission District that will go to two artist households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nonprofit is currently doing outreach at community events to educate local artists on different pathways to affordable housing; their \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holding-ground-models-for-artist-housing-in-a-time-of-displacement-tickets-1987660345600\">next resource fair\u003c/a> is on May 19. “The idea is that we start to get individuals, families and cooperatives ready for the opportunities that are coming,” Shiffler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust is a partnership of NCLT and Vital Arts, an economic justice organization for artists that formed after the Ghost Ship fire. Vital Arts Director Sharmi Basu lost over a dozen friends in the tragedy; in the aftermath, they poured themself into organizing mutual aid for survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Vital Arts tackles affordability at several different levels. The organization helps artists cover basic living expenses through its \u003ca href=\"https://www.vitalarts.org/adpg\">Artist Displacement Prevention Grant\u003c/a>, which gives out $3,000 in emergency assistance to artists facing eviction, homelessness and sudden rent increases. At its free \u003ca href=\"https://www.vitalarts.org/alc\">Artist Legal Cafe\u003c/a>, next happening on May 19, lawyers advise artists on tenants’ rights and other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Basu, helping artists get permanent housing through Artist Space Trust is a crucial part of the solution. While Artist Space Trust helps artists navigate the complicated financial logistics, Vital Arts will come in when it’s time to select potential homeowners for each housing opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are the features of the property to consider — ceramicists will be prioritized for a home with a pottery studio, for example — but Basu also sees this as an opportunity to address inequality. They want to make sure these housing opportunities don’t just reach people from well-off backgrounds, but go to people from Black and brown communities who have historically been locked out of homeownership because of redlining and other racist policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[We’re] making sure that equity is built from the foundation up in that selection process,” Basu said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A movement for artist housing grows\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The need for artist housing is inspiring efforts across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artists Hub on Market and Mercy Housing of California, two nonprofits, will soon begin construction on an 100% affordable \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957645/100-million-gift-affordable-artist-housing-mcroskey-mattress-san-francisco\">San Francisco apartment building for artists\u003c/a> that will include nearly 100 units, plus workspaces, a community center and a theater. Another nonprofit, Unity Council, has plans to develop the former Ghost Ship site in East Oakland into affordable housing, with 10% of the units set aside for artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989667\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1307\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED-1536x1004.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rashida Chase, board chair of Vital Arts and cultural strategist for the city of Oakland, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Artists Hub on Market is slated for completion in 2028, and the Unity Council building is projected to begin construction that year. But building from the ground up is a lengthy process, so arts advocates are also exploring how to create affordable artist housing in existing properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rashida Chase, board chair of Vital Arts, is a cultural strategist in Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife’s office. Chase lobbied the state to designate downtown Oakland’s Black Arts Movement and Business District as a California Cultural District, which opens up more housing opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to the 2023 state law AB 812, city governments can set aside 10% of locally required affordable housing units for artists within and around state-designated cultural districts, as well as within local cultural districts.[aside postID=arts_13988685 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/jewelry-making-1536x1024.jpg']The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016292/berkeley-wants-to-create-cultural-district-where-artists-afford-to-live\">city of Berkeley is using AB 812\u003c/a> to pursue similar strategies. Artist Space Trust is currently advising multiple housing developers building in cultural districts, with the goal of holding the master lease for the units designated for artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This summer, Chase is spearheading a survey to find out whether there are city-owned properties, foreclosed homes or vacant lots that could be converted into affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chase, who grew up in West Oakland, namechecks born-and-raised Oaklanders Ryan Coogler, Zendaya and Alysa Liu when she talks about the importance of creating policy that makes it easier for artists to stay in Oakland. “Culture is our main export,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can hope [the Bay Area] won’t keep skyrocketing, but prices typically don’t come down,” Chase said. “And so we just wanna make sure that there’s enough housing available for the artists who are still here, but also artists who wanna come back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Experts from Artist Space Trust and other nonprofits are hosting \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holding-ground-models-for-artist-housing-in-a-time-of-displacement-tickets-1987660345600\">\u003cem>Holding Ground\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a panel discussion and resource fair, on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Root Division (1131 Mission St., San Francisco). Also on May 19, Vital Arts has its free \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.theselc.org/legalcafe_20260519\">\u003cem>Artist Legal Cafe\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Bandaloop Studios (1601 18th St., Oakland).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A community land trust for artists wants to make sure the Bay Area can remain a creative hub.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1779138526,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 39,
"wordCount": 2108
},
"headData": {
"title": "Artist Housing Advocates Eye a ‘Once-in-100-Year’ Opportunity | KQED",
"description": "A community land trust for artists wants to make sure the Bay Area can remain a creative hub.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Artist Housing Advocates Eye a ‘Once-in-100-Year’ Opportunity",
"datePublished": "2026-05-18T14:08:28-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-05-18T14:08:46-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/40b8dd1c-ef44-4a72-9dd4-b44e0113fe08/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13989682",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13989682/artist-housing-advocates-eye-a-once-in-100-year-opportunity",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jaelynn Walls thought it would take years of saving before they could buy their own \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">home\u003c/a> in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a>. But after seeing an Instagram post from \u003ca href=\"https://www.artistspacetrust.org/\">Artist Space Trust\u003c/a>, home ownership went from dream to reality for the 27-year-old fiction writer, curator and visual artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust, a new Bay Area organization that helps artists secure affordable housing, helped Walls secure $168,000 in downpayment assistance from CalHOME, a state program for first-time homebuyers. After a whirlwind three months of compiling financial paperwork and spending their free time at open houses, Walls and their wife got the keys to a cozy East Oakland three-bedroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just having a place to land, and not feeling like I could have the rug pulled out from under me at any moment by the greater powers that be, such as a landlord or a housing company, is very assuring,” Walls said during a video call from their fabric- and plant-filled home studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walls used to live in a cramped Tenderloin studio apartment where most of their income went to rent. Now, a much smaller portion of their paycheck goes to their mortgage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have more space to focus on their next young-adult novel and quilting projects, and can even set aside some savings. Walls’ wife has a music studio where friends collaborate. Out-of-town artists sometimes crash with the couple when they’re in the Bay Area for gigs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is pretty much the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in terms of my creative practice,” Walls said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989670\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jaelynn Walls, fiction writer and artist, holds their book “The Queer Girl is Going to be Okay” at their home in Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Bay Area artists have always been resilient, but in recent years, economic upheaval, the worldwide pandemic and federal funding cuts have put a financial strain on artists, and forced some to leave the region altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As housing costs continue to rise, artists, policymakers and nonprofit leaders are testing new models to make sure the people who give the Bay Area its creative identity can afford to stay. Artist Space Trust uses a community land trust model to take homes off the for-profit real estate market and make them permanently affordable for artists. It’s part of a larger movement to create artist housing throughout the Bay Area, including projects underway in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989671\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jaelynn Walls’ handmade quilt at their home in Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Walls sees the Bay Area as their long-term home, and they’re relieved they can remain here. “I’m surrounded by artists who have unstable housing, who are not sure of \u003cem>where\u003c/em> they’re going to create, or \u003cem>how\u003c/em> they’re gonna create their work,” Walls said, “and even beyond that, where they’re going to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meg Shiffler, the director of Artist Space Trust, said her organization is looking generations ahead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you lift up and look down at the Bay Area, 10, 20, 50, 100 years from now, there are gonna be artists permanently embedded all over the Bay Area,” Shiffler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Great Wealth Transfer creates an opening for artist housing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While there isn’t enough recent data available to paint a complete picture of Bay Area artists as a workforce, it’s safe to say they’re struggling to get by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10960748/survey-confirms-market-forces-pushing-artists-out-of-san-francisco\">last large-scale survey of artists in San Francisco\u003c/a>, from 2015, found that 70% had been or were being displaced from their home, workspace or both. A \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02/Berkeley%20Affordable%20Housing%20for%20Artists.pdf\">2021 survey of artists in Berkeley\u003c/a> found that the majority were low-income, and 77% were either “rent burdened” or “severely rent burdened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989668\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989668\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED-768x520.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-19-KQED-1536x1040.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Artist Space Trust team, Qiana Ellis, Programs Manager, and Meg Shiffler, Director, pose for a photo in Berkeley on May 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the past decade, Bay Area artists have faced setback after setback. In 2016, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/ghostshipmemorial\">Ghost Ship fire\u003c/a> at a live-work artist warehouse in Oakland, during which 36 people died, prompted a wave of evictions from makeshift dwellings where artists lived because they couldn’t afford anything else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then came the 2020 pandemic shutdowns, which cut off performance income, and another wave of displacement when state and city governments lifted eviction moratoriums. In more recent years, surging gas, food and rent prices have kept artists and other workers stuck in financial precarity.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13989622",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/260512-FREE-PARKING-AT-MUSIC-VENUES-MD-03-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Advocates say that securing permanently affordable housing for artists is key to ensuring that the Bay Area can remain a cultural hub. Qiana Ellis, Artist Space Trust’s programs manager, sees a rare opportunity for artists to secure a permanent place in the region. “They’re calling it the Great Wealth Transfer,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next two decades, an estimated $124 trillion will change hands nationally as Baby Boomers and members of the Silent Generation die and pass on their assets, according to the consulting firm Cerulli Associates. “We’re really in this point that may not happen for another 100 years,” Ellis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s mostly members of these generations who are bequeathing their homes to Artist Space Trust. Some of them are artists and most aren’t wealthy themselves; they bought their homes decades ago, when \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">houses in the Bay Area went for around $23,000\u003c/a>. Today’s average home price is over $700,000 in Oakland and over $1.3 million in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re looking back on their lives and saying, ‘Wow, I see how difficult it’s gotten for artists,’” Ellis said. “‘I’m in conversation with younger generations, and I know that they cannot make their work in the same way that I could and be able to afford housing anymore.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Assessing artists’ needs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust is the first organization in the nation to use a community land trust model to create permanently affordable housing specifically for artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley nonprofit takes properties off the for-profit real-estate market and sells them well below market rate. Prices are set so that an individual making 60% to 80% of the area median income — roughly $65,000 to $87,000 — would spend no more than 30% of their monthly income on housing expenses. The organization is also working to create other home ownership opportunities, such as tiny homes and condos, for artists making below 60% of the area’s median income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989663\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989663\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260511_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-2-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sharmi Basu, Vital Arts director, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust has $15 million in properties that have either been donated or will be in the coming years. Some are single-family homes while others are more unconventional, including a property with a house, a warehouse and enough room to build another unit. So far, in partnership with the Northern California Land Trust (NCLT), the organization has helped artists purchase homes by helping them take advantage of the CalHOME downpayment-assistance program. This year, Artist Space Trust will sell the first property from its own portfolio: a duplex in San Francisco’s Mission District that will go to two artist households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nonprofit is currently doing outreach at community events to educate local artists on different pathways to affordable housing; their \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holding-ground-models-for-artist-housing-in-a-time-of-displacement-tickets-1987660345600\">next resource fair\u003c/a> is on May 19. “The idea is that we start to get individuals, families and cooperatives ready for the opportunities that are coming,” Shiffler said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artist Space Trust is a partnership of NCLT and Vital Arts, an economic justice organization for artists that formed after the Ghost Ship fire. Vital Arts Director Sharmi Basu lost over a dozen friends in the tragedy; in the aftermath, they poured themself into organizing mutual aid for survivors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Vital Arts tackles affordability at several different levels. The organization helps artists cover basic living expenses through its \u003ca href=\"https://www.vitalarts.org/adpg\">Artist Displacement Prevention Grant\u003c/a>, which gives out $3,000 in emergency assistance to artists facing eviction, homelessness and sudden rent increases. At its free \u003ca href=\"https://www.vitalarts.org/alc\">Artist Legal Cafe\u003c/a>, next happening on May 19, lawyers advise artists on tenants’ rights and other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Basu, helping artists get permanent housing through Artist Space Trust is a crucial part of the solution. While Artist Space Trust helps artists navigate the complicated financial logistics, Vital Arts will come in when it’s time to select potential homeowners for each housing opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are the features of the property to consider — ceramicists will be prioritized for a home with a pottery studio, for example — but Basu also sees this as an opportunity to address inequality. They want to make sure these housing opportunities don’t just reach people from well-off backgrounds, but go to people from Black and brown communities who have historically been locked out of homeownership because of redlining and other racist policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[We’re] making sure that equity is built from the foundation up in that selection process,” Basu said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A movement for artist housing grows\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The need for artist housing is inspiring efforts across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artists Hub on Market and Mercy Housing of California, two nonprofits, will soon begin construction on an 100% affordable \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957645/100-million-gift-affordable-artist-housing-mcroskey-mattress-san-francisco\">San Francisco apartment building for artists\u003c/a> that will include nearly 100 units, plus workspaces, a community center and a theater. Another nonprofit, Unity Council, has plans to develop the former Ghost Ship site in East Oakland into affordable housing, with 10% of the units set aside for artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989667\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989667\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1307\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED-768x502.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/20260514_ARTISTHOUSING_GC-18-KQED-1536x1004.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rashida Chase, board chair of Vital Arts and cultural strategist for the city of Oakland, poses for a portrait in downtown Oakland on May 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Artists Hub on Market is slated for completion in 2028, and the Unity Council building is projected to begin construction that year. But building from the ground up is a lengthy process, so arts advocates are also exploring how to create affordable artist housing in existing properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rashida Chase, board chair of Vital Arts, is a cultural strategist in Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife’s office. Chase lobbied the state to designate downtown Oakland’s Black Arts Movement and Business District as a California Cultural District, which opens up more housing opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to the 2023 state law AB 812, city governments can set aside 10% of locally required affordable housing units for artists within and around state-designated cultural districts, as well as within local cultural districts.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13988685",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/jewelry-making-1536x1024.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016292/berkeley-wants-to-create-cultural-district-where-artists-afford-to-live\">city of Berkeley is using AB 812\u003c/a> to pursue similar strategies. Artist Space Trust is currently advising multiple housing developers building in cultural districts, with the goal of holding the master lease for the units designated for artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This summer, Chase is spearheading a survey to find out whether there are city-owned properties, foreclosed homes or vacant lots that could be converted into affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chase, who grew up in West Oakland, namechecks born-and-raised Oaklanders Ryan Coogler, Zendaya and Alysa Liu when she talks about the importance of creating policy that makes it easier for artists to stay in Oakland. “Culture is our main export,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can hope [the Bay Area] won’t keep skyrocketing, but prices typically don’t come down,” Chase said. “And so we just wanna make sure that there’s enough housing available for the artists who are still here, but also artists who wanna come back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Experts from Artist Space Trust and other nonprofits are hosting \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holding-ground-models-for-artist-housing-in-a-time-of-displacement-tickets-1987660345600\">\u003cem>Holding Ground\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a panel discussion and resource fair, on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Root Division (1131 Mission St., San Francisco). Also on May 19, Vital Arts has its free \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.theselc.org/legalcafe_20260519\">\u003cem>Artist Legal Cafe\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Bandaloop Studios (1601 18th St., Oakland).\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13989682/artist-housing-advocates-eye-a-once-in-100-year-opportunity",
"authors": [
"11387"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1"
],
"tags": [
"arts_22185",
"arts_22040",
"arts_1331",
"arts_1270",
"arts_5016",
"arts_10342",
"arts_22608",
"arts_10278",
"arts_10422",
"arts_1627",
"arts_4544",
"arts_1143",
"arts_1146",
"arts_1020"
],
"featImg": "arts_13989665",
"label": "arts"
},
"arts_13957666": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13957666",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13957666",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1778855422000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf",
"title": "12 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Cool You Off This Summer",
"publishDate": 1778855422,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "12 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Cool You Off This Summer | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026\">2026 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We are living in a golden age of boba in the Bay Area. In certain swaths of Berkeley, San Jose and Cupertino, you can find a boba shop on every block, and the sheer variety of drinks — from the cheese foam–topped to the nitro-chilled — has never been more robust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, any true bubble tea connoisseur will tell you that beverage quality varies wildly from boba shop to boba shop — and, if I can say the quiet part out loud, the vast majority of Bay Area spots are mediocre at best. Unless you \u003ci>like\u003c/i> stale tapioca balls and excruciatingly sweet, watered-down tea made from powder mixes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But listen: Friends don’t let friends drink bad boba. And because I care about you, dear reader, I’ve decided to share my running list of the best the Bay Area has to offer. As the parched, sun-soaked days of summer draw near, these are the spots where I’ll be posting up to quench my thirst. \u003cstrong>New additions for 2026: Goolu Tea, Heytea, Dzui Cake & Tea.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957737\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a wooden table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1482\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TP Tea is a good choice for boba drinkers who want to be able to taste the tea. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>TP Tea\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2383 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where I’ll remind you that the boba balls themselves are merely a \u003ci>topping\u003c/i>, and an optional one at that. A boba shop serving tea that doesn’t taste good on its own would never survive in Taiwan (or any serious tea-drinking country). And so the highest praise I can give to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tptea.california/\">TP Tea\u003c/a> is that it’s the kind of boba shop where you can order the most basic-sounding tea (say, the “Signature Black Tea”) with minimal (30%) sugar added and no toppings whatsoever — and the drink will taste good as hell. The tea drinks here actually taste like tea, including the elegantly smooth Tie Guan Yin milk tea, a contender for my favorite milk tea in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for good reason, then, that TP’s UC Berkeley location is by far the busiest boba shop on a couple-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue packed with six or seven others. (Also, “Taiwan Professional Tea” is the best name for a boba chain, hands down.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Asha Tea House\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2086 University Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/two-local-teashops-that-could-make-you-care-about-tea-1/\">As the story goes\u003c/a>, this Berkeley institution opened as a vehicle for evangelizing the pleasures of fine Asian teas, and offered a simple boba menu as just one part of that mission. But the boba drinks were so wildly popular, they quickly overshadowed all of the shop’s higher-end offerings. More than probably any other Bay Area boba shop, the focus at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ashateahouse/?hl=en\">Asha\u003c/a> rests squarely on the quality of the tea itself rather than on any bells and whistles. All of my favorites have been on the menu from day one: the potent, condensed milk–sweetened Hong Kong milk tea, which is delicious hot or cold, with or without boba. Or any of the seasonal fruit teas, which rely on no artificial flavorings. Instead, they’re just pure tea, supplemented with one of Asha’s pulpy housemade fruit purees. When available, the strawberry black tea and the Asian pear oolong are especially elite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957738\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg\" alt=\"A mango smoothie topped with whipped cream.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi sells standard boba drinks, but its boba-adjacent Thai beverages — like the “Mango Sunset” — are where the Piedmont Avenue shop really shines. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dek Doi Cafe\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a testament to the beverage’s mainstream universal appeal these days that this little Thai cafe has a whole section of its menu dedicated to boba, which doesn’t have any traditional roots in Thailand. That said, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dekdoicafe/\">Dek Doi’s\u003c/a> boba drink selection is fairly basic, so you’d be better off choosing one of its boba-adjacent Thai drinks — like the “Mango Sunset,” which is just an S-tier exemplar of the kind of slushie mango smoothie that many shops sell. This version comes topped with whipped cream and crispy mung beans. Or try Thailand’s famous “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">pink milk\u003c/a>,” or nom chompuu, which is made with red palm fruit syrup and resembles, and vaguely tastes similar to, a retro diner–style strawberry milk with tropical undertones. Note that the drinks here run sweet, but, like at any respectable boba shop, the sweetness level is customizable: For me, 50% was just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957746\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg\" alt=\"A creamy boba drink sits on a table in front of a pillow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crème brûlée milk tea is one of Urban Ritual’s many excellent toppings-forward drinks. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Urban Ritual\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>488 Fell St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when I got done saying boba isn’t all about all the toppings, here comes a boba shop that is, to a large extent, \u003ci>all about the toppings\u003c/i>. And yet I love it, unreservedly. Actually, the tea at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanritualcafe/?hl=en\">Urban Ritual\u003c/a> tastes quite good, and the texture of the boba itself is unimpeachable. But what sets the shop apart is its next-generation approach to creative flavor and topping combinations. The most obvious example is its signature crème brûlée milk tea, which combines black tea, cream, tapioca balls and crème brûlée — both the eggy pudding and the crunchy-smoky torched sugar bits. This is Urban Ritual’s greatest innovation: the way it introduces textures other than the classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897410/taiwanese-food-texture-q-boba-love-boat\">QQ\u003c/a>” chew of the boba.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you want to tell me that some of these drinks are more of a dessert than a beverage? You would be correct — but who is going to complain as long as they know that going in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989533\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989533\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks placed on the edge of a planter box filled with colorful flowers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teaspoon’s Corte Madera location might be the best boba option in the North Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Teaspoon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>132 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13915004,arts_13976236']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Marin County has long been a bit of a boba wasteland, as the big, trendy brands from Taiwan haven’t, to this point, seen the region’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11307601/why-is-marin-county-so-white\">small Asian population\u003c/a> as a worthwhile market. It was a happy day, then, when Teaspoon, one of the more well-regarded local (and now \u003ca href=\"https://order.teaspoonlife.com/\">national\u003c/a>) chains, opened a branch in a Corte Madera shopping plaza. The creamy, caramelly Black Sugar Assam is a well-executed take on the black sugar boba trend. And the “Grasshopper,” which combines lychee green tea and fresh cucumber juice, is fun and refreshing — a nod, perhaps, toward the kind of pepino agua fresca you might find at a local taqueria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A note of caution: Teaspoon’s drinks were always a bit on the sweet side, but lately the chain has doubled down on the sugar, literally — what used to be the maximum (“regular”) sweetness level is now listed as 50% sweet, which means customers who don’t want a sugar bomb should probably opt for 10%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989514\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989514\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg\" alt='Hand holding a boba drink with a Christmas tree in the background. The text on the cup reads, \"Goolutea Zesty Lime Smash\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Goolu Tea, in Castro Valley, specializes in lime smash boba drinks, in which whole limes get smashed and muddled by hand. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Goolu Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3646 Village Dr., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A relative newcomer to the Bay Area scene, this independent boba shop specializes in hand-smashed lime teas, a style of drink that’s wildly popular in China and Hong Kong, where it’s often made with green lemons. The name of the drink is self-explanatory: Once you place your order, you’ll hear sound of those fresh limes getting pummeled — quite literally beaten to a pulp — by the staff, releasing not just the sour juices but also the slightly bitter fragrance of the rind. The end result is one of the most refreshing drinks you can find on a hot day. I’m especially fond of the light, slightly astringent Phoenix lime tea, made with a coveted oolong varietal from Guangdong, China.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>34133 Fremont Blvd., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some ways this may feel like a basic pick: This Taiwanese chain has had a foothold in Northern California for years now, with more than a dozen locations, and it’s been a minute since the brand was super-relevant on the Taipei scene. But what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yifang.cal/?hl=en\">Yifang\u003c/a> still does better than any other Bay Area chain is its fruit-flavored teas — whether it’s pineapple teas (made with housemade pineapple jam), old-school Taiwanese tastes like winter melon tea or lemon aiyu or, best of all, the shop’s signature Yifang Fruit Tea, which comes loaded fresh apple, orange and passion fruit, like a beverage and fruit salad all in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is another spot where you’ll want to be careful about the sweetness levels, which vary widely from drink to drink. I’ve ordered the Yifang Fruit Tea at 0% sweetness and still found it to be plenty sweet enough!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957754\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957754\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a man holding two boba drinks using boba totes made of twine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicha San Chen’s hallmark is that it brews the tea for each individual boba drink to order. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Chicha San Chen\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20688 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13904913,arts_13989331']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>This one is for the diehards — or at least for tea lovers who have about an hour to kill. The current title holder in the contest for buzziest Bay Area boba shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chichasanchen.norcal/?hl=en\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> touts its award-winning tea drinks, which are individually brewed to order using the company’s patented, very Third-Wave-esque “teaspresso” machines. Is it all a little bit precious? Sure. But it does make for tasty tea. Word to the wise: If you’re going to go through all the trouble of waiting in line for half an hour (and then \u003ci>another\u003c/i> half hour for them to make your drink), then you’d better be a person who appreciates the flavor of tea for tea’s sake — and you’d be well-advised to order one of the simpler drinks, so the taste of that tea actually shines through. I love the floral, slightly tannic, minimally sweetened honey osmanthus oolong in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonus points for packaging that’s cute \u003ci>and\u003c/i> convenient: Every cup comes with a disposable \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C13nPlqLXle/?hl=en\">boba tote\u003c/a> made of twine. And as the chain has slowly ramped up its \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/locations\">Bay Area footprint\u003c/a>, the crowds are starting get more manageable too. (During recent visits to the Berkeley location, I’ve snagged my drinks in less than 20 minutes.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg\" alt=\"A soy pudding drink with many colorful toppings.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #8 combination at Soyful desserts is a hybrid of boba, soy pudding and chè. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Soyful Desserts\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>999 Story Rd., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the joys of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">San José’s vibrant, colorful drinks scene\u003c/a> is the way that Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences have fused together to create their own unique, hybridized thing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soyfuldesserts/\">Soyful Desserts\u003c/a> is probably the peak example of that synthesis, with its concise menu of Hong Kong-style milk teas, soy pudding drinks and shaved ice–laden Vietnamese chè. As the shop’s name indicates, the star here is the soy pudding (aka tofu pudding), a silky, refreshing treat equally beloved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. To experience this fusion in all its glory, try the #8 soy pudding combination, which comes filled to the brim with ginger syrup–soaked tofu pudding, shaved ice, basil seeds, pandan jelly, grass jelly, sweet red beans and probably a handful of other toppings I’m forgetting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m well aware that this is a “drink” that’s more solid than liquid — that it, in fact, constitutes a full meal in itself. But that doesn’t make it any less fun or delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13976427\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg\" alt='Coconut pudding topped with diced mango, served in a jar. The insignia on the jar reads, \"Tong Sui.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Tong Sui\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>927 E. Arques Ave. #151, Sunnyvale\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in the realm of good boba at businesses that aren’t strictly boba shops, this popular dessert mini-chain stands out for its selection of seasonally rotating drinks that skew more toward tropical fruit than pure tea. The osmanthus oolong milk tea, topped with tea jelly and an airy coconut cream “cloud,” embodies the shop’s approach: The drinks are refreshing, texturally interesting, sweet but not \u003cem>too \u003c/em>sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the real reason to make a special trip to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tongsui.us/?hl=en\">Tong Sui\u003c/a> is the shop’s line of coconut puddings that are so tender and jiggly, they practically melt in your mouth. I especially love the one topped with a double layer of mango (both finely chopped and in soft mochi form).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989531\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989531\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg\" alt='Facade of a busy boba shop, with a line of people waiting outside the entrance. The sign above reads, \"HEYTEA.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San José location of Heytea, one of the buzziest boba chains to come out of China in recent years. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Heytea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1628 Hostetter Rd. Ste. H, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the trendiest boba chains to come out of China, Heytea has made rapid inroads in the Bay Area, with locations opening in San Francisco, Berkeley, Milpitas, Daly City and beyond, all in the past two years. During peak hours, I found the San José shop to be more than a little chaotic, with long and unpredictable wait times for drinks — quite tasty drinks, it turns out. The matcha and brown sugar drinks are big sellers, but Heytea’s real strength is its super-refreshing fruit teas. I’m a sucker for all of the grape flavors, including the enticingly named “Crisp Grape Boom,” which is essentially a slushie with chunks of peeled fresh grape mixed in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989519\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of milk tea in front of Dzui Cake & Tea. The text on the cup reads, "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy durian."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy durian” — especially at Dzui Cake & Tea in San José. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dzui Cake & Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2451 Alvin Ave., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With its vast selection of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian desserts\u003c/a> and hard-to-find Vietnamese pastries, Dzui’s is a lot more than just a boba shop. But the drinks are worth a trip in their own right. Of particular note is the “á đù…rian” milk tea, which is almost certainly the best durian milk tea you’ll find in the Bay. The salt-cream-topped drink is rich, creamy and apologetically funky, with a true durian flavor that gets stronger and more delicious the longer you drink it. Also excellent: the chè-like hambalang milk tea, which comes loaded with boba, flan, and an assortment of colorful jellies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Because friends don’t let friends drink bad boba.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1778955913,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 38,
"wordCount": 2459
},
"headData": {
"title": "The Best Boba Shops in the Bay Area | KQED",
"description": "Because friends don’t let friends drink bad boba.",
"ogTitle": "12 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Cool You Off This Summer",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "12 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Cool You Off This Summer",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "The Best Boba Shops in the Bay Area%%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "12 Refreshing Bay Area Boba Shops to Cool You Off This Summer",
"datePublished": "2026-05-15T07:30:22-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-05-16T11:25:13-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 12276,
"slug": "food",
"name": "Food"
},
"source": "Summer Guide 2026",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13957666",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Be sure to check out our full \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026\">2026 Summer Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more\u003c/a> in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We are living in a golden age of boba in the Bay Area. In certain swaths of Berkeley, San Jose and Cupertino, you can find a boba shop on every block, and the sheer variety of drinks — from the cheese foam–topped to the nitro-chilled — has never been more robust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, any true bubble tea connoisseur will tell you that beverage quality varies wildly from boba shop to boba shop — and, if I can say the quiet part out loud, the vast majority of Bay Area spots are mediocre at best. Unless you \u003ci>like\u003c/i> stale tapioca balls and excruciatingly sweet, watered-down tea made from powder mixes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But listen: Friends don’t let friends drink bad boba. And because I care about you, dear reader, I’ve decided to share my running list of the best the Bay Area has to offer. As the parched, sun-soaked days of summer draw near, these are the spots where I’ll be posting up to quench my thirst. \u003cstrong>New additions for 2026: Goolu Tea, Heytea, Dzui Cake & Tea.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957737\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a wooden table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1482\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-800x618.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tp-tea-1536x1186.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">TP Tea is a good choice for boba drinkers who want to be able to taste the tea. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>TP Tea\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2383 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where I’ll remind you that the boba balls themselves are merely a \u003ci>topping\u003c/i>, and an optional one at that. A boba shop serving tea that doesn’t taste good on its own would never survive in Taiwan (or any serious tea-drinking country). And so the highest praise I can give to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tptea.california/\">TP Tea\u003c/a> is that it’s the kind of boba shop where you can order the most basic-sounding tea (say, the “Signature Black Tea”) with minimal (30%) sugar added and no toppings whatsoever — and the drink will taste good as hell. The tea drinks here actually taste like tea, including the elegantly smooth Tie Guan Yin milk tea, a contender for my favorite milk tea in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for good reason, then, that TP’s UC Berkeley location is by far the busiest boba shop on a couple-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue packed with six or seven others. (Also, “Taiwan Professional Tea” is the best name for a boba chain, hands down.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Asha Tea House\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2086 University Ave., Berkeley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/two-local-teashops-that-could-make-you-care-about-tea-1/\">As the story goes\u003c/a>, this Berkeley institution opened as a vehicle for evangelizing the pleasures of fine Asian teas, and offered a simple boba menu as just one part of that mission. But the boba drinks were so wildly popular, they quickly overshadowed all of the shop’s higher-end offerings. More than probably any other Bay Area boba shop, the focus at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ashateahouse/?hl=en\">Asha\u003c/a> rests squarely on the quality of the tea itself rather than on any bells and whistles. All of my favorites have been on the menu from day one: the potent, condensed milk–sweetened Hong Kong milk tea, which is delicious hot or cold, with or without boba. Or any of the seasonal fruit teas, which rely on no artificial flavorings. Instead, they’re just pure tea, supplemented with one of Asha’s pulpy housemade fruit purees. When available, the strawberry black tea and the Asian pear oolong are especially elite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957738\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg\" alt=\"A mango smoothie topped with whipped cream.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/dek-doi-mango-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi sells standard boba drinks, but its boba-adjacent Thai beverages — like the “Mango Sunset” — are where the Piedmont Avenue shop really shines. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Dek Doi Cafe\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4125 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a testament to the beverage’s mainstream universal appeal these days that this little Thai cafe has a whole section of its menu dedicated to boba, which doesn’t have any traditional roots in Thailand. That said, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dekdoicafe/\">Dek Doi’s\u003c/a> boba drink selection is fairly basic, so you’d be better off choosing one of its boba-adjacent Thai drinks — like the “Mango Sunset,” which is just an S-tier exemplar of the kind of slushie mango smoothie that many shops sell. This version comes topped with whipped cream and crispy mung beans. Or try Thailand’s famous “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">pink milk\u003c/a>,” or nom chompuu, which is made with red palm fruit syrup and resembles, and vaguely tastes similar to, a retro diner–style strawberry milk with tropical undertones. Note that the drinks here run sweet, but, like at any respectable boba shop, the sweetness level is customizable: For me, 50% was just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957746\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957746\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg\" alt=\"A creamy boba drink sits on a table in front of a pillow.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/urban-ritual-creme-brulee-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crème brûlée milk tea is one of Urban Ritual’s many excellent toppings-forward drinks. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Urban Ritual\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>488 Fell St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when I got done saying boba isn’t all about all the toppings, here comes a boba shop that is, to a large extent, \u003ci>all about the toppings\u003c/i>. And yet I love it, unreservedly. Actually, the tea at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/urbanritualcafe/?hl=en\">Urban Ritual\u003c/a> tastes quite good, and the texture of the boba itself is unimpeachable. But what sets the shop apart is its next-generation approach to creative flavor and topping combinations. The most obvious example is its signature crème brûlée milk tea, which combines black tea, cream, tapioca balls and crème brûlée — both the eggy pudding and the crunchy-smoky torched sugar bits. This is Urban Ritual’s greatest innovation: the way it introduces textures other than the classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897410/taiwanese-food-texture-q-boba-love-boat\">QQ\u003c/a>” chew of the boba.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you want to tell me that some of these drinks are more of a dessert than a beverage? You would be correct — but who is going to complain as long as they know that going in?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989533\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989533\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks placed on the edge of a planter box filled with colorful flowers.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/teaspoon-corte-madera-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teaspoon’s Corte Madera location might be the best boba option in the North Bay. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Teaspoon\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>132 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13915004,arts_13976236",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>Marin County has long been a bit of a boba wasteland, as the big, trendy brands from Taiwan haven’t, to this point, seen the region’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11307601/why-is-marin-county-so-white\">small Asian population\u003c/a> as a worthwhile market. It was a happy day, then, when Teaspoon, one of the more well-regarded local (and now \u003ca href=\"https://order.teaspoonlife.com/\">national\u003c/a>) chains, opened a branch in a Corte Madera shopping plaza. The creamy, caramelly Black Sugar Assam is a well-executed take on the black sugar boba trend. And the “Grasshopper,” which combines lychee green tea and fresh cucumber juice, is fun and refreshing — a nod, perhaps, toward the kind of pepino agua fresca you might find at a local taqueria.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A note of caution: Teaspoon’s drinks were always a bit on the sweet side, but lately the chain has doubled down on the sugar, literally — what used to be the maximum (“regular”) sweetness level is now listed as 50% sweet, which means customers who don’t want a sugar bomb should probably opt for 10%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989514\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989514\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg\" alt='Hand holding a boba drink with a Christmas tree in the background. The text on the cup reads, \"Goolutea Zesty Lime Smash\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/goolu-lime-smash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Goolu Tea, in Castro Valley, specializes in lime smash boba drinks, in which whole limes get smashed and muddled by hand. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Goolu Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3646 Village Dr., Castro Valley\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A relative newcomer to the Bay Area scene, this independent boba shop specializes in hand-smashed lime teas, a style of drink that’s wildly popular in China and Hong Kong, where it’s often made with green lemons. The name of the drink is self-explanatory: Once you place your order, you’ll hear sound of those fresh limes getting pummeled — quite literally beaten to a pulp — by the staff, releasing not just the sour juices but also the slightly bitter fragrance of the rind. The end result is one of the most refreshing drinks you can find on a hot day. I’m especially fond of the light, slightly astringent Phoenix lime tea, made with a coveted oolong varietal from Guangdong, China.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>34133 Fremont Blvd., Fremont\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some ways this may feel like a basic pick: This Taiwanese chain has had a foothold in Northern California for years now, with more than a dozen locations, and it’s been a minute since the brand was super-relevant on the Taipei scene. But what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yifang.cal/?hl=en\">Yifang\u003c/a> still does better than any other Bay Area chain is its fruit-flavored teas — whether it’s pineapple teas (made with housemade pineapple jam), old-school Taiwanese tastes like winter melon tea or lemon aiyu or, best of all, the shop’s signature Yifang Fruit Tea, which comes loaded fresh apple, orange and passion fruit, like a beverage and fruit salad all in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is another spot where you’ll want to be careful about the sweetness levels, which vary widely from drink to drink. I’ve ordered the Yifang Fruit Tea at 0% sweetness and still found it to be plenty sweet enough!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957754\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957754\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a man holding two boba drinks using boba totes made of twine.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_totes-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chicha San Chen’s hallmark is that it brews the tea for each individual boba drink to order. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Chicha San Chen\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>20688 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13904913,arts_13989331",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>This one is for the diehards — or at least for tea lovers who have about an hour to kill. The current title holder in the contest for buzziest Bay Area boba shop, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chichasanchen.norcal/?hl=en\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> touts its award-winning tea drinks, which are individually brewed to order using the company’s patented, very Third-Wave-esque “teaspresso” machines. Is it all a little bit precious? Sure. But it does make for tasty tea. Word to the wise: If you’re going to go through all the trouble of waiting in line for half an hour (and then \u003ci>another\u003c/i> half hour for them to make your drink), then you’d better be a person who appreciates the flavor of tea for tea’s sake — and you’d be well-advised to order one of the simpler drinks, so the taste of that tea actually shines through. I love the floral, slightly tannic, minimally sweetened honey osmanthus oolong in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonus points for packaging that’s cute \u003ci>and\u003c/i> convenient: Every cup comes with a disposable \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C13nPlqLXle/?hl=en\">boba tote\u003c/a> made of twine. And as the chain has slowly ramped up its \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/locations\">Bay Area footprint\u003c/a>, the crowds are starting get more manageable too. (During recent visits to the Berkeley location, I’ve snagged my drinks in less than 20 minutes.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg\" alt=\"A soy pudding drink with many colorful toppings.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1020x764.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/soyful-1536x1151.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The #8 combination at Soyful desserts is a hybrid of boba, soy pudding and chè. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Soyful Desserts\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>999 Story Rd., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the joys of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">San José’s vibrant, colorful drinks scene\u003c/a> is the way that Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese influences have fused together to create their own unique, hybridized thing. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soyfuldesserts/\">Soyful Desserts\u003c/a> is probably the peak example of that synthesis, with its concise menu of Hong Kong-style milk teas, soy pudding drinks and shaved ice–laden Vietnamese chè. As the shop’s name indicates, the star here is the soy pudding (aka tofu pudding), a silky, refreshing treat equally beloved in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. To experience this fusion in all its glory, try the #8 soy pudding combination, which comes filled to the brim with ginger syrup–soaked tofu pudding, shaved ice, basil seeds, pandan jelly, grass jelly, sweet red beans and probably a handful of other toppings I’m forgetting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m well aware that this is a “drink” that’s more solid than liquid — that it, in fact, constitutes a full meal in itself. But that doesn’t make it any less fun or delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13976427\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg\" alt='Coconut pudding topped with diced mango, served in a jar. The insignia on the jar reads, \"Tong Sui.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tong-sui-pudding-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>Tong Sui\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>927 E. Arques Ave. #151, Sunnyvale\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also in the realm of good boba at businesses that aren’t strictly boba shops, this popular dessert mini-chain stands out for its selection of seasonally rotating drinks that skew more toward tropical fruit than pure tea. The osmanthus oolong milk tea, topped with tea jelly and an airy coconut cream “cloud,” embodies the shop’s approach: The drinks are refreshing, texturally interesting, sweet but not \u003cem>too \u003c/em>sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the real reason to make a special trip to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tongsui.us/?hl=en\">Tong Sui\u003c/a> is the shop’s line of coconut puddings that are so tender and jiggly, they practically melt in your mouth. I especially love the one topped with a double layer of mango (both finely chopped and in soft mochi form).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989531\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989531\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg\" alt='Facade of a busy boba shop, with a line of people waiting outside the entrance. The sign above reads, \"HEYTEA.\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/heytea-san-jose-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San José location of Heytea, one of the buzziest boba chains to come out of China in recent years. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Heytea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>1628 Hostetter Rd. Ste. H, San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the trendiest boba chains to come out of China, Heytea has made rapid inroads in the Bay Area, with locations opening in San Francisco, Berkeley, Milpitas, Daly City and beyond, all in the past two years. During peak hours, I found the San José shop to be more than a little chaotic, with long and unpredictable wait times for drinks — quite tasty drinks, it turns out. The matcha and brown sugar drinks are big sellers, but Heytea’s real strength is its super-refreshing fruit teas. I’m a sucker for all of the grape flavors, including the enticingly named “Crisp Grape Boom,” which is essentially a slushie with chunks of peeled fresh grape mixed in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13989519\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13989519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a cup of milk tea in front of Dzui Cake & Tea. The text on the cup reads, "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy durian."\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/dzui-durian-milk-tea-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy durian” — especially at Dzui Cake & Tea in San José. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dzui Cake & Tea\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2451 Alvin Ave., San José\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With its vast selection of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986806/dzui-favorite-durian-dessert-shop-san-jose-banh-pia\">durian desserts\u003c/a> and hard-to-find Vietnamese pastries, Dzui’s is a lot more than just a boba shop. But the drinks are worth a trip in their own right. Of particular note is the “á đù…rian” milk tea, which is almost certainly the best durian milk tea you’ll find in the Bay. The salt-cream-topped drink is rich, creamy and apologetically funky, with a true durian flavor that gets stronger and more delicious the longer you drink it. Also excellent: the chè-like hambalang milk tea, which comes loaded with boba, flan, and an assortment of colorful jellies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf",
"authors": [
"11743"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_12276"
],
"tags": [
"arts_22642",
"arts_1270",
"arts_14423",
"arts_6902",
"arts_22144",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1297",
"arts_1084"
],
"featImg": "arts_13905047",
"label": "source_arts_13957666"
},
"arts_13989248": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13989248",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13989248",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1778248850000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "coyoteland-book-review-vanessa-hua-berkeley-east-bay-novel",
"title": "In ‘Coyoteland,’ the Territorial East Bay Isn’t Just for Animals",
"publishDate": 1778248850,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "In ‘Coyoteland,’ the Territorial East Bay Isn’t Just for Animals | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>One day, while taking a routine early morning walk around her home in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a> hills, author \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101889323/a-journey-from-maos-china-to-san-franciscos-chinatown-in-vanessa-huas-forbidden-city\">Vanessa Hua\u003c/a> found herself face to face with a coyote. Precipitating the encounter was a noise she likens to a “scramble of high heels” that turned out to be the hooves of two deer chasing a coyote, which was suddenly running toward her at full speed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The face-off took place during the 2020 lockdown. But it lingered with the author long after the coyote escaped into nearby brush, and helped shape her new novel, \u003ci>Coyoteland \u003c/i>(out May 12 via Macmillan). [aside postid='arts_13989265' hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/copy-of-6-book-covers.jpeg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me, that encapsulated that moment where everything felt topsy-turvy and off-kilter,” she explains. “That stuck with me in terms of thinking about writing about territory, about predator and prey, but also the larger question of \u003ci>How do we be good neighbors to each other?\u003c/i>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, Hua began writing the book — which centers on interpersonal drama broiling within an exclusive East Bay community — amid the speculation of what a post-2020 world would look like. “There had been the racial reckoning about police brutality. That was the year the sky turned orange from wildfires. That was the year of COVID,” Hua recalls. “So by the spring of 2021, it was this kind of hinge point, like, where would we go next?” (Hua previously authored two national bestsellers, \u003ci>A River of Stars\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Forbidden City,\u003c/i> and worked as a columnist at the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Coyoteland\u003c/i> is set in El Nido, a fictional community in the hills east of Berkeley that epitomizes privileged liberal American enclaves. Its downtown has a deliberately dated, old-fashioned ice cream parlor; freshly licensed 16-year-olds drive Teslas and Range Rovers; and the majority-white residents cherish their outwardly progressive politics. With witty efficiency, Hua characterizes one of the mothers as someone who proudly listened to the audiobook of Robin DiAngelo’s \u003ci>White Fragility\u003c/i> at 1.5 speed but struggles to quote it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The events of the book take place under three stressful external conditions: the coronavirus pandemic, California’s increasingly unpredictable fire season and a rogue coyote that bites residents. Against this backdrop, an unexpected catalyst moves into the neighborhood. The Changs — patriarch Jin, his wife Kai, and their two daughters, Jane and Lily — relocate to El Nido from a one-bedroom apartment they shared in Fremont. El Nido represents a lifetime’s achievement, grander educational opportunities for the children, socializing with the one percent. But it also means becoming the lone Asian family in a predominantly white community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Kai, Jin has recently been laid off and is too proud to admit it. He’s using the move to El Nido to activate a financial scheme linked to a nearby real estate development project. It will soon put him at odds with his nextdoor neighbors, who have a financial stake in the project, and other neighbors less well-off who are hoping to benefit from its promise of designated affordable housing. [aside postid='arts_13989228' hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/coyote-alcatraz.png']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The coyote in El Nido, named Wily, attacks sparingly, but the mere threat of an attack feeds paranoia into the community like excess oxygen in a casino. Residents bond over Wily across racial and economic lines, even if it’s simply shared fear. Hua was partially inspired by a real-life story about a coyote on the loose in the Bay Area between 2020-2021; she also had a friend tell her about a woman wanted in Bernal Heights for feeding coyotes raw meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this tension, right? You hear that bone-chilling howl and you kind of pull the covers tight, but then they look very similar to our beloved pets and people want to try to reach out to them in that way,” Hua offers. She became invested in exploring that tension, and the attending tensions of different animals encroaching on each other’s territories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story alternates perspectives seamlessly from Jin, to his neighbors, to his neighbor’s nanny, and even Wily. “\u003ci>Coyoteland\u003c/i> is a story about a community, and I felt like telling the perspectives from four families, and a parent and child from each generation, really got at what it means to live in this community,” Hua explains of the decision. “And,” she continues, “often people can get flattened or turned into a stereotype or a character or villain, and a project of my career is even when characters are making questionable choices, I hope to illustrate the larger forces at work that are shaping who they are and why they decide to do what they do.” [aside postid='arts_13989155' hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Copy-of-Still-7-Ocean-Beach-_-Kaitlyn-Bui.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The events of the book center on real estate, which Hua notes is a topic practically “in the air and the water” in California. “Everyone acknowledges that there is a housing affordability crisis, but there seems to be no consensus on how to move forward,” she notes. The book’s detailed exploration of this subject owes a debt to her prior career as a journalist covering beats that included minority business affairs and acquainted her with “the macro forces” at play in major cities including affordable housing debates and more nuanced issues like racial bias in home appraisals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, Hua acknowledges, is full of natural beauty but also natural terror — earthquakes and wildfires and unneighborly neighbors. \u003ci>Coyoteland \u003c/i>ponders that beauty, and what it will take to fight against the forces seeking to limit its accessibility. It is a story about a community, but also about community as shelter. Says Hua: “Our love for this place has to also include thinking about how we make a future for it.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Set in the East Bay hills, Vanessa Hua’s new novel finds animals — and humans — engaged in turf war.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1778251629,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 14,
"wordCount": 1039
},
"headData": {
"title": "Review: Vanessa Hua’s ‘Coyoteland’ and the Territorial East Bay | KQED",
"description": "Set in the East Bay hills, Vanessa Hua’s new novel finds animals — and humans — engaged in turf war.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "Review: Vanessa Hua’s ‘Coyoteland’ and the Territorial East Bay %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "In ‘Coyoteland,’ the Territorial East Bay Isn’t Just for Animals",
"datePublished": "2026-05-08T07:00:50-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-05-08T07:47:09-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "The Do List",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13989248",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13989248/coyoteland-book-review-vanessa-hua-berkeley-east-bay-novel",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One day, while taking a routine early morning walk around her home in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/east-bay\">East Bay\u003c/a> hills, author \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101889323/a-journey-from-maos-china-to-san-franciscos-chinatown-in-vanessa-huas-forbidden-city\">Vanessa Hua\u003c/a> found herself face to face with a coyote. Precipitating the encounter was a noise she likens to a “scramble of high heels” that turned out to be the hooves of two deer chasing a coyote, which was suddenly running toward her at full speed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The face-off took place during the 2020 lockdown. But it lingered with the author long after the coyote escaped into nearby brush, and helped shape her new novel, \u003ci>Coyoteland \u003c/i>(out May 12 via Macmillan). \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13989265",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/copy-of-6-book-covers.jpeg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me, that encapsulated that moment where everything felt topsy-turvy and off-kilter,” she explains. “That stuck with me in terms of thinking about writing about territory, about predator and prey, but also the larger question of \u003ci>How do we be good neighbors to each other?\u003c/i>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, Hua began writing the book — which centers on interpersonal drama broiling within an exclusive East Bay community — amid the speculation of what a post-2020 world would look like. “There had been the racial reckoning about police brutality. That was the year the sky turned orange from wildfires. That was the year of COVID,” Hua recalls. “So by the spring of 2021, it was this kind of hinge point, like, where would we go next?” (Hua previously authored two national bestsellers, \u003ci>A River of Stars\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Forbidden City,\u003c/i> and worked as a columnist at the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>.) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Coyoteland\u003c/i> is set in El Nido, a fictional community in the hills east of Berkeley that epitomizes privileged liberal American enclaves. Its downtown has a deliberately dated, old-fashioned ice cream parlor; freshly licensed 16-year-olds drive Teslas and Range Rovers; and the majority-white residents cherish their outwardly progressive politics. With witty efficiency, Hua characterizes one of the mothers as someone who proudly listened to the audiobook of Robin DiAngelo’s \u003ci>White Fragility\u003c/i> at 1.5 speed but struggles to quote it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The events of the book take place under three stressful external conditions: the coronavirus pandemic, California’s increasingly unpredictable fire season and a rogue coyote that bites residents. Against this backdrop, an unexpected catalyst moves into the neighborhood. The Changs — patriarch Jin, his wife Kai, and their two daughters, Jane and Lily — relocate to El Nido from a one-bedroom apartment they shared in Fremont. El Nido represents a lifetime’s achievement, grander educational opportunities for the children, socializing with the one percent. But it also means becoming the lone Asian family in a predominantly white community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Kai, Jin has recently been laid off and is too proud to admit it. He’s using the move to El Nido to activate a financial scheme linked to a nearby real estate development project. It will soon put him at odds with his nextdoor neighbors, who have a financial stake in the project, and other neighbors less well-off who are hoping to benefit from its promise of designated affordable housing. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13989228",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/coyote-alcatraz.png",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The coyote in El Nido, named Wily, attacks sparingly, but the mere threat of an attack feeds paranoia into the community like excess oxygen in a casino. Residents bond over Wily across racial and economic lines, even if it’s simply shared fear. Hua was partially inspired by a real-life story about a coyote on the loose in the Bay Area between 2020-2021; she also had a friend tell her about a woman wanted in Bernal Heights for feeding coyotes raw meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this tension, right? You hear that bone-chilling howl and you kind of pull the covers tight, but then they look very similar to our beloved pets and people want to try to reach out to them in that way,” Hua offers. She became invested in exploring that tension, and the attending tensions of different animals encroaching on each other’s territories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story alternates perspectives seamlessly from Jin, to his neighbors, to his neighbor’s nanny, and even Wily. “\u003ci>Coyoteland\u003c/i> is a story about a community, and I felt like telling the perspectives from four families, and a parent and child from each generation, really got at what it means to live in this community,” Hua explains of the decision. “And,” she continues, “often people can get flattened or turned into a stereotype or a character or villain, and a project of my career is even when characters are making questionable choices, I hope to illustrate the larger forces at work that are shaping who they are and why they decide to do what they do.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13989155",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/Copy-of-Still-7-Ocean-Beach-_-Kaitlyn-Bui.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The events of the book center on real estate, which Hua notes is a topic practically “in the air and the water” in California. “Everyone acknowledges that there is a housing affordability crisis, but there seems to be no consensus on how to move forward,” she notes. The book’s detailed exploration of this subject owes a debt to her prior career as a journalist covering beats that included minority business affairs and acquainted her with “the macro forces” at play in major cities including affordable housing debates and more nuanced issues like racial bias in home appraisals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, Hua acknowledges, is full of natural beauty but also natural terror — earthquakes and wildfires and unneighborly neighbors. \u003ci>Coyoteland \u003c/i>ponders that beauty, and what it will take to fight against the forces seeking to limit its accessibility. It is a story about a community, but also about community as shelter. Says Hua: “Our love for this place has to also include thinking about how we make a future for it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13989248/coyoteland-book-review-vanessa-hua-berkeley-east-bay-novel",
"authors": [
"11990"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_22313"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1270",
"arts_7446",
"arts_3652",
"arts_769",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13989275",
"label": "source_arts_13989248"
},
"arts_13988874": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13988874",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13988874",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1777307890000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "vikingur-olafsson-interview-bach-beethoven-schubert-iceland-piano",
"title": "Víkingur Ólafsson Talks Bach, Nature and the Bay Area",
"publishDate": 1777307890,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Víkingur Ólafsson Talks Bach, Nature and the Bay Area | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>The Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the world’s most engrossing live performers of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/classical-music\">classical piano music\u003c/a> right now. Dazzling yet nuanced, he visited the Bay Area twice last year: to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13970454/john-adams-piano-concerto-vikingur-olafsson-san-francisco-symphony-review\">premiere an exciting new John Adams concerto\u003c/a> and to pull off \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972538/review-vikingur-olafsson-goldberg-variations-davies-yuja-wang-canceled\">Bach’s Goldberg Variations from memory in a last-minute program switcheroo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Goldberg Variations, in particular, rewired Ólafsson’s consciousness after performing them for more than a year in concert halls around the world: “Slowly, the work takes over your perception of reality, forcing you to notice how, really, everything can be viewed as a set of variations,” he says. “Places, events, people. Trees, leaves, houses, streets. Thoughts and ideas. Cells and DNA.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, on a recent album on Deutsche Grammophon and \u003ca href=\"https://calperformances.org/events/2025-26/recital/vikingur-olafsson-piano-opus-109/\">in a concert this week presented by Cal Performances at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall\u003c/a>, the widely lauded 42-year-old pianist directs his attention to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30, adding context of Bach and Schubert to show the threads of imagination among three composers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ólafsson spoke with KQED about the Bay Area, his process and his home country of Iceland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988880\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1637px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988880\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1637\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans.jpg 1637w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans-160x195.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans-768x938.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans-1257x1536.jpg 1257w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1637px) 100vw, 1637px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Víkingur Ólafsson. \u003ccite>(Markus Jans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>KQED: You keep coming back to the Bay Area. What are your general impressions of the region?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Víkingur Ólafsson\u003c/strong>: I love it so much. I could live there if it wasn’t so far away from home. It’s a perfect place. It has some of the most interesting people. And of course, it has one of the people who is dearest to me in the whole music world, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/john-adams\">John Adams\u003c/a>. When I come to the Bay Area, I’m looking forward to it every time. I know I’ll have good conversations, excellent food and, hopefully, good performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I like Japantown — I very much like the restaurants there, and the vibe. The time before last when I was there, I went hiking, and it was just so wonderful. The coffee in the Bay Area is so excellent that you can almost go into any coffee shop, and this is unusual for the United States, but you can really get fabulous coffee everywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You premiered John Adams’ newest concerto here. What is it like working with John Adams?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s the kind of composer that reinvents himself in every piece. You never know what you’re gonna get, except that it’s gonna be beautiful and fantastic, because he’s such an incredible creator in that sense. I was so excited by that, him writing a piece for me — the honor of my musical life, really. I have such high regard for this man on all levels. As a composer, but also just a musical thinker in general. It’s fantastic to talk with him about Debussy, or Bach or Beethoven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13970454']It helps that I have a very good relationship with him and consider him a dear friend, and an ally. We’ve known each other now for five years and spent time together in different parts of the world. And so it feels very personal, him writing me a concerto, and of course in the manner he did: a three-movement work, but in one connected structure, with that incredible Bach fantasia taking over the third movement. It’s such a stroke of genius, but it also felt very much like he was sort of tailor-making it for me. He created a world for me to inhabit very freely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have a new album, \u003cem>Opus 109\u003c/em>, which you’ll play in Berkeley. It seems very inspired by your time touring with the Goldberg Variations.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you spend a year with the Goldberg Variations, you start to see traces of it in so much of music that came after Bach. And nowhere, I believe, more than in the late works of Ludwig van Beethoven, when he comes back from that five-year silence and goes into what we now have come to call his third period. Beethoven’s revolution with the third period, this music of the future — I realized it was very much fueled by Bach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beethoven’s last three sonatas, Opus 109, 110, 111, these three sisters, they’re always played together. And I was actually gonna try to do that, to be a good boy for once, and do something like everybody does it. But I failed with that. I just didn’t like it. Opus 109 is such a perfect sonata, it really deserves to be the center of the program. I looked around and I saw very strong connections, especially with the second movement of Beethoven’s E minor sonata, Opus 90, written six years before the Opus 109.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/DJs9AYlvSiM?si=RRNOtVBB8GrvMgKq\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then in the middle of those two sonatas, young Schubert, living in the same city as Beethoven, writes this E minor sonata that’s basically forgotten today. And it’s an absolute masterpiece of work. Later-time musicologists added a terrible scherzo, in A-flat major, found in the same sketchbook, but it’s just a rough draft. And then someone else found another E major movement, a rondo, which also is quite terrible, which was written two years before the other parts of that sonata. They put that as a fourth movement. I just looked at it and was like, “Well, the sonata is already complete in two movements.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also decided to put a little Bach into the mix. And I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I wanted to test if I could actually do an entire album in E — just in one tonality, E major, E minor — and get away with it. And at least for me personally, I think you don’t really get tired of that tonality. I haven’t heard anyone complain yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13972538']\u003cstrong>You said in your post-concert comments, last time you were here, that “One should never apologize for Johann Sebastian Bach.” Do you find yourself having to defend Bach against people who say that Bach is too mathematical, or architectural?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, that’s like someone telling me that nature isn’t beautiful. I don’t have anything to say to them. I feel bad for them if they see no beauty, if they hear no beauty. There’s nothing to be said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Is there anything about growing up in Iceland that has influenced your playing or your studies?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could say the instability of Iceland, in every sense. The fact that it’s very much still being born as an island, with all the earthquakes, with all of the volcanoes, with the glaciers, with that fact that the nature there and the weather changes constantly. It’s an incredibly dynamic country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988881\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988881\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Víkingur Ólafsson. \u003ccite>(Markus Jans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And the fact that I come from a country where I had a much longer path than I might have had if I came from a different culture with more connections to the music industry. I became world-famous inside Iceland, and was completely unknown outside of Iceland. I was filling the house every night as a 21-year-old, but no one had heard of me! That gave me a lot of creative time in my youth and my formative years to experiment more than if I’d had an international career pushed upon me when I was 22 or 24.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are so many other factors that are more subconscious than that. But I think the slowness of my path, although I wasn’t grateful for it at the time, helped me in that sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Víkingur Olafsson performs selections for solo piano by Beethoven, Bach and Schubert on Wednesday, April 29, presented by Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://calperformances.org/events/2025-26/recital/vikingur-olafsson-piano-opus-109/\">More information and tickets here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Saying Bach is too mathematical ‘is like someone telling me that nature isn't beautiful,’ says the pianist. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1777392555,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 25,
"wordCount": 1374
},
"headData": {
"title": "Víkingur Ólafsson Talks Bach, Nature and the Bay Area | KQED",
"description": "Saying Bach is too mathematical ‘is like someone telling me that nature isn't beautiful,’ says the pianist. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Víkingur Ólafsson Talks Bach, Nature and the Bay Area",
"datePublished": "2026-04-27T09:38:10-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-28T09:09:15-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "The Do List",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13988874",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13988874/vikingur-olafsson-interview-bach-beethoven-schubert-iceland-piano",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the world’s most engrossing live performers of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/classical-music\">classical piano music\u003c/a> right now. Dazzling yet nuanced, he visited the Bay Area twice last year: to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13970454/john-adams-piano-concerto-vikingur-olafsson-san-francisco-symphony-review\">premiere an exciting new John Adams concerto\u003c/a> and to pull off \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13972538/review-vikingur-olafsson-goldberg-variations-davies-yuja-wang-canceled\">Bach’s Goldberg Variations from memory in a last-minute program switcheroo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Goldberg Variations, in particular, rewired Ólafsson’s consciousness after performing them for more than a year in concert halls around the world: “Slowly, the work takes over your perception of reality, forcing you to notice how, really, everything can be viewed as a set of variations,” he says. “Places, events, people. Trees, leaves, houses, streets. Thoughts and ideas. Cells and DNA.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, on a recent album on Deutsche Grammophon and \u003ca href=\"https://calperformances.org/events/2025-26/recital/vikingur-olafsson-piano-opus-109/\">in a concert this week presented by Cal Performances at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall\u003c/a>, the widely lauded 42-year-old pianist directs his attention to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30, adding context of Bach and Schubert to show the threads of imagination among three composers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ólafsson spoke with KQED about the Bay Area, his process and his home country of Iceland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988880\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1637px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988880\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1637\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans.jpg 1637w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans-160x195.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans-768x938.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-2-c-Markus-Jans-1257x1536.jpg 1257w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1637px) 100vw, 1637px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Víkingur Ólafsson. \u003ccite>(Markus Jans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>KQED: You keep coming back to the Bay Area. What are your general impressions of the region?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Víkingur Ólafsson\u003c/strong>: I love it so much. I could live there if it wasn’t so far away from home. It’s a perfect place. It has some of the most interesting people. And of course, it has one of the people who is dearest to me in the whole music world, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/john-adams\">John Adams\u003c/a>. When I come to the Bay Area, I’m looking forward to it every time. I know I’ll have good conversations, excellent food and, hopefully, good performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I like Japantown — I very much like the restaurants there, and the vibe. The time before last when I was there, I went hiking, and it was just so wonderful. The coffee in the Bay Area is so excellent that you can almost go into any coffee shop, and this is unusual for the United States, but you can really get fabulous coffee everywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You premiered John Adams’ newest concerto here. What is it like working with John Adams?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s the kind of composer that reinvents himself in every piece. You never know what you’re gonna get, except that it’s gonna be beautiful and fantastic, because he’s such an incredible creator in that sense. I was so excited by that, him writing a piece for me — the honor of my musical life, really. I have such high regard for this man on all levels. As a composer, but also just a musical thinker in general. It’s fantastic to talk with him about Debussy, or Bach or Beethoven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13970454",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It helps that I have a very good relationship with him and consider him a dear friend, and an ally. We’ve known each other now for five years and spent time together in different parts of the world. And so it feels very personal, him writing me a concerto, and of course in the manner he did: a three-movement work, but in one connected structure, with that incredible Bach fantasia taking over the third movement. It’s such a stroke of genius, but it also felt very much like he was sort of tailor-making it for me. He created a world for me to inhabit very freely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You have a new album, \u003cem>Opus 109\u003c/em>, which you’ll play in Berkeley. It seems very inspired by your time touring with the Goldberg Variations.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you spend a year with the Goldberg Variations, you start to see traces of it in so much of music that came after Bach. And nowhere, I believe, more than in the late works of Ludwig van Beethoven, when he comes back from that five-year silence and goes into what we now have come to call his third period. Beethoven’s revolution with the third period, this music of the future — I realized it was very much fueled by Bach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beethoven’s last three sonatas, Opus 109, 110, 111, these three sisters, they’re always played together. And I was actually gonna try to do that, to be a good boy for once, and do something like everybody does it. But I failed with that. I just didn’t like it. Opus 109 is such a perfect sonata, it really deserves to be the center of the program. I looked around and I saw very strong connections, especially with the second movement of Beethoven’s E minor sonata, Opus 90, written six years before the Opus 109.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/DJs9AYlvSiM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/DJs9AYlvSiM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Then in the middle of those two sonatas, young Schubert, living in the same city as Beethoven, writes this E minor sonata that’s basically forgotten today. And it’s an absolute masterpiece of work. Later-time musicologists added a terrible scherzo, in A-flat major, found in the same sketchbook, but it’s just a rough draft. And then someone else found another E major movement, a rondo, which also is quite terrible, which was written two years before the other parts of that sonata. They put that as a fourth movement. I just looked at it and was like, “Well, the sonata is already complete in two movements.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I also decided to put a little Bach into the mix. And I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I wanted to test if I could actually do an entire album in E — just in one tonality, E major, E minor — and get away with it. And at least for me personally, I think you don’t really get tired of that tonality. I haven’t heard anyone complain yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13972538",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You said in your post-concert comments, last time you were here, that “One should never apologize for Johann Sebastian Bach.” Do you find yourself having to defend Bach against people who say that Bach is too mathematical, or architectural?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I mean, that’s like someone telling me that nature isn’t beautiful. I don’t have anything to say to them. I feel bad for them if they see no beauty, if they hear no beauty. There’s nothing to be said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Is there anything about growing up in Iceland that has influenced your playing or your studies?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could say the instability of Iceland, in every sense. The fact that it’s very much still being born as an island, with all the earthquakes, with all of the volcanoes, with the glaciers, with that fact that the nature there and the weather changes constantly. It’s an incredibly dynamic country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988881\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988881\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/VO-4-c-Markus-Jans-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Víkingur Ólafsson. \u003ccite>(Markus Jans)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And the fact that I come from a country where I had a much longer path than I might have had if I came from a different culture with more connections to the music industry. I became world-famous inside Iceland, and was completely unknown outside of Iceland. I was filling the house every night as a 21-year-old, but no one had heard of me! That gave me a lot of creative time in my youth and my formative years to experiment more than if I’d had an international career pushed upon me when I was 22 or 24.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are so many other factors that are more subconscious than that. But I think the slowness of my path, although I wasn’t grateful for it at the time, helped me in that sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Víkingur Olafsson performs selections for solo piano by Beethoven, Bach and Schubert on Wednesday, April 29, presented by Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. \u003ca href=\"https://calperformances.org/events/2025-26/recital/vikingur-olafsson-piano-opus-109/\">More information and tickets here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13988874/vikingur-olafsson-interview-bach-beethoven-schubert-iceland-piano",
"authors": [
"185"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69",
"arts_22313"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1270",
"arts_2435",
"arts_1312",
"arts_10278",
"arts_585",
"arts_2880"
],
"featImg": "arts_13988879",
"label": "source_arts_13988874"
},
"arts_13988211": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13988211",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13988211",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1775175709000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "best-deals-berkeley-restaurant-week-2026",
"title": "The 8 Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week",
"publishDate": 1775175709,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "The 8 Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>It’s Restaurant Week season, folks. The city of Oakland just finished its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987557/best-deals-oakland-restaurant-week-2026\">11-day extravaganza\u003c/a> of prix-fixe dining deals, while the super-sized \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/\">spring iteration\u003c/a> of San Francisco’s twice-yearly promotion kicks off on April 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, it’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley’s\u003c/a> turn. The 2026 edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/a> runs April 2–12, with at least 74 restaurants, bars and wineries signed up to participate. Sponsored by the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/\">tourism bureau\u003c/a>, the annual event features the usual array of discounted set menus and special dishes, with a few added bonuses: This year, a number of participating restaurants will offer \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/sips-of-spring-waived-corkage/\">free corkage\u003c/a> to customers who bring a bottle of their favorite Berkeley-made wine or sake. And for those who like an extra helping of culture with their meal, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is offering \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/experience-art-film-for-less-during-brw25/\">discounted tickets\u003c/a> to visitors who show Berkeley Restaurant Week reservations or dining receipts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the deals themselves, it’s a bit of a mixed bag: Some restaurants are only adding a single (not necessarily discounted) special dish for the occasion, while a handful are promoting prix-fixe sets that — gasp! — actually appear \u003ci>more \u003c/i>expensive than their regular menu prices. After scouring the dozens of menus, I’ve picked out eight deals I’m especially enthusiastic about. The best thing about the promotion? The breadth of offerings really shows off Berkeley’s identity as a diverse, globally inspired food city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988215\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Spread of Ethiopian stews on top of a round of injera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A spread of Ethiopian stews served on injera at Berkeley’s Lemat. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Ethiopian feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/lemat-ethiopian-restaurant-cafe/\">Lemat\u003c/a>, one of the East Bay’s most popular Ethiopian restaurants, is doing a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Lemat-Ethopian-Restaurant.pdf?mtime=20260325090540\">$35 prix fixe\u003c/a> that comes with an appetizer, a meat or veggie sampler entree, and ceremonial coffee service to close. This is an especially good deal for carnivores, as choosing all of the meat options comes out to well over a $40 value. But the smartest play would be to come with a buddy (or a small group, even) and split one meat set and one veggie set — a classic move for frequent Ethiopian restaurant-goers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The vegetarian Thai set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/farmhouse-kitchen-thai-cuisine/\">Farmhouse Thai\u003c/a> restaurant group is one of the Bay Area’s most well-regarded Thai establishments, but it’s also on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Its Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week prix fixe should appeal to both budget-minded diners and vegetarians who’ve been thinking about giving the restaurant a try: a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Farmhouse-Thai-Kitchen.pdf?mtime=20260325090444\">$39 vegetarian set\u003c/a> that includes a sparkly lemon drink, vegan fresh rolls, a pomelo salad, and a vegetarian version of Farmhouse Thai’s signature khao soi curry noodle soup. (The version with meat normally costs $46 all by itself.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The indulgent solo tapas spread\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/la-marcha-tapas-bar/\">La Marcha\u003c/a> is offering a few different Restaurant Week deals, but the $25 lunch special is especially appealing to anyone who’s ever thought going out for tapas is thoroughly impractical for a solo diner. \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/La-Marcha-1-1.pdf?mtime=20260325094632\">The set\u003c/a> includes your choice of two tapas, plus an individual portion of paella (not normally an available option).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957736\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957736\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a park bench.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two of Chicha San Chen’s highly touted boba drinks, pictured here outside the chain’s Cupertino location. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The boba deal\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/chicha-san-chen/\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> has a strong case for being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf\">best boba shop\u003c/a> in the East Bay and possibly the entire Bay Area. The Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week deal requires a little bit of prior planning: You have to \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/reservation\">make a reservation\u003c/a> for a free tea tasting. Once you’ve completed the tasting, you’ll get \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Chicha-San-Chen.pdf?mtime=20260325090429\">$2 off\u003c/a> the purchase of two of the shop’s excellent boba drinks — I favor anything with their osmanthus oolong.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The family chicken bucket\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/hopscotch-chicken/\">Hopscotch Chicken\u003c/a>, chef Kyle Itani’s Japanese American–inflected fried chicken spot, has a fun deal for a family or group of friends: $60 for a “\u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Hopscotch-Chicken.pdf?mtime=20260325090505\">picnic pack\u003c/a>” that includes a bucket of fried chicken, a miso chicken Caesar salad, fries, collard greens, mac and cheese and two Asahi beers. It’s not a \u003ci>huge\u003c/i> savings off the regular menu prices, but you essentially get the beer for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988216\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988216\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg\" alt=\"Plate of Hainan-style chicken rice, with a bowl of broth on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kopi Bar’s take on Hainan chicken rice comes with the traditional bowl of broth on the side. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Hainan chicken rice set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13986607,arts_13957666']\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The most convenient Restaurant Week option for folks who want to take advantage of the BAMPFA discount — to check out the great \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha retrospective\u003c/a>, perhaps — is \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/kopi-bar-bakery/\">Kopi Bar\u003c/a>, the museum’s second-floor cafe. The Singaporean-Indonesian spot is offering \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Kopi-Bar.pdf?mtime=20260331112831\">two specials\u003c/a> for the week: laksa grits and its excellent, slightly nontraditional take on Hainan chicken rice, with skin-on chicken that’s poached \u003ci>and \u003c/i>roasted. Each dish is priced at $20, a slight discount from its regular price.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The three-course izakaya feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/fish-bird-sousaku-izakaya/\">Fish & Bird\u003c/a> is one of my favorite modern Japanese izakayas in the East Bay, and its Restaurant Week offering might be the meal deal I’d be most likely to indulge in myself: \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Fish-Bird-Sousaku-Izakaya.pdf?mtime=20260325090446\">$39 for three courses\u003c/a> — I’d go for the sashimi salad, the Japanese cabbage roll, and the matcha tiramisu. It’s hard to calculate the exact value, but the one entree listed on the regular menu — the ebi fry curry rice — normally goes for $33 all by itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Korean classics\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/pyeong-chang-tofu/\">Pyeong Chang Tofu House\u003c/a> is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in the East Bay, but it can be a bit of a splurge — which is why the Berkeley location’s \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">Restaurant Week deals\u003c/a> are especially appealing. I love the \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">$35 option\u003c/a>, which comes with Pyeong Chang’s legendary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/magazine/bored-with-the-same-old-try-these-crispy-kimchi-pancakes.html\">Samin Nosrat–approved\u003c/a> kimchi pancake and a bowl of the shop’s must-order tofu soup — plus rice and all the banchan you can eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">\u003ci>Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> runs April 2–12.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The April 2–12 promotion is a great chance to tour the city’s global dining scene.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1775176052,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 14,
"wordCount": 1021
},
"headData": {
"title": "The Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week 2026 | KQED",
"description": "The April 2–12 promotion is a great chance to tour the city’s global dining scene.",
"ogTitle": "The 8 Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "The 8 Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "The Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week 2026 %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The 8 Best Deals of Berkeley Restaurant Week",
"datePublished": "2026-04-02T17:21:49-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-02T17:27:32-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 12276,
"slug": "food",
"name": "Food"
},
"source": "Food",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/food",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13988211",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13988211/best-deals-berkeley-restaurant-week-2026",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s Restaurant Week season, folks. The city of Oakland just finished its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987557/best-deals-oakland-restaurant-week-2026\">11-day extravaganza\u003c/a> of prix-fixe dining deals, while the super-sized \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/\">spring iteration\u003c/a> of San Francisco’s twice-yearly promotion kicks off on April 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, it’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/berkeley\">Berkeley’s\u003c/a> turn. The 2026 edition of \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/a> runs April 2–12, with at least 74 restaurants, bars and wineries signed up to participate. Sponsored by the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/\">tourism bureau\u003c/a>, the annual event features the usual array of discounted set menus and special dishes, with a few added bonuses: This year, a number of participating restaurants will offer \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/sips-of-spring-waived-corkage/\">free corkage\u003c/a> to customers who bring a bottle of their favorite Berkeley-made wine or sake. And for those who like an extra helping of culture with their meal, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is offering \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/experience-art-film-for-less-during-brw25/\">discounted tickets\u003c/a> to visitors who show Berkeley Restaurant Week reservations or dining receipts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the deals themselves, it’s a bit of a mixed bag: Some restaurants are only adding a single (not necessarily discounted) special dish for the occasion, while a handful are promoting prix-fixe sets that — gasp! — actually appear \u003ci>more \u003c/i>expensive than their regular menu prices. After scouring the dozens of menus, I’ve picked out eight deals I’m especially enthusiastic about. The best thing about the promotion? The breadth of offerings really shows off Berkeley’s identity as a diverse, globally inspired food city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988215\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988215\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg\" alt=\"Spread of Ethiopian stews on top of a round of injera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/lemat-spread-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A spread of Ethiopian stews served on injera at Berkeley’s Lemat. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Ethiopian feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/lemat-ethiopian-restaurant-cafe/\">Lemat\u003c/a>, one of the East Bay’s most popular Ethiopian restaurants, is doing a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Lemat-Ethopian-Restaurant.pdf?mtime=20260325090540\">$35 prix fixe\u003c/a> that comes with an appetizer, a meat or veggie sampler entree, and ceremonial coffee service to close. This is an especially good deal for carnivores, as choosing all of the meat options comes out to well over a $40 value. But the smartest play would be to come with a buddy (or a small group, even) and split one meat set and one veggie set — a classic move for frequent Ethiopian restaurant-goers.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The vegetarian Thai set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/farmhouse-kitchen-thai-cuisine/\">Farmhouse Thai\u003c/a> restaurant group is one of the Bay Area’s most well-regarded Thai establishments, but it’s also on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Its Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week prix fixe should appeal to both budget-minded diners and vegetarians who’ve been thinking about giving the restaurant a try: a \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Farmhouse-Thai-Kitchen.pdf?mtime=20260325090444\">$39 vegetarian set\u003c/a> that includes a sparkly lemon drink, vegan fresh rolls, a pomelo salad, and a vegetarian version of Farmhouse Thai’s signature khao soi curry noodle soup. (The version with meat normally costs $46 all by itself.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The indulgent solo tapas spread\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/la-marcha-tapas-bar/\">La Marcha\u003c/a> is offering a few different Restaurant Week deals, but the $25 lunch special is especially appealing to anyone who’s ever thought going out for tapas is thoroughly impractical for a solo diner. \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/La-Marcha-1-1.pdf?mtime=20260325094632\">The set\u003c/a> includes your choice of two tapas, plus an individual portion of paella (not normally an available option).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957736\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957736\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg\" alt=\"Two boba drinks on a park bench.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/chicha-san-chen_crop-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two of Chicha San Chen’s highly touted boba drinks, pictured here outside the chain’s Cupertino location. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The boba deal\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/chicha-san-chen/\">Chicha San Chen\u003c/a> has a strong case for being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957666/best-boba-shops-bay-area-berkeley-cupertino-sf\">best boba shop\u003c/a> in the East Bay and possibly the entire Bay Area. The Berkeley location’s Restaurant Week deal requires a little bit of prior planning: You have to \u003ca href=\"https://chichasanchennorcal.com/reservation\">make a reservation\u003c/a> for a free tea tasting. Once you’ve completed the tasting, you’ll get \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Chicha-San-Chen.pdf?mtime=20260325090429\">$2 off\u003c/a> the purchase of two of the shop’s excellent boba drinks — I favor anything with their osmanthus oolong.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The family chicken bucket\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/hopscotch-chicken/\">Hopscotch Chicken\u003c/a>, chef Kyle Itani’s Japanese American–inflected fried chicken spot, has a fun deal for a family or group of friends: $60 for a “\u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Hopscotch-Chicken.pdf?mtime=20260325090505\">picnic pack\u003c/a>” that includes a bucket of fried chicken, a miso chicken Caesar salad, fries, collard greens, mac and cheese and two Asahi beers. It’s not a \u003ci>huge\u003c/i> savings off the regular menu prices, but you essentially get the beer for free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988216\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988216\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg\" alt=\"Plate of Hainan-style chicken rice, with a bowl of broth on the side.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/kopi-bar-chicken-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kopi Bar’s take on Hainan chicken rice comes with the traditional bowl of broth on the side. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Hainan chicken rice set\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13986607,arts_13957666",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/span>The most convenient Restaurant Week option for folks who want to take advantage of the BAMPFA discount — to check out the great \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13986355/theresa-hak-kyung-cha-multiple-offerings-bampfa-review\">Theresa Hak Kyung Cha retrospective\u003c/a>, perhaps — is \u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/kopi-bar-bakery/\">Kopi Bar\u003c/a>, the museum’s second-floor cafe. The Singaporean-Indonesian spot is offering \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Kopi-Bar.pdf?mtime=20260331112831\">two specials\u003c/a> for the week: laksa grits and its excellent, slightly nontraditional take on Hainan chicken rice, with skin-on chicken that’s poached \u003ci>and \u003c/i>roasted. Each dish is priced at $20, a slight discount from its regular price.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The three-course izakaya feast\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/fish-bird-sousaku-izakaya/\">Fish & Bird\u003c/a> is one of my favorite modern Japanese izakayas in the East Bay, and its Restaurant Week offering might be the meal deal I’d be most likely to indulge in myself: \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Fish-Bird-Sousaku-Izakaya.pdf?mtime=20260325090446\">$39 for three courses\u003c/a> — I’d go for the sashimi salad, the Japanese cabbage roll, and the matcha tiramisu. It’s hard to calculate the exact value, but the one entree listed on the regular menu — the ebi fry curry rice — normally goes for $33 all by itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>The Korean classics\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/directory/pyeong-chang-tofu/\">Pyeong Chang Tofu House\u003c/a> is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in the East Bay, but it can be a bit of a splurge — which is why the Berkeley location’s \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">Restaurant Week deals\u003c/a> are especially appealing. I love the \u003ca href=\"https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/visit-berkeley/CMS/Pyeong-Chang-Tofu-2.pdf?mtime=20260330143906\">$35 option\u003c/a>, which comes with Pyeong Chang’s legendary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/magazine/bored-with-the-same-old-try-these-crispy-kimchi-pancakes.html\">Samin Nosrat–approved\u003c/a> kimchi pancake and a bowl of the shop’s must-order tofu soup — plus rice and all the banchan you can eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/food-drinks/restaurant-week/\">\u003ci>Berkeley Restaurant Week\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> runs April 2–12.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13988211/best-deals-berkeley-restaurant-week-2026",
"authors": [
"11743"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_12276"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1270",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1297",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13988214",
"label": "source_arts_13988211"
},
"arts_13988127": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13988127",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13988127",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1775061944000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "review-the-goat-who-is-sylvia-shotgun-players-berkeley",
"title": "Sex With a Goat? It's a Thing (In This Play)",
"publishDate": 1775061944,
"format": "aside",
"headTitle": "Sex With a Goat? It’s a Thing (In This Play) | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) William Giammona as Martin and Kevin Singer as Ross in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>How does one explain the ability of a fellow human to wake up each day with a burning desire to make sweet, sweet love to a goat?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is just one of the many questions in absurdian master Edward Albee’s highly decorated play \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://shotgunplayers.org/show/goat/\">The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, running through May 3 in a stunning production at Berkeley’s Shotgun Players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Goat\u003c/em> boasts a finalist designation for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Drama along with a 2002 Tony Award for best play, and this production is a marvel under Kevin Clarke’s astute and pensive direction. The subject matter, equal parts disturbing, crude and utterly brilliant, will leave audiences chewing on the play’s themes the way a starved goat consumes weeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988133\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988133\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as Stevie and William Giammona as Martin in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Martin (William Giammona) is a rock star of an architect, the latest winner of the most prestigious commendation of his field, the Pritzker Prize for architecture. With this new and shiny crown comes a stamp of approval on the perfect life he occupies, starting with his house, a chilly stone-walled space that resembles a mausoleum more than a loving household (the brilliant scenic design is by Liliana Duque Piñeiro). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sharing the house are his daintily perfect wife Stevie (Erin Mei-Ling Stuart) and his 17-year-old gay son Billy (Joel Ochoa). In the opening scene, Martin is interviewed in his living room — dotted with perfectly sumptuous vases and a dazzling piano — by his close childhood friend Ross (Kevin Singer) for a television show titled \u003cem>People Who Matter\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That this perfection comes crashing down, in some very literal ways, is not entirely surprising. Yet for all the pinnacles of success Martin has reached, and his living room surrounded by opulence, having sex with an actual goat is his perceived nirvana of pure bliss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988136\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282.jpg\" alt=\"A man ad a woman both dressed in white and cream colors face each other in profile, dramatically, against a black and gray background\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) William Giammona as Martin and Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as Stevie in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Martin knows what’s at stake here. His love for Stevie teeters on the brink of extinction. And his promise to stop the affair doesn’t help: “Stopping has nothing to do with how it started!,” Stevie thunders. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The performances here take “visceral” to another level. Giammona’s Martin is a charming oaf whose gait isn’t completely confident. He also seems to not know exactly why his passions have led him toward an animal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mei-Ling Stuart operates on a level that screams command performance. It’s not just her emotional reckoning with a shattered home life; physically, she is a marvel, and brilliant in her most angered and peeved moments, such as her pristine destruction of vases (paired with a fantastic soundscape by designer Matt Stines).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988137\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1361\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988137\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186-1536x1045.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as Stevie in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Stuart also displays phenomenal Meisnerian sensibilities as a listener, pushing her reactions to the most organic of places. Take note of her horror at learning about support groups for those in lust with animals, and her disgust at discovering the man she shares a bed with is a participant. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What just might be the play’s biggest achievement is how funny it is. Albee’s humor is on par with humorists such as Coward, Stoppard and Simon. Hilarious moments underscoring the follies of humanity appear throughout the production, buoyed by the comic timing of the cast, and especially slimeball Ross, who prances all over the stage. Singer delights in these moments of joviality, ultimately imbuing his Ross with a dark side as he sets the plot in motion that ends up ruining Martin and his family. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13988031']That collateral damage does not spare son Billy in any way. He is 17, but constantly reminded to go to his room or play outside as if he were a small child. Ochoa is a charmer, and his arc leads to a heartbreaking moment that feels straight out of the Greeks, where much of Albee’s script is rooted. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The play’s greatest surprise is saved for the final denouement, which will not be spoiled here. It is a moment jaw-dropping in its scope, thrusting the set into the narrative as its own character. Combined with the play’s brutality in the final horrid tableau, it ends the play with a collection of imagery that sears into the brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988135\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joel Ochoa as Billy in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the surface, this is a play about bestiality, and a human finding carnal connection with an animal that, while displaying human characteristics, has no capacity for greater yearning. But that’s not all the play is trying to convey. Ultimately, \u003cem>The Goat\u003c/em> is about societal taboos, many of them centered on human sexuality — but who determines those, where is the line, and who has the right to draw that line? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Albee asked profound questions in his work, and was thrilled by the absurdity of life, and the mental destruction of human beings toward each other. What exactly is “normal,” anyway? Do affairs occupy different tiers, based on who the affair is with? Is there such thing as perfection in a family?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legacy of Albee’s masterful text is that there are no easy answers. As \u003cem>The Goat\u003c/em> questions every aspect of human sexuality, it also pierces the heart, and forces profound questions that just might destroy one’s sense of what normal really is. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?’ runs through May 3 at Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage (1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley). \u003ca href=\"https://shotgunplayers.org/show/goat/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ at Shotgun Players transcends its crude premise to ask deeper, probing questions.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1775598653,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 19,
"wordCount": 1044
},
"headData": {
"title": "Sex With a Goat? It's a Thing (In This Play) | KQED",
"description": "Edward Albee’s absurdist script transcends its crude premise to ask deeper, probing questions at Shotgun Players.",
"ogTitle": "Sex With a Goat? It's a Thing (In This Play)",
"ogDescription": "‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ at Shotgun Players transcends its crude premise to raise deeper, probing questions.",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "Sex With a Goat? It's a Thing (In This Play)",
"twDescription": "‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ at Shotgun Players transcends its crude premise to raise deeper, probing questions.",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "Sex With a Goat? It's a Thing (In This Play) %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"socialDescription": "Edward Albee’s absurdist script transcends its crude premise to ask deeper, probing questions at Shotgun Players.",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Sex With a Goat? It's a Thing (In This Play)",
"datePublished": "2026-04-01T09:45:44-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-04-07T14:50:53-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"source": "The Do List",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13988127",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13988127/review-the-goat-who-is-sylvia-shotgun-players-berkeley",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1116-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) William Giammona as Martin and Kevin Singer as Ross in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>How does one explain the ability of a fellow human to wake up each day with a burning desire to make sweet, sweet love to a goat?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is just one of the many questions in absurdian master Edward Albee’s highly decorated play \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://shotgunplayers.org/show/goat/\">The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, running through May 3 in a stunning production at Berkeley’s Shotgun Players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Goat\u003c/em> boasts a finalist designation for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Drama along with a 2002 Tony Award for best play, and this production is a marvel under Kevin Clarke’s astute and pensive direction. The subject matter, equal parts disturbing, crude and utterly brilliant, will leave audiences chewing on the play’s themes the way a starved goat consumes weeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988133\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988133\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1289-2-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as Stevie and William Giammona as Martin in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Martin (William Giammona) is a rock star of an architect, the latest winner of the most prestigious commendation of his field, the Pritzker Prize for architecture. With this new and shiny crown comes a stamp of approval on the perfect life he occupies, starting with his house, a chilly stone-walled space that resembles a mausoleum more than a loving household (the brilliant scenic design is by Liliana Duque Piñeiro). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sharing the house are his daintily perfect wife Stevie (Erin Mei-Ling Stuart) and his 17-year-old gay son Billy (Joel Ochoa). In the opening scene, Martin is interviewed in his living room — dotted with perfectly sumptuous vases and a dazzling piano — by his close childhood friend Ross (Kevin Singer) for a television show titled \u003cem>People Who Matter\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That this perfection comes crashing down, in some very literal ways, is not entirely surprising. Yet for all the pinnacles of success Martin has reached, and his living room surrounded by opulence, having sex with an actual goat is his perceived nirvana of pure bliss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988136\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282.jpg\" alt=\"A man ad a woman both dressed in white and cream colors face each other in profile, dramatically, against a black and gray background\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988136\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1282-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) William Giammona as Martin and Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as Stevie in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Martin knows what’s at stake here. His love for Stevie teeters on the brink of extinction. And his promise to stop the affair doesn’t help: “Stopping has nothing to do with how it started!,” Stevie thunders. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The performances here take “visceral” to another level. Giammona’s Martin is a charming oaf whose gait isn’t completely confident. He also seems to not know exactly why his passions have led him toward an animal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mei-Ling Stuart operates on a level that screams command performance. It’s not just her emotional reckoning with a shattered home life; physically, she is a marvel, and brilliant in her most angered and peeved moments, such as her pristine destruction of vases (paired with a fantastic soundscape by designer Matt Stines).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988137\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1361\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988137\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1186-1536x1045.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Erin Mei-Ling Stuart as Stevie in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Stuart also displays phenomenal Meisnerian sensibilities as a listener, pushing her reactions to the most organic of places. Take note of her horror at learning about support groups for those in lust with animals, and her disgust at discovering the man she shares a bed with is a participant. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What just might be the play’s biggest achievement is how funny it is. Albee’s humor is on par with humorists such as Coward, Stoppard and Simon. Hilarious moments underscoring the follies of humanity appear throughout the production, buoyed by the comic timing of the cast, and especially slimeball Ross, who prances all over the stage. Singer delights in these moments of joviality, ultimately imbuing his Ross with a dark side as he sets the plot in motion that ends up ruining Martin and his family. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13988031",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That collateral damage does not spare son Billy in any way. He is 17, but constantly reminded to go to his room or play outside as if he were a small child. Ochoa is a charmer, and his arc leads to a heartbreaking moment that feels straight out of the Greeks, where much of Albee’s script is rooted. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The play’s greatest surprise is saved for the final denouement, which will not be spoiled here. It is a moment jaw-dropping in its scope, thrusting the set into the narrative as its own character. Combined with the play’s brutality in the final horrid tableau, it ends the play with a collection of imagery that sears into the brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988135\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/The_Goat_2026_1346-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joel Ochoa as Billy in Shotgun Players’ production of ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?’ \u003ccite>(Ben Krantz)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the surface, this is a play about bestiality, and a human finding carnal connection with an animal that, while displaying human characteristics, has no capacity for greater yearning. But that’s not all the play is trying to convey. Ultimately, \u003cem>The Goat\u003c/em> is about societal taboos, many of them centered on human sexuality — but who determines those, where is the line, and who has the right to draw that line? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Albee asked profound questions in his work, and was thrilled by the absurdity of life, and the mental destruction of human beings toward each other. What exactly is “normal,” anyway? Do affairs occupy different tiers, based on who the affair is with? Is there such thing as perfection in a family?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legacy of Albee’s masterful text is that there are no easy answers. As \u003cem>The Goat\u003c/em> questions every aspect of human sexuality, it also pierces the heart, and forces profound questions that just might destroy one’s sense of what normal really is. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?’ runs through May 3 at Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage (1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley). \u003ca href=\"https://shotgunplayers.org/show/goat/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13988127/review-the-goat-who-is-sylvia-shotgun-players-berkeley",
"authors": [
"11905"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_22313",
"arts_967"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1270",
"arts_10278",
"arts_769",
"arts_2360",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13988156",
"label": "source_arts_13988127"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/arts?tag=berkeley": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 172,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"arts_13991552",
"arts_13991117",
"arts_13990908",
"arts_13990661",
"arts_13976437",
"arts_13989211",
"arts_13989682",
"arts_13957666",
"arts_13989248",
"arts_13988874",
"arts_13988211",
"arts_13988127"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts_tag_berkeley": {
"isLoading": true
},
"arts_1270": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1270",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1270",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Berkeley",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Berkeley Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1282,
"slug": "berkeley",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/berkeley"
},
"source_arts_13991552": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13991552",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Do List",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13991117": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13991117",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Do List",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13990908": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13990908",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Do List",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13976437": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13976437",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Summer Guide 2026",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13989211": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13989211",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Summer Guide 2026",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13957666": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13957666",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Summer Guide 2026",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13989248": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13989248",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Do List",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13988874": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13988874",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Do List",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13988211": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13988211",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Food",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/food",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13988127": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13988127",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Do List",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/thedolist",
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_140": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_140",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "140",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "The Do List",
"slug": "the-do-list",
"taxonomy": "program",
"description": null,
"featImg": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/The-Do-LIst-logo-2014-horizontal-015.png",
"headData": {
"title": "The Do List Archives | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 141,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/program/the-do-list"
},
"arts_1": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/arts"
},
"arts_22313": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22313",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22313",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "The Do List",
"slug": "the-do-list",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "The Do List | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22325,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/the-do-list"
},
"arts_10278": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10278",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10278",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10290,
"slug": "featured-arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/featured-arts"
},
"arts_1496": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1496",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1496",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Poetry",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Poetry Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1508,
"slug": "poetry",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/poetry"
},
"arts_1146": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1146",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1146",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 701,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/san-francisco"
},
"arts_2672": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2672",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2672",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Youth Speaks",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Youth Speaks Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2684,
"slug": "youth-speaks",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/youth-speaks"
},
"arts_21866": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21866",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21866",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts and Culture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts and Culture Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21878,
"slug": "arts-and-culture",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/arts-and-culture"
},
"arts_21870": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21870",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21870",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Events",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Events Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21882,
"slug": "events",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/events"
},
"arts_967": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_967",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "967",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Theater",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Theater Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 985,
"slug": "theater",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/theater"
},
"arts_1237": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1237",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1237",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Berkeley Rep",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Berkeley Rep Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1249,
"slug": "berkeley-rep",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/berkeley-rep"
},
"arts_13825": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_13825",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13825",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "musicals",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "musicals Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 13837,
"slug": "musicals",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/musicals"
},
"arts_769": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_769",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "769",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "review",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "review Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 787,
"slug": "review",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/review"
},
"arts_16152": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_16152",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "16152",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Asian",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Asian Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16164,
"slug": "south-asian",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/south-asian"
},
"arts_21872": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21872",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21872",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Berkeley",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Berkeley Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21884,
"slug": "berkeley",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/berkeley"
},
"arts_21879": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21879",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21879",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Entertainment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Entertainment Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21891,
"slug": "entertainment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/entertainment"
},
"arts_70": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_70",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "70",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Visual Arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Visual Arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 71,
"slug": "visualarts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/visualarts"
},
"arts_2227": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2227",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2227",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "BAMPFA",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "BAMPFA Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2239,
"slug": "bampfa",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/bampfa"
},
"arts_585": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_585",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "585",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "thedolist",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "thedolist Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 590,
"slug": "thedolist",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/thedolist"
},
"arts_21925": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21925",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21925",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Aurora Theatre",
"slug": "aurora-theatre",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Aurora Theatre | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 21937,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/aurora-theatre"
},
"arts_1072": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1072",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1072",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "theater",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "theater Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1089,
"slug": "theater",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/theater"
},
"arts_235": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_235",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "235",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 236,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/news"
},
"arts_13238": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_13238",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13238",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sports Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 13250,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/sports"
},
"arts_14987": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_14987",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "14987",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Alameda",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Alameda Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 14999,
"slug": "alameda",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/alameda"
},
"arts_16944": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_16944",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "16944",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "amusement parks",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "amusement parks Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16956,
"slug": "amusement-parks",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/amusement-parks"
},
"arts_22483": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22483",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22483",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Bay Area Summer Guide 2025",
"slug": "summer-guide-2025",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": "Browse our 2025 Bay Area summer guides, including:\r\n\u003cul>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975778/summer-concerts-music-festivals-bay-area-san-francisco-napa-oakland\">Concerts and music festivals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976029/summer-movie-guide-2025-film-festivals\">Film festivals and the best movies\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976079/best-plays-musicals-summer-bay-area\">Best plays and musicals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13976229/visual-art-summer-2025-guide-museums-galleries-shows\">Museum and gallery shows\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963258/best-bay-area-night-markets-summer-2025\">Night markets\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n\u003c/ul>\r\nSee below for even more ways to enjoy and enrich your summer.",
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Bay Area Summer Guide 2025 | KQED Arts",
"description": "Browse our 2025 Bay Area summer guides, including: summer concerts and music festivals, film festivals and the best movies, plays and musicals & night markets",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22495,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/summer-guide-2025"
},
"arts_22642": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22642",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22642",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Bay Area Summer Guide 2026",
"slug": "summer-guide-2026",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": "Browse our 2026 Bay Area summer guides, including:\r\n\u003cul>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989330/bay-area-oakland-san-francisco-napa-music-festivals-summer-2026\">Best music festivals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989487/best-plays-musicals-bay-area-oakland-san-francisco-berkeley-2026\">Best plays and musicals\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989193/visual-art-summer-guide-2026-museum-gallery-shows\">Best museum and gallery shows\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n \t\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13989602/free-concerts-bay-area-summer-best\">Best free concerts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\r\n\u003c/ul>\r\nSee below for even more ways to enjoy and enrich your summer.",
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Bay Area Summer Guide 2026 | KQED Arts",
"description": "Find the best concerts, festivals, plays, art exhibits, film screenings and more this summer in the Bay Area.",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22654,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/summer-guide-2026"
},
"arts_1143": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1143",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1143",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 692,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/oakland"
},
"arts_3595": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3595",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3595",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "san rafael",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "san rafael Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3607,
"slug": "san-rafael",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/san-rafael"
},
"arts_3217": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3217",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3217",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sonoma county",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sonoma county Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3229,
"slug": "sonoma-county",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/sonoma-county"
},
"arts_22488": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22488",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22488",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "swimming",
"slug": "swimming",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "swimming | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22500,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/swimming"
},
"arts_21871": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21871",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21871",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "East Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "East Bay Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21883,
"slug": "east-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/east-bay"
},
"arts_21877": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21877",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21877",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21889,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/health"
},
"arts_21873": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21873",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21873",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "North Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "North Bay Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21885,
"slug": "north-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/north-bay"
},
"arts_21860": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21860",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21860",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21872,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/oakland"
},
"arts_21859": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21859",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21859",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21871,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/san-francisco"
},
"arts_21861": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21861",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21861",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21873,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/south-bay"
},
"arts_74": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_74",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "74",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Movies",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Movies Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 75,
"slug": "movies",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/movies"
},
"arts_3465": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3465",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3465",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "movies",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "movies Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3477,
"slug": "movies",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/movies"
},
"arts_3163": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3163",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3163",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Roxie Theater",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Roxie Theater Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3175,
"slug": "roxie-theater",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/roxie-theater"
},
"arts_5305": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_5305",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "5305",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sf jewish film festival",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sf jewish film festival Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5317,
"slug": "sf-jewish-film-festival",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/sf-jewish-film-festival"
},
"arts_22185": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22185",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22185",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "affordability",
"slug": "affordability",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "affordability Archives | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22197,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/affordability"
},
"arts_22040": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22040",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22040",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22052,
"slug": "arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/arts"
},
"arts_1331": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1331",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1331",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bay area",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bay area Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1343,
"slug": "bay-area",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/bay-area"
},
"arts_5016": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_5016",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "5016",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "east oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "east oakland Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5028,
"slug": "east-oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/east-oakland"
},
"arts_10342": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10342",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10342",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "editorspick",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "editorspick Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10354,
"slug": "editorspick",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/editorspick"
},
"arts_22608": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22608",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22608",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "featured-affordability",
"slug": "featured-affordability",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "featured-affordability | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22620,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/featured-affordability"
},
"arts_10422": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10422",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10422",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10434,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/featured-news"
},
"arts_1627": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1627",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1627",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Ghost Ship fire",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Ghost Ship fire Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1639,
"slug": "ghost-ship-fire",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/ghost-ship-fire"
},
"arts_4544": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_4544",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "4544",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4556,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/housing"
},
"arts_1020": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1020",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1020",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Tenderloin",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Tenderloin Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1037,
"slug": "tenderloin",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/tenderloin"
},
"arts_21869": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21869",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21869",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21881,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/housing"
},
"arts_21863": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21863",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21863",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21875,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/news"
},
"arts_12276": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_12276",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "12276",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Explore the Bay Area culinary scene through KQED's food stories, recipes, dining experiences, and stories from the diverse tastemakers that define the Bay's cuisines.",
"title": "Bay Area Food Archives, Articles, News, and Reviews | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 12288,
"slug": "food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/food"
},
"arts_14423": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_14423",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "14423",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "boba",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "boba Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 14435,
"slug": "boba",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/boba"
},
"arts_6902": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_6902",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "6902",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Cupertino",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Cupertino Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6914,
"slug": "cupertino",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/cupertino"
},
"arts_22144": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22144",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22144",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "dessert",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "dessert Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22156,
"slug": "dessert",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/dessert"
},
"arts_1297": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1297",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1297",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "food Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1309,
"slug": "food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/food"
},
"arts_1084": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1084",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1084",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Jose",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Jose Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1101,
"slug": "san-jose",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/san-jose"
},
"arts_21865": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21865",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21865",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Food and Drink",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Food and Drink Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21877,
"slug": "food-and-drink",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/food-and-drink"
},
"arts_73": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_73",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "73",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Books",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Books Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 74,
"slug": "literature",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/literature"
},
"arts_7446": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_7446",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "7446",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "book review",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "Bay Area's Literary Lens: KQED Unpacks Top Reads & Hidden Gems",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Bay Area's literary scene comes alive on KQED! Dive into reviews of local authors, uncover regional voices, and explore themes that resonate with the Bay Area.",
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index",
"title": "Bay Area's Literary Lens: KQED Unpacks Top Reads & Hidden Gems",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 7458,
"slug": "book-review",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/book-review"
},
"arts_3652": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3652",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3652",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "racism",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "racism Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3664,
"slug": "racism",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/racism"
},
"arts_69": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_69",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "69",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Music",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Music Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 70,
"slug": "music",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/music"
},
"arts_2435": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2435",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2435",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Cal Performances",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Cal Performances Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2447,
"slug": "cal-performances",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/cal-performances"
},
"arts_1312": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1312",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1312",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "classical music",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "From Symphony Hall to Hidden Gems: Bay Area's Classical Music Stories",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Immerse yourself in the Bay Area's rich classical music world! KQED brings you news, educational resources, and event listings.",
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index",
"title": "From Symphony Hall to Hidden Gems: Bay Area's Classical Music Stories",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1324,
"slug": "classical-music",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/classical-music"
},
"arts_2880": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2880",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2880",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Zellerbach Hall",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Zellerbach Hall Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2892,
"slug": "zellerbach-hall",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/zellerbach-hall"
},
"arts_2360": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2360",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2360",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Shotgun Players",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "Experience Raw & Daring Theatre: Shotgun Players, Berkeley's Gem",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Dive into the electrifying world of Shotgun Players, Berkeley's acclaimed theatre company. Discover immersive productions & intimate experiences.",
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index",
"title": "Experience Raw & Daring Theatre: Shotgun Players, Berkeley's Gem",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2372,
"slug": "shotgun-players",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/shotgun-players"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
