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The best the Bay Area has to offer, from the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture.

Critics’ PicksCritics’ Picks

The ‘First Lady’ of Iranian Film to Speak in Berkeley

Emory Douglas on His Iconic Black Panther Art, 60 Years Later

A young woman in a blue outfit and choker necklace waves to a crowd.

Alysa Liu’s Homecoming Party in Oakland Is All Set: What to Know

The view from the stage at a large outside gathering of sports fans.

Fans Fest 2026 Celebrates Oakland Sports of All Sorts

A woman in a black wardrobe holds a microphone and looks slightly upward and to the right, while a pianist plays in the background.

She’s Restoring Native American Jazz History — and Creating Her Own

An early 20th century portrait of a Chinese woman wearing a long formal coat and a black hat.

Chinatown Street to Be Named for Rescuer of Trafficked Girls

Clockwise from top left: The Seed of the Sacred Fig, For The Sun After Long Nights, Cutting Through Rocks, It Was Just an Accident, Martyr!, and Kayhan Kalhor.

A Glimpse of Iran, Through the Eyes of its Artists and Journalists

Overhead drone photo of a crowded festival at night.

Suhoor Fest Shows Off the Bay’s Massive Variety of Halal Cuisines — Until 4 a.m.

Charli XCX, Rüfüs Du Sol and the Strokes Will Headline Outside Lands 2026

Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ Gets a Hometown Premiere at SFFILM Festival

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