Young Artists Portrait Show
April 25th – May 22nd 2026
Opening reception: Saturday April 25th, 4:00 – 6:00 PM
An exhibit of portraits created by young artists including students from Skyline International HS and Madison Park Academy HS.
Tag: Teen
Saturday, April 25th 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Join us for Create & Protest, a FREE hands-on workshop where art meets activism. This all-ages gathering is a chance to raise your voice, stand up for immigrant rights and free speech, and connect with others through the power of art.
We’re protesting mass deportations and standing in solidarity with immigrant communities—and we’re doing it with bold visuals, loud messages, and collective energy.
WHAT’S HAPPENING:
- Live printmaking with a professional artist! Bring your own T-shirts or tote bags, or make a poster—we’ll have paper and ink ready to go.
- DIY protest station and zine making with all the materials you need: poster board, cardboard, paint, markers, and more.
- Community connection: Meet others, share your story, amplify your message.
Whether you come with a message in mind or just want to create in solidarity, everyone is welcome. Youth are especially welcome to join to create posters for May Day!
Date: Saturday, April 26th
Time: 12pm – 3pm
Location: 558 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, CA (Lake Merritt)
Cost: Free!
Open to all ages – families, teens, and first-time protesters encouraged.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
See our other Saturdays at the Lab workshops
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@eastbaycreativelab.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
Missed out on this workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!
Saturday, April 11th from 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Get to know your wild neighbors — the winged ones!
In this hands-on class, we’ll explore the fascinating birds of Lake Merritt and Oakland, from elegant egrets to bold black cormorants and busy little songbirds. A local naturalist will introduce us to who’s who in our local ecosystem — how they move, what makes their feathers unique, the patterns they wear, and the quirky behaviors that make each species special.
Then we’ll bring them to life on paper.
Using pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, and charcoal, students will experiment with different techniques to capture gesture, texture, pattern, and personality. We’ll practice quick observational sketches, study feather details, and create finished illustrations inspired by what we learn.
This class is all about sharpening your eye, loosening up your hand, and deepening your connection to the natural world right outside your door. Perfect for curious teens and adults who love art, nature, or both.
All skill levels welcome — just bring your curiosity!
$20 – $40 sliding scale
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
You can indicate any accommodation needs or concerns when registering your child under the “Special Instructions about my child” section. You can also reach out directly at contact@juniorcenter.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
Saturday, March 14th from 1-4pm
Teens & Adult clothing only please
Join us for a creative, community-centered clothing swap and upcycling workshop. Bring gently used clothing to trade, then transform your “new” finds into one-of-a-kind pieces at our block printing station.
Why We Swap
The fashion industry is responsible for roughly 8–10% of global carbon emissions, and the average American discards over 81 pounds of clothing every year. This event is a small but powerful way to rethink fashion, keep textiles out of landfills, and give clothing a second life through art.
All items not swapped will be donated to Serenity House in Oakland, supporting our local neighbors.
The Printing Station: Give Your Finds a New Look
Never tried block printing? Think of it as creating big, custom rubber stamps, so you can create your own patterns and decorations on your new clothes. We will provide specialized fabric ink and everything you need to customize your clothes:
- Ready-to-Use: Choose from a collection of beautiful designs hand-carved by our Teaching Artists.
- DIY Stamps: We’ll provide “soft-cut” linoleum blocks and carving tools so you can sketch and cut your own custom design to keep.
- The Process: You’ll roll ink onto the raised surface of the block and press it firmly onto your fabric to create a permanent, wearable piece of art.
Details
- Free to Swap, Suggested Donation for Printing: $10–$40 helps cover ink, carving blocks, and workshop supplies for those partipcating in block printing
- What to Bring: Gently used teen/adult clothes (no kids clothes please) to swap and a sense of curiosity!
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
You can indicate any accommodation needs or concerns when registering your child under the “Special Instructions about my child” section. You can also reach out directly at contact@juniorcenter.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
A suggested donation of $10 – $40 helps cover materials and supplies. You can donate online or in person via Venmo, PayPal, or cash.
We are happy to announce that the Junior Center of Art and Science will be participating in Creek to Bay Day this year!
Creek to Bay Day is a day of watershed cleanups, education, and commitment to practices to keep our city and water clean, from creek, to bay, and beyond! Be part of a citywide day of action as we roll up our sleeves to clean and green Oakland’s creeks, shorelines, parks, and neighborhoods.
We’ll gather at 10:00 AM on Saturday, Sept 20th at our center (558 Bellevue Ave.). We’ll work alongside our neighbors at the Rotary Nature Center to restore our shared outdoor spaces and Lake Merritt’s shoreline. Projects include trash removal, habitat restoration, and beautification.
The 30th annual Oakland Creek to Bay Day is part of California and International Coastal Cleanup Day. By participating, you’ll not only make a positive impact on our community but also help protect our creeks, bay, ocean, and beaches.
Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@juniorenter.org
Participants will combine poetry and drawing to create their own handmade books. We’ll explore simple bookbinding techniques, using stitching and folding to assemble personalized booklets to be filled with memories. Books will include drawings and free-verse poetry. The drawings will have a focus on linework, emphasizing confidence of line and contour drawing. There will be creative writing exercises focused on sensory descriptions of familiar spaces. The focus is on creative expression and blending words with visual art in a fun, low-pressure environment. This workshop is specifically for teenagers.
A Home After All Workshop
This community workshop is part of our Home After All gallery exhibit. Learn more about Home After All.
Meet the Artist
Gracianne Kirsch is an Oakland-based queer and trans artist working in the mediums of painting, drawing, poetry, and video. Kirsch received their BA in Art Practice and Social Welfare at University of California Berkeley in 2022, and their MFA in Art Studio from University of California Davis in 2024.
Kirsch’s work has been shown at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Basement Gallery at UC Davis, Pence Gallery, and Worth Ryder Gallery. Kirsch will be featured in an upcoming show at 120710 Art Space.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
See our other Saturdays at the Lab workshops
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
You can indicate any accommodation needs or concerns when registering your child under the “Special Instructions about my child” section. You can also reach out directly at contact@juniorcenter.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
Missed out on this workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!
Get ready to let your voice shine through art! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll design and create your very own 11” x 18” poster using text, paint, and collage techniques. We’ll start by chatting about powerful phrases that speak to you, something that inspires you, makes you laugh, or just feels you. Then, we’ll dive into mixing words with images, experimenting with bold designs, layered textures, and eye-catching layouts. Whether you want your message front and center or hidden in the background, this is your chance to turn your thoughts into art and take home a piece that’s your vibe.
This is a free teen workshop!
A Queer R&R Workshop
This community workshop is part of our Queer R&R Resistance & Resilience gallery exhibit. Learn more about Queer R&R.
Meet the Artist
Jose L. Iniguez is an artist from California’s Central Valley, based in Oakland. His work explores the themes of identity, queerness, cultural displacement, mysticism, and pop culture. While his background is in ceramics, Jose works across different mediums and approaches to tell stories that feel both personal and collective. His art often reflects on what it means to belong, especially when identity is shaped by memory, movement, and adaptation. Using tactile processes and found materials, Jose creates pieces that invite reflection and connection about the complexity of the human experience.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
See our other Saturdays at the Lab workshops
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
You can indicate any accommodation needs or concerns when registering your child under the “Special Instructions about my child” section. You can also reach out directly at contact@juniorcenter.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
Missed out on this workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!
Tend : Share : Grow is an open dialogue forum with the Sprout & Bloom artists: Lana Williams, Alex Arzt, and Sigrid Hubbell. Come join these artists as they talk “shop” about plants, flowers, shrubs, trees, and all the many forms of gardening care that are a part of their art practice, and daily life. Patrons are welcomed and encouraged to share their knowledge and experience with plants and gardening.
The Sprout & Bloom exhibition is on view now until May 23.
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. Our gallery space is curated to connect professional artists with our local creative community. Our exhibits showcase local, emerging artists and include hands-on community workshops—because art is meant to be experienced, not just observed. Your participation directly empowers emerging artists and makes inspiring exhibitions and programs possible for all.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@eastbaycreativelab.org
Join us for Create & Protest, a FREE hands-on workshop where art meets activism. This all-ages gathering is a chance to raise your voice, stand up for immigrant rights and free speech, and connect with others through the power of art.
We’re protesting mass deportations and standing in solidarity with immigrant communities—and we’re doing it with bold visuals, loud messages, and collective energy.
🎨 What’s Happening:
- Live screen printing with a professional artist!
Bring your own T-shirts or tote bags, or make a poster—we’ll have paper and ink ready to go. - DIY protest station with all the materials you need: poster board, cardboard, paint, markers, and more.
- Community connection: Meet others, share your story, amplify your message.
Whether you come with a message in mind or just want to create in solidarity, everyone is welcome. Youth are especially welcome to join to create posters for May Day!
Date: Saturday, April 26th
Time: 12pm – 3pm
Location: 558 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, CA (Lake Merritt)
Cost: Free!
Open to all ages – families, teens, and first-time protesters encouraged.
Meet the Artist
Yael Levy is a mixed media artist, storyteller, printmaker and art teacher based in Berkeley, CA. She believes the creative process to be its own reward and the act of making an incredible tool for healing and growing.
About Saturdays at the Lab
Saturdays at the Lab is a unique series of weekend art workshops connecting professional artists with our local community. Designed to foster creativity and collaboration, these hands-on sessions welcome participants of all skill levels to explore new techniques, exchange ideas, and experience the transformative power of art.
See our other Saturdays at the Lab workshops
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@eastbaycreativelab.org
The Junior Center of Art and Science (JCAS) is a 501c nonprofit dedicated to cultivating curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences. By blending creativity with experiential learning, we inspire big ideas and illuminate the everyday connections between art and science.
Your participation in these events not only nurtures your own creative potential but also supports our mission to provide equitable access to art and science programs for youth and families across Oakland and the greater East Bay Area. Learn more about us.
Missed out on this workshop? Join our mailing list to stay in the loop about SATURDAYS at the LAB!
Join us for a presentation of PROJECT UTER, a huge collaborative drawing on the struggle for reproductive justice by Tonina Matamalas and Carles Garcia O’Dowd, a sister project of the Beehive Design Collective.
The gigantic portable mural will be on display from Feb 19 – Feb 22 11 – 5pm, culminating in a presentation on Saturday, Feb 22 from 4-6pm, before it heads off to another stop. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!!
From Carles:
This project took almost two years to make, it maps out the complexities and forces that operate when it comes to deciding over our own bodies. It started amidst huge protests in Spain for the right to access safe abortions. We interviewed people about the issue and slowly crafted a mind map that was then translated to drawings. Each scene represents a “small” picture, and interconnects with every other scene to give us the “big picture “. We have been giving oral storytelling presentations with it around the world ever since. This project was a huge learning experience and one I’m deeply proud of.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
We’re committed to making all programs at the Junior Center of Art and Science accessible and inclusive. Our spaces are wheelchair-friendly, and we welcome learners of all abilities and learning styles. If you or your child need accommodations, please let us know—we’re happy to help! Read our Accessibility Statement here.
If you have any accommodation needs or concerns, reach out directly at contact@eastbaycreativelab.org