Multimedia artist Sadie Barnette welcomes us into her West Oakland studio. Marvel at her candy painted speaker boxes, watch along as she works on one of her signature graphite drawings, and take a peek at what a professional artist’s sticker collection looks like.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Videographer: Chris Tipton-King / Sound Recorder: Javier Briones / Editor: Shannon Morzov
Oakland-born-and-raised artist Sadie Barnette is a witness; eyes open, capturing moments, producing language, and opening dialogues between Black pasts, present, and futures. Watch Barnette as she meticulously bejewels her photo mural, and bask in the magical, fly, familial, fuchsia world she creates.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Videographer: Chris Tipton-King / Sound Recorder: Javier Briones / Editor: Sarah Altschuler / Music: ASTU
Photo Credits: Courtesy Sadie Barnette / Courtesy Sadie Barnette and Jessica Silverman, San Francisco / Courtesy Sadie Barnette and Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College and Pitzer College Art Galleries, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA
Oakland-based abstract artist David Huffman takes us on a trip down memory lane, thoughtfully mapping out how basketball hoops, new wave science fiction, “Free Huey Newton” flags, progressive soul, and pyramids coalesce into the language of his work today. Huffman shares the meaning behind his piece, Double Jump — a stunning SFMOMA collection work which surfaces themes of activism, self-liberation, and Black identity, using basketball as a storytelling vessel.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
Image and Archival Media Credits: African American Museum and Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library / Kenneth P. Green Sr. / Stephen Shames/Polaris
Travel through space and time to the warmth of blackness with abstract artist David Huffman. Huffman offers insight on the “Traumanauts” that appear in his works, as in the SFMOMA collection piece The Black Hole and a Traumanaut's Uncertain Journey.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
Credit Line: Shaun Roberts / Phillip Maisel / David Huffman / Jessica Silverman, San Francisco
Bay Area artist David Huffman gives a tour of his West Oakland studio, revealing the eclectic collection of fabrics, images, and materials that go into his vibrant, Afrofuturistic multimedia works. With an impressive CD collection and lots of glitter, the Traumanaut is ready to world build.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
Seattle Nail Artist Peka Grayson creates masterpieces on a fingernail while blazing trails for Black women in a fast growing industry.
This film was made by an all Black woman cast and crew over the course of two months as a part of the 2018 SIFF Fly Filmmaking Challenge. #supportblackwomen - 2018 Seattle International Film Festival Premiere -
Videographer/Producer/Interviewer/Editor: Myisa Plancq-Graham
Artist Emory Douglas recalls his early years in the Bay Area, leading us on the journey that resulted in his appointment as Minister of Culture and Revolutionary Artist of the Black Panther Party. Footage and photos from the rich archives of the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and the San Francisco Public Library further illustrate the local history shared by Douglas in this video.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
Archival Media Courtesy Of:
African American Museum and Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library / Alan J. Canterbury / California Newsreel, Pacific Film Archive Film and Video Collection / Center for Sacramento History, KCRA TV and KOVR TV Film Collection / San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library / SFMTA Photo Archive, California Revealed / Stephen Shames
Music: Contains a sample of Oct. 31st by Lilblackkids (Georgia Anne Muldrow & Keith Rice), courtesy of Epistrophik Peach Sound
Emory Douglas discusses the ideology behind his mural REPARATIONS, and reflects on how his experiences growing up in civil rights–era San Francisco informed his personal politics and perspective as an artist.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
Archival Materials Courtesy Of: African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library / KQED Inc. / Stephen Shames
Las Muralistas: Our Walls, Our Stories is a 30-minute documentary directed by Javier Briones and edited by Claudia Escobar, in partnership with SFMOMA. The film features women muralists whose works cover the walls of San Francisco’s Mission District. The muralism movement that emerged in the 1970s in the Mission District marked the beginning of a tradition of activism, expression, and community building through public art. Hear from artists Juana Alicia, Smokie Arce, Susan Cervantes, Elaine Chu, Priya Handa, Yolanda López, Consuelo Méndez, Irene Pérez, Patricia Rodriguez, and more on their experiences, the impact of femmes in the movement, and the effort to make space for future muralistas.
This film was produced as part of Proyecto Mission Murals, a digital publication which examines the origins of the community mural movement in San Francisco’s Mission District from 1972 to 1988. The project was created in collaboration with Mission District community partners, and includes documentation of murals, oral histories, an audio zine, essays, a mural map, and new artists biographies.
Producers: Myisa Plancq-Graham & Erica Gangsei / Director: Javier Briones / Consulting Producer: Camilo Garzón
In 2015, Jesce Horton co-founded the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), the first non-profit organization to serve the specific needs of minority cannabis entrepreneurs.
With the help of Portland-based physician and cannabis specialist, Dr. Rachel Knox, MCBA has now expanded to include members in over 35 states, USVI, and Canada.
In this story, Jesce, Dr. Knox, GRAMMY award winning musician Killer Mike, and cannabis activist Nikki Coleman share truths about the billion dollar cannabis industry.
Videographer/Producer/Interviewer/Editor: Myisa Plancq-Graham
Music: Ryan Little
Explore San Francisco Chinatown with photographer Reagan Louie. His notable work captures China throughout the decades, but the beginning of his journey started right here in this historic local neighborhood. Listen as he shares how grief transformed his artistic practice to center community and joy.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Videographer: Chris Tipton-King / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
Music by local artists Yi Fang and Oddity.
San Francisco–based photographer Reagan Louie shares photos and stories chronicling his early childhood, family, and travels to China from the 1980s through today. Watch along as Louie puts the one thousand words his photographs elicit in order, weaving the narrative of his journey documenting evolution, revolution, culture, and identity.
Producer/Interviewer: Myisa Plancq-Graham / Videographer: Chris Tipton-King / Editor: Sarah Altschuler
"AMORA" tells the story of Dominic, a 30-year old performer who competes as “Amora Dior Black” (@amordiorblack).
In May of 2016, UNCODE sat down with Dominic to learn his pre-performance rituals, discover his initial inspiration for performing, his struggles as a gay, black man of Southern Baptist faith, and his commitment to the local LGBTQ community.
Videographer/Producer/Interviewer/Editor: Myisa Plancq-Graham
UNCODE's "Moods" was created as a means to provide calming, meditative sights and sounds for you to enjoy. Meant to be viewed in a quiet setting or with headphones, "Moods" aims to offer visual content that boosts mental wellness and stress reduction.
UNCODE's "Moods" was created as a means to provide calming, meditative sights and sounds for you to enjoy. Meant to be viewed in a quiet setting or with headphones, "Moods" aims to offer visual content that boosts mental wellness and stress reduction.
Watch. Breathe. De-stress.
An open voicemail line for Black people. Speak freely.
A Denver caller wants to be somebody's Michelle, OK?
A caller from New Orleans likes to dance.
A caller from Seattle shares her thoughts on Jordan Peele's "Get Out".
A caller from Oakland shares their thoughts on the importance of using your voice.