KQED Arts & Culture

As the year 2023 marks what’s widely accepted as the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, it’s time to give the Bay its shine. That’s why KQED is spending the whole year chronicling this culture, piece by piece, before it dissipates. Tap in. bayareahiphop.com

Charlotte rapper MAVI and Oakland lyricist and producer Ovrkast. recently teamed up on the new track “MAVKAST!,” and its music video dropped today. On Saturday, the two artists will headline a benefit concert hosted by Jerusalem Coffee House. kqed.org/arts/13979134/…

Fox Nakai's new documentary, ‘Earth Seed,’ follows People’s Kitchen Collective on a journey across California to learn from intentional communities — inspired by Octavia Butler's ‘Parable of the Sower.’ It screens in Berkeley this weekend: kqed.org/arts/13979158/…

Staff at Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County have removed signage that spotlighted Indigenous history, women’s contributions to the park and instances of racism in the space’s history — following an executive order from President Donald Trump. kqed.org/news/12049405/…

Joan Baez, who said goodbye to touring with her “Fare Thee Well” tour in 2019, has a new act planned for her retirement: joining the circus. kqed.org/arts/13979104/…

Beginning Tuesday, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency is rolling out three Grateful Dead-inspired Muni vehicles, wrapped in fluorescent florals and psychedelic-inspired graphics, ready to transport riders back to the Summer of Love. kqed.org/news/12049174/…

The lineup for the 2025 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is slowly trickling out. Playing at the free festival in Golden Gate Park this year are Lucinda Williams, Samara Joy and Courtney Barnett. More: kqed.org/arts/13979075/…

Morgan Freeman, one of the country’s finest and most celebrated actors, finds himself his new role: a blues ambassador. His latest production, combining the sound of the South with a symphony orchestra, takes place at SF Symphony this Friday: kqed.org/arts/13978981/…

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which oversees the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor, announced on Friday the layoffs of 12 staff members. kqed.org/arts/13979037/…

The singer who influenced generations of metal bands died just weeks after his farewell show. kqed.org/arts/13979052/…

The actor best known for ‘The Cosby Show’ died while swimming in Costa Rica, authorities said. kqed.org/arts/13978984/…

BREAKING — Oasis, which became a top destination for drag performances and queer entertainment in San Francisco when D’Arcy Drollinger and Heklina opened it in 2015, will shut its doors for good on Jan. 1, 2026 due to financial strain. kqed.org/arts/13978983/…

A couple embarrassed to be caught cuddling on the big screen at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts sent the internet into a frenzy. It's not the first time kiss cams have caused mishaps at stadium events. kqed.org/arts/13978973/…

Amid dire circumstances for local theater companies, 11 directors, playwrights and actors working in the Bay Area offer a remedy. kqed.org/arts/13978734/…

Nine philanthropic foundations have joined forces to fill a funding gap created by mid-year budget cuts to Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Division. The $600,000 emergency fund will support 24 local arts and culture organizations and their summer programming. kqed.org/arts/13978857/…

A fresh generation of East African entrepreneurs are taking over family-owned businesses and infusing new perspectives into the Bay Area's new wave of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants. kqed.org/arts/13978846/…

‘Hereditary’ and ‘Midsommar’ director Ari Aster takes on contemporary America in ‘Eddington.’ kqed.org/arts/13978944/…

Russell City, West Oakland and other sites of erasure and resilience inspire this probing show at the Oakland Museum of California. It is on view through March 2026. Our review: kqed.org/arts/13978938/…

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has unexpectedly reinstated a portion of funding to nonprofits and state humanities councils after millions of dollars in previously awarded grants were canceled on April 3. kqed.org/arts/13978922/…

The day-long festival’s primary draw is the musical lineup, with San Francisco hip-hop icons like Mix Master Mike, San Quinn, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and RBL Posse alongside up-and-comers like Paris Nights and Seiji Oda from across the Bay Bridge. kqed.org/arts/13978895/…

Stray cat populations are surging across the Bay Area as rescue groups struggle to keep up. KQED Arts reporter Rae Alexandra is pitching in — and so can you. kqed.org/arts/13978816/…