OPEN CENTER: A Participatory Gathering - Memory & Storytelling

Join us for a community gathering to share memories and stories of people and places we miss, and that no longer exist.

In April, the Berkeley Art Center will launch the Open Center, expanding how we use our space beyond traditional gallery exhibitions. The Open Center will serve as a hub where ideas, artists, and community intersect, offering opportunities for interdisciplinary, intercultural, and inter-philosophical dialogue, reflection, and activation.

OPEN CENTER: A Participatory Gathering- Memory & Storytelling

Join us for a participatory gathering that invites reflection on the impact of war through memory and storytelling. Please bring an image of a place that holds personal meaning, such as a historical monument, a landscape, or an intimate room connected to memory and belonging. We will share stories of places we miss, places that may have been lost to war, and memories tied to people and spaces that no longer exist. Traditional Persian dishes, ash and shole zard, will be prepared and served to nurture a sense of hospitality, care, and collective reflection. Facilitated by Minoosh Zomorodinia.

RSVP recommended but not required. Thank you!

Free and open to all.

Sliding-scale fee and Donations are welcome.*

Suggested donation $10-$25. Let’s envision the arts ecosystem together, where art and community flourish side by side. Your support matters!

This community event is part of Berkeley Art Center's new initiative, Open Center: Artists & Community, and features programming selected through an open call to support community-engaged art and dialogue.