Artists vs. art students in Oakland
Mayor wants to use all of Alice Arts Center for arts charter school

Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff Writer

Artists in Oakland are once again confronting eviction fears, although their enemies are no longer dot-commers but art students.

In what is shaping up to be a bizarre and bitter battle, arts groups and residents at the downtown Alice Arts Center are fighting to keep their longtime home from being taken over by a new arts charter school.

Alice Arts Center gets good news
By Cecily Burt, STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- An Oakland City Council committee threw its weight behind the Alice Arts Center performing arts groups and residents Tuesday, but it seems Mayor Jerry Brown has already given up on using the facility for his arts school.
Oakland Museum Director Dennis Power told about 100 Alice Arts teachers, students, residents and supporters that repairs were being made to showers used by residents in 74 small rooms on the building's upper floors. The nonfunctioning kitchen is being relocated to the sixth floor in about two weeks -- complete with stove, Power added.

And, he said the mayor's charter School of the Arts will relocate by fall 2004 or not accept any more students at Alice Arts.

Oakland backs away from evicting artists
Charter school won't take over Alice center

Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff Writer

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown has dropped plans to evict artists from the popular downtown Alice Arts Center to make room for the expansion of his arts charter school.

While Brown had been exploring other options in recent weeks, his staff confirmed Wednesday that the downtown arts center was no longer being considered.

"The Alice is off the table for the expansion of the Oakland School for the Arts," Brown spokeswoman Erica Harrold said Wednesday. Brown has said he would like to renovate part of the long-shuttered Fox Theater near City Hall for the school.

Alice Arts Center -- a place of vibrancy, activism
Oakland City Council to get resolution about use of facility

SF Chronicle Staff Report

Oakland -- Founded in 1987, Oakland's Alice Arts Center now brings African and African American music and dance to 50,000 people a year, according to city officials, but, recently, its future seemed in doubt. <a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/07/11/EB76769.DTL target=_blank>more</a>

Arts center residents settle meals claims

Henry K. Lee

A dozen residents of Oakland's downtown Alice Arts Center have settled their small-claims cases that sought reimbursement for dining out because the center had been without a stove for 18 months.

Arts center's new moniker a tribute to dancer

Council OKs Alice change for Malonga Casquelourd, beloved promoter of African culture

By Heather MacDonald, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- The Alice Arts Center is now the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, honoring the Oakland drummer and dancer who dedicated his life to promoting African culture in the East Bay.

Arts center renaming ceremony scheduled

Jim Herron Zamora
Wednesday, June 16, 2004



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City officials will gather Sunday to rename the Alice Art Center after a slain Congolese dancer and drummer who helped spread African culture in the East Bay.