Arts and Culture

A popular San Francisco block party returns tonight for a much anticipated encore. Last month, 20,000 people turned out for the debut of Downtown First Thursdays in San Francisco's SOMA neighborhood; featuring a live DJ set by Aluna, an outdoor art gallery and food vendors filling 2nd Street between Market and Folsom. It's all part of an effort to breathe life back into parts of the city still struggling to recover from the pandemic and tonight the June block party kicks off with an emphasis on Pride. KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with Manny Yekutiel, co-founder of the Civic Joy Fund, the organization funding and co-presenting Downtown First Thursdays, about what we can expect tonight.

A Burlingame high school senior won first place for her artwork as a part of the congressional art competition. The piece focuses on raising awareness about gun violence in America. The winner was selected by Rep. Kevin Mullin from California's 15th district and the teen's art will be displayed in Washington, D.C. at the Capitol building. For more on her work, KTVU's Crystal Bailey is joined live in the studio by Lauren Cheng.

As AAPI Heritage Month wraps up and Pride Month begins, this week is an intersection of the two. It is known as Queer and Transgender Asian Pacific Islander Week, or QTAPI Week. In 2021, San Francisco became the first city in the country to officially celebrate the week with a resolution passed by city supervisors. It designates the week as a time of celebration and recognition. KTVU's Claudine Wong is joined by Nguyen Pham, President of San Francisco Pride for more on what the week means to both the queer and AAPI communities.

Next month, The Summer of Music free concert series returns to San Francisco for its second year. The event is organized by the non-profit Civic Joy Fund and music promoter Noise Pop Industries. This summer, hundreds of live performances will happen on street corners and inside businesses and stores across various neighborhoods. Right now, organizers are still accepting applications from local musicians and businesses that want to take part. KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Manny Yekutiel, Executive Director of the Civic Joy Fund and Michelle Swing, CEO of Noise Pop Industries for more on this year's plans.

This week, the San Francisco Public Library is hosting its first free Genealogical and Family History Conferenced aimed at giving people the tools to discover where they came from and who they are related to. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined by Daniel Matsumoto, Electronic Resources Specialist at the San Francisco Public Library for more on the special event.

Two years after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we are seeing the toll the conflict continues to have on the children caught in the violence. Dozens of colorful drawings and paintings are on display right now at San Jose State University. The Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Library is home to artworks created by children displayed by the war in Ukraine in a new exhibit called "Children Draw War, Not Flowers." KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the artwork with Dr. Ulia Gosart, organizer of the exhibit and Assistant Professor at San Jose State University's School of Information.

It's Black Restaurant Week in the Bay Area; a celebration showcasing and supporting Black-owned eateries, food trucks and catering businesses. The organizers behind BRW offer local businesses a boost with marketing and social media strategies designed to bring in more customers year round. KTVU's Alex Savidge discusses the some of the goals and focuses of this year's event with Black Restaurant Week Managing Partner, Falayn Ferrell.

KTVU's Frank Mallicoat is joined live in studio by Dmitry Milkin, local director, filmmaker and photographer who was just awarded "Best Writer" at the prestigious Denver Seriesfest for his movie "Good Guy with a Pun".

This weekend, raise a toast to the arts and help raise money for the NIAD art center in Richmond. You can bid on museum-quality pieces by some of the center's 70 artists with disabilities; it's all part of NIAD's Annual Auction and Fundraiser. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined live in-studio by Amanda Eicher, Executive Director at NIAD and artist Halisi Noel-Johnson, whose pieces are featured in this weekend's benefit.

This Saturday, enjoy Napa wine and support local artists at the 12th annual Art, Sip & Stroll 2024 in Yountville. KTVU's Heather Holmes chats with Ronda Schaer, Yountville Arts Commission Chair about all of the fun at this weekend's event.

KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with NIAD artists Deatra Colbert, Felicia Griffin and NIAD Studio Director Liam Golden about the upcoming 12th annual Win Win Fundraiser next month at the Bridge Art Space.

A new classical music composition program has changed the lives of a number of inmates serving time at a Bay Area jail. They recently gathered to listen to performances of pieces they composed themselves, after completing their classes at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility. KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with retired Correctional Lieutenant Liana Whisler and Program Manager Sergeant Jennifer Aicega about how the class came about and what it aims to accomplish.

A new exhibit at San Jose State University's King Library highlights the historical and cultural contributions of South Asian communities in the Bay Area. "South Asians in Silicon Valley" features the stories of communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, focusing on food, religion, activism and the game of cricket. KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with Mantra Roy, Collection Strategy Librarian and Curator of the exhibit about all it has to offer.