Certificates
Contributors shared their places where the feel or have felt belonging. Twenty-five of the places were commemorated with certificates installed in situ.
Some of these commemorated places are open to the public, and I encourage you to visit them.
3.9 Art Collective
Noe Valley, San Francisco. 3.9 is a collective of Black artists in San Francisco. Nominated by Rodney Ewing.
3.9 Art Collective founder William Rhodes installed the certificate next to artworks by himself and others in his studio in Noe Valley.
Aquatic Park Cove
Jefferson Street (near Fisherman’s Wharf), San Francisco. Nominated by Sidonie Roddam.
The certificate of belonging at South End Rowing Club at 500 Jefferson Street in San Francisco. The South End Rowing Club and Dolphin Swim & Boat Club are neighboring clubs on Aquatic Park Cove, and are open to the public on alternating days.
Women of the Resistance Mural Unveiling in Balmy Alley
Balmy Alley, Mission District, San Francisco. Nominated by Elizabeth Travelslight.
The Women of the Resistance mural is a tribute to 40 women leading social justice movements by Lucía Gonzalez Ippolito, in collaboration with the San Francisco Poster Syndicate and supporting artists Fernanda Parker, Adriana Addams, Yasmin Madriz, and Sonia Molina.
The certificate of belonging is installed inside the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center at 2981 24th Street in San Francisco.
The Bay Area
415/510. Nominated by Steven Barich.
Since this certificate commemorates the Bay Area as a whole, it will be not be permanently installed anywhere, and will be exhibited with the project in the Bay Area.
Home of Zheng Fang / 方政夫生的家
Fremont. Zheng Fang is the chairman of the China Democracy Party in the Bay Area. Nominated by Aiyu Xing.
The certificate of belonging is displayed in Zheng Fang’s home alongside other recognitions of his human rights and pro-democracy activism.
Joe Henderson Elementary
650 Hastings Drive, Benicia. Nominated by Lordy Rodriguez.
The certificate is installed in the administrative office.
Kala Art Institute
1060 Heinz Street, Berkeley. Nominated by Mary V. Marsh.
The certificate is installed in Kala’s studio. (I also screen-printed the bandannas and letterpress-printed and hand-lettered the certificates at Kala Art Institute.)
La Cheim Behavioral Health Services
3031 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland. Nominated by Basil.
The certificate of belonging is installed in La Cheim’s reception area, above a portrait of Dr. Maya Angelou. Coincidentally, The Beat Within writing prompt included a quote on belonging by Dr. Angelou.
MedShare
2937 Alvarado Street, San Leandro. MedShare is a humanitarian aid organization that sources and delivers surplus medical supplies and equipment to communities in need around the world. Nominated by Eric Talbert.
The certificate was presented to volunteers and installed in their break room. Photo: Shana Heede Hassol.
Mission Branch Library
300 Bartlett Street, San Francisco. Nominated by an anonymous contributor.
At the Mission Branch Library, the certificate was displayed on a shelf, to be installed permanently after a renovation in 2020.
NIAD
551 23rd Street, Richmond. Nominated by Angela, Christian, Matthew, Becca, Ann.
The artists collectively decided to install the certificate in their studio at NIAD.
North Beach
San Francisco. Nominated by Termeh Yeghiazarian.
The certificate of belonging is located next to historical artifacts from the neighborhood at Tel Hi Neighborhood Center, 660 Lombard Street, San Francisco.
Oakland Chinatown
Nominated by Tracy Lam-Hine.
The certificate with a dan tat (egg tart) displayed at Alice Street Bakery Café at 251 Tenth Street in Oakland.
Planet Granite
100 El Camino Real, Belmont. Nominated by Ashley Kwan.
ProArts Gallery
150 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. Nominated by Lordy Rodriguez.
The certificate of belonging was installed in ProArts' gallery; Choreographies of Disclosure, curated by Jadelynn Stahl, is seen in the background.
Public Service Center
UC Berkeley, 218 Eshleman Hall, Berkeley. Nominated by Alex Mabanta.
On Valentine’s Day, the UC Berkeley Public Service Center hosted a celebration for its commemoration as a place of belonging. UC Berkeley photo by Irene Yi.
The home of Rabbi Yonatan and Dr. Frayda Gonshor Cohen
Berkeley. Nominated by Angela Jernigan.
A certificate of belonging is installed in the dining room of Rabbi Yonatan and Dr. Frayda Gonshor Cohen. The paintings and drawing also seen in the photo are by Robi Cohen.
February 21, 2017 San Leandro City Council Meeting.
City Hall, 835 East Fourteenth Street, San Leandro. Nominated by a San Leandro resident.
The certificate is located in City Hall, inside the publicly-accessible lobby of the City Manager’s office.
Soccer Without Borders
Castlemont High School, 8601 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland. Nominated by Edgar, Saúl, Felipe, Jeison, Aureliano.
Soccer Without Borders practice following the Belonging Project writing workshop in December 2018.
South First Fridays
South First Street, San José. Nominated by Lee Oscar Gomez.
Lee Oscar Gomez (center) with Cherri Lakey (left) and Brian Eder (right) of Anno Domini Gallery, 366 South First Street, where the certificate is installed. Artwork in background by Bortusk Leer.
St. Agnes Church
1025 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco. Nominated by Andrea Wise.
A certificate of belonging is installed inside St. Agnes Church, just behind the choir in which Andrea sings.
St. Mary’s Center
925 Brockhurst Street, Oakland. Nominated by Jerome.
A certificate of belonging is installed in St. Mary’s Center, in a room that operates as a drop-in center during the day and an emergency shelter by night.
The Stud
399 Ninth Street, San Francisco. Nominated by Torreya Cummings and John Cartwright
Founded in 1966, The Stud is SoMA’s longest-running gay bar. Faced with a sharp rent increase in 2016, The Stud was in danger of permanent closure when it was purchased by an 18-person worker-owner cooperative.
TP Tea
10787 South Blaney Avenue, Cupertino. Nominated by Felicia Kuan.
Unity Queer Skate Day
Alameda/Oakland. Nominated by Alex Rodriguez.
Alex nominated Unity Queer Skate Day at Alameda’s City View Skate Park. The certificate is located at Unity Press, above E.M. Wolfman Books, 410 Thirteenth Street in downtown Oakland.
To read contributors’ stories about their places of belonging, see 100 Stories of Belonging in the S.F. Bay Area.
Credit: Christine Wong Yap, Belonging Certificates #1–25, 2019, letterpress prints with calligraphy, 11 x 8.5 inches unframed, installed on location wherever possible. Photos by Christine Wong Yap unless otherwise noted. Developed as inaugural artist in residence at the Othering and Belonging Institute (formerly the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society) at UC Berkeley.