Oakland School for the Arts announces the 1st Annual Artist Impact Awards; celebrating the impact of Oakland artists on the community locally, nationally, and around-the-world.
 
Award recipients were celebrated at Metamorphosis on April 29th at the Fox Theater in Uptown Oakland. The award was co-presented by the City of Oakland. Oakland has a rich history of impactful artists making this selection process both challenging and rewarding.
 
A panel composed of many influential, dedicated and talented artists convened to make nominations and selections based on the following criteria:

1. Impact on Oakland
2. Community Minded
3. Direct Impact on Oakland Youth
4. National Impact
5. Artistic Impact

After reviewing a short list of nearly 25 nominees, the review panel agreed upon the following artists to receive OSA’s first annual Oakland Artist Impact Awards.
 
 

Nominees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2KnB7TlsU

Our first Oakland Artist impact award recipient is a legendary drummer, percussionist, vocalist, and performer from Oakland.

She hails from the Escovedo family and has performed in RnB, Pop, Soul, Funk, Latin Pop, Pop Rock, and Minneapolis sound musical genres. She has performed alongside legendary artist Prince (!) and was part of the George Duke band in her early years.

She has released several projects under her own name and continues to make waves as a pioneer in her field. She is often referred to as the “Queen of Percussion”. Sheila E., on behalf of OSA and the entire Oakland community, we  salute you and honor the rich legacy you have created for artists in Oakland!”Sheila E. was born in Oakland and is the daughter of Juanita Gardere and percussionist Pete Escovedo, with whom she frequently performs.

She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist for the George Duke Band. After separating from the group in 1983, Sheila began collaborating with Prince and launched a solo
career, starting with the release of her debut album in 1984, which included her biggest hit “The Glamorous Life.”

She is often referred to as the “Queen of Percussion.”

Zendaya Coleman is an American actress and singer who has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

She was born and raised in Oakland, and attended Oakland School for the Arts in middle school prior to launching her career on the Disney Channel. Whether you see the magazines at the grocery store, turn on the TV, or look up at any billboard, you are likely to see this recipient as her presence is currently everywhere. Despite this global stardom, this recipient has remained down to earth, community oriented, and loyal to her friends, family and her roots.

Ms. Zendaya Coleman was unable to join us tonight as she is traveling between movie premiers and off to New York to co-host next week’s Met Gala.

For over a decade, our next recipient has been inspiring and investing in Bay Area youth to become actively engaged in building themselves and their communities. He has created and personally financed a movement that fuses visual arts, music, skateboarding, social activism, and community development.

He was co-director of the Oakland High School Visual Art Academy for 8 years, working with students from more than 40 California schools to create community murals. In 2005, he created the first Neighborhood Games (Hood Games) at the East Oakland Youth Development Center, and Oakland’s first world-class, permanent, concrete skatepark, Town Park. He is now leading an effort to build five other skate sites and parks in Oakland, building relationships between local youth, city officials, major brands, and the broader community to ensure that youth have access to world-class facilities in their own neighborhoods. Please give it up for Keith “K-Dub” Williams.

Keith (K-Dub) Williams is an artist, teacher, community leader, father, mentor, and Godfather of the Oakland skatepark scene.

He is the founder of Oakland’s first official skatepark, Town Park. He has a long legacy of uplifting Oakland youth through community events. It all began in 2005 when K-Dub started his own version of
the X Games. Tha Hood Games represented a new kind of diversity in skateboarding. It combined all the elements of hip hop: music, art, fashion, and graffiti.

For decades as a teacher and community advocate, K-Dub has mentored hundreds of Oakland youth to shine their brightest. Conor (Angus Cloud) Hickey was once one of his mentees.

Our final recipient was a multi-talented artist raised in Oakland and he attended Oakland School for the Arts beginning in 2010. He came to the school as an Instrumental Music student, later graduating in 2016 from our Production Design department under Mr. Revon's mentorship with a passion for music and painting.

He was most widely known internationally for his portrayal of Fezco in the HBO drama series Euphoria. Though this recipient became a global icon for his acting, he was better known here in the Town as a loyal, caring, and compassionate friend, brother, and son by his “Oakland tribe” and all who had the opportunity to know him personally.

His authenticity, generosity, and the love he had for his Town, his family, and his friends were well known in his community and beyond. He was a true ambassador of Oakland. His loyalty to fellow street artists who called themselves “APK for Action Packed Kids”, was legendary.

The many murals painted all over Oakland in his memory, demonstrate the values of love and loyalty among his circle of artists and friends. The messages of love in these murals have resonated far beyond our Town. His twin sisters, who also attended OSA, are with us in spirit tonight as we celebrate the impact of Conor “Angus Cloud” Hickey’s art and life.

We were pleased to welcome Lisa Cloud and the Angus Cloud tribe to the stage to accept the Oakland Artist Impact Award on Conor’s behalf.