Virtual Student Art Exhibit
The Art Department would like to present its first online virtual exhibition, End of Semester Student Showcase. The students enrolled in Laney Art Classes – Drawing and Composition and 2D Visual Design – have worked to develop skills in design, drawing and compositional foundations during the Fall Semester. We have been so impressed by the resilience of our students, and the creative expression they have shown despite such unprecedented circumstances. Projects throughout the semester have allowed the students to explore the role art can play in their lives. How the art practice can support, enhance, and create a place of expression and joy. View the virtual exhibit here.
Former Culinary Arts Student Opens Oakland Restaurant: CocoBreeze
Laney alumna, Annabelle Goodridge, is the proud owner of Cocobreeze Restaurant and Catering, which launched in August of this year. Cocobreeze specializes in vegan desserts and high-nutrient drinks with superfoods and adaptogens. She works closely with her daughter.
“My love of cooking was birthed in my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. I watched my mother expertly craft exotic dishes and marvelous baked goods. I started my journey young attending culinary arts classes at the tender age of 12. I immigrated to the United States when I was 18 years old.
I have been cooking and catering for over 40 years. I attended Laney college in the 80’s and I always think back to how Laney college played an integral role in my professional culinary life. I was a single mom with 3 children under 10. I was working nights, came home at 7 am and went to classes. The professors accommodated me so I can continue working and attend my classes. I learned a lot of theory and hands on training. It was definitely a challenge working, taking care of my children and pursuing my passion of culinary arts.”
Cocobreeze is available for curbside pickup and is located at 2370 High St, Oakland.
Laney Alumna Launches YouTube Channel
Language Studies major, and Laney alumna, Cydonie Brown, recently launched a YouTube channel, Foodots, focusing on Japanese cuisine. “Laney College gave me an avenue when others would give up on people of color. They prepared me for this moment,” says Brown, class of ‘95. The biracial black/Native-American woman, spent 11 years living in Japan. During her time there, she ate well and learned how to appreciate the Japanese cuisine’s health benefits.
“When I first walked into a Japanese bar, the food presentation was mesmerizing. The colors, textures, and the presentations were out of this world,” Brown said.
Viewers are exposed to her encyclopedic knowledge of traditional Japanese cuisine and presentation. The channel makes use of animated characters popular overseas and presents cooking advice in multiple languages. It certainly feels straight from Japan. See Brown’s latest video here, which has received over 16,000 views since it went live, November 12, 2020.
