North Bay Woman

42 NORTH BAY WOMAN F A L L 2 0 2 0 Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity. She went on to produce community theater; she also had an invitation to choreograph for American teens and their international peers on a tour to the former Soviet Union for "Peace Child the Musical" in 1990. And always, she said, she was a natural and passionate dancer, which inspired her to become a move- ment teacher. "All the rich cultural icons were my mentors. Being in Marin, with easy access to San Francisco, its culture, its variety and also Marin's wilderness, it's like I had my own little raft boat and was able to navigate so many dimensions of life here," she said. "All that helped me develop my own diversity in the various things I was inspired to create." Marcus, who sees herself as a renais- sance woman, made a point of saying that part of her success is due to the fact that she makes a clear distinction between the difference between financial wealth and spiritual wealth. "Typically when we say wealthy or rich in America we are talking about money. I did not grow up with society's idea of financial wealth. But I grew up very culturally rich. And what that gives you is a sense of, 'OK, how am I going to do what I need to do?' You just do it because you were raised to know that you could. You keep on doing this. You have to have the belief. And I have that." That combination of belief and self-confidence enabled Marcus to launch her Sekhmet wellness collective/ dance studio in Richmond, and her new Marin City Arts and Culture (online at mcartsandculture.com). MCAAC's website is fascinating to explore. Each visual artist has posted a number of works of art — powerful colors, vibrant images and which pop with energy. There are jewelers, artisan potters, even a chocolatier and food purveyors, though not all the links are fully set up for online shopping at this time. The big event now for Marcus was MCAAC's grand opening and masked ball this month, when the brick and mortar store had its debut celebration at 100 Donahue Ave., Suite 190B. The planned opening was Oct. 17, depend- ing on the pandemic situation in Marin and whatever restrictions were in place at that time. "There were six of us who came together out of the MC Arts and Culture collective, who decided to manage this gallery," she explained. "With a masked ball held outside, we thought, what better way to wear your mask than to incor- porate it with a fabulous Mardi Gras mask. Some of the artists that are part of the collective will be making masks and we'll be selling them at the opening party. We're also encourag- ing people to make masks. One woman is working with a girl's art group to make masks that empower them. On the inside, they write all the things they want to be and make happen in their lives." Marcus called the gallery's establish- ment "significant." "Marin City has had a very interesting history. When the site became a strip mall, having this art gallery here is a real accomplishment for someone who came from this communi- ty. Even more important, that this is a Black arts gallery because it's paying homage to the roots of this community. Finally, it's an opportunity for those in the community who want to sell clothes, jewelry, other things, in our retail outlet. "Right now, what I see for the future of Marin City is that the ongoing gentrifica- tion has caused some economic divide," Marcus reflected. "We have public housing and then we have a lot of people moving in who happen to be White or from other cultures. My vision for the future is, Marin City will continue to expand on the level of cultural diversity for Black people. I would really love that. It's the only Black community left in Marin, yet it's also the county's most racially and class-diverse city. The plans to develop public housing could really change that diversity. I know that would be very sad for me. Hopefully our gallery will help that cultural richness continue." n For more information on Oshalla Diana Marcus, visit oshalla.com. Leslie Harlib can be reached at lharlib@gmail.com. Clockwise from left: Marcus at the Marin City Arts Gallery; with Leshawn Hokcomb and his Bayside MLK sixth-eighth grade students on a field trip; Marcus (in middle with Sekhmet Community Wellness Team (from left) Lan Wang, Sanyade Baruti, Novella Leimberg and Jean Pierre Sighe. – Photos by Stuart Lirette and courtesy of Oshalla Diana Marcus

• Cover