nicole gervacio is an interdisciplinary artist based in occupied Ohlone territory, known as Huchiun, commonly known as Oakland, California. her ancestors come from the Bisayan islands and Luzon in the archipelago known as the philippines.
inspired by bodies and memory her work explores identity, permanence versus impermanence, and is often driven by a fear of forgetting – a response to the colonization, silencing, and invisiblization of their communities as well as many others under U.S. imperialism. nicole aims to heal the cultural & historical amnesia we inherited from the ongoing violence of colonialism that harms people, beings, and land and has us facing multiple crises today. when nicole creates art they are informed & inspired by a complex & nuanced symbiosis of relatives that make her distinctly who she is – the islands her ancestors come from, the stolen lands she lives on, the sand & oceans between and all the beings these waters connect, the spectrums of all that came before her, currently nourish her, and who she gives back to daily – in an intuitive collaboration between concepts, feelings, mediums, and materials. the responsibility & purpose of being an artist is a dance she navigates by keeping ancestors and future generations in mind.
nicole is an active participant and collaborator with the grassroots adult freedom school Liberation Spring and co-founded the cultural production group We Rise. both continue to deepen her work as an artist and activist.
grateful for this resource from the community: tatlong bagsak for black lives
EDUCATION
2016 - 2020 Liberation Spring
2007 - 2011 California College of the Arts, BFA
EXPERIENCE
2020 - Present Media & Communications, Radically Fit Oakland
2019 - Present Queereographer / Instructor, Radically Fit Oakland
2017 - Present Art Teacher, The People's Conservatory
2017 - Present Assistant, Karina Epperlein
2016 - Present Visuals, Bedazzlement & Media Support, Liberation Spring
2016 - Present Co-Founder / Co-Producer, We Rise Production
2015 - 2018 Assistant, Beth Fein, dance anywhere®
2014 - 2015 Artist Coordinator / Lead Artist, Her Resilience
2012 - 2017 Choreographer / Instructor, Hipline Dance Studio
2012 - 2015 Graphic Designer / Project & Media Coordinator, Lightning Squad
SELECTED COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
2022 Queer & Well: A QTBIPOC Wellness Fair, The Humanist Hall, Oakland, CA - Collaboration with Radically Fit Oakland & Gemini Moon Botanicals
2021 Posters for the People, Center for Political Education Virtual Exhibition in collaboration with Dignidad Rebelde
2020 Slide Slam, Undiscovered Virtual Exhibition - Curated by Balay Kreative
2020 Justice Mural: Heal Oakland, Oakland, CA - Organized by The People's Conservatory in collaboration with Be Imaginative
2020 641 Black Lives Matter Memorial, Berkeley, CA - Organized by Karina Epperlein
2020 Connections, Reflections & Intersections, Electronic Arts: Virtual Panel - Organized by Aspire & BEAT! for Juneteenth Programming
2020 27 Hour Mural for Breonna Taylor, 14th & Broadway, Oakland, CA - Organized by The People's Conservatory
2020 Pilipinx Radical Imagination Reader Virtual Community Dialogue - Organized by Melissa Nievera-Lozano & Anthony Santa Ana
2019 Holiday Craft Fair, Sama Collective, Oakland, CA - Organized by Liyang Oakland benefit for Sabokahan
2019 10th Annual East Bay Alternative Book & Zine Fest, Omni Commons, Oakland, CA - Organized by EBABZ
2019 Kumain Ka Na?, Magic House, Oakland, CA - Collaboration with Stephanie Gervacio for Filipino American History Month
2018 Pilipinx Radical Imagination Book Reading, SFSU, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Melissa Nievera-Lozano & Anthony Santa Ana
2018 Listening Salon: Poetry & Solo Cello with Russian virtuoso Georgy Gusev, Karinaland, Berkeley, CA - Organized by Karina Epperlein
2018 Pilipinx Radical Imagination Book Reading, Eastwind Books, Berkeley, CA - Organized by Melissa Nievera-Lozano & Anthony Santa Ana
2018 Happy Hour for Women's Audio Mission: Performance with Cat Mahatta, Make-Out Room, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Join The Movement
2018 Pop Up Dance Party for Puerto Rico: Performance with Cat Mahatta, Starline Social Club, Oakland, CA - Organized by Vegan & Sarah, benefit for Maria Fund
2017 Participants: Featured Guest, Live Oak Theatre, Berkeley, CA - Production by TheatreFIRST
2017 Talking Down to Trump, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA - Organized by Kris Grossman for 100 Days of Action
2017 Fired!, Temescal Art Center, Oakland, CA - Organized by Shapeshifters Cinema for 100 Days of Action
2016 NoDAPL Emergency Black Friday Rummage Sale, City Limits Gallery, Oakland, CA - Organized by Saif Azzuz benefit for Standing Rock
2016 Samu't Sari, Echo Lake Park, Los Angeles, CA - Organized by Nicole Arca of FilAm Arts
2016 Remember Our Place?, SOMArts Bay Gallery, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Sammay Dizon of Urban X Indigenous
2015 Awakened Ancestors // Borrowed Futures, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco, CA - Organized by People of Coloring
2015 Her Resilience: Community Paint Day, Park Community Garden, Oakland, CA - Organized by Her Resilience
2014 Pistahan, Yuerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Kristian Kabuay for Filipino Arts And Events
2014 Kalayaan, Union Square, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Kristian Kabuay for KalayaanSF
2013 You Don’t Act Like an Indian Girl, Public Works, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Lauryn Porte benefit for the film Petals in the Dust
2012 100 Faces, Roll Up Gallery, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Lauryn Porte Benefit for Face AIDS
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2021 Shape Shift, Rock Paper Scissors, Oakland, CA - Organized by Epekto Art Projects
2019 Deconstructed Pidginhole, Warehouse 416, Oakland, CA - Organized by Epekto Art Projects
2018 Holy Trinity, Bindlestiff Studio, San Francisco, CA - Curated by Melanie Elvena for Women's History Month
2018 Rock Paper Scissors, Warehouse 416, Oakland, CA - Organized by Rock Paper Scissors Collective
2017 APAture: Unravel, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA - Organized by Kearny Street Workshop
2016 Bringing Solutions Home, The Flight Deck, Oakland, CA - Organized by Her Resilience
2014 Mission & Vision, Mamá Art Cafe, San Francisco, CA - Curated by Shane Menez
2014 Beyond Breakfast & Selfies, Rock Paper Scissors Collective, Oakland, CA - Curated by Femme Cartel
2014 Allow Me to Introduce Myself…, Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Bitches Brew, Turpentine Gallery, Oakland, CA - Curated by Kate Klingbeil & Grace Lannon
2013 Spring Dionysian, The Warehouse, San Francisco, CA - Curated by Camille Lynch
2012 Art Murmur, Era, Oakland, CA - Collaborative Installation with Michele Marti
2012 360 Degrees, California College of the Arts North Gallery, Oakland, CA - Curated by Tony Esola
2012 Black and White, Number 9 Gallery, Willits, CA - Curated by Cianna Valley
2012 Curiosities, Rock Paper Scissors Collective, Oakland, CA - Curated by Chris Hambrick
2012 Stimulus, 1015 Folsom, San Francisco, CA
2012 Days To Come, 5 Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA - Curated by Crystal Townsend
2011 Baccalaureate Exhibition, PLAySPACE, San Francisco, CA
2011 Student Scholarship Exhibition, Society of Illustrators, New York, NY - National Juried Exhibition
2010 burdens and blessings, California College of the Arts Center Gallery, Oakland, CA - Solo Exhibition
2009 Past Infinity, Oliver Arts Center, Oakland, CA - Juried Exhibition
2008 First Year Honors Exhibition, Tecoah and Thomas Bruce Gallery, San Francisco, CA
WORKSHOPS
2021 Telling Our Stories:Re-Envisioning The Future, We Rise collaboration with Mycelium Youth Network, Virtual Series
2020 Consciousness Rooting in the Heart of Autumn, We Rise Production, Virtual Series
2020 Wellness Lab: Embodied Dance, Out & Equal: 2020 Workplace Summit, Virtual Webinar
2019 Radical Love Through Dance, Radical Monarchs, Oakland, CA
2019 Expanding Through Dance, Radically Fit, Oakland, CA
2018 Choreography: I Owe You Nothing, The Compact Campfire, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA
2018 embodied drama, The Compact Campfire, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA
2018 embodied drama, Abun-Dance, Oakland, CA
2017 Re-landing Through Movement, Liberation Spring Retreat, Bolinas, CA
2017 Putting in Werq, Dance Party, Oakland, CA
2017 BODY DRAMAHHH: RADICAL LOVE, Hipline, Oakland, CA
2016 Spectrum of Identity, Liberation Spring Retreat, Oakland, CA
2016 embodied movement, Liberation Spring Retreat, Sebastopol, CA
2016 BODY DRAMAHHH: GROWN A$$ WOMAN, Hipline, Oakland, CA
2014 BODY DRAMAHHH, Hipline, Oakland, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & FEATURES
2022 We Rise: Meet nicole gervacio & Cat Petru | CanvasRebel
2021 Sabiha with GABRIELA | Posters for the People
2020 Decolonizing Strategies: Consciousness Rooting Gatherings with We Rise | Birth Bruja Podcast
2020 Oakland Artists, Community Members Create Murals In Solidarity with Black Lives Matters | SF Chronicle
2018 What Our First Ever Feminist Summer Camp Was Like | A Practical Wedding
2017 A Tribute to Our Ancestors | We Rise on KPFB
2017 Filipino American History Month | Full Circle
2017 Feature: Nicole Gervacio | Ano Ba Zine
2016 31 Days of Revolutionary Women, #27: Nieves Fernandez | South Seattle Emerald
2015 Meet the Nominees for the Oakland Indies | Wear Your Voice Magazine
2015 Now Announcing Lead Artist: Nicole Gervacio | People of Coloring
2015 East Oakland Mural Honors Women Effected by Violence | Making Contact
2015 The Unveiling of ‘Her Resilience’ | Oakulture
2015 Her Resilience: From Seed to Flower | Oakland Voices
2015 Artists Create a Mural Project to Honor Women Affected by Violence | Oakland North
2015 Her Resilience: Quelling Violence Against Women Through Art | Wine & Bow Ties
2015 Oakland Mural Honors Women Who Have Experienced Violence | Oakland Local
2014 Her Resilience: Women in Control of Their Own Image | Inside Bay Area News & Oakland Voices
2014 Artist Interview: Nicole Gervacio | Jung Katz
2014 Filipino American Artists Exhibit Live Art at Kalayaan | SFnewsfeed.us
2012 5 Claude Lane Gallery’s “Days to Come” | SF Art Enthusiast
2012 Illustration Students Triumph in Society of Illustrators Competition | CCA News
2023 Mahalaya Volume 1 Issue 10, MahalayaSF Newspaper
2022 Mahalaya Volume 1 Issue 5, MahalayaSF Newspaper
2022 Liwanag 3, Kearny Street Workshop
2021 QTPOCALYPSE, Art Zine & Survival Guide
2021 Kapit-Bisig, San Francisco Progressive Filipinx Caucus - order a copy
2020 Consciousness Rooting, We Rise
2019 opposite sides of an ocean, nicole gervacio solo zine
2019 Filipino American Artist Directory 3
2018 People of Coloring Limited Edition: Volume 1, Issue 1 - order a copy
2018 Mariposa: Addressing U.S. Border Violence with Action, Magick, and Prayer, We Rise & Birth Bruja
2018 The Pilipinx Radical Imagination Reader - order a copy
2018 Filipino American Artist Directory 2
2017 Ano Ba Zine Issue 3
2017 Roots & Wings, We Rise
2017 Ano Ba Zine Issue 2
2015 Awakened Ancestors \\ Borrowed Futures, People Of Coloring
2015 In Her Image | Mills Quarterly
2014 Lady Warrior Zine IV: ‘Til Death Do Us Part
VOLUNTEER
2020 Dance Instructor, Dance for Kadamay, Virtual Fundraiser, Oakland, CA - Collaboration with GABRIELA Oakland, benefit for Kadamay
2020 Dance Instructor, Dance Dance Dance for Taal, In the Groove Studios, Oakland, CA - Collaboration with GABRIELA Oakland, benefit for Bayanihan Disaster Relief
2019 Social Media Management, Pacifica Radio May Day Broadcast, Oakland, CA
2019 Choreography Support, A Letter to My Ex: The Musical, Mills College, Oakland, CA
2018 - 2019 Social Media Management, TEDxSOMA: Modern Campfires, San Francisco, CA
2017 Dance Instructor, Abun-dance, Roses in Concrete, Oakland, CA - All funds raised by Embodied Drama benefited Sogorea Te' Land Trust
2017 Media Support, TEDxSOMA: Subject to Change, SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
2017 Dance Instructor, Shimmy Pop-A-Thon, Hipline, Oakland, CA - Benefit for Oakland Elizabeth House
2017 Dance Instructor, International Women's Day Strike, Hipline, Oakland
2016 Dance Instructor, Shimmy Pop-A-Thon, Hipline, Oakland, CA - Benefit for Oakland Elizabeth House
2014 Dance Instructor, International Women’s Day at Girls Inc., Girls Inc. of Alameda County, Oakland CA
2014 Teacher Assistant, Girls Inc., International Community School, Oakland, CA
ORGANIZATIONS
Filipino American Artist Directory
PAST & PRESENT CLIENTS & COLLABORATORS
RTFisher Educational Enterprises, Inc.