PROGRAMS
Over the past 28 years, Tea Roots has provided numerous programs for artists and the community at large. Currently, Tea Roots offers three open programs throughout the year and one annual art exhibition event.
ART EXPEDITIONS IN NATURE
For the​ past seven years, Tea Roots has hosted over fifteen nature expeditions into pristine environmental habitats. These excursions have provided artists with inspiration and exposure to develop new works.
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Tea Roots integrates environmental advocacy within its mission of supporting artists and community by continually representing artistic themes which highlight the importance of environmental protection, paired with social advocacy. The above slideshow profiles Environmental Art from the years of many expeditions, "trekking through nature."
OPEN SPACE FOR ARTIST EXCHANGES
Tea Roots has communal facilities for artists exchanges in both the City of Oakland and San Francisco, enabling artists to convene and share ideas on an ongoing basis, on both sides of the bay. The Oakland building has a large outdoor garden, with a stage for summer poetry readings.​
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These intimate events many times inspire artistic direction and provide soundboards for creative ideas and future partnerships and collaboration.
VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION FESTIVALS
Tea Roots is well known for its unique and unprecedented visual art exhibitions that combine poetry competitions, music and performance art with the presentation of socially significant social and environmental themes.
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The 2023 exhibition dates for Climate, Migration & Cultural Mobility (CMCM), will be announced this spring and will include: a visual art installation, live poetry showcases, opening and closing galas with music, performance art, and an artist-community exchange.
POETRY VENUES
Starting in 1995 as the literary arts magazine, Tea Party Magazine, Tea Roots is deeply "rooted" in the culture of spoken word. Literary artists are encouraged to create new works that speak to relevant and imminent issues of social concern. As well, winning poets participate in the Healing After Wildfire series, which features their work and offers publication opportunities.
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Through this program, Tea Roots advances the emergence of artistic works of under-represented writers, intellectuals and activists from diverse disciplines, cultures, communities and fields of study.
Tea Roots garden poetry stage in Oakland, California