About
We are The Betti Ono Foundation. A bold manifestation of liberation and power. A new hybrid entity of nonprofit foundation and social enterprise. We are Black women and survivor-led.
Our mission is to build power through culture. We amplify the voices and lives of artists, and celebrate the culture of everyday people. Our vision and creative practice embodies the bold, curious, and unapologetic spirit of our namesakes Betty Mabry Davis and Yoko Ono.
We value art making as a form and function of activism, self-determination, community transformation, and cultural resilience. We are dedicated to amplifying the work and lives of Black, Brown, Immigrant, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ artists and communities.
Our mission is to build power through culture.
Pillars
Betti Ono has three key strategy areas:
1
Cultural Permanence
Our Cultural Permanence strategy aims to create wealth-building and cooperative ownership opportunities for BIPOC artists, cultural workers, and community-based organizations through land and real estate purchases.
2
Community Wellbeing
Through the Community Wellbeing strategy, we are creating autonomous spaces that deepen community connection, foster civic engagement, and extend arts and culture into the fabric of public life.
3
Ending Gender-Based Violence
Our Ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) strategy is focused on implementing survivor-led cultural change initiatives to disrupt the culture of GBV.
History
Founded in 2010 by Oakland native, Anyka Howard, Betti Ono has been a community-based cultural hub for artists of color to thrive and build power in our Bay Area community. The vision and creative practice of Betti Ono embodies the bold, curious, and unapologetic spirit of our namesakes, Betty Mabry Davis and Yoko Ono, and as the organization continues to grow, it is watered by their legacies and unwavering political activism. From its founding, Betti Ono has been committed to the cultural, social, political, and economic emancipation and development of low-income, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities of color.
As Director and Curator, Anyka produced over 60 exhibitions and public programs featuring local and national artists and has received the Alameda County Supervisors’ Commendation for Service in the community twice. Betti Ono, with Anyka’s leadership, excels at integrating art, enterprise, and social impact strategies to leverage creative capital, cultural products, and networks for good.
From 2011 – 2021, the Betti Ono global headquarters featured a cultural arts venue, gallery, and art+design store in the heart of Downtown Oakland’s Black Arts Movement & Business District (BAMBD). As a neighborhood anchor and cultural hub, Betti Ono offered year-round arts and culture experiences, exhibitions, and public programs that inspired and empowered. The art + design store featured Betti Ono branded products, original art, limited edition prints, books, plus, art + design goods and supplies by makers from Oakland, California, and around the globe.
To ultimately build power for people of color and other marginalized communities, we have always been committed to investing in their cultural, social, political, and economic emancipation. We have seen firsthand the transformative power of art and movement-building for people of color, particularly women and gender-expansive youth, immigrants, and LGBTQ communities. We work to build power within a diverse community, as demonstrated by our engagement demographics: Black (35%), Latinx (20%), Asian/South Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander (15%), Multiracial (10%), White (10%), Arab/Middle Eastern (5%), and Native Indigenous (5%).
For over ten years, Betti Ono has moved on these civic issues through animating a multi-use cultural space anchoring the BAMBD cultural district.The next phase of our evolution is to learn from and expand on our decade of deep, community-focused work. We are excited to work towards shared-space acquisitions with other Black-led cultural organizations and continue to grow by building on different virtual and in-person models.
Our Work
Currently Betti Ono works with partners and the wider Oakland community to bring true community transformation and empowerment.
Our programs range from artist residencies, campaigns, and youth fellowships to high impact cultural change initiatives. Through these programs with local artists and culture-makers, we amplify and build up the leadership capacities of Black and Brown creatives, including survivors of gender-based violence and youth. In our programming, we also collaborate and build alliances with local organizations across the public and private sectors to advance shared public policy agendas and solutions to pressing civic issues. We have always been committed to investing in the cultural, social, political, and economic emancipation of people of color and other marginalized communities.
Betti Ono has moved on a myriad of civic issues through animating a multi-use cultural space anchoring the Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) cultural district. The next phase of our evolution is to learn from and expand on our decade of deep, community-focused work. We are excited to work towards shared-space acquisitions with other Black-led cultural organizations and continue to grow by building on different virtual and in-person models. Learn more about the exciting work we’re doing.
Our Work Main
Explore More
Explore Past Work (Archive)
Explore the rich history of Betti Ono-led, game-changing political artivism.
Donate
Your tax-deductible contribution provides core support and powers arts, culture & community resilience. A gift to Betti Ono is an investment in cultural transformation through art.
Team
Board of Directors
The Betti Ono Board of Directors is a group of passionate artists, activists, entrepreneurs, and educators committed to art, political activism, and community transformation. The Betti Ono Board plays an active role in resource mobilization, strategy, visioning, and organizational support.
Jeremy Liu
Board Member
Kristy Higares
Board Member
Davin Thompson
Board Member
Anyka Howard
Board Member
Team
The Betti Ono team comprises talented creatives with a keen desire for liberation through art. They are artist-activists committed to realizing the Betti Ono mission in our Oakland headquarters and amplifying our impact globally.
Anyka Howard
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Qadir Scott
Digital Content Creator
Sango Tajima
Executive Administrative & Operations Manager
Mike Nicholls
Creative Director
Maud Alcorn
Arts & Culture Project Manager
Flavia Elisa Mora
Arts & Culture Project Coordinator
Dominique Drakeford
Senior Communications Strategist
Funders
We’re grateful for our funders and partners that help make our work a reality. Giving to Betti Ono is an investment in the arts, culture & community resilience. We couldn’t do this work without our resource allies.
Fiscal Transparency
We take your trust in us seriously. Betti Ono is committed to transparency and accountability. Betti Ono is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information please email admin@bettiono.com.
Donate
We are grateful for the love and care of our community! There are two ways to invest in our work. If you would like to make a one-time gift, please feel free to email us at admin@bettiono.com for wire instructions.
Betti Ono 100
Join the Betti Ono 100, a social club that powers arts, culture and community resilience!
Paypal
You can make a tax-deductible donation that goes directly to us by clicking the link below!
Work With Us
Want to join a team of passionate creatives committed to promoting arts and culture in Oakland and beyond? See our vacancies below.
HIRING: Managing Director
HIRING: Administrative & Operations Manager
The Betti Ono Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Black, BIPOC, queer and trans, women and gender non-conforming applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
Contact us
1-510-473-5919
admin@bettiono.com
Mon-Fri, 9-5 pm PST
Newsletter
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