2018 GIA Conference
Race, Space, and Place
Oakland, CA  |  October 21–24
Conference Program

Conference Locations

conference locations

The 2018 GIA Conference has sold out!

We have reached our capacity for the conference. Subsequent registrations will be placed on a wait list. Contact the GIA office if you require further information.

Update on GIA Conference

Marriott International employees at the Oakland Marriott City Center have gone on strike, along with Marriott hotel employees in several other cities across the country. We have contemplated how best to handle this situation. How do we put into practice the content of so many of our conference sessions as well as our year-round work? How do the arts join and strengthen social justice efforts in real time?

Grantmakers in the Arts worked against the clock to find alternate venues for the presentations and sessions, so as not to put anyone in the position of crossing a picket line to participate in the Oakland Conference. We apologize that this year’s conference is not as comfortable as past conferences. Sticking to our values is seldom convenient, which is why people don’t always do it. But we are grateful that you have chosen to join us in our commitment to our values as a community despite the inconvenience.

GIA has been providing updates to this website as they are available. Please continue to check the website as this will be where the most up-to-date information lives for alternate conference plans.

Make sure to review the conference program and answers to some frequently asked questions.

Here are some of the plans we have put in motion:

  • Alternate locations have been secured and most of them are primarily located in the downtown Oakland area adjacent to Old Oakland.
  • Most of the locations are within walking/rolling distance from the Oakland Marriott City Center, approximately 2 to 7 blocks from the hotel.
  • GIA will provide transportation options for any conference venues outside of walking/rolling distance.
  • As regards accommodations: It seems many attendees will simply remain at the Marriott. For those booked into the Oakland Marriott City Center, the decision to move or not to move is entirely up to you. There may be rooms or suites available at other rates at the discretion of the hotel. For those who wish simply to pursue an AirBNB, VRBO, or other hotel, please review the Marriott’s cancellation policy. You may cancel your reservation up to 24 hours before your arrival date without penalty as long as you call them (510) 451-4000. To avoid a penalty, do not rely exclusively on the online portal.
  • Below is information on other nearby hotel options, all within 15 minutes walking distance to the Oakland City Center Marriott.
    Courtyard by Marriott
    988 Broadway
    Oakland, CA 94607
    (510) 625-8282
    The Washington Inn Hotel
    495 10th Street
    Oakland, CA 94607
    (510) 452-1776
    Z Hotel Jack London Square
    233 Broadway
    Oakland, CA 94607
    (510) 452-4565
    Waterfront Hotel
    10 Washington Street
    Oakland, CA 94607
    (510) 836-3800
  • If you wish to consider cancelling your conference registration, please contact us at gia@giarts.org.

Please check in with us via our conference website as we continue sharing further information on locations for conference sessions, plenaries, and receptions. The conference website is the best location for updated resources. Feel free to contact gia@giarts.org should you have any more questions.

We are looking forward to a thought-provoking GIA Conference and we sincerely appreciate your support.

Grantmakers in the Arts welcomes you to Oakland, home to vibrant creatives, diverse communities, and a heritage of activism. While being a deeply rooted city, with the oak tree as a metaphor of its culture and legacy, “Oaktown” is experi­encing a significant transformation at the intersection of race, space, and place. Amidst conversations of gentrification, rising costs of rent, and concerns about displacement of long­standing neighborhoods, the city’s culture stands central. At this rich time, Oakland – home to artists, immigrants, and newcomers for generations – explores its histories of resis­tance and empower­ment with a future that celebrates roots, creativity, the power of stories, and the essential desire for belonging. Engage with your colleagues at the GIA Conference to be inspired by the people and culture of Oakland.

Sunday, October 21 – Wednesday, October 24

2018 Conference Committee

Grantmakers in the Arts has a long-held commitment to engaging the community in each city where the annual national conference is held. Read GIA’s Conference Guiding Principles and Practices.

Thank you to spoken word artist Sarah O’Neal, film director Jamie DeWolf, video editor Adam Parmalee, and assistant director Asher Kennedy for creating the video above.

Artwork: Jessica Sabogal, Sí. Existimos, 2015. Representation courtesy of the artist. Learn more about Jessica Sabogal.

conference locations

Update on GIA Conference

Marriott International employees at the Oakland Marriott City Center have gone on strike, along with Marriott hotel employees in several other cities across the country. In some cities, these strikes have been resolved quickly.

We have contemplated how best to handle this situation. How do we put into practice the content of so many of our conference sessions as well as our year-round work? How do the arts join and strengthen social justice efforts in real time?

We are currently exploring off-site venues for the presentations and sessions, so as not to put anyone in the position of crossing a picket line to participate in the Oakland Conference.

In this scenario, the conference experience will be quite different from what we had originally planned and what it has been in previous years. The conference will need to contract its scale and likely be a less convenient experience. On the other hand, it could push our learning outside of the confines of a hotel and into the city of Oakland, to smaller venues, to where communities live and work.

Much of what we do at Grantmakers in the Arts is explore with our members how best to make resource-allocation decisions based on our values. Executing this conference during a strike is such an exploration in real time.

GIA respects workers. We also honor our commitments to our members. With this at the forefront of our minds, we will modify the conference’s scale and locations. To continue the conference as we had planned, ignoring workers’ demands for fairness, would be a disservice to our members.

If you wish to consider cancelling your conference registration, please contact us at gia@giarts.org. For those who wish simply to pursue an AirBNB, VRBO, or other hotel, please review the Marriott’s cancelation policy. You may cancel your reservation up to 24 hours before your arrival date without penalty as long as you call them (510) 451-4000. Do not rely exclusively on the online portal to avoid a penalty.

GIA is committed to honoring the concerns and values of all our cities’ residents, its workers, and GIA members, and honoring our passion for providing you with an excellent learning and sharing experience at this year’s annual conference.