Permanent DEI Art Gallery Opening Up in Mill Valley’s Recreation Center

By Sacha Bunge (April 2024 Newsletter)

MVFREE’s Recreation and Arts Team has been consulting with the Mill Valley Arts Commission and Ashley Howe, Director of Parks and Recreation, about the opening of a permanent art gallery space dedicated to art that represents diversity, equity, and inclusion. The vision of the gallery is to create a welcoming environment for artists from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds to display their work, and for audiences of all ages to expand their experience and engagement with racially diverse art. The DEI Art Gallery will be located in the Aquatics and Fitness Center, one of the busiest and most visited spaces in the Mill Valley Community Center. Art will rotate and artists will be able to display their work for three months at a time. The inaugural exhibition features local artist Meili Zhao, and will run during May, June and July. Meili specializes in watercolor and oil painting. Her artistic journey began in her youth, drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese painting methods. Much of her repertoire highlights flowers, landscapes and wildlife.