Contact: Aimee Reeder
Communications Manager
Berkeley Public Library
510.495.4175
areeder@berkeleyca.gov
Two Noteworthy Exhibits at the Central Library this Spring: One reflecting the daily lives of Bay Area immigrants, the other a celebration of the Black Panthers in Berkeley
Berkeley, California (January 28, 2026) – The Berkeley Public Library welcomes two exhibits this Spring, both with local ties.
Roots Unveiled, curated by Bay Area-based artist Nimisha Doongarwal, examines how immigrant identity is carried through the quiet rituals of everyday life.
The series portrays ordinary moments cooking, walking, shopping, resting, meditating, not as simple routines, but as emotional bridges between past and present, home and displacement. The work offers intimate portraits of how cultural roots endure through lived experience rather than inherited symbols.
“It is a visual representation of the diversity, the richness in identity and - as the artist self describes her work - the bridge that connects us all,” Librarian Fabiola Hernandez-Soto reflects. “Doongarwal’s work is a beautiful complex amalgamation where digital, oil pastels, acrylics, and mixed media come together and highlight the rich diversity of our community and that of the Bay Area."
The Black Panther Party in Berkeley: An Archival Exhibit and 60th Anniversary Celebration is curated by former Black Panther Party member and founder of the Panther Alumni Association and Archive, It’s About Time, Billy X Jennings.
Through rare, often one-of-a-kind archival photographs, art pieces, newspapers, and other unique ephemera, the exhibit offers a new perspective on the people and stories that made the Black Panther Party such a lasting, vibrant, and compelling presence in Berkeley and beyond.
“While synonymous with Oakland, I was astounded to learn about Berkeley's substantial role in the history of the Black Panther Party,” Librarian Jacob Kahn notes. “As a city that prides itself on its progressive values and political heritage, this exhibit spotlights a vibrant part of Berkeley history that often gets overlooked, as well as the tremendous personal stories of Panthers in Berkeley.”
Roots Unveiled will be open to the public on the 5th floor of the Central Library (2090 Kittredge in Downtown Berkeley) starting Monday, February 2nd until Wednesday, March 31st. An opening reception will take place after an artist talk on Tuesday, February 10th, at 5 pm.
To read the artist statement and see previews of Doongarwal’s work, please visit:
www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/roots-unveiled.
The Black Panther Party in Berkeley will be on view on the 2nd floor of the Central Library from February 2nd until May 29th. The opening reception is on Saturday, March 21st at 2 pm.
To learn more about the exhibit, please visit:
www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/black-panther-party-berkeley-archival-exhibit-and-60th-anniversary-celebration.
For questions or additional information about either exhibit and the attachments to this press release, please call (510) 495-4175 or email areeder@berkeleyca.gov.
For general questions about Library events, services, hours and locations, please call (510) 981-6100 or visit the Library’s website www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.
All Library programs are wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for library events, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY) at least five working days in advance to help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs.
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