In this week's Field Notes: a Golden State Valkyries momcast, Audium’s 50th anniversary 176-speaker revival, Bandaloop in Oakland, Tamera Avery’s surreal art, the best swimming holes, Victorian towns, zany dioramas, and more.
Courtside vibes and Bay Area pride
Two former high school ballers turned San Francisco moms, educators, and entrepreneurs have created a podcast that’s as much about community as it is about basketball.
Valkyries, Say Less dives into the stories behind the players and coaches of the Golden State Valkyries, offering insider perspectives, bite-sized game updates, and the best Chase Center eats. Listen on Apple and Spotify. — KPIX
Bay Area swimming holes worth the drive
Looking to beat the heat and escape the city grind? Bay Area swimming holes like the Inkwells in Marin, Russian River's Sunset Beach River Park, China Hole near Morgan Hill, and Garden of Eden in the Santa Cruz Mountains offer cool, refreshing dips in scenic spots.
Float beneath the redwoods, hike to hidden beaches, or spend a lazy afternoon tubing in the sun. Just check the water conditions, pack out what you pack in—and be sure to park legally. — Axios
A Victorian road trip through Northern California
From Ferndale’s dairy-fueled “Butterfat Palaces” to the gold-built facades of Grass Valley and Murphys, these Northern California towns flaunt 19th-century charm.
Nevada City saved nearly 70 Gold Rush buildings, including California’s oldest theater. Eureka’s Carson Mansion is a Queen Anne masterpiece. Together, they offer a road trip through California’s ornate architectural past. — Secret San Francisco
Audium at 50
A former donut shop turned sound sanctuary, Audium is celebrating 50 years in San Francisco with a revival of its first-ever tape piece, Audium VI. Created by founder Stan Shaff in 1975, the piece returns as an immersive, in-the-dark experience running now through August 23 — its 176-speaker choreography pulling sound across walls, ceilings, and floors like an aural dance.
Director Dave Shaff, Stan’s son, describes the composition as funky and raw — full of foghorns, field recordings, and subconscious stirrings. The lobby features archival gems: reel-to-reels, taped conversations, and the analog gear that shaped SF’s weirdest legacy venue. — KQED
Dancing on the walls of Oakland’s City Hall
Vertical dance pioneers Bandaloop return to their roots this July with Somewhere to Oakland — a free public series of gravity-defying performances on the walls of City Hall, the Rotunda Building, and more. Catch them through July 26. — Visit Oakland
Call for zany local historic news dioramas
The Oakland Library is inviting the public to create miniature dioramas based on weird and notable local news stories throughout the ages for a new exhibit, All the News That’s Fit to Build, opening August 9 and running through November 29 in the Oakland History Center.
KQED’s suggested diorama topics include a raccoon jailed for disorderly conduct, a Lake Merritt mud mishap, and a 1940s tomato spill in Hayward. Dioramas (max 6 inches tall) must be submitted July 21–August 2, along with a copy of the original news story. Outstanding entries will be honored at a special October 4 reception. — KQED
A local’s guide to Alcatraz
Alcatraz is more than just a prison tour—just ask longtime guide Brian Stannard. In summer, skip the crowded cellhouse and head for the quiet West Road, where birdlife abounds and the views of the Golden Gate are unbeatable. Winter is ideal for locals, with fewer crowds and access to the rarely open Agave Trail, marked by towering, Seussian trees.
Time your visit around the Red Power exhibit, which honors the 1969 Native American Occupation. Day tours offer more time to explore, but night tours deliver moody magic. — Broke-Ass Stuart
San Jose time capsule
Nostalgic social media account, Era Envy, featured the interiors of an immaculately preserved 1960–70s era San Jose home. That shag carpeting is just begging to be caressed. — Era Envy
Grappling with absurdity and decay
San Francisco painter Tamera Avery took an unexpected path to art. After earning a business degree at UC Berkeley, she rose through the ranks at Levi Strauss, eventually leading the Youth Wear Division. In 2002, she left to paint full time.
Largely self-taught, Avery creates large-scale oil works based on collages, costumes, and staged photos of friends and family. Her masked, isolated figures appear in surreal landscapes shaped by social and climate anxieties. Her work is currently featured in Force of Nature at Oakland’s Gearbox Gallery through August 9, with an opening reception this Saturday, July 12 and an artist’s talk on Saturday July 26. — 48 Hills
More days, more trips for the free water shuttle
The Oakland-Alameda Water Shuttle is now running six days a week with 63 free daily trips between Jack London Square and Alameda’s Bohol Circle Park. Friday through Sunday hours stretch from 7:20 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. — Port of Oakland
Top Image: tamaraavery.com
