David Brower Center

We rented the site for a work meeting. The facility itself was great and everything went off without a hitch. Great location and lot of good eating options nearby.

Artillery shells, four local soils, reclaimed wood, and recycled carpet all went into the construction of Berkeley's latest LEED certified architectural wonder. Having opened just last week as one of the Bay Area's premier green office and event spaces, the Brower Center aims to inspire social action by providing an incubation ground for the collaboration of progressive organizations and citizens.

Currently it houses half a dozen non-profits from those supporting local agriculture (CAFF) to community builders and environmentalists. The 180-seat theater, galleries and restaurant provide the pollen for the curious, active swarms to engage and mobilize.

The execution is gorgeous: the building uses no artificial light during the day and collects vast amounts of energy from the rooftop solar panels. Rain is also channeled to water the patio gardens and toilets. It feels expansive and open but is a bit lacking in warmth. However, the Salgado photography exhibit on the ground floor is not to be missed; heart wrenching and thought provoking, they hit the (reclaimed) nail on the head with this one.

I'm hoping to see some interesting community programs for youths. The key here is in utilization. We'll see what comes...

You Call That Art?

On a rainy Tuesday evening, I came out to the David Brower Center for a fun workshop with Visual Thinking Strategies on finding new and interesting ways to engage with art. We used the DBC's new gallery exhibition, "Land, Use", as our examples. I particularly enjoyed the discussions around the "Trojan Horse" and "Victory Garden" pictures. It was a fulfilling group exercise and made me realize how much information I miss during a museum visit, as I mostly breeze through.

The DBC Exhibit Space is handsome and inviting and staff was more than accommodating. I also had a Kismet moment while looking at Fernando García Dory 's "Shepard's School" display about his work in Northern Spain. Gayle and I had marveled over those same Picos de Europa mountains and may have observed a few of those very nomads during our walk that one October day above Fuente De.

I cannot recommend David Brower Center (DBC) highly enough as an event space. I have been a guest at several events hosted in their theater and also recently hosted my company's holiday party there as well.

The event management staff are professional, friendly, and on top of it. The price for the venue is very affordable given how beautiful and BART-friendly it is. The downstairs gallery is also the home for a rotation of interesting and environmentally-minded art which adds a wonderful dimension to the elegance of the space.

The on-site event staff (house manager, AV, security, janitorial) are all wonderful to work with and very personable. Everyone was punctual, attentive and relaxed even when there was a minor facility mishap.

If you are looking for a space that is easy to work with, affordable, environmentally-minded, and beautiful - please consider DBC!

I came here because of an art exhibit titled Laura Cunningham: BEFORE CALIFORNIA. Laura Cunningham: Before California is on now through January 30, 2013. This exhibition is in the lobby of the David Brower Center and it is free to the general public. This exhibit is tied to her book, A STATE OF CHANGE: FORGOTTEN LANDSCAPES OF CALIFORNIA, published by Berkeley's Heyday Books. I understand that this is Ms. Cunningham's very first solo art exhibition. I hope it is the start of many more, and the David Brower Center has the distinction and honor of being the first to exhibit her work.

Ms. Cunningham is an artist and scientist who studied and did extensive research in putting her book and artwork together. She has been drawing and painting since she was a child. She studied paleontology and biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She worked as a field biologist researching rare and endangered species such as the Owens Valley pupfish and the Yosemite toad, according to the placard introducing her exhibit.

Upon seeing her art and her work, I could not help but wonder as to why man and beast cannot live in harmony together with nature. There are eight paintings and about eight reproductions of her sketches and notes. There is even a display of her notebooks, pencils, and sketches in the center of the exhibit.

It is my understanding that the David Brower Center is a great place to have events. It is one of Berkeley's LEED certified buildings, along with Berkeley City College, among others. I hope Ms. Cunningham's work was part of many events this past year at the David Brower Center.


Fresh Review #3 of 100 Yelps! for 2013.

Cool venue close to BART and campus. We attended a wedding here and had a good ol' time.

There was room for catering to prepare out front and servers brought in appetizers while guests stood around tables and talked.

The ceremony happened in the main room, too, same as with drinks/food. They're a pretty non-traditional couple. There was another room in the place, but we didn't utilize it.

Lots of dancing, cool art on the walls, awesome kinetic sculpture above. Had a great time, loved the space.

The good: held all the guests comfortably (about 70-80).
The bad: a little echoey. Hard to hear the vows due to kiddos making noises + echoes.

Five bright stars for the Sebastiao Salgado photography exhibit, although I have no doubt the building itself deserves its share of them. Inspired by Ligaya's review, it was my plan to check out the David Brower Center after lunch at Azerbaijan. I didn't check out the entire building, just the Salgado exhibit on the ground floor. I refer you to her excellent review for details of the building's pedigree and provenance. I just checked their website and the building is open from 10-5 weekdays. No weekend hours as yet. I hope eventually there will be.

The double doors to the building are wooden and heavy, w/ sturdy vertical wooden handles wrapped at the ends and secured by graceful metal fixtures. The feeling is of solidity, simplicity and grandeur, all at the same time. The Salgado exhibit will be on display through January 31, 2010. I wish it were permanent. Here's the link: http://www.browercenter.org/exhibitions/current The photographs are stunning, beautiful and difficult, of people, landscapes and animals. I won't attempt to describe them, other than to say they are some of the most powerfully evocative photographs I've ever seen of people working and struggling. There's a photo of a whale's tale that is close and detailed and next to it one of the leg and foot of a maritime iguana that looks sculpted out of metal. The man is a master. Just go see for yourself. You will be glad you did. It's serendipitous, but I'm glad it was the subject of my 700th review.

Experiencing an event at The David Brower Center is....magical.


The art and design within are pitch perfect. The uncluttered facility gives the complex installations the background they deserve.

My favorite art installation was the chandelier invoking memories of puppetry as the anchor moves slowly in a circle....thousands of strings- a must see for anyone who appreciates architecture and design.

I HIGHLY recommend the DBC for event space/ rental. Their staff was incredibly accommodating, professional, and super prepared. We hosted 2 presentations in their upstairs room, plus a reception in the downstairs gallery. Everything went flawlessly, thanks to the DBC crew's attention to detail and yes-attitude.

The entire space is gorgeous, unique and inspiring. The technology was especially impressive. With the flip of a switch you can shade the windows, dim the lights, adjust the sound, and lower the hidden projector from the ceiling. It's all very streamlined and efficient, and makes it much less stressful as the presenter, knowing that everything is brand spanking new and super easy to use.

Our guests all commented on what a lovely space it was. The BART station is less than a block away and there's a parking garage directly below the building ($15 all day max, not bad).

Their in-house caterer is AMAZING too. They use all local, organic ingredients and put a lot of love into the food and presentation. Prepare to be more than satisfied.

Looking for wedding space? Well, take it from this green bride, look no further!

It's been 10 days since my wedding and I cannot tell you how great the Brower Center is. From the gallery to the terrace and Tam room, you have a variety of spaces that offer different feels.

It's not only incredibly clean, green and mod, but Laurie and her staff made us feel so comfortable with the multiple site visits for a.) caterers, b.) florists, c.) decorations and d.) wedding planner. I would highly recommend throwing an event here...the terrace was our favorite part!

My husband and I will look forward to coming back to see their changing exhibits and also to reminisce about where we had the best night of our lives with all our favorite people.

Beautiful space!!!