The MilkBar  is an artist curated salon series, established in 2004 at The Sunshine Biscuit Factory in East Oakland as an environment for the intersection of innovative, contemporary and experimental dance, music, theater and film. We moved to Richmond, CA in 2018 and continue our work in an industrial space dedicated to creating new works at the intersection of dance, contemporary music and media near the Port of Richmond.

The MilkBar’s co curators are: Mary Armentrout, Merlin Coleman and Ian Winters. Their shared curatorial aesthetic produces the MilkBar salons in their vibrant intimate forty seat venue. The Milkbar actively supports site-specific work in and around the  vast industrial complexes of Richmond’s port areas.

These salons host a dynamic and diverse range of artists creating a unique collage effect of mixed disciplines such as local butoh, experimental Russian and Turkish film, mixed media photo installations, rooftop performance art with audience participation, and singer/songwriters.

Over the past 18 years The MilkBar has evolved into the site of dialogue between artist and artist, artist and audience, audience and the new, while remaining focused on its primary role as studio / workspace.

It is curated and produced by studio members:

Merlin Coleman, Mary Armentrout, and Ian Winters

We are fiscally sponsored by Dancer’s Group. Special thanks to our funders the Rainin Foundation, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Clorox Foundation and Meet the Composer as well as generous private individuals.