Challenged with the question, “Isn’t Alameda Arcadia?” Eric J. Kos, the unflappable Alameda historian, realized he may be uniquely positioned to find the answer. Since founding the Alameda Sun in 2001, and having his first local history book, “East Bay Then & Now,” published in 2003, Kos has been asked to present on many Alameda history topics, often with his co-author and co-publisher Dennis Evanosky.
From “Alameda’s Connection to the Pan Pacific Exposition of 1915” for the California Historical Society to “An Agricultural History of Alameda” for the Alameda Backyard Growers, Kos leverages his vast collection of ephemera to develop such presentations.
For Rhythmix Cultural Works’ Island City Waterways events, Kos presented “How Did You Get Here?” a discussion of the many ways people have immigrated to Alameda throughout history and “The People of Neptune Beach” a unique history of the place as told through the people that made the historic Alameda amusement park come to life.
On Saturday, July 13th, at 4 p.m., Kos will present an all-new window into Alameda history, in an attempt to answer whether Alameda is or has been a form of Eden. Indeed, through each layer of history, the audience will discover that Alameda provided a stage for good living, but at a certain cost. Each generation created a new ideal making the prior generations’ ideals impossible.
Through the use of fine art, historic original artwork, Alameda history photos, and also his original never-before-heard original historical fiction, Kos will bring each era to life and prove once and for all whether or not Alameda is Arcadia.
“Alameda as Arcadia: A ‘New’ History Talk with Eric J. Kos” is presented as part of the opening reception of Rhythmix K Gallery’s Alameda as Arcadia, a solo exhibit featuring the work of Alameda artist, Ginny Parsons. The opening reception takes place on Saturday, July 13th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm and features additional work from artists Eric Kos, Marc Ribaud, Pons Maar, Donna Layburn, Ed Holmes, Janet Koike and Modern Collective Dance Company. The entire exhibition runs July 13th – September 1st.
Eric J. Kos is the author and publisher of 13 history books from “San Francisco Then & Now” to the Casey Award-Nominated “Lost Ballparks” and the co-founder/co-publisher of the Alameda Sun.