CRP artists worked for several days on a mural upholding people’s land rights which drew a connection between the national foreclosure crisis and gentrification already beginning to creep through West Oakland.
Located at 41st St. and International Ave., in the heart of Oakland ’s Fruitvale district, the “Peace and Dignity” mural spans almost two entire city blocks, making it one of CRP’s most ambitious to date. Conceived by CRP’s Desi W.O.M.E. and Mike 360, along with graffiti legends Phase 2 and Vulcan, and painted by Desi, Mike 360, Vulcan, Elijah Pfotenhauer, Pancho Pescador, Beats737, Abakus, Dora Chavarria and youth from the Fruitvale. Commissioned by the property owner Smart & Final and sponsored in part by Oakland’s Community Economic Development Agency (CEDA), the project took more than three months to complete. The mural features vibrantly-painted foreground characters representing indigenous peoples and native symbology: tribal elders, musicians, runners, the agave plant, a hummingbird. Subtle background calligraphy spell out the words “peace” and “dignity” – a reference to the sacred Peace and Dignity Journeys from Alaska to Panama which happen every four years.
As part of its “Healthy Lifestyles” campaign, CRP was commissioned by Richmond Spokes to create a mural inside their new Spokes Shop on Harbor Way. CRP artists Elijah Pfotenhauer and Desi W.O.M.E tied in Richmond landmarks such as the Richmond Plunge and the Craneway with images of gardening and diet along a bike trail. The mural debuted with the opening of the Spokes Shop and a community block party.
Many Bay Area based personages have been immortalized as characters in CRP murals. [nggallery id=1]
CRP has been inspired by the works of many seminal musical artists. Commemorating then in paint is a good way to acknowledge their amazing contributions. [nggallery id=4]
One of the most consistent messages in CRP’s artwork is living healthy. Whether it is through exercise such as biking, breaking, or dance; or through growing one’s own food, CRP strives to make the connection between culture and subsistence in all of its work. CRP has created bike murals for the Brown Berets’ Bike Shack in Watsonville and Richmond Spokes. On Diego’s Power Alley Gym, CRP emphasized the connection between Mind, Body and Spirit. On the Peace and Dignity mural…
As part of CRP’s philosophy that ancient wisdom has lessons for modern times, the collective often incorporates indigenous practices into its art – much of which has to do with healing and internal realization. This can encompass a wide variety of influences. Source material includes sacred geometrical forms; folklore, mythology, and symbolism from First Nation cultures (among them Azteca, Mayan, Olmec, Toltec, Apache, Ohlone, Incan, Hopi, Iriquois, Cherokee, etc.); Hindu/Buddhist prayer wheels and mandalas; Kemetic (Egyptian) deities and symbols; Taoist…
CRP would like to extend its sincerest appreciation to the city of Oakland for attempting to address blight in East Oakland and involve talented artists such as Dan Fontes, the Estria Foundation and our organization. However, Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to cut state redevelopment agencies, thereby throwing cities all over California into limbo, has left these projects with an uncertain future at best. Even more tragic is the fact these mural projects had run the gauntlet of bureaucratic red tape; they awaited only City Council approval when they were cut. But if new funding isn’t identified and earmarked, these projects will simply disappear, as if they never existed.
