CRP Blog & Updates Archives - Page 6 of 19 - Community Rejuvenation Project

Why Are Representatives of Oakland’s Blight-Challenged Districts Reluctant to Commission Abatement Murals?

March 25, 2015

On March 18, District 6 Councilmember Desley Brooks told Hard Knock Radio’s Davey-D, “Neighborhoods in West Oakland and East Oakland need to have public art.” The Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) couldn’t agree more. In fact, as part of the Oakland Community Art Coalition, our efforts in 2012 led to the creation of a $400,000 budget line item for abatement murals in the city’s budget – 50k per Council district (plus the at-large seat). But those murals have been slow to…

New CRP Mural: “Welcome to Afrikatown”

March 19, 2015

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CRP Blog & Updates, Events

The Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) was blessed and fortunate to have been involved with the creation of a new mural, “Welcome to Afrikatown,” painted in solidarity with community organizing space Qilombo, community advocacy group the Black Angels, non-profit organization Planting Justice, and educator Denae Martinez, who teaches at San Francisco State, Laney College, Merritt College and Fremont High School. The mural came about after CRP was suggested for the project by Planting Justice, a frequent collaborator. For CRP founder and…

The Privatization of Public Art

February 26, 2015

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CRP Blog & Updates, Op-Eds, Public Art Policy

Last November, then-Councilmember Libby Schaff proposed a new ordinance which required a percentage of new development–.5% for residential property, and 1% for private development—for “public art.” The ordinance further codified an existing public art program, which provides 1.5% of capital improvement projects to “commission and acquire public art.” Yet while the existing public art fund is administered by the city’s Cultural Arts dept., the new ordinance “provides developers with the option of commissioning public art on the development site or…

CRP Begins New Mural Project, Announces Community Painting Day

November 7, 2014

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CRP Blog & Updates, Events

Fall is here and with it comes another exciting new mural by the talented artists of CRP, Desi Mundo and Pancho Peskador. The two recently began work on painting the union hall of Local 20, the Engineers and Scientists of California (IFPTE, AFL-CIO & CLC), located at the intersection of 8th and Clay Sts. in Old Oakland. The mural is a partnership between CRP, Local 20, and Youth Spirit Artworks, an interfaith “green” art jobs and job training program which…

CRP Murals Chosen as Backdrops By Conscious Hip-Hop Artists

October 8, 2014

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Campaigns (Current), Campaigns (Past), CRP Blog & Updates

For the past four years, the Community Rejuvenation Project has been putting in work deep in the trenches of Oakland’s streets, painting murals with images and messages of upliftment, inspiration, struggle, and resistance. Recently, it’s come to our attention that several of our murals have been used as backdrops for videos by conscious rappers with a revolutionary mindset. While CRP doesn’t consider itself a political organization per se—first and foremost, we are a cultural art collective; the scope of our…

“Here and Now” Live-Painting Event Features CRP Artists

September 18, 2014

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CRP Blog & Updates, Events

Street Art in Oakland is on the rise. Many streets in West and East Oakland have been turned into virtual galleries with vibrant murals of urban expression, and Uptown/downtown isn’t far behind. Not surprisingly, these efforts – which include the approximately 100 Oakland murals painted by the Community Rejuvenation Project over the last three years – have come to the attention of gallery owners, who are beginning to embrace the street aesthetic as a unique facet of Oakland’s urban art…

CRP Artists Featured in New Art Exhibition, “The Modern Animist”

September 11, 2014

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CRP Blog & Updates, Events, Multimedia

CRP artist Pancho Peskador and Communications Director Eric Arnold are among a group of talented artists featured in “The Modern Animist,” a new exhibit at Oakland’s SomaR bar, which opens Thursday, Sept. 11 and runs until October 18. Curated by Joanne Ludwig, the exhibit “honors our oneness by illustrating our connection to both nature and spirit. “The term animism is derived from the Latin word anima meaning breath, life or soul. The animist believes that non-human entities possess a spiritual essence.…

Ready Set Recycle! Win Prizes While Learning About Food Scrap Recycling

September 3, 2014

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CRP Blog & Updates, Op-Eds

And now a PSA from our partner, StopWaste.org: Where do you put your leftover food scraps from dinner? Or how about that greasy pizza box? Put your knowledge to the test at ReadySetRecycle.org and you could win prizes. The Ready Set Recycle website offers prizes for entering the Recycling Rewards Challenge and provides recycling tips and resources for Alameda County Residents. It offers information for preventing valuable resources from going into landfill and rewards for testing your food scrap recycling…

Alice Street Mural Project A Big Hit With Local Media Outlets

August 21, 2014

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CRP Blog & Updates, Press Clippings

Recently, CRP pulled off a pretty cool feat: within the course of ten days, the Alice Street Mural Project received media hits from the Mercury News , Oakland Tribune, KQED, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan’s newsletter, Oakland Tribune (again), and the Contra Costa Times. That’s easily the most attention from local media CRP has ever gotten for any of the 150 mural projects the organization has done in the past four years. Even more impressive was what the media had to…

Alice St. Mural Project Phase I Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Highlights

August 14, 2014

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CRP Blog & Updates, Events

On Friday, August 8, 2014, CRP announced the completion of Phase I of the Alice St. Mural Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, held in the parking lot at Alice and 14th St., in front of two sections of the mural wall. The event, which was noted by the Oakland Tribune, the San Jose Mercury News, and KQED, was an overwhelming success, with over 120 attendees, including approximately 75 residents of the Hotel Oakland, along with neighborhood residents and artists-in-residence at…