displacement Archives - Community Rejuvenation Project

Downtown Oakland Becomes Ground Zero For Street Art in Wake of George Floyd Protests

June 17, 2020

360 Mural, AscenDance Mural, CRP Blog & Updates, Greenlining Mural

The “AscenDance” mural has finally kicked into gear. After several weeks of build-up, the project — located on the side of The Greenlining Institute’s headquarters, at 360 14th St. in downtown Oakland — has moved from gridding to sketching to outlining to images being colored and starting to come alive. The past two weeks have represented a giant step forward for the eight-story mural, which is beginning to take on a character as the faces of its subjects are given…

Desi Mundo Breaks Down the 360 Mural

May 9, 2020

crproject

360 Mural, CRP Blog & Updates, Greenlining Mural

The Community Rejuvenation Project’s highly-anticipated collaboration with The Greenlining Institute, the “360 Mural,” has completed its community input and design review phases. Now it’s on to the actual painting, which begins May 18. But before that happens, we thought you might enjoy a sneak preview of what the finished design will look like, as well as a breakdown of the images, people, and symbolism contained within. Here’s a mock-up of the design: A front-facing view of the same image: Here’s…

Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Commission Returns — To A Rapidly-Shifting Cultural Landscape

March 4, 2020

crproject

CRP Blog & Updates, Op-Eds

When Oakland last had a Cultural Affairs Commission, Jean Quan was mayor, the Warriors still played at Oracle Arena, and widespread displacement had yet to take effect.

Reevaluating the State of the Arts in Oakland

December 23, 2019

crproject

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

Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Department (CAD) is severely underfunded and understaffed. According to a memo sent by CAD to the Funding Advisory Committee last November 26, current staffing levels are just one full-time employee and one temporary service contract employee. $1.2 million in grants were awarded in the last fiscal year, a number which has not seen a significant increase since before the recession. (By way of comparison, the San Francisco Art Commission handed out $1.6 million in grants in 2014-2015…

The Commodification of Public Art (Op/Ed)

October 8, 2018

crproject

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

Recently, Pacific Standard magazine wrote an article about public art in Oakland. Specifically, the story addressed mural brokers, middlemen who connect fat cat developers with artistic talent – for a fee. Mural brokers, the article explains, handle logistics such as price negotiations, choosing artists, prepping walls for painting, and handling insurance coverage – “everything necessary to make the mural happen except paint it.” The article correctly points out the cultural cachet of murals, and their historical connection to illegal street art,…

Alice Street Symposium Brings Activists, Advocates, Policymakers Together

April 19, 2017

crproject

Alice Street documentary, CRP Blog & Updates, Events, Public Art Policy

On Friday, April 7, the Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) presented the first in a series of planned symposia. Sponsored by the Akonadi Foundation and Assemblyman Rob Bonta’s office, the Alice Street Symposium built on an engaging event and panel discussion held during the Matatu Festival of Stories in 2016, Shifting the location to the auditorium at the Elihu Harris State Building lent the proceedings a more formal, official air, which underscored the political relevancy of the topics discussed. Assemblyman Bonta…

Alice Street Symposium Addresses Gentrification, Displacement, and Cultural Resiliency

March 21, 2017

crproject

Alice Street documentary, CRP Blog & Updates, Events, Public Art Policy

On April 7, the Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) will host the Alice Street Symposium on Community Engagement Strategies and Best Practices. The event includes a screening of director Spencer Wilkinson’s “Alice Street Short” documentary film, two presentations, and a moderated panel discussion followed by an audience Q&A. The event’s objective is to facilitate a dialogue between community leaders, arts practitioners, funders, and public officials focusing on community engagement strategies using arts to address issues of gentrification, displacement, and resiliency. As…

CRP featured in Matatu Festival of Stories

October 11, 2016

crproject

Alice Street documentary, CRP Blog & Updates, Events, Multimedia

The Community Rejuvenation Project is pleased to announce the screening of “Alice Street Short,” an advance look at the upcoming documentary “Alice Street,” during the Matatu Festival of Stories. The screening, which takes place on October 13 at Red Bay Coffee in the Fruitvale District, will also include dance performances by Carla Service’s Dance-a-Vision and Lenora Lee Dance, as well as a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Spencer Wilkinson, CRP Executive Director and muralist Desi Mundo, Chinatown historian Roy Chan, community…

Community Rejuvenation Project Announces Crowdfunding Campaign, New Trailer for Alice St. Documentary

June 24, 2016

crproject

Alice Street documentary, CRP Blog & Updates, Multimedia

Acclaimed muralist collective Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) has announced a crowdfunding campaign to help complete the documentary “Alice Street.” The organization is looking to raise at least $12,000 by July 25, $8000 of which will be matched by the East Bay Community Foundation’s East Bay Fund for Artists. In conjunction with the announcement of the crowdfunding campaign, CRP also announced the launch of AliceStreetFilm.com and the latest trailer for the documentary. Sponsorship packages, which range from a $25 mug to a $1000 personal portrait, are…