public art Archives - Community Rejuvenation Project

The Ascension of the “AscenDance” Mural

October 27, 2021

AscenDance Mural, CRP Blog & Updates, Events, Greenlining Mural, Public Art Policy

On October 16 2021, “AscenDance,” a large-scale mural produced by the Community Rejuvenation Project, in partnership with The Greenlining Institute, finally held its dedication ceremony. The eight-story mural was completed in 2020, but the official celebration was postponed twice due to the pandemic. Although public safety dictated that the event not be the massive block party originally planned, the scaled-down celebration was attended by approximately 75 people — including several elected officials, Oakland Cultural Affairs Department staff, Greenlining staff, and…

AscenDance Mural: Progress Report

July 21, 2020

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

In the midst of the strangest summer in modern history–thanks, COVID!–progress is still being made, if you know where to look. Up in the skies, that is. Eight stories above ground level, one block on 14th St. in downtown Oakland is quietly being transformed into a vibrant artistic statement which resonates with energy, vitality, and fierce, passionate conviction. If you’ve been following the story of the AscenDance mural, whether through this blog, or as an observer passing by, you’ve seen…

AscenDance: Coming Into View

July 1, 2020

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360 Mural, AscenDance Mural, CRP Blog & Updates, Greenlining Mural, Public Art Policy

In the last couple of weeks, the AscenDance mural has turned a corner. What once was a bare and unremarkable wall now pulses with color, vibrancy, and life. Gridlines have become outlines; outlines have metamorphosed into distinct figures, Details and backgrounds have emerged. The entire wall has taken on form, shape, and substance. Its new character is being slowly revealed, day by day, brush stroke by brush stroke. There is no going back — only forward.

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

June 17, 2020

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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…

AscenDance: The Greenlining Mural Moves Forward

June 4, 2020

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

CRP’s newest mural, at The Greenlining Institute’s downtown Oakland building, looks like it’s going to be a powerful work of public art. On Friday, May 29, the artists had just completed a day which saw the first sketch outlines hit the wall. That night, what started as a peaceful protest in honor of George Lloyd became a violent and chaotic scene. The morning light revealed scores of vandalized storefronts, dozens of scrawled tags, and broken glass everywhere. It was a…

Desi Mundo Breaks Down the 360 Mural

May 9, 2020

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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…

Pandemics and Public Art

April 29, 2020

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CRP Blog & Updates, Greenlining Mural

Pandemics have a way of impacting the best-laid plans (of mice and men). What happens to artists who do public-facing works, when there’s an emergency order to shelter in place? What happens to projects? Read on and find out. Earlier this year, the Community Rejuvenation Project announced a collaboration with The Greenlining Institute to paint a large-scale mural on GLI’s headquarters, the “360 building.” The project had literally been years in the making. The planned mural was the culmination of…

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

March 4, 2020

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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.

CRP X Greenlining Mural Events & Activities

January 16, 2020

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Events, Greenlining Mural

“THE STATE OF PUBLIC ART 2020” THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6 The Greenlining Institute (360 14th Street) 6 – 8 PM Panelists: Francisco Sanchez, David Young Kim, Dan Fontes Moderator: Eric Arnold COMMUNITY INPUT SERIES TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11 Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts – 1428 Alice St. Studio D 6 – 8 PM WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12 Oakland Asian Cultural Center – 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290 6 – 8 PM THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13 The Greenlining Institute – 360 14th Street…

Reevaluating the State of the Arts in Oakland

December 23, 2019

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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…