The Community Rejuvenation Project has emerged as one of the most prolific mural arts organizations in the East Bay, painting more than 100 murals since 2010. During that time, CRP has consistently broken new ground in aerosol traditions through innovative applications of media and collaborating with a diverse set of visual artists. Additionally, CRP’s mural work has led it to become a “pavement to policy” organization helping to develop new policy around blight mitigation and abatement strategies, and promote holistic community development centered around public murals, in partnership with community organizations, schools, businesses, and municipalities.
Mission
CRP is a pavement to policy organization that cultivates healthy communities through public art, beautification, education & celebration. We achieve this mission through experiential programs that promote professional development, artistic and cultural expression, and community empowerment.
Methodology
Founded in 2005, CRP is a mural arts organization based in Oakland. CRP cultivates healthy communities through public art, beautification, education & celebration. We achieve this mission through experiential programs that promote professional development, artistic and cultural expression, and community empowerment. As a pavement to policy organization, CRP develops and implements best practices around public art policy through strategy-based, on-the-ground experience in urban communities. Over the past twelve years, the collective has painted more than 200 murals throughout the Bay Area. In the process, CRP has developed an innovative and effective model for community engagement by incorporating multimedia and documentary filmmaking into its approach.
Staff
Desi Mundo

Desi Mundo and Ruth Beckford
Desi Mundo is the founder of the Community Rejuvenation Project. Over the past eleven years, under his direction, CRP has produced more than 250 murals, primarily in the Bay Area as well as Chicago, Albuquerque, and Bologna, Italy. As an artist, he has collaborated with influential aerosol artists such as ZORE, P.H.A.S.E.2, VULCAN, and Lavie Raven. Desi has a long history of community organizing and public art advocacy. He received the “Rising Leaders” Fellowship from the Youth Leadership Institute in 2005 and has been awarded the Individual Artist grant from the City of Oakland eight times. Desi was selected to be a cultural diplomat to Egypt through the Next Level program at the end of 2017. He has worked with numerous non-profit and community organizations, such as United Roots, Planting Justice, and Phat Beetz, forming lasting partnerships and powerful alliances. He sits on the Technical Advisory Council for Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm and the Advisory Council for the Youth Media Project. Desi also has a long history as an educator and youth worker in K-12 schools, such as Oakland Unity High School, ARISE, Calvin Simmons, and Community Day School in Oakland for the past 16 years. He has been recognized with a “Best of the Bay” Award by the East Bay Express for his monthly youth art series, the “Weekend Wake-Up.”Collaborators
Artists
- Peskador
- Endangered Ideas
- Lavie Raven
- Daz
- Dave Young Kim
- Narmeen Hashim
- Dr. Halifu Osumare
- Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project
- Pochino Press
Community Partners
- Oakland Unity High School
- Bay Area Mural Festival
- Urban Tilth
- Councilmember Lynette McElhaney
- Councilmember Abel Guillen
- Chinatown Coalition
- Black Arts Movement and Business District
- Oakland Creative Neighborhoods Coalition
- Hotel Oakland
- Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Art
- Assemblymember Rob Bonta
- EBALDC
- Dellums Institute for Social Justice
- Greenlining Institute
- Aswad Inc.
- Rock Paper Scissors
- United Roots
- Watsonville Brown Berets
- Lower Bottom Playaz
- Oscar Grant Coalition
- Oscar Grant Foundation
- Qilombo
- Marcus Books
- Biblioteca Popular
- The Original Scraper Bike Team
- Hip Hop Chess Federation
- Dance-A-Vision
- Rebel Diaz
- AXIS Dance
- Hyde Park Art Center
- Bay Development
- BRS Alliance
- SoleSpace
Sister Organizations
- University of Hip-Hop
- SAGE Coalition
- New Mexico Mural Project
- Estria Foundation
- Precita Eyes Muralists
- Trust Your Struggle Collective
Funders / Sponsors
- Oakland Cultural Arts Department
- California Arts Council
- StopWaste
- Oakland Unified School District
- East Bay Community Foundation
- Akonadi Foundation
- Zellerbach Family Foundation
- Art for Oakland Kids
- East Oakland Building Healthy Communities
- Clorox Foundation
- Irvine Foundation
- Michael Lange Foundation
- Elizabeth Louise Smith Foundation
- Oakland Council District 3
- IFPTE Local 21 ESC
- Rich City Rides
- Re-Entry Solutions
- Bonita House
- Planting Justice
- Pogo Park
- Eastlake Music Festival
- Richmond Progressive Alliance
- 350.org
- Green For All
- KONO District
- Richmond Spokes
- Goldman Institute for Public Policy
- Health and Human Resource Education Center
- Groundwork Richmond
- Youth Uprising
- RJOY
- Phat Beetz
- People’s Grocery
- South Shore Hospitality Garden
- Depaul University
- Chabot College
- Oakland LEAF
- Movimiento Salvadoreno
- Frontier – Line of Style
- No on Prop 37
- San Francisco Chinatown Community Development Corporation