Cultural Plan Archives - Community Rejuvenation Project

Desi Mundo Breaks Down the 360 Mural

May 9, 2020

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.

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…

The Commodification of Public Art (Op/Ed)

October 8, 2018

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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,…