Desi Mundo Archives - Community Rejuvenation Project

Another Perspective on Oakland’s Public Art Ordinance

March 17, 2017

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

Recently, the Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) addressed Oakland’s controversial public art ordinance, analyzing the implications of a since-withdrawn staff report (a copy is here) outlining proposed changes, as well as some background on the history of the ordinance itself. While the staff report’s small changes to clarify language and buttress the ordinance against lawsuits seemed reasonable, the tacked-on proposal to incentivize the in-lieu contribution is both both problematic and unnecessary. CRP has since gotten word that the item has been pulled,…

CRP Participates in First-Ever Bay Area Mural Festival

November 29, 2016

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CRP Blog & Updates, Events

The Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) recently joined a handful of selected muralists to participate in the first-ever Bay Area Mural Festival (BAMF), held in late October 2017. Along with CRP, other invited artists included some of the Bay Area’s top muralists: Juana Alicia, Dan Fontes, Los Pobres Artistas, Trust Your Struggle, The Bay Baes, Daniel Camacho, Ernesto Olmos, Dave Kim, Daz, Dignidad Rebelde, Teodoro Saavedra, Caleb Duarte, Angel Jesus Perez, Eli Lippert, and Keneda Gibson Conceived as a co-partnership between…

CRP featured in Matatu Festival of Stories

October 11, 2016

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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

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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…

Mural Artists Remain Resolute In The Face of Tragedy

October 13, 2015

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CRP Blog & Updates

It’s the worst-case scenario for a mural artist: to be the victim of deadly violence while painting on public streets. But the muralists who witnessed the shooting death of Antonio Ramos say the tragic incident may have been shocking and horrific, but hasn’t deterred them from continuing to work on the third installment in the “Oakland Superheroes” series being painted under freeway overpasses in West Oakland. “Public art… is a powerful way to engage the public,” said Amana Harris, Executive Director…

West Coast Journeys: A Trenton Artist Visits Oakland

August 31, 2015

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CRP Blog & Updates, Guest Blog

(Guest blog by Kasso) In February 2015, I finally made my way to the West Coast, after years of talking about visiting. A few weeks before my scheduled takeoff, my friend and artist, Leon Rainbow, told me about an organization based in Oakland, CA that did similar work to that of SAGE Coalition. The Community Rejuvenation Project, or CRP for short, is a pavement to policy 501(c.)3 non-profit organization that cultivates healthy communities through public art, beautification, education & celebration. I…

Alice St Mural Project Phase II Underway

April 14, 2015

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CRP Blog & Updates, Multimedia

Following an eight-month delay, Oakland-based muralist organization the Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) has begun work on Phase II of the Alice St. Mural Project. On April 3rd 2015, a contract was finally signed with property owner Mark Borsuk, allowing the project to proceed as planned. Councilmember Lynette Gibson-McElhaney’s office, who assisted with contract negotiations, was invaluable during this protracted process. “We couldn’t have moved forward without [D3 staff],” Executive Director Desi Mundo said. Though the delay altered the project’s original…

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…