Category Archives: miscellaneous

Holiday Happenings…

old holiday card I designed but never used

Holy crap!  I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas… and already Hanukkah.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was working on my elf costume for Santacon.  2009!  Yikes.

You’ve probably noticed I’ve been a bit absent these last few weeks…  work’s been crazy; I ran out of hard drive space; the cat ate my blog post; you get the idea.  And then once you stop, it’s sooooo hard to get started again…

But I got a little kick in the pants yesterday when the UPS guy dropped my new harddrive on my doorstep  (couldn’t he have just gently placed it on the porch?) and then later last night, when I heard the Oakland Interfaith Choir performing on the radio.  They’re truly awesome, and it made me feel a wee bit guilty I haven’t been better about promoting all of the holiday hoo-ha about town.

So here is a a quick stab at a few things going on this weekend (by no means complete, so do send in comments if you know of other excellent happenings):

Friday, December 3rd

  • Art Murmur (5pm onward)

    Buy art for your friends and family!  Many galleries typically host small (and very affordable) works at this time of year for just this reason. Your loved ones will appreciate it more than another pair of socks, and you’ll be supporting local artisans as well!
    http://oaklandartmurmur.com/

  • Temescal Winter Art Hop (6pm – 9pm)

    View art at over fifteen Temescal locations! Pick up a Temescal Art Passport, collect stamps from at least ten venues, and turn it in for a chance to win a work of art. Also enjoy live local music during your stops along the Art Hop!  http://www.temescaldistrict.org/events.html

  • Jingletown Holiday ArtWalk Opening Reception (6pm – 9pm)

    The annual holiday open studios in this thriving arts district will highlight the work of artists who live and/or work in the area known as Jingletown, which is situated between the Park and Fruitvale Street bridges adjacent to the Oakland Estuary. Studios will be open to the public all weekend, with an opening reception Friday 12/3 at 420 Gallery, 420 Peterson St., Oakland. http://jingletown.org/

  • Jack London Square Lights Up for the Holidays! (5:30pm – 7:30pm)

    Oakland’s favorite waterfront destination will light up the skies with over 5,000 sparkling lights on a 55-foot tree.  Enjoy music, song, dancing trees, Santa’s reindeer, PBS characters, the Jack London Square Rising Star Talent Competition and snow…yes, snow!!!  (Broadway at Embarcadero)
    http://jacklondonsquare.com/

Saturday, December 4th

  • Jingletown Holiday ArtWalk (11am – 6pm)

    The annual holiday open studios in this thriving arts district will highlight the work of artists who live and/or work in the area known as Jingletown, which is situated between the Park and Fruitvale Street bridges adjacent to the Oakland Estuary.  Among other notable artistic enterprises, it is the location of the Institute of Mosaic Art and Float Gallery, as well as studios of many other renowned artists who are living and working in one of the most established artist warehouse districts in Oakland. http://jingletown.org/

  • Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir at the Paramount Theatre (7:30pm)

    The award-winning Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir is a multiracial, interfaith group that regularly performs throughout the Bay Area. Its vocalists, led by Artistic Director Terrance Kelly, perform traditional and contemporary black gospel music and spirituals. This season’s 25th Anniversary Holiday Concert includes an alumni choir!  You can go to the Paramount’s box office direct (510.465.6400), or feed the beast here.

  • 2nd Annual Piedmont Avenue Tree Lighting & Holiday Stroll (5pm sharp)

    The Oakland Lyric Opera, Pacific Boychoir Academy, Accordionist Salane Schultz, and the Piedmont Avenue Elementary School Band will entertain followed by a ceremonial Tree Lighting and a visit by Santa Claus. Enjoy complimentary coffee on the plaza from Peet’s Coffee & Tea, then stroll along Piedmont Avenue and visit participating businesses, who will be staying open until 8pm. (Key Route Plaza, 41st & Piedmont)  http://www.piedmontavenue.org/

Sunday, December 5th

  • Jingletown Holiday ArtWalk (11am – 6pm)

    The annual holiday open studios in this thriving arts district will highlight the work of artists who live and/or work in the area known as Jingletown, which is situated between the Park and Fruitvale Street bridges adjacent to the Oakland Estuary. Among other notable artistic enterprises, it is the location of the Institute of Mosaic Art and Float Gallery, as well as studios of many other renowned artists who are living and working in one of the most established artist warehouse districts in Oakland. http://jingletown.org/

You can also check my holiday posts from last  year for more fun ideas…  Just click on the archives for December 2009.  Now get busy ya’ll!

Open Call to Oakland Artists…

Listen up artists…. the Dimond District of Oakland is looking to install more public art projects in the neighborhood, and they’ve got some funding to make it happen!

Organized by Dimond Public Art (DPA), a volunteer-run committee of the Dimond Improvement Association, the goals of the overall project are the following:

  • To develop the cultural, artistic and physical identity of the Dimond District
  • To beautify the neighborhood through creative, attractive and unique artwork
  • To engage the community in the development and production of public art and related educational opportunities

They are seeking proposals for public projects ranging in scope from mini or temporary works ($500) to large scale permanent installations (up to $10,000) and anticipate funding approximately 4 to 6 projects by spring of next year.
dimond public art, dimond district map
Map above shows potential sites, though these are merely suggestions:

  1. The Bay Leaf Restaurant – MacArthur & Canon
  2. Empty Storefront (formerly Blockbuster) – MacArthur & Dimond
  3. Bienati Parking Lot – Bienati Way & Dimond
  4. Wells Fargo Pillars – Fruitvale & MacArthur
  5. Wells Fargo Parking Lot – Champion & MacArthur
  6. Champion Street Pedestrian Plaza – Champion & MacArthur
  7. Dimond Library Garden – Fruitvale north of MacArthur
  8. Dimond Park – Fruitvale & Lyman
  9. Fruitvale Presbyterian Church – MacArthur & Coolidge

Also, electrical boxes and chain link fencing throughout Dimond.

Here is the link for the Request for Proposal.

And here is the Application.

Note that preference will be given to projects involving members of the community, including children, since one of the goals is community engagement.  Any questions can be sent to dimondpublicart@gmail.com.

Submissions due by November 30th! Get busy.

Please share this with any Oakland based artists you think might be interested.

Patience Grasshopper

Awhile back you got spiders.  Today you get grasshopper.  Just because.

long horned grasshopper, california grasshopper, grasshopper photograph

This little bugger was on one of my tomato cages. As a gardener, I know I’m not supposed to like these hungry herbivores, munching away on my carefully tended goods. But I can’t help but dig them… they’re so cute.

I’ve been visited by vibrant green grasshoppers like this from time to time in my garden, both in West Oakland and here in the lower hills. I decided, one seemingly mundane day, that one of these visits was a sign. But of what?

I did a bit of quick internet research to discover that grasshoppers (and locusts, which are a type of grasshopper) figure into cultural lore for many centuries, especially in Asia.

  • Regarded in China as symbols of good luck, longevity, happiness, prosperity, fertility, and virtue (wow, that’s a lot), families often kept them as pets.
  • In ancient Greece, they represented symbols of status and even immortality – Athenian women would wear decorative hair pieces and jewelry featuring the figure of the grasshopper as an indication of nobility.
  • And the Japanese cherished the songs produced by these insects (particularly the long-horned grasshopper, which I believe this one is), and considered them to be symbols of good luck.

As I lay in bed before falling asleep, I often hear the lovely chirping of what I thought was a cricket.  I now think it’s likely this little guy (or gal).  Woohoo little grasshopper!  You can come visit anytime…

long horned grasshopper, green grasshopper, photograph of green grasshopper

Boo!

People in my neighborhood take their Halloween very seriously…

halloween decorations, dimond district houses decorated for halloween

crazy halloween decorated houses

Have a Happy Halloween ya’ll. Stay safe.

And when you’re not getting your spooky-freaky on this weekend, don’t forget to gear up for election day… next Tuesday, November 2nd! There’s a lot of important stuff on this ballot – clean energy, legalization of marijuana, restoring Oakland police officers, political redistricting – not to mention who will hold the reins of our beloved, but troubled city (and state) for the next four years. So study up!

halloween decorated houses oakland