Category Archives: east oakland

IMA

IMA big fan of the Institute of Mosaic Arts!  Ok… I know that’s corny, but it’s late and I’ve got 5 posts to do before bed since I’m doing a little travelling this weekend.  In preparation, I got up early this morning and headed down to the little corner of Jingletown this school/workshop occupies.

As I mentioned a couple days ago, there are numerous murals and smaller mosaics installed around the neighborhood immediately surrounding IMA.  I strolled around for about a half hour and saw no fewer than twenty, among the many other cool things I’ll hopefully get to in future posts, like Ford Street Studios, Automania, and more.  This is a cool part of town.

Here are a few photos of the Institute itself… These don’t even show all the mosaics on this building. It’s kind of crazy.

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If these hearts look at all familiar to you, it might be because Laurel True, the founder of IMA, was also a participating artist in the “Hearts in San Francisco” sculpture project a few years ago.

There are tons of classes offered at various levels, and a workshop cafe where you can drop in and work on your own projects.  Check it out!  You might just leave your heart at IMA.

Bode

So yesterday I mentioned the lovely mural that seemingly popped up overnight near Hollis & Peralta… The sign read “Peralta Mural project coming soon…”

This got me to thinking. About how art can transform, not only the passerby’s immediate experience in the world, but on a larger level, the whole look & feel of a neighborhood.

A couple months ago I shot some images for an article in Oakland Magazine about a puzzlemaker whose workshop/home is located in the Jingletown district of Oakland. This area is known for its profusion of artists and art spaces, re-purposing many of the industrial buildings that are no longer used for manufacturing and heavy industry.

I got a little lost and found myself wandering around a neighborhood in which nearly every large building’s walls had been beautified by some incredible piece of mosaic art… large murals constructed of tiny bits of glass and ceramics, installed by artists and community members working through Oakland’s Institute of Mosaic Arts (IMA). I’ll focus on the Institute and many of the pieces it’s installed in future posts.

But there is no denying that these works of art transformed this neighborhood, from streets confined by monolithic blank walls that seem to make us feel small, to streets framed by large works of art filled with color and sparkle, that not only invite the viewer’s attention, but dazzle with their beautiful spectacle.

And in seeing the notice on Hollis Street about the coming mural project, it seemed at least one artist had a similar vision for one little corner of West Oakland.  That artist is Mark Bode.  He’s a tattoo artist, comic book artist, muralist, and more.  And the other day I caught him in the act, adding the next installment to the Peralta Street Mural project.

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Check back tomorrow to see the finished product!

“Beautiful Struggle” ~ Oakland High School

So this morning’s excursion proved to be a perfect little life lesson in patience, flexibility, and serendipity. I was on my way to a particular mural that I knew I wanted to post today. I had it all planned out (I like to plan). It fit perfectly into my mural themed week and is one of my favorites in Oakland for it’s unique simplicity, and just happened to be on my way to my girlfriend’s’ house where I was headed anyway to pick up cake pans for a birthday cake to be baked this weekend.

However, my plan was completely thwarted by unanticipated road construction directly in front of the mural… police officers directing traffic, orange cones and plastic fencing cordoning off lanes, a giant yellow construction thingie (backhoe? bulldozer?) in the middle of the road, and basically no way to get the shot I had wanted.

I was frustrated. I ended up getting lost on my way to my friend’s house, despite having been there hundreds of times over the years… I was driving in circles not knowing how to get where I wanted to go… even more frustrating. As I felt my agitation rising I realized I needed to talk myself down.

“Breathe… It’s going to be ok. There’s plenty of art around… no need to be set on the one you had pre-picked… breathe.” And just like that, I turned a corner and saw the old familiar line of tall slender palm trees running down 9th Avenue and knew exactly where I was.

I picked up my cake pans and then drove right past this gorgeous set of murals produced by the students at Oakland High School. It’s really like a dozen murals all rolled into one, but I’ll feature the centerpiece today (Beautiful Struggle), and we’ll get to the others in future posts.

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Beautiful Struggle 3

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The mural was produced by the Visual Arts Academy Magnet Program (VAAMP) at Oakland High, and focuses on inspirational minority leaders, as only 2% of students at the school are white. (Wikipedia, see Oakland High School). The phrase “beautiful struggle” comes from a Martin Luther King Jr. speech entitled “Beyond Vietnam”…

“We must move past indecision to action. Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response.”

The center figure of the mural is Ms. Broussard, “one of the greatest art teacher(s) [to] set foot in OHS.” Other figures include Malcom X, Muhammad Ali, Frida Kahlo, Che Guevara, and Bob Marley. Unfortunately my lack of knowledge prevents me from knowing who the man is on the far left… if anyone knows, please send me a comment. Thanks!