Concept

Enliven the walls of the Kaiser building at 4501 Broadway with murals created through a collaborative process with expert muralists and  students from Oakland Technical High School, the California College of Art, as well as youth and adults from the Temescal neighborhood. The murals would merge ideas of health and community especially as they relate to youth.

Circle of Strength, Meera Desai, et. al., Asian Women's Shelter

Goals

• Engage a diverse group of people in a collaborative process that encourages self reflection and reflection on one's environment and community
   

• Support a positive and creative dialog that addresses health issues affecting youth in our community
   

• Address ways in which our community can become a healthier place where all members are respected and fulfill their potential
   

• Integrate the thoughts, reflections and imagery that come out of this process into a world class series of murals, covering and enlivening the Kaiser building.
   

Rigo 23, 4% Off, 96% On, 1996

Project Context

Over the last five years we have noticed that the building at 4501 Broadway serves as a canvas for local graffiti artists and taggers.  The theme of this art ranges from gang related slogans to abstract art, comic characters, and philosophical statements.  Although some of the art is positive and has some artistic interest, most of it is just plain tagging and has little artistic or expressive quality.

The Bay Area, and the East Bay specifically, is an environment where self reflection, activism, and creativity have always thrived. Whether it was the free speech movement of the late 60’s, The Black Panther Party, Alice Water’s edible schoolyard, The Oakland Public Schools Music Programs, etc., people here have traditionally embraced and encouraged community building and outreach by way of art.

The Temescal Street Collective believes it is time to provide an opportunity for the current generation of high school students to express themselves and leave a permanent, positive mark in their community.  The surrounding Temescal and Rockridge neighborhoods are saturated with talented artists including but not limited to the students and faculty at the California College of Art (CCA).  With Broadway transforming slowly into a vibrant transit corridor, we see the property that Kaiser has just purchased as the perfect place to host a public art piece. The building itself is plain to look at and therefore provides a wonderful neutral space for self expression.

Women's Building, San Francisco

Process

1) Initiate an official RFQ process to select artists in a fair and competitive manner. Selected artists will have experience creating large scale public murals and working with youth and adults to establish themes and imagery.

Note: Steven Huss, Acting Cultural Arts Programs Coordinator for the City of Oakland, is available for consultation and has even offered to lend members of his committee to distribute the RFQ and help identify and select artists.

2) Facilitate a series of conversations about issues related to health and community.

3) Support artists in brainstorming with participants to develop potential themes and imagery for the mural.

4) Artists will integrate the ideas and imagery into a cohesive design, expressing participants'  thoughts and experiences. 

5) The students and the artists will come together to paint the mural.

Levels of Participation from Kaiser

1) Allow Temescal Street Collective to use building as a canvas for mural.

2) Fund mural project on building, including materials and payment of artists for their time (both actually painting the mural and working with students to develop the design).

3) Participate in the process by holding a workshop with Kaiser’s “Educational Theatre Program” on health awareness at Oakland Technical High School. 

 

Budget

Below is a series of estimates for three mural options based on size and a cost estimate of $6-$11 per square foot. The suggested sizes do not necessarily have to constitute one mural. They could represent several smaller murals making up the total square footage but placed around the building on the three public-facing facades (We expect to discuss mural locations and layout with Kaiser representatives prior to issuing an RFQ).

The estimates each include: preparation of wall, payment of artist(s) for meetings with participants, research and planning, painting of mural, design materials (paper, sketching material, digital printouts), materials for painting actual mural, anti-graffiti and weather finishing.

30 x 60 foot mural (1800 square feet) - $11,000 - 20,000

30 x 120 foot mural (3600 square feet) - $22, 000 - 40,000

30 x 180 foot Mural (5400 square feet) - $32,500 - 60,000

For a point of reference, we have attached an RFQ for a similar project in Huntington, New York as well as the Mural Budget of a local muralist. Steve Huss of the City of Oakland Cultural Arts Department has experience with this type of project and is also available for questions, (510) 238 - 4949.

RFQ: Waldbuam's Mural, Huntington, NY

Miguel Perez Mural Budget

 

About Us

The Temescal Street Collective was founded by neighbors Suzanne L'Heureux and Catarina Negrin. We engage artists, activists and community members in community building activities; from public art projects to civic activism. Our emphasis is on collaboration and connection; the interactions that take place are valued as much as the end product. We generate ideas and invite community members to participate in our projects. We also welcome ideas from our neighbors, which we will support through our time and resources.  All participants in our projects are encouraged to overcome our assumptions to meet fresh. 

Member Biographies

Contact

We hope to have an opportunity to explore our vision for this project with you!