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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>When Leah Rosenberg arrives at a new location for a public artwork, she might spend up to a month studying the light, the natural environment and how the colors change depending on the time of day. Only then does she concoct a vivid palette that transforms a wall or building into something otherworldly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Color is] an attraction, it gets attention,” Rosenberg says. “And then it is a tool to talk about deeper and important things. I think one of the important things now is to figure out how to be in the world and to treat each other well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco-based artist has created numerous large-scale installations, including pieces for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco International Airport. Her latest project transforms 18 loading docks at Fort Mason with a mural inspired by the sunrise, sunset and moonrise on the waters of the Bay. It’s called \u003cem>The Sea is But Another Sky\u003c/em>, and its vivid oranges, seafoam greens and aquatic blues follow visitors as they make their way through Fort Mason’s former military buildings to the water’s edge to take in the stunning view. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993816\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-2000x1331.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/DSC_2676-2048x1363.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fort Mason visitors walk past Leah Rosenberg’s new mural, ‘The Sea Is But Another Sky.’ (Pat Mazzera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of the colors might seem a bit fantastical when, you know, it’s like a neon orange sun spot,” Rosenberg says. “But that actually happens when you’re looking and you see there’s a burst of a fluorescent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sometimes her inspiration isn’t literal at all, Rosenberg continues. “The way that we name moons, right? The pink moon, the blue moon. I was going with [how] all the places we find color are not just how we see it, but also in writing and language and feeling and music.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mural, which will be up for a year, was commissioned by the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture as part of its \u003ca href=\"https://fortmason.org/event/fort-mason-art-walk-fall-2026/\">programming\u003c/a> geared towards its 50th anniversary in 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the center opened in the ’70s, it hosted eclectic events including a Tahitian cultural celebration and a sculpture-making collaboration in the parking lot. While things quieted down during the pandemic, “the program since that moment has been constantly trying to dial up the intensity of arts experiences,” said Chief Curator and Director of Programming Frank Smigiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The opening reception for \u003cem>The Sea is But Another Sky \u003c/em>takes place Sept. 17 during Fort Mason’s \u003ca href=\"https://fortmason.org/event/fort-mason-art-walk-fall-2026/\">free art walk\u003c/a>. Rosenberg and Spiegel will give a talk about the mural, and nearby exhibitions and performances will activate the entire campus, including the group show \u003cem>250 Years, Indigenous Futures \u003c/em>at Haines Gallery, a new installation by Muzae Sesay and Alexcia Sundra in the gatehouse gallery run by FOR-SITE, and a performance by hip-hop artist Niko Otis.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-mural-5th-avenue-laney-peralta-colleges",
"title": "A Massive New Oakland Mural Inspires Lasting Friendships and New Life Callings",
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"headTitle": "A Massive New Oakland Mural Inspires Lasting Friendships and New Life Callings | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/findingyourpeople\">Finding Your People\u003c/a>, a series celebrating the Bay Area’s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s a new gigantic work of art on 5th Avenue in Oakland, and it’s as colorful as the community that created it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sorbet-like shades of yellow and red provide a background for an array of flora. An Iranian dancer in orange strikes a fierce pose on one side. And on the other, a young Aztec dancer with piercing eyes holds a drum. Double meanings and secret messages are interlaced throughout the piece.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Painted on a Peralta Community College District warehouse, the mural centers the four school mascots from the network of East Bay junior colleges: a Merritt College black panther, a Berkeley City College owl, a College of Alameda cougar and a Laney College eagle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes (left) and instructor Fredericko Alvarado touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Roughly 20 students and a handful of volunteers painted the murals as part of \u003ca href=\"https://laney.edu/news/unity-through-diversity-mural-celebrates-oakland-education-community\">Laney’s Art 129 summer course\u003c/a>. It covers the broadside of a nondescript building, visible to a steady flow of thousands of daily commuters on 5th Avenue and Interstate 880.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This undertaking shows the power of individuals coming together in pursuit of a simple lesson in art. When they signed up for the class, they knew they’d create a gigantic mural. What they didn’t realize was that they’d also walk away with cross-cultural connections and lasting bonds with dope artists that go beyond paint on a wall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mural making is a cross-section between labor, psychotherapy, art making and community work,” says instructor \u003ca href=\"https://fredalvaradoarchives.space/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae14fUv8GL1aoaws95Lc4vfKaUaVlLIo8WvWSMBoxZy4vGRxISkLOIpMlyalg_aem_vFPtRnB2d61orrWem_4YVA\">Fredericko Alvarado\u003c/a>, who has taught the class for the past four years. All of this happens at once, he stresses while painting in the sun. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s labor-intensive and heavy on the body,” adds Alvarado, a longtime muralist himself, “especially at the scale that we were working.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992958\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(From left) Ernesto Cortes, Fredericko Alvarado and Emilio Hernandez look at the mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course after a fence blocking it from view was removed in Oakland on Aug. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Yet according to his students, the hard work pays off.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m finally giving myself permission to go to art school,” says Malena Mayorga, standing on a patch of grass near the sprawling mural. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayorga, a longtime Oakland resident originally from El Salvador, contributed a tree that represents the original people of this land, the Ohlone people. Her painting of a large oak has cultural references etched into the bark. There’s a Chinese dragon, Brazilian flags and an Aztec Quetzalcōātl, as well as a Palestinian keffiyeh, Filipino markings, West African Adinkra symbols, Ethiopian embroidery, a Mayan figure that represents the universe and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Malena Mayorga from Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course as they gather to see their completed mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking at the bigger picture, Mayorga professes, “We need to be changing the world [and moving] in the direction we want to see.” For her, the mural embodies that idea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The artists had to first agree on what the mural would collectively depict, and then design their individual contributions before placing them on a wall. They made minor miscalculations and adjusted them along the way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992955\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992955\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sketches for a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A completed sketch of the mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The end result is a towering community collage that illustrates the importance of community college. It stands about a paint bucket-toss from the Peralta District headquarters, a place that has recently dealt with a storm of budgetary issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recently, California’s community colleges lost the support of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/06/california-bay-area-community-colleges-funding-formula/\">a cost-of-living fund\u003c/a>, and the Peralta School District dealt with a $11.8 million deficit by cutting numerous classes and over 60 positions. This past spring they began closing \u003ca href=\"https://peraltacitizen.com/2026/02/03/laney-college-tower-to-retire/\">the Laney tower building\u003c/a>, and in June they agreed to \u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/peralta/Board.nsf/files/DURLE55624C7/%24file/25_26-212%20RESOLUTION%20AFFIRMING%20THE%20DISTRICT%20TRANSFORMATION%20PLAN%20AND%20THE%20CREATION%20OF%20OAKLAND%20CITY%20COLLEGE.pdf\">move forward with a plan to consolidate two schools\u003c/a> — Merritt and Laney — under one umbrella, Oakland City College. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the instability, this summer voters overwhelmingly approved a nine-year \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Peralta_Community_College_District,_California,_Measure_A,_Reauthorize_Parcel_Tax_to_Fund_Community_Colleges_Measure_(June_2026)\">parcel tax\u003c/a> to help fund the district, easing the tension and assuring students that the district plans on remaining affordable and accessible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez looks at the mural he helped paint during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The class of muralists reflects the wide array of reasons people choose to pursue their education at a community college. Some students are dealing with housing insecurity and physical health issues. Some are elders finally prioritizing art careers, and others are young students chasing their creative dreams. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Twenty-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vintage.vrtbre\">Kiana Tondre\u003c/a>, born and raised in Oakland, is a studio arts major at San Francisco State University. Partially inspired by her grandfather, a former California College of the Arts and Crafts professor, Tondre has long known that she’s an artist. And after taking this course at Laney over the past two summers, she honed in on murals as her preferred format. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is what I want to do with my life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare to touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare paint for a mural touch-up. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Through the class she got connected to the legendary community arts organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.precitaeyes.org/\">Precita Eyes\u003c/a>, as well as a world of students she wouldn’t have met at her more expensive four-year college.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>”In terms of community, I think Laney brings people together a lot more,” Tondre says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tondre painted a beautifully stoic Iranian dancer, an image that’s emblematic of a group of women who are “very misrepresented,” she explains. An Iranian woman herself, Tondre imagined the design as an homage to her grandmother. “She is kind of like one of the guardians to the mural,” Tondre says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992964\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Qi Han takes a photo of Kiana Tondre in front of the section of the mural she created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland on Aug. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>On the other side of that stands Ernesto Cortes’ painting based on an old photo of his nephew, who began learning about traditional Aztec dances and culture at nine years old. Cortes tells KQED in Spanish that his nephew is now a young adult, and teaches cultural classes at the college level. Noting the importance of remaining steadfast in your calling and cultural pride, despite racism and other oppressive forces, Cortes says he had to honor his nephew’s vision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Below Cortes’ dancing nephew, depicted in vibrant shades of green and blue, are the Ngíva words for grass and water. And to the righthand side of that image is a mocha-colored owl with spread wings and huge eyes, painted by traditionally trained fine artist \u003ca href=\"https://hanqiart.com/\">Qi Han\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes touches up a section of the mural he created. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Qi Han. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Before taking Alvarado’s class, Han had never painted a mural. Now, she’s already completed a second one through connections she made in the class. “Yeah, I think I’m hooked,” says Han.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you do a mural,” the Chinese-born artist reflects, “so many people can get to enjoy it. It’s just a different kind of art.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also takes more people to make it. “The project is very big, you cannot do it by yourself,” Han says. “So you really have to work with other people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Puerto Rican artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/liodez\">Emilio Hernandez\u003c/a> says this is the most diverse group of people he’s ever worked with. Not just a variety of ethnicities, but ages, expertise and interests in the craft. “There are students who are there just to dip their toes in art,” he says, “then there are artists like myself, who’ve been doing it for a few years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hernandez spent a decade working as a commercial painter, specializing in coating metal surfaces and scaling huge items. His second job was painting the cranes at the Port of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992959\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992959\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez prepares to touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez works on a section of the mural he created. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He enjoyed the view from the towering machines, but the labor was rigorous, the schedule was stressful and racist interactions were pervasive. A lingering injury from a car accident years ago prompted him to save money, walk away from the job and return to art school.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not easy for a married father of four, especially after he’d already gone through the Bay Area housing ringer. After facing a couple of eviction notices and multiple slumlords, he and his family ended up squatting in an abandoned apartment building. Hernandez used his painting abilities to renovate the spot with the help of a few others. Backed by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/\">Bay Area Community Land Trust\u003c/a>, he and the residents of the apartment building successfully earned the right to stay in their home on \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/our-houses/12th-ave\">12th Avenue\u003c/a>, not far from the mural.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hernandez wanted to paint the mural’s black panther “as close to the sun as possible” to uplift Black and brown people’s legacy of activism. “I don’t want the children to be raised and not know the history of where we came from and what got us to get to where we’re at today,” he explains. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992961\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez touches up a section of the mural he created. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Instructor Fredericko Alvarado (left) and student Emilio Hernandez prepare to touch up the mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>When he shared his stance with the class early in the semester, the discussion resulted in a bit of friction among students. But the tough conversation paid dividends in the end. “I couldn’t believe that we were having a civil conversation with a lot of tension,” Hernandez reflects, “and we ended it at peace.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lamakina510/\">Makina\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shishi.madriz/\">Shi Shi\u003c/a>, two mural-painting vets who volunteered with this summer’s class, agree that creating art with a collective is a surefire way to get artists in conversation and out of their silos. Shi Shi, who is also a dancer and tattoo artist from Berkeley, originally took the Peralta college class with late artist and professor \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2024/04/ray-patlan-mayor-of-balmy-alley-dies/\">Ray Patlán\u003c/a>. Proud that Alvarado is continuing the class’ legacy, Shi Shi highlights how it contributes to the region’s larger artist ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I took that class,” she says, “I met other artists, and also tapped in with other maestros and maestras here in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Makina concurs, noting that the class is a catalyst for creatives to “think bigger about the impact of your arts.” Public art can inspire “community dialogue around the visual landscape of your neighborhood, around the way your city is represented and the cultural equity that it offers,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mural advisor Makina speaks with students from Laney College’s ART 129 course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Donald Diggs, a 72-year-old Monterey-raised returning student, says his life changed when he found the world of public art. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I happened to be incarcerated for 43 years,” Diggs shares, explaining that he got bit by the creative bug while taking classes through the \u003ca href=\"https://williamjamesassociation.org/\">William James Association\u003c/a> in prison. “I just focused on art and it was like my escape.” For four decades he sat behind bars, working mostly with ceramics. After his release he joined the Peralta college network, signing up for Alvarado’s class only a few months after his return.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He showed up and morally supported the group this year after helping paint last year’s piece — an adjacent mural that’s roughly a quarter of the size of this year’s mural. “Art school,” Diggs says with an exhale, “was probably the best choice I could have made. And God has been blessing me ever since, so I just keep doing it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each semester, Alvarado, the instructor, designs the class slightly differently, but he keeps the “scaffolding” the same. It’s hard to fail, he admits, no matter your skill level. “Active engagement, being present, participating and just trying” are his grading criteria. “I don’t judge too much on aesthetics,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992963\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Instructor Fredericko Alvarado (left) and student Emilio Hernandez prepare paint. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Alvarado, who took over the class just as pandemic restrictions lifted, says he’s seen how the student artists have created their own community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Laney now has their own art club,” Alvarado says, referring to the newly-founded \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/societyofartistsandmakers\">Society of Artists & Markers\u003c/a>. With an email list of over 100 artists, the collective has already held two art openings since it began last spring, and a handful of Alvarado’s students are in the mix.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The beauty of the art club, much like his class, is the variety of work and different perspectives it offers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992966\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students and volunteers from Laney College’s ART 129 mural summer course gather for a group photo in front of their completed mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our classes are always filled or overfilled,” Alvarado says, explaining that the art department is always thinking of new ways to leverage access to resources and studio space for students in the Peralta system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In reality,” Alvarado concludes, “the community college belongs to everybody, right? So it should always be available to folks in some sort of way.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sorbet-like shades of yellow and red provide a background for an array of flora. An Iranian dancer in orange strikes a fierce pose on one side. And on the other, a young Aztec dancer with piercing eyes holds a drum. Double meanings and secret messages are interlaced throughout the piece.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Painted on a Peralta Community College District warehouse, the mural centers the four school mascots from the network of East Bay junior colleges: a Merritt College black panther, a Berkeley City College owl, a College of Alameda cougar and a Laney College eagle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Painted on a Peralta Community College District warehouse, the mural centers the four school mascots from the network of East Bay junior colleges: a Merritt College black panther, a Berkeley City College owl, a College of Alameda cougar and a Laney College eagle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes (left) and instructor Fredericko Alvarado touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roughly 20 students and a handful of volunteers painted the murals as part of \u003ca href=\"https://laney.edu/news/unity-through-diversity-mural-celebrates-oakland-education-community\">Laney’s Art 129 summer course\u003c/a>. It covers the broadside of a nondescript building, visible to a steady flow of thousands of daily commuters on 5th Avenue and Interstate 880.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Roughly 20 students and a handful of volunteers painted the murals as part of \u003ca href=\"https://laney.edu/news/unity-through-diversity-mural-celebrates-oakland-education-community\">Laney’s Art 129 summer course\u003c/a>. It covers the broadside of a nondescript building, visible to a steady flow of thousands of daily commuters on 5th Avenue and Interstate 880.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This undertaking shows the power of individuals coming together in pursuit of a simple lesson in art. When they signed up for the class, they knew they’d create a gigantic mural. What they didn’t realize was that they’d also walk away with cross-cultural connections and lasting bonds with dope artists that go beyond paint on a wall.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mural making is a cross-section between labor, psychotherapy, art making and community work,” says instructor \u003ca href=\"https://fredalvaradoarchives.space/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae14fUv8GL1aoaws95Lc4vfKaUaVlLIo8WvWSMBoxZy4vGRxISkLOIpMlyalg_aem_vFPtRnB2d61orrWem_4YVA\">Fredericko Alvarado\u003c/a>, who has taught the class for the past four years. All of this happens at once, he stresses while painting in the sun. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s labor-intensive and heavy on the body,” adds Alvarado, a longtime muralist himself, “especially at the scale that we were working.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992958\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(From left) Ernesto Cortes, Fredericko Alvarado and Emilio Hernandez look at the mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course after a fence blocking it from view was removed in Oakland on Aug. 18, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992958\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(From left) Ernesto Cortes, Fredericko Alvarado and Emilio Hernandez look at the mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course after a fence blocking it from view was removed in Oakland on Aug. 18, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yet according to his students, the hard work pays off.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m finally giving myself permission to go to art school,” says Malena Mayorga, standing on a patch of grass near the sprawling mural. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayorga, a longtime Oakland resident originally from El Salvador, contributed a tree that represents the original people of this land, the Ohlone people. Her painting of a large oak has cultural references etched into the bark. There’s a Chinese dragon, Brazilian flags and an Aztec Quetzalcōātl, as well as a Palestinian keffiyeh, Filipino markings, West African Adinkra symbols, Ethiopian embroidery, a Mayan figure that represents the universe and more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mayorga, a longtime Oakland resident originally from El Salvador, contributed a tree that represents the original people of this land, the Ohlone people. Her painting of a large oak has cultural references etched into the bark. There’s a Chinese dragon, Brazilian flags and an Aztec Quetzalcōātl, as well as a Palestinian keffiyeh, Filipino markings, West African Adinkra symbols, Ethiopian embroidery, a Mayan figure that represents the universe and more.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Malena Mayorga from Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course as they gather to see their completed mural.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992969\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Malena Mayorga from Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course as they gather to see their completed mural.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Looking at the bigger picture, Mayorga professes, “We need to be changing the world [and moving] in the direction we want to see.” For her, the mural embodies that idea.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The artists had to first agree on what the mural would collectively depict, and then design their individual contributions before placing them on a wall. They made minor miscalculations and adjusted them along the way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992955\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sketches for a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 course.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992955\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sketches for a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 course.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The end result is a towering community collage that illustrates the importance of community college. It stands about a paint bucket-toss from the Peralta District headquarters, a place that has recently dealt with a storm of budgetary issues.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recently, California’s community colleges lost the support of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/06/california-bay-area-community-colleges-funding-formula/\">a cost-of-living fund\u003c/a>, and the Peralta School District dealt with a $11.8 million deficit by cutting numerous classes and over 60 positions. This past spring they began closing \u003ca href=\"https://peraltacitizen.com/2026/02/03/laney-college-tower-to-retire/\">the Laney tower building\u003c/a>, and in June they agreed to \u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/peralta/Board.nsf/files/DURLE55624C7/$file/25_26-212%20RESOLUTION%20AFFIRMING%20THE%20DISTRICT%20TRANSFORMATION%20PLAN%20AND%20THE%20CREATION%20OF%20OAKLAND%20CITY%20COLLEGE.pdf\">move forward with a plan to consolidate two schools\u003c/a> — Merritt and Laney — under one umbrella, Oakland City College. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Recently, California’s community colleges lost the support of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/06/california-bay-area-community-colleges-funding-formula/\">a cost-of-living fund\u003c/a>, and the Peralta School District dealt with a $11.8 million deficit by cutting numerous classes and over 60 positions. This past spring they began closing \u003ca href=\"https://peraltacitizen.com/2026/02/03/laney-college-tower-to-retire/\">the Laney tower building\u003c/a>, and in June they agreed to \u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/peralta/Board.nsf/files/DURLE55624C7/$file/25_26-212%20RESOLUTION%20AFFIRMING%20THE%20DISTRICT%20TRANSFORMATION%20PLAN%20AND%20THE%20CREATION%20OF%20OAKLAND%20CITY%20COLLEGE.pdf\">move forward with a plan to consolidate two schools\u003c/a> — Merritt and Laney — under one umbrella, Oakland City College. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the instability, this summer voters overwhelmingly approved a nine-year \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Peralta_Community_College_District,_California,_Measure_A,_Reauthorize_Parcel_Tax_to_Fund_Community_Colleges_Measure_(June_2026)\">parcel tax\u003c/a> to help fund the district, easing the tension and assuring students that the district plans on remaining affordable and accessible.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite the instability, this summer voters overwhelmingly approved a nine-year \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Peralta_Community_College_District,_California,_Measure_A,_Reauthorize_Parcel_Tax_to_Fund_Community_Colleges_Measure_(June_2026)\">parcel tax\u003c/a> to help fund the district, easing the tension and assuring students that the district plans on remaining affordable and accessible.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez looks at the mural he helped paint during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992973\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez looks at the mural he helped paint during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The class of muralists reflects the wide array of reasons people choose to pursue their education at a community college. Some students are dealing with housing insecurity and physical health issues. Some are elders finally prioritizing art careers, and others are young students chasing their creative dreams. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Twenty-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vintage.vrtbre\">Kiana Tondre\u003c/a>, born and raised in Oakland, is a studio arts major at San Francisco State University. Partially inspired by her grandfather, a former California College of the Arts and Crafts professor, Tondre has long known that she’s an artist. And after taking this course at Laney over the past two summers, she honed in on murals as her preferred format. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Twenty-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vintage.vrtbre\">Kiana Tondre\u003c/a>, born and raised in Oakland, is a studio arts major at San Francisco State University. Partially inspired by her grandfather, a former California College of the Arts and Crafts professor, Tondre has long known that she’s an artist. And after taking this course at Laney over the past two summers, she honed in on murals as her preferred format. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare to touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare paint for a mural touch-up.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992956\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare paint for a mural touch-up.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Through the class she got connected to the legendary community arts organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.precitaeyes.org/\">Precita Eyes\u003c/a>, as well as a world of students she wouldn’t have met at her more expensive four-year college.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Through the class she got connected to the legendary community arts organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.precitaeyes.org/\">Precita Eyes\u003c/a>, as well as a world of students she wouldn’t have met at her more expensive four-year college.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>”In terms of community, I think Laney brings people together a lot more,” Tondre says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tondre painted a beautifully stoic Iranian dancer, an image that’s emblematic of a group of women who are “very misrepresented,” she explains. An Iranian woman herself, Tondre imagined the design as an homage to her grandmother. “She is kind of like one of the guardians to the mural,” Tondre says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tondre painted a beautifully stoic Iranian dancer, an image that’s emblematic of a group of women who are “very misrepresented,” she explains. An Iranian woman herself, Tondre imagined the design as an homage to her grandmother. “She is kind of like one of the guardians to the mural,” Tondre says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992964\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Qi Han takes a photo of Kiana Tondre in front of the section of the mural she created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland on Aug. 14, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992964\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Qi Han takes a photo of Kiana Tondre in front of the section of the mural she created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland on Aug. 14, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the other side of that stands Ernesto Cortes’ painting based on an old photo of his nephew, who began learning about traditional Aztec dances and culture at nine years old. Cortes tells KQED in Spanish that his nephew is now a young adult, and teaches cultural classes at the college level. Noting the importance of remaining steadfast in your calling and cultural pride, despite racism and other oppressive forces, Cortes says he had to honor his nephew’s vision.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the other side of that stands Ernesto Cortes’ painting based on an old photo of his nephew, who began learning about traditional Aztec dances and culture at nine years old. Cortes tells KQED in Spanish that his nephew is now a young adult, and teaches cultural classes at the college level. Noting the importance of remaining steadfast in your calling and cultural pride, despite racism and other oppressive forces, Cortes says he had to honor his nephew’s vision.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Below Cortes’ dancing nephew, depicted in vibrant shades of green and blue, are the Ngíva words for grass and water. And to the righthand side of that image is a mocha-colored owl with spread wings and huge eyes, painted by traditionally trained fine artist \u003ca href=\"https://hanqiart.com/\">Qi Han\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Below Cortes’ dancing nephew, depicted in vibrant shades of green and blue, are the Ngíva words for grass and water. And to the righthand side of that image is a mocha-colored owl with spread wings and huge eyes, painted by traditionally trained fine artist \u003ca href=\"https://hanqiart.com/\">Qi Han\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Qi Han.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before taking Alvarado’s class, Han had never painted a mural. Now, she’s already completed a second one through connections she made in the class. “Yeah, I think I’m hooked,” says Han.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before taking Alvarado’s class, Han had never painted a mural. Now, she’s already completed a second one through connections she made in the class. “Yeah, I think I’m hooked,” says Han.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you do a mural,” the Chinese-born artist reflects, “so many people can get to enjoy it. It’s just a different kind of art.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also takes more people to make it. “The project is very big, you cannot do it by yourself,” Han says. “So you really have to work with other people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It also takes more people to make it. “The project is very big, you cannot do it by yourself,” Han says. “So you really have to work with other people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Puerto Rican artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/liodez\">Emilio Hernandez\u003c/a> says this is the most diverse group of people he’s ever worked with. Not just a variety of ethnicities, but ages, expertise and interests in the craft. “There are students who are there just to dip their toes in art,” he says, “then there are artists like myself, who’ve been doing it for a few years.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Puerto Rican artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/liodez\">Emilio Hernandez\u003c/a> says this is the most diverse group of people he’s ever worked with. Not just a variety of ethnicities, but ages, expertise and interests in the craft. “There are students who are there just to dip their toes in art,” he says, “then there are artists like myself, who’ve been doing it for a few years.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hernandez spent a decade working as a commercial painter, specializing in coating metal surfaces and scaling huge items. His second job was painting the cranes at the Port of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992959\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez prepares to touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He enjoyed the view from the towering machines, but the labor was rigorous, the schedule was stressful and racist interactions were pervasive. A lingering injury from a car accident years ago prompted him to save money, walk away from the job and return to art school.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He enjoyed the view from the towering machines, but the labor was rigorous, the schedule was stressful and racist interactions were pervasive. A lingering injury from a car accident years ago prompted him to save money, walk away from the job and return to art school.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Not easy for a married father of four, especially after he’d already gone through the Bay Area housing ringer. After facing a couple of eviction notices and multiple slumlords, he and his family ended up squatting in an abandoned apartment building. Hernandez used his painting abilities to renovate the spot with the help of a few others. Backed by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/\">Bay Area Community Land Trust\u003c/a>, he and the residents of the apartment building successfully earned the right to stay in their home on \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/our-houses/12th-ave\">12th Avenue\u003c/a>, not far from the mural.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Not easy for a married father of four, especially after he’d already gone through the Bay Area housing ringer. After facing a couple of eviction notices and multiple slumlords, he and his family ended up squatting in an abandoned apartment building. Hernandez used his painting abilities to renovate the spot with the help of a few others. Backed by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/\">Bay Area Community Land Trust\u003c/a>, he and the residents of the apartment building successfully earned the right to stay in their home on \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/our-houses/12th-ave\">12th Avenue\u003c/a>, not far from the mural.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hernandez wanted to paint the mural’s black panther “as close to the sun as possible” to uplift Black and brown people’s legacy of activism. “I don’t want the children to be raised and not know the history of where we came from and what got us to get to where we’re at today,” he explains. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When he shared his stance with the class early in the semester, the discussion resulted in a bit of friction among students. But the tough conversation paid dividends in the end. “I couldn’t believe that we were having a civil conversation with a lot of tension,” Hernandez reflects, “and we ended it at peace.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lamakina510/\">Makina\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shishi.madriz/\">Shi Shi\u003c/a>, two mural-painting vets who volunteered with this summer’s class, agree that creating art with a collective is a surefire way to get artists in conversation and out of their silos. Shi Shi, who is also a dancer and tattoo artist from Berkeley, originally took the Peralta college class with late artist and professor \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2024/04/ray-patlan-mayor-of-balmy-alley-dies/\">Ray Patlán\u003c/a>. Proud that Alvarado is continuing the class’ legacy, Shi Shi highlights how it contributes to the region’s larger artist ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lamakina510/\">Makina\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shishi.madriz/\">Shi Shi\u003c/a>, two mural-painting vets who volunteered with this summer’s class, agree that creating art with a collective is a surefire way to get artists in conversation and out of their silos. Shi Shi, who is also a dancer and tattoo artist from Berkeley, originally took the Peralta college class with late artist and professor \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2024/04/ray-patlan-mayor-of-balmy-alley-dies/\">Ray Patlán\u003c/a>. Proud that Alvarado is continuing the class’ legacy, Shi Shi highlights how it contributes to the region’s larger artist ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When I took that class,” she says, “I met other artists, and also tapped in with other maestros and maestras here in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Makina concurs, noting that the class is a catalyst for creatives to “think bigger about the impact of your arts.” Public art can inspire “community dialogue around the visual landscape of your neighborhood, around the way your city is represented and the cultural equity that it offers,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Makina concurs, noting that the class is a catalyst for creatives to “think bigger about the impact of your arts.” Public art can inspire “community dialogue around the visual landscape of your neighborhood, around the way your city is represented and the cultural equity that it offers,” she says. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Donald Diggs, a 72-year-old Monterey-raised returning student, says his life changed when he found the world of public art. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I happened to be incarcerated for 43 years,” Diggs shares, explaining that he got bit by the creative bug while taking classes through the \u003ca href=\"https://williamjamesassociation.org/\">William James Association\u003c/a> in prison. “I just focused on art and it was like my escape.” For four decades he sat behind bars, working mostly with ceramics. After his release he joined the Peralta college network, signing up for Alvarado’s class only a few months after his return.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I happened to be incarcerated for 43 years,” Diggs shares, explaining that he got bit by the creative bug while taking classes through the \u003ca href=\"https://williamjamesassociation.org/\">William James Association\u003c/a> in prison. “I just focused on art and it was like my escape.” For four decades he sat behind bars, working mostly with ceramics. After his release he joined the Peralta college network, signing up for Alvarado’s class only a few months after his return.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He showed up and morally supported the group this year after helping paint last year’s piece — an adjacent mural that’s roughly a quarter of the size of this year’s mural. “Art school,” Diggs says with an exhale, “was probably the best choice I could have made. And God has been blessing me ever since, so I just keep doing it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each semester, Alvarado, the instructor, designs the class slightly differently, but he keeps the “scaffolding” the same. It’s hard to fail, he admits, no matter your skill level. “Active engagement, being present, participating and just trying” are his grading criteria. “I don’t judge too much on aesthetics,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alvarado, who took over the class just as pandemic restrictions lifted, says he’s seen how the student artists have created their own community.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Laney now has their own art club,” Alvarado says, referring to the newly-founded \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/societyofartistsandmakers\">Society of Artists & Markers\u003c/a>. With an email list of over 100 artists, the collective has already held two art openings since it began last spring, and a handful of Alvarado’s students are in the mix.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992966\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students and volunteers from Laney College’s ART 129 mural summer course gather for a group photo in front of their completed mural.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our classes are always filled or overfilled,” Alvarado says, explaining that the art department is always thinking of new ways to leverage access to resources and studio space for students in the Peralta system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In reality,” Alvarado concludes, “the community college belongs to everybody, right? So it should always be available to folks in some sort of way.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Community college students of all ages and cultural backgrounds came together to paint the vibrant wall on 5th Avenue. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/findingyourpeople\">Finding Your People\u003c/a>, a series celebrating the Bay Area’s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s a new gigantic work of art on 5th Avenue in Oakland, and it’s as colorful as the community that created it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sorbet-like shades of yellow and red provide a background for an array of flora. An Iranian dancer in orange strikes a fierce pose on one side. And on the other, a young Aztec dancer with piercing eyes holds a drum. Double meanings and secret messages are interlaced throughout the piece.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Painted on a Peralta Community College District warehouse, the mural centers the four school mascots from the network of East Bay junior colleges: a Merritt College black panther, a Berkeley City College owl, a College of Alameda cougar and a Laney College eagle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes (left) and instructor Fredericko Alvarado touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Roughly 20 students and a handful of volunteers painted the murals as part of \u003ca href=\"https://laney.edu/news/unity-through-diversity-mural-celebrates-oakland-education-community\">Laney’s Art 129 summer course\u003c/a>. It covers the broadside of a nondescript building, visible to a steady flow of thousands of daily commuters on 5th Avenue and Interstate 880.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This undertaking shows the power of individuals coming together in pursuit of a simple lesson in art. When they signed up for the class, they knew they’d create a gigantic mural. What they didn’t realize was that they’d also walk away with cross-cultural connections and lasting bonds with dope artists that go beyond paint on a wall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mural making is a cross-section between labor, psychotherapy, art making and community work,” says instructor \u003ca href=\"https://fredalvaradoarchives.space/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae14fUv8GL1aoaws95Lc4vfKaUaVlLIo8WvWSMBoxZy4vGRxISkLOIpMlyalg_aem_vFPtRnB2d61orrWem_4YVA\">Fredericko Alvarado\u003c/a>, who has taught the class for the past four years. All of this happens at once, he stresses while painting in the sun. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s labor-intensive and heavy on the body,” adds Alvarado, a longtime muralist himself, “especially at the scale that we were working.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992958\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(From left) Ernesto Cortes, Fredericko Alvarado and Emilio Hernandez look at the mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course after a fence blocking it from view was removed in Oakland on Aug. 18, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Yet according to his students, the hard work pays off.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m finally giving myself permission to go to art school,” says Malena Mayorga, standing on a patch of grass near the sprawling mural. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayorga, a longtime Oakland resident originally from El Salvador, contributed a tree that represents the original people of this land, the Ohlone people. Her painting of a large oak has cultural references etched into the bark. There’s a Chinese dragon, Brazilian flags and an Aztec Quetzalcōātl, as well as a Palestinian keffiyeh, Filipino markings, West African Adinkra symbols, Ethiopian embroidery, a Mayan figure that represents the universe and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-04-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Malena Mayorga from Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course as they gather to see their completed mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking at the bigger picture, Mayorga professes, “We need to be changing the world [and moving] in the direction we want to see.” For her, the mural embodies that idea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The artists had to first agree on what the mural would collectively depict, and then design their individual contributions before placing them on a wall. They made minor miscalculations and adjusted them along the way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992955\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992955\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sketches for a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-01-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A completed sketch of the mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The end result is a towering community collage that illustrates the importance of community college. It stands about a paint bucket-toss from the Peralta District headquarters, a place that has recently dealt with a storm of budgetary issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recently, California’s community colleges lost the support of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/06/california-bay-area-community-colleges-funding-formula/\">a cost-of-living fund\u003c/a>, and the Peralta School District dealt with a $11.8 million deficit by cutting numerous classes and over 60 positions. This past spring they began closing \u003ca href=\"https://peraltacitizen.com/2026/02/03/laney-college-tower-to-retire/\">the Laney tower building\u003c/a>, and in June they agreed to \u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/peralta/Board.nsf/files/DURLE55624C7/%24file/25_26-212%20RESOLUTION%20AFFIRMING%20THE%20DISTRICT%20TRANSFORMATION%20PLAN%20AND%20THE%20CREATION%20OF%20OAKLAND%20CITY%20COLLEGE.pdf\">move forward with a plan to consolidate two schools\u003c/a> — Merritt and Laney — under one umbrella, Oakland City College. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the instability, this summer voters overwhelmingly approved a nine-year \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Peralta_Community_College_District,_California,_Measure_A,_Reauthorize_Parcel_Tax_to_Fund_Community_Colleges_Measure_(June_2026)\">parcel tax\u003c/a> to help fund the district, easing the tension and assuring students that the district plans on remaining affordable and accessible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-20-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez looks at the mural he helped paint during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The class of muralists reflects the wide array of reasons people choose to pursue their education at a community college. Some students are dealing with housing insecurity and physical health issues. Some are elders finally prioritizing art careers, and others are young students chasing their creative dreams. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Twenty-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vintage.vrtbre\">Kiana Tondre\u003c/a>, born and raised in Oakland, is a studio arts major at San Francisco State University. Partially inspired by her grandfather, a former California College of the Arts and Crafts professor, Tondre has long known that she’s an artist. And after taking this course at Laney over the past two summers, she honed in on murals as her preferred format. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is what I want to do with my life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992957\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-06-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare to touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-05-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Student Kiana Tondre and instructor Fredericko Alvarado prepare paint for a mural touch-up. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Through the class she got connected to the legendary community arts organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.precitaeyes.org/\">Precita Eyes\u003c/a>, as well as a world of students she wouldn’t have met at her more expensive four-year college.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>”In terms of community, I think Laney brings people together a lot more,” Tondre says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tondre painted a beautifully stoic Iranian dancer, an image that’s emblematic of a group of women who are “very misrepresented,” she explains. An Iranian woman herself, Tondre imagined the design as an homage to her grandmother. “She is kind of like one of the guardians to the mural,” Tondre says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992964\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Qi Han takes a photo of Kiana Tondre in front of the section of the mural she created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course in Oakland on Aug. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>On the other side of that stands Ernesto Cortes’ painting based on an old photo of his nephew, who began learning about traditional Aztec dances and culture at nine years old. Cortes tells KQED in Spanish that his nephew is now a young adult, and teaches cultural classes at the college level. Noting the importance of remaining steadfast in your calling and cultural pride, despite racism and other oppressive forces, Cortes says he had to honor his nephew’s vision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Below Cortes’ dancing nephew, depicted in vibrant shades of green and blue, are the Ngíva words for grass and water. And to the righthand side of that image is a mocha-colored owl with spread wings and huge eyes, painted by traditionally trained fine artist \u003ca href=\"https://hanqiart.com/\">Qi Han\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-21-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes touches up a section of the mural he created. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992972\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-03-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ernesto Cortes speaks with fellow student Qi Han. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Before taking Alvarado’s class, Han had never painted a mural. Now, she’s already completed a second one through connections she made in the class. “Yeah, I think I’m hooked,” says Han.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you do a mural,” the Chinese-born artist reflects, “so many people can get to enjoy it. It’s just a different kind of art.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also takes more people to make it. “The project is very big, you cannot do it by yourself,” Han says. “So you really have to work with other people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Puerto Rican artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/liodez\">Emilio Hernandez\u003c/a> says this is the most diverse group of people he’s ever worked with. Not just a variety of ethnicities, but ages, expertise and interests in the craft. “There are students who are there just to dip their toes in art,” he says, “then there are artists like myself, who’ve been doing it for a few years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hernandez spent a decade working as a commercial painter, specializing in coating metal surfaces and scaling huge items. His second job was painting the cranes at the Port of Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992959\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992959\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-09-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez prepares to touch up a mural created during Laney College’s ART 129 summer mural course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"13992960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-10-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez works on a section of the mural he created. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He enjoyed the view from the towering machines, but the labor was rigorous, the schedule was stressful and racist interactions were pervasive. A lingering injury from a car accident years ago prompted him to save money, walk away from the job and return to art school.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not easy for a married father of four, especially after he’d already gone through the Bay Area housing ringer. After facing a couple of eviction notices and multiple slumlords, he and his family ended up squatting in an abandoned apartment building. Hernandez used his painting abilities to renovate the spot with the help of a few others. Backed by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/\">Bay Area Community Land Trust\u003c/a>, he and the residents of the apartment building successfully earned the right to stay in their home on \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaclt.org/our-houses/12th-ave\">12th Avenue\u003c/a>, not far from the mural.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hernandez wanted to paint the mural’s black panther “as close to the sun as possible” to uplift Black and brown people’s legacy of activism. “I don’t want the children to be raised and not know the history of where we came from and what got us to get to where we’re at today,” he explains. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992961\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-11-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emilio Hernandez touches up a section of the mural he created. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992962\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Instructor Fredericko Alvarado (left) and student Emilio Hernandez prepare to touch up the mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>When he shared his stance with the class early in the semester, the discussion resulted in a bit of friction among students. But the tough conversation paid dividends in the end. “I couldn’t believe that we were having a civil conversation with a lot of tension,” Hernandez reflects, “and we ended it at peace.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lamakina510/\">Makina\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shishi.madriz/\">Shi Shi\u003c/a>, two mural-painting vets who volunteered with this summer’s class, agree that creating art with a collective is a surefire way to get artists in conversation and out of their silos. Shi Shi, who is also a dancer and tattoo artist from Berkeley, originally took the Peralta college class with late artist and professor \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2024/04/ray-patlan-mayor-of-balmy-alley-dies/\">Ray Patlán\u003c/a>. Proud that Alvarado is continuing the class’ legacy, Shi Shi highlights how it contributes to the region’s larger artist ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When I took that class,” she says, “I met other artists, and also tapped in with other maestros and maestras here in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Makina concurs, noting that the class is a catalyst for creatives to “think bigger about the impact of your arts.” Public art can inspire “community dialogue around the visual landscape of your neighborhood, around the way your city is represented and the cultural equity that it offers,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-19-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mural advisor Makina speaks with students from Laney College’s ART 129 course. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Donald Diggs, a 72-year-old Monterey-raised returning student, says his life changed when he found the world of public art. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I happened to be incarcerated for 43 years,” Diggs shares, explaining that he got bit by the creative bug while taking classes through the \u003ca href=\"https://williamjamesassociation.org/\">William James Association\u003c/a> in prison. “I just focused on art and it was like my escape.” For four decades he sat behind bars, working mostly with ceramics. After his release he joined the Peralta college network, signing up for Alvarado’s class only a few months after his return.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He showed up and morally supported the group this year after helping paint last year’s piece — an adjacent mural that’s roughly a quarter of the size of this year’s mural. “Art school,” Diggs says with an exhale, “was probably the best choice I could have made. And God has been blessing me ever since, so I just keep doing it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each semester, Alvarado, the instructor, designs the class slightly differently, but he keeps the “scaffolding” the same. It’s hard to fail, he admits, no matter your skill level. “Active engagement, being present, participating and just trying” are his grading criteria. “I don’t judge too much on aesthetics,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992963\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260818-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-15-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Instructor Fredericko Alvarado (left) and student Emilio Hernandez prepare paint. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Alvarado, who took over the class just as pandemic restrictions lifted, says he’s seen how the student artists have created their own community.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Laney now has their own art club,” Alvarado says, referring to the newly-founded \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/societyofartistsandmakers\">Society of Artists & Markers\u003c/a>. With an email list of over 100 artists, the collective has already held two art openings since it began last spring, and a handful of Alvarado’s students are in the mix.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The beauty of the art club, much like his class, is the variety of work and different perspectives it offers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13992966\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/260814-FYP-CommunityCollegeArtClass-16-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students and volunteers from Laney College’s ART 129 mural summer course gather for a group photo in front of their completed mural. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our classes are always filled or overfilled,” Alvarado says, explaining that the art department is always thinking of new ways to leverage access to resources and studio space for students in the Peralta system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In reality,” Alvarado concludes, “the community college belongs to everybody, right? So it should always be available to folks in some sort of way.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "lady-pink-clarion-alley-graffiti-camp-for-girls-san-francisco",
"title": "A New York Graffiti Legend Is in Clarion Alley This Week",
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"headTitle": "A New York Graffiti Legend Is in Clarion Alley This Week | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s Wednesday afternoon in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s Clarion Alley, and eight girls are hovering over a folding table scattered with paint pens. Discussing a mural design for an adjacent wall, they hatch a plan to paint “San Francisco,” surrounded by symbols that represent the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearby stands Lady Pink, a legend in the New York \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/graffiti\">graffiti\u003c/a> and street art scene, who’s here to mentor the young girls on the mural. In the 1970s and 1980s, Lady Pink was the first woman in graffiti to make a national name for herself, and in the process carved out space for other women in the male-dominated field.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, she’s lending her skills and expertise to the students of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/graffiticampforgirls/?hl=en\">Graffiti Camp for Girls\u003c/a> as they take on their first mural-sized project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Graffiti artist Lady Pink poses for a portrait on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s important to hand down our craft to the youth,” Lady Pink tells KQED in the alley, during a break “They don’t teach mural painting in schools so much. They teach painting, but they don’t teach mural painting. So, we’ll get a big wall and we’ll let the kids express themselves in a giant size.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once the mural is completed, it will be unveiled at an event on Friday, June 19, from 4–5 p.m. in Clarion Alley. Lady Pink, who starred in the groundbreaking 1982 hip-hop film \u003cem>Wild Style\u003c/em>, will be present for a meet and greet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now in its 10th year, Graffiti Camp for Girls is led and founded by Nina Wright, known as local artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/girlmobb/?hl=en\">Girl Mobb\u003c/a>. Her goal is to equip young girls with street art skills and the basics of spray painting safely, with respirator masks, while giving them the space to create public art.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990888\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nina Wright (center) laughs with the students from the Graffiti Camp for Girls on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For 16-year-old participant Aaliyah Garcia, the camp offers her a crucial outlet as she continues to “expand her creativity.” Though she has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember, she had no experience with spray painting prior to this week’s session.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m excited to have my art up in the world for everyone to see,” Garcia says. (The mural is scheduled to stay up in Clarion Alley for at least five years.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a few days of participants getting the hang of graffiti basics and learning new skills with lettering, Lady Pink arrived Wednesday to offer insight on large-scale painting. Her role, she emphasizes, is to push young people in the right direction rather than influencing their art. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kids love to paint big, they love to paint in the street,” Lady Pink says. “They don’t like to run from the police nearly as much as we did.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>While Lady Pink came up in an outlaw era of unsanctioned graffiti, the opportunity for today’s youth to utilize “permission walls” and learn to express themselves is “absolutely priceless,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I love to see the confidence and the growth in the kids when they do something,” she adds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lady Pink, a graffiti artist, helps young girls develop their mural design at the Graffiti Camp for Girls on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After just a few hours under Lady Pink’s guidance, 13-year-old Carey Deeter felt that confidence developing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deeter had joined the camp because of her admiration for street art across the city, and while at first she’d been slower and more controlled with the spray paint, she learned to follow Lady Pink’s advice to “just get it done, don’t overthink it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Once you get the hang of it, you can basically do whatever you want,” Deeter says. “It’s very easy to control and stuff. It’s very freeing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A mural unveiling and meet-and-greet with Lady Pink takes place on Friday, June 19, from 4-5 p.m. in Clarion Alley in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZGj4OLTPB6/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Details and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Graffiti artist Lady Pink poses for a portrait on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s important to hand down our craft to the youth,” Lady Pink tells KQED in the alley, during a break “They don’t teach mural painting in schools so much. They teach painting, but they don’t teach mural painting. So, we’ll get a big wall and we’ll let the kids express themselves in a giant size.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once the mural is completed, it will be unveiled at an event on Friday, June 19, from 4–5 p.m. in Clarion Alley. Lady Pink, who starred in the groundbreaking 1982 hip-hop film \u003cem>Wild Style\u003c/em>, will be present for a meet and greet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now in its 10th year, Graffiti Camp for Girls is led and founded by Nina Wright, known as local artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/girlmobb/?hl=en\">Girl Mobb\u003c/a>. Her goal is to equip young girls with street art skills and the basics of spray painting safely, with respirator masks, while giving them the space to create public art.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For 16-year-old participant Aaliyah Garcia, the camp offers her a crucial outlet as she continues to “expand her creativity.” Though she has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember, she had no experience with spray painting prior to this week’s session.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m excited to have my art up in the world for everyone to see,” Garcia says. (The mural is scheduled to stay up in Clarion Alley for at least five years.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After a few days of participants getting the hang of graffiti basics and learning new skills with lettering, Lady Pink arrived Wednesday to offer insight on large-scale painting. Her role, she emphasizes, is to push young people in the right direction rather than influencing their art. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kids love to paint big, they love to paint in the street,” Lady Pink says. “They don’t like to run from the police nearly as much as we did.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>While Lady Pink came up in an outlaw era of unsanctioned graffiti, the opportunity for today’s youth to utilize “permission walls” and learn to express themselves is “absolutely priceless,” she says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I love to see the confidence and the growth in the kids when they do something,” she adds.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lady Pink, a graffiti artist, helps young girls develop their mural design at the Graffiti Camp for Girls on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After just a few hours under Lady Pink’s guidance, 13-year-old Carey Deeter felt that confidence developing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deeter had joined the camp because of her admiration for street art across the city, and while at first she’d been slower and more controlled with the spray paint, she learned to follow Lady Pink’s advice to “just get it done, don’t overthink it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Once you get the hang of it, you can basically do whatever you want,” Deeter says. “It’s very easy to control and stuff. It’s very freeing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A mural unveiling and meet-and-greet with Lady Pink takes place on Friday, June 19, from 4-5 p.m. in Clarion Alley in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZGj4OLTPB6/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Details and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A mural unveiling and meet-and-greet with Lady Pink takes place on Friday, June 19, from 4-5 p.m. in Clarion Alley in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZGj4OLTPB6/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Details and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s Wednesday afternoon in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s Clarion Alley, and eight girls are hovering over a folding table scattered with paint pens. Discussing a mural design for an adjacent wall, they hatch a plan to paint “San Francisco,” surrounded by symbols that represent the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearby stands Lady Pink, a legend in the New York \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/graffiti\">graffiti\u003c/a> and street art scene, who’s here to mentor the young girls on the mural. In the 1970s and 1980s, Lady Pink was the first woman in graffiti to make a national name for herself, and in the process carved out space for other women in the male-dominated field.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, she’s lending her skills and expertise to the students of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/graffiticampforgirls/?hl=en\">Graffiti Camp for Girls\u003c/a> as they take on their first mural-sized project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00582_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Graffiti artist Lady Pink poses for a portrait on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s important to hand down our craft to the youth,” Lady Pink tells KQED in the alley, during a break “They don’t teach mural painting in schools so much. They teach painting, but they don’t teach mural painting. So, we’ll get a big wall and we’ll let the kids express themselves in a giant size.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once the mural is completed, it will be unveiled at an event on Friday, June 19, from 4–5 p.m. in Clarion Alley. Lady Pink, who starred in the groundbreaking 1982 hip-hop film \u003cem>Wild Style\u003c/em>, will be present for a meet and greet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now in its 10th year, Graffiti Camp for Girls is led and founded by Nina Wright, known as local artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/girlmobb/?hl=en\">Girl Mobb\u003c/a>. Her goal is to equip young girls with street art skills and the basics of spray painting safely, with respirator masks, while giving them the space to create public art.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990888\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00545_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nina Wright (center) laughs with the students from the Graffiti Camp for Girls on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For 16-year-old participant Aaliyah Garcia, the camp offers her a crucial outlet as she continues to “expand her creativity.” Though she has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember, she had no experience with spray painting prior to this week’s session.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m excited to have my art up in the world for everyone to see,” Garcia says. (The mural is scheduled to stay up in Clarion Alley for at least five years.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a few days of participants getting the hang of graffiti basics and learning new skills with lettering, Lady Pink arrived Wednesday to offer insight on large-scale painting. Her role, she emphasizes, is to push young people in the right direction rather than influencing their art. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kids love to paint big, they love to paint in the street,” Lady Pink says. “They don’t like to run from the police nearly as much as we did.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>While Lady Pink came up in an outlaw era of unsanctioned graffiti, the opportunity for today’s youth to utilize “permission walls” and learn to express themselves is “absolutely priceless,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I love to see the confidence and the growth in the kids when they do something,” she adds.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13990887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/260617-LADYPINKCLARIONALLEY00487_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lady Pink, a graffiti artist, helps young girls develop their mural design at the Graffiti Camp for Girls on Clarion Alley in San Francisco on June 17, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After just a few hours under Lady Pink’s guidance, 13-year-old Carey Deeter felt that confidence developing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deeter had joined the camp because of her admiration for street art across the city, and while at first she’d been slower and more controlled with the spray paint, she learned to follow Lady Pink’s advice to “just get it done, don’t overthink it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Once you get the hang of it, you can basically do whatever you want,” Deeter says. “It’s very easy to control and stuff. It’s very freeing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A mural unveiling and meet-and-greet with Lady Pink takes place on Friday, June 19, from 4-5 p.m. in Clarion Alley in San Francisco. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZGj4OLTPB6/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Details and more information here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What’s the Future of the Many Cesar Chavez Murals in San Francisco?",
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"headTitle": "What’s the Future of the Many Cesar Chavez Murals in San Francisco? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>When the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">sexual abuse allegations\u003c/a> against Cesar Chavez appeared in \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>, the call for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077014/california-weighs-renaming-parks-streets-after-cesar-chavez-amid-abuse-allegations\">renaming streets and holidays\u003c/a> erupted swiftly on social media channels and news outlets. Less present — but just as necessary — is a conversation around Chavez’s deeply embedded visual presence in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moving through San Francisco’s mural-drenched landscape, you can encounter the disgraced labor leader at nearly every turn: at schools and universities, grocery stores and private homes, street corners and favorite lunch spots. His eyes, on high, peer down from seemingly everywhere once you start looking. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Help me take responsibility for my own life,” reads the banner Chavez holds at the San Francisco elementary school on Shotwell Street that bears his name, “so I can be free at last.” Today, in light of the allegations, which include the sexual abuse of young girls in the 1970s, those words appear prophetic. In the meantime, schoolchildren play ball on the yard every day. His larger-than-life image looks down upon them. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988490\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"gray-toned mural with civil rights leaders seen through fencing\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988490\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural at 22nd and Mission Streets in San Francisco depicting Cesar Chavez shows peeling paint on April 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think those murals can stay up anymore, that’s clear,” said Rick Tejada-Flores, a documentary filmmaker who got to know Chavez while working on the 1973 film \u003cem>Si Se Puede!\u003c/em> and 1997’s \u003cem>The Fight in the Fields\u003c/em>. “But how do you talk to the kids in that school, how do you phrase the story?” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other images of the United Farm Workers leader also read symbolically — like the one on the corner of Mission and 22nd Streets, next to an abandoned lot. Chavez’s face is positioned next to Dr. Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa. Ironically, weather damage has peeled away the paint directly across the eyes of Cesar Chavez — but left the other two social justice leaders faces’ intact. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The intact eyes of Cesar Chavez in Shepard Fairey’s mural still look down over Patricia’s Green, which buzzed with activity on a recent Monday as San Franciscans shopped, strolled, snacked and exercised. Many of those questioned didn’t realize the mural was there, didn’t know about the recent allegations or didn’t have opinions about the art looming over them. But those who did thought it should be removed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we start to dismantle the patriarchy, people are going to fall off the pedestal,” said Stephanie Cordoza, who was enjoying her sandwich in the sunshine. “We stand with the victims,” she said. Yet the mural remains — so far marred only by graffiti. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other representations of the leader have met with a more decided fate. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"man with arms crossed in front of mural covered home\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988486\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Segovia at his house on 25th and York Streets, known as the Latin Rock House, in San Francisco on April 7, 2026. He stands next to a portrait of Carmelito Velez, which covers a previous image of Cesar Chavez. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cover-ups and repaintings\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Richard Segovia’s home on the corner of York and 25th Streets in the Mission stands as a visual testament to Latin rock, its exterior walls decorated with colorful murals of musical greats like Carlos Santana and Buddy Rich. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around five years ago, Segovia added Cesar Chavez to his home, to the left of the front steps, at the request of his friend Abel Sanchez, the head of the group \u003ca href=\"https://songforcesar.com/team/abel-sanchez/\">Abel and the Prophets\u003c/a>. Yet when Segovia learned about the abuse allegations — and that Dolores Huerta was one of the victims coming forward — he immediately made the decision to paint over Chavez. He had Carlos “Kookie” Gonzalez, the mural’s artist, replace the UFW leader with the Puerto Rican musician Carmelito Velez on March 19, the day after the news came out. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dolores Huerta’s testimony in particular hit hard for Segovia, and he said he has no patience for those questioning why it took her so long to come forward — because he is also a victim. “I’ve had something like this happen to me, and it took me 60 years to finally be able to talk about it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Segovia couldn’t bear the thought of an alleged child abuser on his home. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"smiling man on scaffolding in front of colorful mural\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988487\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist Carlos ‘Kookie’ Gonzalez re-paints part of a mural on Richard Segovia’s house on April 7, 2026. The home is covered in a large mural honoring dozens of musicians tied to the Mission District’s Latin rock scene. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the artist of the mural, 67-year-old Gonzalez, the news about Chavez hit hard. “I was heartbroken,” he said. “When I went to college, we marched with Cesar.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The muralist remembers when there was a Safeway on 21st Street and South Van Ness Avenue and they would boycott the grapes. He understands the deep emotion, but was still surprised by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWSag8bgZPF/?img_index=1\">pushback\u003c/a> he received on social media regarding the repainting. He followed up with many of the comments in private messages. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez also painted the Cesar Chavez mural at San Francisco State University, on the student center named after the labor leader. Both the artwork and the name were covered on March 23, which meant students returned from spring break to find the building draped in a tarp. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s heavy,” said Alejandro Rios, executive director of the student government at SFSU. “If I had to guess, a lot of them [the students] will say they were glad we took early action.” A new name for the building — and new artwork — will not be decided upon until November, before the Board of Trustees. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"white banner over building name and part of mural, students below\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988491\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural of Cesar Chavez is covered in Malcolm X Plaza at San Francisco State University on April 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The one thing I don’t want to do is rush,” Rios said. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the covered-up mural and name, one student immediately became emotional. “He was our hero,” he said, referring to the Latino community. “Who do we have left, Ricky Martin?” he asked with tears in his eyes, skateboarding off before he could give his name. With Latinos making up \u003ca href=\"https://marcomm.sfsu.edu/sfsu-facts\">38.7% of the student body\u003c/a> at SF State, the news about Chavez was particularly destabilizing. \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Working our way through it’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The murals on Segovia’s house were made possible by a $35,000 grant from the local organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.precitaeyes.org/\">Precita Eyes Muralists\u003c/a>, which supports the creation of new artworks — some of which have included images of Cesar Chavez. Guide Patricia Rose leads weekly tours of local murals, and she helped to paint the mural celebrating the union leader at the corner of Mission and the street named after him, appropriately situated next to a large fruit stand. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a firm policy in place yet,” Rose said, when asked about how Precita Eyes will address the question of Chavez’s image on group tours. “It’s more of a disclaimer as we’re working our way through it.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988489\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"painted faces on side of building\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988489\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting Cesar Chavez in the Mission District in San Francisco on April 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For muralist Jean Pilas, who also works at Precita Eyes, it wasn’t a surprise when they learned about the allegations against Cesar Chavez. Their friend Jennifer Andrea Porras had talked about her traumatic memories regarding Chavez at a dinner party, an experience \u003ca href=\"https://laopinion.com/2026/04/05/mi-cuerpo-lo-recuerda-presunta-victima-de-chavez-rompe-el-silencio/\">Porras has shared publicly\u003c/a> since the \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> allegations came to light. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you put someone on a pedestal, it makes the public lazy,” Pilas said. “It diminishes the work of other people.” They hope that this reckoning will allow the work of others in the UFW — people like Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong and Gilbert Padilla — to finally be appreciated. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immortalizing individual leaders can become problematic. So, too, can public art. Grappling with the ubiquity of Chavez’s image resonates with another vitriolic art debate — about the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/10/14/1127843326/when-murals-depict-traumatic-history-schools-must-decide-what-stays-on-the-wall\">1936 murals at George Washington High School\u003c/a>, which nearly tore a community apart. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Victor Arnautoff’s images of George Washington as an enslaver were progressive at the time they were painted, images of a dead Native person read as distasteful from a contemporary perspective, said Alan Snitow, the filmmaker behind the 2022 documentary \u003ci>Town Destroyer\u003c/i>, which \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/05/mural-that-helped-ignite-sf-school-board-recall-continues-to-inspire-debate/\">tackled the controversy\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"reddish orange mural on building in background\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988488\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting Cesar Chavez in Hayes Valley in San Francisco on April 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The response of rage is very hard to control,” Snitow said. “We actually had to leave town to find people who could rationally talk about it.” Yet he said the situation with Chavez is different, because it’s about criminality — and it’s someone close to us who broke our trust. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a really tragic moment,” he said. “But it can actually be productive to bring back into the public eye the oppression of the farmworkers.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Washington High community, part of the solution was to commission a response mural by \u003ca href=\"https://deweycrumpler.com/\">Dewey Crumpler\u003c/a> in 1974, featuring diverse leaders of social justice movements. That mural, in a twist of irony, includes an image of Cesar Chavez. What looks to be an undulating serpent snaps just beneath the face of Chavez, over his heart — another representation that reads differently today. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The principals of both George Washington High School and Cesar Chavez Elementary School declined to comment for this article. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Filmmaker Tejada-Flores recounted a story that the organizer Al Rojas, the father of one of the women who came forward with allegations, told him. “Al said, ‘Caesar, you’re gonna die and there’s gonna be statues and everything named after you. What do you think about that?’” Tejada-Flores remembered. “Caesar thought for a minute. He said, ‘Statues are for pigeons to shit on. If you want to remember me, organize.’” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this complex and fraught tale, it may be the leader’s own words that hold the way forward. We must not prioritize static totems that idolize an individual figurehead, but celebrate the farmworkers and organizers who have been forgotten in the rush to elevate only one to celebrity status. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Art can be one way for us to remember; it can also force us into a reckoning.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html\">sexual abuse allegations\u003c/a> against Cesar Chavez appeared in \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em>, the call for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077014/california-weighs-renaming-parks-streets-after-cesar-chavez-amid-abuse-allegations\">renaming streets and holidays\u003c/a> erupted swiftly on social media channels and news outlets. Less present — but just as necessary — is a conversation around Chavez’s deeply embedded visual presence in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moving through San Francisco’s mural-drenched landscape, you can encounter the disgraced labor leader at nearly every turn: at schools and universities, grocery stores and private homes, street corners and favorite lunch spots. His eyes, on high, peer down from seemingly everywhere once you start looking. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Help me take responsibility for my own life,” reads the banner Chavez holds at the San Francisco elementary school on Shotwell Street that bears his name, “so I can be free at last.” Today, in light of the allegations, which include the sexual abuse of young girls in the 1970s, those words appear prophetic. In the meantime, schoolchildren play ball on the yard every day. His larger-than-life image looks down upon them. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988490\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"gray-toned mural with civil rights leaders seen through fencing\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988490\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural at 22nd and Mission Streets in San Francisco depicting Cesar Chavez shows peeling paint on April 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think those murals can stay up anymore, that’s clear,” said Rick Tejada-Flores, a documentary filmmaker who got to know Chavez while working on the 1973 film \u003cem>Si Se Puede!\u003c/em> and 1997’s \u003cem>The Fight in the Fields\u003c/em>. “But how do you talk to the kids in that school, how do you phrase the story?” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other images of the United Farm Workers leader also read symbolically — like the one on the corner of Mission and 22nd Streets, next to an abandoned lot. Chavez’s face is positioned next to Dr. Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa. Ironically, weather damage has peeled away the paint directly across the eyes of Cesar Chavez — but left the other two social justice leaders faces’ intact. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The intact eyes of Cesar Chavez in Shepard Fairey’s mural still look down over Patricia’s Green, which buzzed with activity on a recent Monday as San Franciscans shopped, strolled, snacked and exercised. Many of those questioned didn’t realize the mural was there, didn’t know about the recent allegations or didn’t have opinions about the art looming over them. But those who did thought it should be removed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we start to dismantle the patriarchy, people are going to fall off the pedestal,” said Stephanie Cordoza, who was enjoying her sandwich in the sunshine. “We stand with the victims,” she said. Yet the mural remains — so far marred only by graffiti. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other representations of the leader have met with a more decided fate. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988486\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"man with arms crossed in front of mural covered home\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988486\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Segovia at his house on 25th and York Streets, known as the Latin Rock House, in San Francisco on April 7, 2026. He stands next to a portrait of Carmelito Velez, which covers a previous image of Cesar Chavez. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cover-ups and repaintings\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Richard Segovia’s home on the corner of York and 25th Streets in the Mission stands as a visual testament to Latin rock, its exterior walls decorated with colorful murals of musical greats like Carlos Santana and Buddy Rich. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around five years ago, Segovia added Cesar Chavez to his home, to the left of the front steps, at the request of his friend Abel Sanchez, the head of the group \u003ca href=\"https://songforcesar.com/team/abel-sanchez/\">Abel and the Prophets\u003c/a>. Yet when Segovia learned about the abuse allegations — and that Dolores Huerta was one of the victims coming forward — he immediately made the decision to paint over Chavez. He had Carlos “Kookie” Gonzalez, the mural’s artist, replace the UFW leader with the Puerto Rican musician Carmelito Velez on March 19, the day after the news came out. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dolores Huerta’s testimony in particular hit hard for Segovia, and he said he has no patience for those questioning why it took her so long to come forward — because he is also a victim. “I’ve had something like this happen to me, and it took me 60 years to finally be able to talk about it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Segovia couldn’t bear the thought of an alleged child abuser on his home. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988487\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"smiling man on scaffolding in front of colorful mural\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988487\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist Carlos ‘Kookie’ Gonzalez re-paints part of a mural on Richard Segovia’s house on April 7, 2026. The home is covered in a large mural honoring dozens of musicians tied to the Mission District’s Latin rock scene. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the artist of the mural, 67-year-old Gonzalez, the news about Chavez hit hard. “I was heartbroken,” he said. “When I went to college, we marched with Cesar.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The muralist remembers when there was a Safeway on 21st Street and South Van Ness Avenue and they would boycott the grapes. He understands the deep emotion, but was still surprised by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWSag8bgZPF/?img_index=1\">pushback\u003c/a> he received on social media regarding the repainting. He followed up with many of the comments in private messages. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez also painted the Cesar Chavez mural at San Francisco State University, on the student center named after the labor leader. Both the artwork and the name were covered on March 23, which meant students returned from spring break to find the building draped in a tarp. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s heavy,” said Alejandro Rios, executive director of the student government at SFSU. “If I had to guess, a lot of them [the students] will say they were glad we took early action.” A new name for the building — and new artwork — will not be decided upon until November, before the Board of Trustees. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988491\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"white banner over building name and part of mural, students below\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988491\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260408-CesarChavezMurals-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural of Cesar Chavez is covered in Malcolm X Plaza at San Francisco State University on April 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The one thing I don’t want to do is rush,” Rios said. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the covered-up mural and name, one student immediately became emotional. “He was our hero,” he said, referring to the Latino community. “Who do we have left, Ricky Martin?” he asked with tears in his eyes, skateboarding off before he could give his name. With Latinos making up \u003ca href=\"https://marcomm.sfsu.edu/sfsu-facts\">38.7% of the student body\u003c/a> at SF State, the news about Chavez was particularly destabilizing. \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Working our way through it’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The murals on Segovia’s house were made possible by a $35,000 grant from the local organization \u003ca href=\"https://www.precitaeyes.org/\">Precita Eyes Muralists\u003c/a>, which supports the creation of new artworks — some of which have included images of Cesar Chavez. Guide Patricia Rose leads weekly tours of local murals, and she helped to paint the mural celebrating the union leader at the corner of Mission and the street named after him, appropriately situated next to a large fruit stand. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t have a firm policy in place yet,” Rose said, when asked about how Precita Eyes will address the question of Chavez’s image on group tours. “It’s more of a disclaimer as we’re working our way through it.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988489\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"painted faces on side of building\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988489\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting Cesar Chavez in the Mission District in San Francisco on April 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For muralist Jean Pilas, who also works at Precita Eyes, it wasn’t a surprise when they learned about the allegations against Cesar Chavez. Their friend Jennifer Andrea Porras had talked about her traumatic memories regarding Chavez at a dinner party, an experience \u003ca href=\"https://laopinion.com/2026/04/05/mi-cuerpo-lo-recuerda-presunta-victima-de-chavez-rompe-el-silencio/\">Porras has shared publicly\u003c/a> since the \u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em> allegations came to light. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you put someone on a pedestal, it makes the public lazy,” Pilas said. “It diminishes the work of other people.” They hope that this reckoning will allow the work of others in the UFW — people like Philip Vera Cruz, Larry Itliong and Gilbert Padilla — to finally be appreciated. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immortalizing individual leaders can become problematic. So, too, can public art. Grappling with the ubiquity of Chavez’s image resonates with another vitriolic art debate — about the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/10/14/1127843326/when-murals-depict-traumatic-history-schools-must-decide-what-stays-on-the-wall\">1936 murals at George Washington High School\u003c/a>, which nearly tore a community apart. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Victor Arnautoff’s images of George Washington as an enslaver were progressive at the time they were painted, images of a dead Native person read as distasteful from a contemporary perspective, said Alan Snitow, the filmmaker behind the 2022 documentary \u003ci>Town Destroyer\u003c/i>, which \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/05/mural-that-helped-ignite-sf-school-board-recall-continues-to-inspire-debate/\">tackled the controversy\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13988488\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"reddish orange mural on building in background\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13988488\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/260407-CesarChavezMurals-08-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mural depicting Cesar Chavez in Hayes Valley in San Francisco on April 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The response of rage is very hard to control,” Snitow said. “We actually had to leave town to find people who could rationally talk about it.” Yet he said the situation with Chavez is different, because it’s about criminality — and it’s someone close to us who broke our trust. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a really tragic moment,” he said. “But it can actually be productive to bring back into the public eye the oppression of the farmworkers.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Washington High community, part of the solution was to commission a response mural by \u003ca href=\"https://deweycrumpler.com/\">Dewey Crumpler\u003c/a> in 1974, featuring diverse leaders of social justice movements. That mural, in a twist of irony, includes an image of Cesar Chavez. What looks to be an undulating serpent snaps just beneath the face of Chavez, over his heart — another representation that reads differently today. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The principals of both George Washington High School and Cesar Chavez Elementary School declined to comment for this article. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Filmmaker Tejada-Flores recounted a story that the organizer Al Rojas, the father of one of the women who came forward with allegations, told him. “Al said, ‘Caesar, you’re gonna die and there’s gonna be statues and everything named after you. What do you think about that?’” Tejada-Flores remembered. “Caesar thought for a minute. He said, ‘Statues are for pigeons to shit on. If you want to remember me, organize.’” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this complex and fraught tale, it may be the leader’s own words that hold the way forward. We must not prioritize static totems that idolize an individual figurehead, but celebrate the farmworkers and organizers who have been forgotten in the rush to elevate only one to celebrity status. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Art can be one way for us to remember; it can also force us into a reckoning.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-is-proud-mural-repainted-graffiti-artist-del-phresh",
"title": "A Legendary Mural From the 1980s Has Been Repainted in East Oakland",
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"headTitle": "A Legendary Mural From the 1980s Has Been Repainted in East Oakland | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland graffiti artist Del Phresh poses in front of his newly revamped ‘Oakland Is Proud 2’ mural, located at the same site of his legendary ‘Oakland Is Proud’ piece, originally painted nearly 40 years ago. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When Del Phresh first painted the words “\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#oakland-is-proud-mural-broadcast-nationwide\">OAKLAND IS PROUD\u003c/a>” on a wall in East Oakland in the mid-’80s, he was on a mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, Oakland’s reputation was ravaged by the war on drugs, and all it entailed: the influx of crack cocaine, extremely high unemployment, over-policing, swollen jails and nightly news reports sensationalizing crime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to set the record straight about his community, Phresh grabbed a few aerosol cans and ensured the world put some respect on the Town’s name by painting a giant mural along E. 12th Street, reading “OAKLAND IS PROUD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983757\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/MES4690.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/MES4690.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/MES4690-160x105.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The original ‘OAKLAND IS PROUD’ mural on E. 12th Street in Oakland, painted by Del Phresh. \u003ccite>(Oakland Wiki)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Four decades later, I meet with Phresh on the concrete and grass median under the BART tracks on E. 12th Street, across from where the original piece was painted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the time it was the early ’80s, and mid-’80s, and the city was full of crime and corruption, and poverty and prostitution and drugs,” he tells me. “And it had a negative reputation. So I thought, ‘I want to show the Bay Area — hell, the world — that regardless of that, we are \u003cem>proud\u003c/em> of our city. We love Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “OAKLAND IS PROUD” mural became a symbol of the Town’s resolve, and its cultural relevancy extended to city marketing, album covers, tribute murals and even a nationally syndicated television show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phresh’s original piece was painted over long ago. But last weekend, here at the same exact location, he and a few friends remade it, painting “OAKLAND IS PROUD 2” in metallic silver and royal blue along E. 12th Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983758\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983758\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘OAKLAND IS PROUD 2,’ a re-creation of Del Phresh’s famed mural, in the same spot as the original along E. 12th Street in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Given Oakland’s current issues, ranging from housing to violence, and the way people remain passionate about the Town despite its depiction in the media, Phresh’s piece is as relevant today as it was when he first painted it nearly 40 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From an East Oakland Wall to the World\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After first painting a smaller, scrappy iteration of the mural on a wall of the historic St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged, Phresh returned (this time with permission of the center’s Ray Castor) and spent the entire summer of 1987 completing “OAKLAND IS PROUD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it was done, the multicolored, bubble-letter piece stretched the length of a full city block, and soon became a cultural landmark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was featured in the opening credits of Mark Curry’s television show \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bde9KfcRL4\">\u003cem>Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, and provided a fresh background for the cover image of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/1332001-Capital-Tax-Capital-Tax?srsltid=AfmBOoriQZqQsU-NcueEAucMReW51sSJ4UhrYgGkDC7wmMScjZa5l5po\">Capital Tax’s 1989 self-titled record\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/001_kqedarts_albumcoveroaklandisproud_02092023_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/001_kqedarts_albumcoveroaklandisproud_02092023_720.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/001_kqedarts_albumcoveroaklandisproud_02092023_720-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland rap group Capital Tax featured Del Phresh’s ‘OAKLAND IS PROUD’ mural on the cover of their 1989 EP, shown here in the original photo location. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2020, Phresh collaborated with Oaklandish to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/products/oaklandish-flag\">create merchandise using the logo\u003c/a>, as well as a piece reading “\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/blogs/news/oakland-is-proud-del-phresh?srsltid=AfmBOopzDn2n-LfhYZZinMkHdiFijYhu8cEPP5lykbMHklgeRkR-r55K\">OAKLAND IS STILL PROUD\u003c/a>,” painted on the wooden boards covering the retail store during protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mural’s legacy doesn’t stop there. It’s appeared on \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/CandiceAntique/status/787397848140775424?s=20\">event flyers\u003c/a>, and has been remixed within \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/bigchimpn/status/855980297766060032?s=20\">other prominent murals\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They got a photo of it at the Oakland Airport,” Presh says, adding that he’s even seen it used in commercials promoting tourism to Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Repping his Home Turf\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Well-recognized as a style king in his craft, Phresh made noise locally when he won a mural competition hosted by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#home-turf-premieres-on-kron-tv\">KRON-TV show \u003cem>Home Turf\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1986. A year later, he stepped onto the international stage by appearing in Henry Chalfant and James Prigoff’s seminal 1987 book \u003cem>Spraycan Art\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fitted in a customized jean jacket and hand-painted baseball hat embroidered with his given name, Joel, Phresh remembers his initial discovery of this spot on E. 12th.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My first piece on this wall, I got arrested for it.” It was a style piece with bubble letters, he says, and it made waves. “Back in the day,” says Phresh, “you didn’t see graffiti out here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others had scribbled on the walls and tagged their turfs, but it wasn’t stylized images and lettering — graf writing as we know it now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983701\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234.jpg\" alt=\"An African American man in a colorful hat and painted jean jacket.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2197\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-160x183.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-768x879.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-1342x1536.jpg 1342w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-1790x2048.jpg 1790w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland graffiti artist Del Phresh poses for a photo beneath the BART tracks in East Oakland, across the street from where his legendary ‘Oakland Is Proud’ piece was originally painted nearly 40 years ago. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before the Town’s scene got popping, Phresh honed his skills by hitting up the surfaces of AC Transit’s 82 bus, tagging his first graf handle “GERM” as he rode through East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t until being arrested for painting the wall on E. 12th that he changed his name. Handcuffed and sitting in a patrol van, it hit him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fresh. I like that, because that’s gonna be synonymous with with hip-hop forever,” he remembers thinking. “But I gotta be original.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added “Ph” in place of “F,” and “\u003cem>Bow!\u003c/em>,” he exclaims, “that’s how I got my name, sitting in the back of the paddy wagon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting Active in Graffiti Crews\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Phresh treated the Town as his playground — he was the first to do a piece in the \u003ca href=\"https://tiratana.org/a-truncated-history-of-graffiti-writing-in-oakland-and-the-23rd-yards/\">23rd Yard\u003c/a> of East Oakland — he really got his start by running around Berkeley and San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A fly kid named Dizzy D, known for sporting Pumas and Adidas suits, was the first to take Phresh around the Bay, bombing walls. Soon after, Phresh got his first paid gig, painting at a store under the old Leopold’s Records near Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was almost done,” says Phresh, reminiscing on his first paid job, “and this kid came in, and he’s like ‘I’m Kaos, I’m from TF.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mention of the well-known TF, or Task Force crew, caused Phresh to freak out, but he played it cool. When he was invited to join the crew, he calmly obliged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WS6_pvyuIo&t=527s\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His work then started to spread all around the Bay, taking off after he met two kids who went by the names Style and West.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They arranged a meeting on that same concrete and grass median under the BART tracks on E. 12th. One of the trio had the idea to form their own crew. They called it the “Bomb Squad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were bombing the shit out of the city,” says Phresh, noting that the crew’s acronym of “BSK” came together when they added the word “Kings” to their title.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“BSK was the first crew (in Oakland),” says Phresh, adding that other crews immediately popped up thereafter. “We had the fame, we had the notoriety, we had the stats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_10141391']At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp38sltic8\">Mike “Dream” Francisco\u003c/a> was just starting his crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dreamtdk/\">TDK\u003c/a>, formed with a collection of his close friends and cousins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But as the ’80s and ’90s went on,” recalls Phresh, “TDK out-clipped BSK by a long shot.” TDK, originally known as “Those Damn Kids,” grew to dozens of members. Still strong today, they’ve created some of the best-known murals and pieces in the Bay Area, and behind the scenes have contributed vastly to the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Respect of His Peers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the late ’90s, Presh and Mike “Dream” Francisco used to hang out and sketch together at Built to Last Tattoo in East Oakland. “Before Mike passed, one day I was in there and I was like, ‘Dream, would you allow me to write TDK?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Presh says the late graf legend looked at him and said, “Is you stupid, man? Of course you can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983755\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983755\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-scaled.jpg\" alt='A close up image of a mural that reads \"PROUD,\" painted in metallic silver and royal blue.' width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Del Phresh’s signature on the ‘OAKLAND IS PROUD 2’ piece.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>TDK’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926619/spie-one-tdk-bay-area-graffiti-history-hip-hop\">Spie 1, a legendary graf writer in his own right\u003c/a>, recalls going to East Oakland to see Phresh’s “OAKLAND IS PROUD” piece. He met Phresh around the same time while attending an event at Stanford University, when \u003cem>Spraycan Art\u003c/em> co-author Henry Chalfant hosted a screening of the seminal graffiti documentary he co-produced for PBS, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stylewars.com/\">\u003cem>Style Wars\u003c/em>.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s done a lot for putting Oakland on the map,” says Spie, telling me about Phresh on a recent phone call. He describes his old friend as funny, personable, fun-loving and down to earth, calling him “the one who cares.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two were part of a wave of artists fighting to end South African apartheid, and also collaborated on a piece in Berkeley’s Revolution Books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, Spie says, you can’t overlook the impact of “OAKLAND IS PROUD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The statement itself, it’s uplifting,” says Spie. “It totally gives an instillment of great pride to people in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a huge piece of art visible from BART and located in the economically disenfranchised flatlands of East Oakland, the mural tacitly acknowledged the city’s struggles, Spie says, while speaking to the historic resilience of its residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a jean jacket sitting by train tracks.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2041\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2-160x163.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2-768x784.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2-1505x1536.jpg 1505w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pioneering Oakland graf writer Del Phresh takes a seat on E.12th Street \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Lasting Influence\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since the late ’80s, Oakland has changed tenfold, as has the public perspective on graffiti. An art form once seen as a blight or public nuisance is now readily commissioned by developers and real estate agents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phresh is happy that a few of his friends from back in the day are making money off their craft, explaining that when they were kids, that was their goal. “We all was hoping to do that when we started,” he says. “Parlay this art into making money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I ask if he himself has been properly compensated for his work, Phresh instantly replies, “Oh, hell no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a BART train whizzes overhead, he clarifies that it’s not because he doesn’t understand his own worth. “With my art,” says Phresh, “I could charge three million for my stuff if I want to, based on my reputation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he’d rather give people something they can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You gotta be sensible,” he says. “So, I always give my partners player prices for the work I do.” It doesn’t matter if it’s an auto body shop or a sign for a bakery, he says: “I could charge ’em more, and I know I’m worth more, but is that realistic?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland graffiti artist Del Phresh shows off his custom jacket. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At 60, Phresh hasn’t stopped painting. He organized this gathering, and completed parts of the new mural, though he was largely assisted by painters from the community, including Dream’s son Akil and other members of TDK. Next summer, he and some of those same artists plan to hold an event titled \u003cem>The Kings of the East Bay\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking further ahead, to the future of the art form and the the next generation of graf writers, Phresh sounds slightly resigned as he says, “These new-school kids … I don’t really like a lot of the damage they do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking a breath of accountability, he adds, “But at the same time, I can’t blame ’em,” he says, “‘Cause I influenced them.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983772\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7949-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland graffiti artist Del Phresh poses in front of his newly revamped ‘Oakland Is Proud 2’ mural, located at the same site of his legendary ‘Oakland Is Proud’ piece, originally painted nearly 40 years ago. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When Del Phresh first painted the words “\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#oakland-is-proud-mural-broadcast-nationwide\">OAKLAND IS PROUD\u003c/a>” on a wall in East Oakland in the mid-’80s, he was on a mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, Oakland’s reputation was ravaged by the war on drugs, and all it entailed: the influx of crack cocaine, extremely high unemployment, over-policing, swollen jails and nightly news reports sensationalizing crime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to set the record straight about his community, Phresh grabbed a few aerosol cans and ensured the world put some respect on the Town’s name by painting a giant mural along E. 12th Street, reading “OAKLAND IS PROUD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983757\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983757\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/MES4690.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/MES4690.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/MES4690-160x105.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The original ‘OAKLAND IS PROUD’ mural on E. 12th Street in Oakland, painted by Del Phresh. \u003ccite>(Oakland Wiki)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Four decades later, I meet with Phresh on the concrete and grass median under the BART tracks on E. 12th Street, across from where the original piece was painted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the time it was the early ’80s, and mid-’80s, and the city was full of crime and corruption, and poverty and prostitution and drugs,” he tells me. “And it had a negative reputation. So I thought, ‘I want to show the Bay Area — hell, the world — that regardless of that, we are \u003cem>proud\u003c/em> of our city. We love Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “OAKLAND IS PROUD” mural became a symbol of the Town’s resolve, and its cultural relevancy extended to city marketing, album covers, tribute murals and even a nationally syndicated television show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phresh’s original piece was painted over long ago. But last weekend, here at the same exact location, he and a few friends remade it, painting “OAKLAND IS PROUD 2” in metallic silver and royal blue along E. 12th Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983758\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983758\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7944-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘OAKLAND IS PROUD 2,’ a re-creation of Del Phresh’s famed mural, in the same spot as the original along E. 12th Street in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Given Oakland’s current issues, ranging from housing to violence, and the way people remain passionate about the Town despite its depiction in the media, Phresh’s piece is as relevant today as it was when he first painted it nearly 40 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From an East Oakland Wall to the World\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After first painting a smaller, scrappy iteration of the mural on a wall of the historic St. Joseph’s Home for the Aged, Phresh returned (this time with permission of the center’s Ray Castor) and spent the entire summer of 1987 completing “OAKLAND IS PROUD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it was done, the multicolored, bubble-letter piece stretched the length of a full city block, and soon became a cultural landmark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was featured in the opening credits of Mark Curry’s television show \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bde9KfcRL4\">\u003cem>Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, and provided a fresh background for the cover image of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/1332001-Capital-Tax-Capital-Tax?srsltid=AfmBOoriQZqQsU-NcueEAucMReW51sSJ4UhrYgGkDC7wmMScjZa5l5po\">Capital Tax’s 1989 self-titled record\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983703\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/001_kqedarts_albumcoveroaklandisproud_02092023_720.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/001_kqedarts_albumcoveroaklandisproud_02092023_720.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/001_kqedarts_albumcoveroaklandisproud_02092023_720-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland rap group Capital Tax featured Del Phresh’s ‘OAKLAND IS PROUD’ mural on the cover of their 1989 EP, shown here in the original photo location. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2020, Phresh collaborated with Oaklandish to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/products/oaklandish-flag\">create merchandise using the logo\u003c/a>, as well as a piece reading “\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/blogs/news/oakland-is-proud-del-phresh?srsltid=AfmBOopzDn2n-LfhYZZinMkHdiFijYhu8cEPP5lykbMHklgeRkR-r55K\">OAKLAND IS STILL PROUD\u003c/a>,” painted on the wooden boards covering the retail store during protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mural’s legacy doesn’t stop there. It’s appeared on \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/CandiceAntique/status/787397848140775424?s=20\">event flyers\u003c/a>, and has been remixed within \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/bigchimpn/status/855980297766060032?s=20\">other prominent murals\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They got a photo of it at the Oakland Airport,” Presh says, adding that he’s even seen it used in commercials promoting tourism to Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Repping his Home Turf\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Well-recognized as a style king in his craft, Phresh made noise locally when he won a mural competition hosted by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#home-turf-premieres-on-kron-tv\">KRON-TV show \u003cem>Home Turf\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 1986. A year later, he stepped onto the international stage by appearing in Henry Chalfant and James Prigoff’s seminal 1987 book \u003cem>Spraycan Art\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fitted in a customized jean jacket and hand-painted baseball hat embroidered with his given name, Joel, Phresh remembers his initial discovery of this spot on E. 12th.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My first piece on this wall, I got arrested for it.” It was a style piece with bubble letters, he says, and it made waves. “Back in the day,” says Phresh, “you didn’t see graffiti out here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others had scribbled on the walls and tagged their turfs, but it wasn’t stylized images and lettering — graf writing as we know it now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983701\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234.jpg\" alt=\"An African American man in a colorful hat and painted jean jacket.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2197\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-160x183.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-768x879.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-1342x1536.jpg 1342w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7958-scaled-e1763008600234-1790x2048.jpg 1790w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland graffiti artist Del Phresh poses for a photo beneath the BART tracks in East Oakland, across the street from where his legendary ‘Oakland Is Proud’ piece was originally painted nearly 40 years ago. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before the Town’s scene got popping, Phresh honed his skills by hitting up the surfaces of AC Transit’s 82 bus, tagging his first graf handle “GERM” as he rode through East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t until being arrested for painting the wall on E. 12th that he changed his name. Handcuffed and sitting in a patrol van, it hit him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fresh. I like that, because that’s gonna be synonymous with with hip-hop forever,” he remembers thinking. “But I gotta be original.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added “Ph” in place of “F,” and “\u003cem>Bow!\u003c/em>,” he exclaims, “that’s how I got my name, sitting in the back of the paddy wagon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Getting Active in Graffiti Crews\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Phresh treated the Town as his playground — he was the first to do a piece in the \u003ca href=\"https://tiratana.org/a-truncated-history-of-graffiti-writing-in-oakland-and-the-23rd-yards/\">23rd Yard\u003c/a> of East Oakland — he really got his start by running around Berkeley and San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A fly kid named Dizzy D, known for sporting Pumas and Adidas suits, was the first to take Phresh around the Bay, bombing walls. Soon after, Phresh got his first paid gig, painting at a store under the old Leopold’s Records near Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was almost done,” says Phresh, reminiscing on his first paid job, “and this kid came in, and he’s like ‘I’m Kaos, I’m from TF.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mention of the well-known TF, or Task Force crew, caused Phresh to freak out, but he played it cool. When he was invited to join the crew, he calmly obliged.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/9WS6_pvyuIo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/9WS6_pvyuIo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>His work then started to spread all around the Bay, taking off after he met two kids who went by the names Style and West.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They arranged a meeting on that same concrete and grass median under the BART tracks on E. 12th. One of the trio had the idea to form their own crew. They called it the “Bomb Squad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were bombing the shit out of the city,” says Phresh, noting that the crew’s acronym of “BSK” came together when they added the word “Kings” to their title.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“BSK was the first crew (in Oakland),” says Phresh, adding that other crews immediately popped up thereafter. “We had the fame, we had the notoriety, we had the stats.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp38sltic8\">Mike “Dream” Francisco\u003c/a> was just starting his crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dreamtdk/\">TDK\u003c/a>, formed with a collection of his close friends and cousins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But as the ’80s and ’90s went on,” recalls Phresh, “TDK out-clipped BSK by a long shot.” TDK, originally known as “Those Damn Kids,” grew to dozens of members. Still strong today, they’ve created some of the best-known murals and pieces in the Bay Area, and behind the scenes have contributed vastly to the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Respect of His Peers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the late ’90s, Presh and Mike “Dream” Francisco used to hang out and sketch together at Built to Last Tattoo in East Oakland. “Before Mike passed, one day I was in there and I was like, ‘Dream, would you allow me to write TDK?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Presh says the late graf legend looked at him and said, “Is you stupid, man? Of course you can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983755\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983755\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-scaled.jpg\" alt='A close up image of a mural that reads \"PROUD,\" painted in metallic silver and royal blue.' width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7965_720-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Del Phresh’s signature on the ‘OAKLAND IS PROUD 2’ piece.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>TDK’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926619/spie-one-tdk-bay-area-graffiti-history-hip-hop\">Spie 1, a legendary graf writer in his own right\u003c/a>, recalls going to East Oakland to see Phresh’s “OAKLAND IS PROUD” piece. He met Phresh around the same time while attending an event at Stanford University, when \u003cem>Spraycan Art\u003c/em> co-author Henry Chalfant hosted a screening of the seminal graffiti documentary he co-produced for PBS, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stylewars.com/\">\u003cem>Style Wars\u003c/em>.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s done a lot for putting Oakland on the map,” says Spie, telling me about Phresh on a recent phone call. He describes his old friend as funny, personable, fun-loving and down to earth, calling him “the one who cares.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two were part of a wave of artists fighting to end South African apartheid, and also collaborated on a piece in Berkeley’s Revolution Books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, Spie says, you can’t overlook the impact of “OAKLAND IS PROUD.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The statement itself, it’s uplifting,” says Spie. “It totally gives an instillment of great pride to people in Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a huge piece of art visible from BART and located in the economically disenfranchised flatlands of East Oakland, the mural tacitly acknowledged the city’s struggles, Spie says, while speaking to the historic resilience of its residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a jean jacket sitting by train tracks.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2041\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2-160x163.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2-768x784.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/DelPhresh2-1505x1536.jpg 1505w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pioneering Oakland graf writer Del Phresh takes a seat on E.12th Street \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Lasting Influence\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since the late ’80s, Oakland has changed tenfold, as has the public perspective on graffiti. An art form once seen as a blight or public nuisance is now readily commissioned by developers and real estate agents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phresh is happy that a few of his friends from back in the day are making money off their craft, explaining that when they were kids, that was their goal. “We all was hoping to do that when we started,” he says. “Parlay this art into making money.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I ask if he himself has been properly compensated for his work, Phresh instantly replies, “Oh, hell no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a BART train whizzes overhead, he clarifies that it’s not because he doesn’t understand his own worth. “With my art,” says Phresh, “I could charge three million for my stuff if I want to, based on my reputation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he’d rather give people something they can afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You gotta be sensible,” he says. “So, I always give my partners player prices for the work I do.” It doesn’t matter if it’s an auto body shop or a sign for a bakery, he says: “I could charge ’em more, and I know I’m worth more, but is that realistic?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13983763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13983763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/img_7963-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland graffiti artist Del Phresh shows off his custom jacket. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At 60, Phresh hasn’t stopped painting. He organized this gathering, and completed parts of the new mural, though he was largely assisted by painters from the community, including Dream’s son Akil and other members of TDK. Next summer, he and some of those same artists plan to hold an event titled \u003cem>The Kings of the East Bay\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking further ahead, to the future of the art form and the the next generation of graf writers, Phresh sounds slightly resigned as he says, “These new-school kids … I don’t really like a lot of the damage they do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Taking a breath of accountability, he adds, “But at the same time, I can’t blame ’em,” he says, “‘Cause I influenced them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "muralist-chris-gazaleh-from-the-river-to-the-bay-somarts",
"title": "Muralist Chris Gazaleh Curates a Palestinian Solidarity Show at SOMArts",
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"headTitle": "Muralist Chris Gazaleh Curates a Palestinian Solidarity Show at SOMArts | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>When I arrive at SOMArts just hours before the opening of its new show, \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/exhibition/rivertothebay/\">\u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, curator and artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.cgazaleh.com/\">Chris Gazaleh\u003c/a> is painting the words of Gazan poet Refaat Alareer on the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I die / you must live / to tell my story,” he writes in Arabic script in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The text of the poem frames pencil drawings by Gazaleh that feature solemn faces with pleading eyes. They’re surrounded by symbols of everyday Palestinian life — traditional tatreez embroidery, an oud, poppies and oranges — that telegraph Gazaleh’s vision of a vibrant past, and future, outside the Israeli occupation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stylized illustrations might be familiar to anyone who’s exited the Central Freeway at Market and Octavia and seen Gazaleh’s 3,000-square-foot mural of a woman looking over a crumbling West Bank wall. In it, she holds a key, symbolizing refugees’ right to return. It’s one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cgazaleh.com/dark-water\">many pieces of public art Gazaleh has painted\u003c/a> in San Francisco over the past 20-plus years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gazaleh, whose grandparents are from Ramallah, has dedicated his art practice to uplifting the Palestinian struggle, despite risking alienation from mainstream art institutions, and having his \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/s-f-palestine-mural-19472797.php\">murals repeatedly defaced\u003c/a>. Though his work has sometimes caused controversy, SOMArts gave him and the ten other featured artists a blank canvas to express their views. SOMArts’ approach is a rarity in the art world; locally and nationally, museums have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954119/an-embattled-ybca-to-reopen-amid-censorship-accusations-ceos-resignation\">accompanied pro-Palestinian work with disclaimers\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956575/sfmoma-workers-open-letter-palestinians-gaza-pacbi\">just not shown it at all\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971393\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971393\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A wall at SOMArts' gallery reads 'From the River to the Bay' in graffiti lettering. In the background there is an Arabic poem written in the colors of the Palestinian flag and an assortment of small drawings.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Gazaleh has been uplifting the Palestinian struggle for freedom in his art for decades. ‘From the River to the Bay’ is his first exhibition as a curator. \u003ccite>(Claire S. Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In \u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i>, his first exhibition as a curator, Gazaleh’s work hangs among a cohort of like-minded artists in a show of solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank. The show arrives at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate the second phase of their ceasefire deal. On Tuesday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/05/politics/trump-gaza-takeover-analysis/index.html\">President Trump suggested that the U.S. should take over Gaza\u003c/a>, displace its two million Palestinian residents and turn the territory into a “Riviera of the Middle East” — a move that political observers and human-rights advocates say amounts to a call for “ethnic cleansing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to make art no matter what. We’re going to keep living no matter what,” Gazaleh says of Palestinian people’s resilience. “Let the people in Gaza be the testament to that, because they’ve been living through a 480-day genocide and are still singing and dancing and trying to keep themselves alive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the most stunning pieces in the show are a trio of colorful acrylic paintings by Palestinian artist Asma Ghanem, of richly rendered domestic scenes with eye-catching textile and tile patterns. In tranquil scenes like the one in \u003ci>Palestinian Childhood\u003c/i> of a toddler riding a tricycle, Ghanem sensitively captures a sense of childhood innocence. It’s haunting to look at this piece and remember the enormous death toll of children in Gaza. [aside postid='news_12024365']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That focus on children and the next generation continues with photography by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926619/spie-one-tdk-bay-area-graffiti-history-hip-hop\">Spie\u003c/a>, a veteran graffiti artist who came up in the Bay Area’s influential and politically active TDK crew. Before the pandemic, Spie traveled to Hebron and Bethlehem with Gazaleh as part of an advocacy group called Eyewitness Palestine, and \u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i> features his photos of children from the trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They just bring me joy every time,” Gazaleh says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spie also contributed a tent installation that recreates the student encampments that popped up on campuses all over the United States last fall, demanding that universities divest from weapons and surveillance manufacturers. (After a push from student activists, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12017889/sf-state-limits-investments-weapons-manufacturers-after-student-activists-push\">San Francisco State University added a commitment to human rights in its investment policy\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The students are very important because they also are the future,” Gazaleh says. “They’re going to be the future doctors and lawyers. … And in Gaza, they’re killing doctors. They’re killing lawyers. They’re killing artists, nurses, medics, police — anybody that has a job. … So there’s no separation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971394\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2326px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971394\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke.png\" alt=\"People look at a wall of stylized portraits of Palestinian people in keffiyehs. \" width=\"2326\" height=\"1796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke.png 2326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-800x618.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-1020x788.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-160x124.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-768x593.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-1536x1186.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-2048x1581.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-1920x1483.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2326px) 100vw, 2326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artwork by Chris Gazaleh. \u003ccite>(Claire S. Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That trip with Spie wasn’t the first time Gazaleh traveled to the West Bank for advocacy and mural work. He also went in 2022 with Susan Greene, a member of a Jewish American artist collective called Breaking the Silence Mural Project. The collective has spent decades raising awareness about the apartheid-like conditions Palestinians face, and they were one of Gazaleh’s early inspirations. \u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i> includes a print of their 1990 mural, \u003ca href=\"https://artforces.org/projects/murals/usa/our-roots-are-still-alive/#:~:text=BTS%20painted%20%22Our%20Roots%20Are,for%20refugees%20the%20world%20over.\">\u003ci>Our Roots Are Still Alive\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, of a multi-generational Palestinian family cheering as a prison wall crumbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Gazaleh as a curator, it was meaningful for the exhibition to feature artists from many different backgrounds — Palestinian, Jewish, Chicano, Asian American — in solidarity with Palestinians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s about showing our Bay Area culture,” he says, “our solidarity with the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/exhibition/rivertothebay/\">From the River to the Bay\u003c/a>’ features the work of Ren Allathkani, Breaking the Silence Mural Project, Chris Gazaleh, Asma Ghanem, Hussam, Lucia Ippolito, Tarik Kazaleh, Eli Lippert, Diana Musa, SPIE and Maria Fernanda Vizcaino. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The show is on view at SOMArts Jan. 31–Mar. 30, with a \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/event/rivertothebayclosing/\">closing reception on Mar. 27\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When I arrive at SOMArts just hours before the opening of its new show, \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/exhibition/rivertothebay/\">\u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, curator and artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.cgazaleh.com/\">Chris Gazaleh\u003c/a> is painting the words of Gazan poet Refaat Alareer on the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I die / you must live / to tell my story,” he writes in Arabic script in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The text of the poem frames pencil drawings by Gazaleh that feature solemn faces with pleading eyes. They’re surrounded by symbols of everyday Palestinian life — traditional tatreez embroidery, an oud, poppies and oranges — that telegraph Gazaleh’s vision of a vibrant past, and future, outside the Israeli occupation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stylized illustrations might be familiar to anyone who’s exited the Central Freeway at Market and Octavia and seen Gazaleh’s 3,000-square-foot mural of a woman looking over a crumbling West Bank wall. In it, she holds a key, symbolizing refugees’ right to return. It’s one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cgazaleh.com/dark-water\">many pieces of public art Gazaleh has painted\u003c/a> in San Francisco over the past 20-plus years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gazaleh, whose grandparents are from Ramallah, has dedicated his art practice to uplifting the Palestinian struggle, despite risking alienation from mainstream art institutions, and having his \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/s-f-palestine-mural-19472797.php\">murals repeatedly defaced\u003c/a>. Though his work has sometimes caused controversy, SOMArts gave him and the ten other featured artists a blank canvas to express their views. SOMArts’ approach is a rarity in the art world; locally and nationally, museums have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954119/an-embattled-ybca-to-reopen-amid-censorship-accusations-ceos-resignation\">accompanied pro-Palestinian work with disclaimers\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956575/sfmoma-workers-open-letter-palestinians-gaza-pacbi\">just not shown it at all\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971393\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971393\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A wall at SOMArts' gallery reads 'From the River to the Bay' in graffiti lettering. In the background there is an Arabic poem written in the colors of the Palestinian flag and an assortment of small drawings.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/2025-01-30_SOMArts_FromtheRiver2theBay_@burkesclaire-7-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Gazaleh has been uplifting the Palestinian struggle for freedom in his art for decades. ‘From the River to the Bay’ is his first exhibition as a curator. \u003ccite>(Claire S. Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In \u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i>, his first exhibition as a curator, Gazaleh’s work hangs among a cohort of like-minded artists in a show of solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank. The show arrives at a precarious time as Israel and Hamas negotiate the second phase of their ceasefire deal. On Tuesday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/05/politics/trump-gaza-takeover-analysis/index.html\">President Trump suggested that the U.S. should take over Gaza\u003c/a>, displace its two million Palestinian residents and turn the territory into a “Riviera of the Middle East” — a move that political observers and human-rights advocates say amounts to a call for “ethnic cleansing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re going to make art no matter what. We’re going to keep living no matter what,” Gazaleh says of Palestinian people’s resilience. “Let the people in Gaza be the testament to that, because they’ve been living through a 480-day genocide and are still singing and dancing and trying to keep themselves alive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the most stunning pieces in the show are a trio of colorful acrylic paintings by Palestinian artist Asma Ghanem, of richly rendered domestic scenes with eye-catching textile and tile patterns. In tranquil scenes like the one in \u003ci>Palestinian Childhood\u003c/i> of a toddler riding a tricycle, Ghanem sensitively captures a sense of childhood innocence. It’s haunting to look at this piece and remember the enormous death toll of children in Gaza. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That focus on children and the next generation continues with photography by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926619/spie-one-tdk-bay-area-graffiti-history-hip-hop\">Spie\u003c/a>, a veteran graffiti artist who came up in the Bay Area’s influential and politically active TDK crew. Before the pandemic, Spie traveled to Hebron and Bethlehem with Gazaleh as part of an advocacy group called Eyewitness Palestine, and \u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i> features his photos of children from the trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They just bring me joy every time,” Gazaleh says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spie also contributed a tent installation that recreates the student encampments that popped up on campuses all over the United States last fall, demanding that universities divest from weapons and surveillance manufacturers. (After a push from student activists, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12017889/sf-state-limits-investments-weapons-manufacturers-after-student-activists-push\">San Francisco State University added a commitment to human rights in its investment policy\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The students are very important because they also are the future,” Gazaleh says. “They’re going to be the future doctors and lawyers. … And in Gaza, they’re killing doctors. They’re killing lawyers. They’re killing artists, nurses, medics, police — anybody that has a job. … So there’s no separation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971394\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2326px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971394\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke.png\" alt=\"People look at a wall of stylized portraits of Palestinian people in keffiyehs. \" width=\"2326\" height=\"1796\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke.png 2326w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-800x618.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-1020x788.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-160x124.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-768x593.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-1536x1186.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-2048x1581.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Artwork-by-Chris-Gazaleh_photo-by-Claire-S.-Burke-1920x1483.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2326px) 100vw, 2326px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artwork by Chris Gazaleh. \u003ccite>(Claire S. Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That trip with Spie wasn’t the first time Gazaleh traveled to the West Bank for advocacy and mural work. He also went in 2022 with Susan Greene, a member of a Jewish American artist collective called Breaking the Silence Mural Project. The collective has spent decades raising awareness about the apartheid-like conditions Palestinians face, and they were one of Gazaleh’s early inspirations. \u003ci>From the River to the Bay\u003c/i> includes a print of their 1990 mural, \u003ca href=\"https://artforces.org/projects/murals/usa/our-roots-are-still-alive/#:~:text=BTS%20painted%20%22Our%20Roots%20Are,for%20refugees%20the%20world%20over.\">\u003ci>Our Roots Are Still Alive\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, of a multi-generational Palestinian family cheering as a prison wall crumbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Gazaleh as a curator, it was meaningful for the exhibition to feature artists from many different backgrounds — Palestinian, Jewish, Chicano, Asian American — in solidarity with Palestinians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s about showing our Bay Area culture,” he says, “our solidarity with the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/exhibition/rivertothebay/\">From the River to the Bay\u003c/a>’ features the work of Ren Allathkani, Breaking the Silence Mural Project, Chris Gazaleh, Asma Ghanem, Hussam, Lucia Ippolito, Tarik Kazaleh, Eli Lippert, Diana Musa, SPIE and Maria Fernanda Vizcaino. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The show is on view at SOMArts Jan. 31–Mar. 30, with a \u003ca href=\"https://somarts.org/event/rivertothebayclosing/\">closing reception on Mar. 27\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "rightnowishs-grand-finale-words-of-wisdom-from-timothy-b",
"title": "Rightnowish’s Grand Finale: Words of Wisdom From Timothy B.",
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"headTitle": "Rightnowish’s Grand Finale: Words of Wisdom From Timothy B. | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this final episode of the Rightnowish podcast, we end back where we started — but with some pretty significant updates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2019, renowned visual artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/timothyb_art/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timothy B.\u003c/a> gave us the first full Rightnowish interview for an episode titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13868502/from-d-boys-to-dope-art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From D-Boys to Dope Art.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that interview, Timothy B. was flanked by his mother Dana Bluitt and his father Timothy Bluitt Sr. as he shared with us his perspective on mural making, community building and his work in Oakland. We also discussed how Timothy B.’s colorful paintings on the streets of the Town differ drastically from the work his father did in Oakland during the ’80s and early ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Timothy Sr., a representative of East Oakland’s legendary 69 Mob, was incarcerated in a federal penitentiary for over two decades. During that time, Mrs. Bluitt held the family down. Timothy B. took notes from both his mother and father, and flourished because of the strength of his parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, five years after our last conversation on tape, Timothy B. is a father too. Stepping into parenthood has changed his painting schedule and personal priorities. But he remains creative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13961247\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13961247 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56%E2%80%AFPM-800x1100.png\" alt=\"Timothy B. stands on a lift in front of a mural he painted at the East Oakland Youth Center dedicated to journalist and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM-800x1100.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM-160x220.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM-768x1056.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM.png 972w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Timothy B. stands on a lift in front of a mural he painted at the East Oakland Youth Center dedicated to journalist and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Timothy B. )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In fact, having painted numerous murals around the Town and beyond, his work is getting out there more than ever. In Oakland, his work can be seen at places like the corner store on Grand and Ellita, as well as the broad side of buildings on 7th and Washington, 82nd and International, and 15th and Webster. He has more murals in the works, plus he’s expanding beyond walls: this past February, his designs were commissioned, printed on T-shirts and given away at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C3RDwNIPJNl/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a Golden State Warriors home game\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, we discuss how Timothy B. has grown, and how Oakland has changed. And then Timothy B. gives us some advice on how to deal with major life transitions; advice I needed to hear as we end the Rightnowish podcast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC4636659965\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s up Rightnowish listeners, I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We are here. At the grand finale, the final episode of Rightnowish. We’ve had an amazing 5 year run, so much love, so many memories. Thank you all for rocking with us. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To host an arts and culture show in the Bay Area, it’s been so dope, I haven’t fully processed it. But for now I can say that I’m extremely grateful…grateful for the emails, comments on social posts and conversations at bars and coffee shops…grateful that we’ve had the support from KQED and from the community…grateful to the people who shared their stories with us, and to everyone who listened. I could go on but, yeah, grateful. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That being said, to bookend this Rightnowish podcast, we’re going back to where we started: a conversation with the very first guest on the show– renowned visual artist, Timothy B. We caught up with him via zoom from his Oakland studio.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Timothy’s work can be found all around the Bay, and beyond. He’s painted images of community members, goddesses and of Huey P. Newton. His mural of the late Nipsey Hussle on Grand and Perkins in Oakland is a trademark piece. Another mural on a wall further down Grand pays homage to the memory of Nia Wilson, a young woman who was slain on a BART platform in July of 2018.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the first episode of Rightnowish, Timothy B. and I discussed how his work on the streets of the town differs drastically from the work his father did. His dad, Timothy Bliutt Sr., is a factor from East Oakland’s legendary 69 Mob, and he also served a significant amount of time in a federal penitentiary. And from there Mrs. Dana Bluitt, Timothy B.’s mother, held the family down. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which brings us to today– over the last five years a lot has changed for Timothy B. He’s a father now. So, for this final episode, we chop it up about Oakland, art and mental health, as well as fatherhood, personal relationships and the process of dealing with life’s big transitions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you might imagine, I could use that advice right now… ish. Yeah, more after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There we go, there we go, there we go, Timothy B! I’m really excited to talk to you today for a number of reasons, really because you were the first interview in the Rightnowish series. You started us off on a good note, and so much has changed over the past 5 years. And when I think of all the changes that you have experienced, the biggest one is fatherhood. And our past conversation was about family and your parents and how they poured into you, and how that shows up in your artistry and given your relationship with your parents, what does it mean to you to be a father now? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, my son, he’s, he’s going to be the first to experience having a father and grandfather in I don’t know in how many generations, you know. So, you know, that’s power in itself. Because my father was incarcerated for 24 years of my life, to receive the opportunity to be a father now is monumental. I could give, ya know, my son, he’s…he won’t ever know what it’s like to not have a father around, you know? God forbid anything happens to me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you know, being a father yourself, I’m learning a lot around patience. Being a father is probably like, one of my hardest tasks, you know, just trying to balance everything. And I don’t cook to often, right? I think that’s probably like, my biggest challenge is just cooking different meals \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">that he would eat.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gotta gotta learn more than just the spaghetti. I remember I stepped my game up. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’m tired of having spaghetti, Dawg. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, for me, man, it’s mashed potatoes and broccoli \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But that’s clutch, that’s clutch yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But yeah, it’s been an amazing journey so far. You know, just seeing how, how much joy he bring, not to just myself, but everybody around. I feel like he was just, he was brought at the perfect time. He gave my family hope. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You mentioned the balance, the balancing act and, I mean, you are a renowned artist. How has parenthood changed your schedule as an artist?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Considering that I have my son four days a week,\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t have much time to focus on my work like I used to. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I’m off father-duty, I’m a lot more focused than I used to be. Whereas before I used to cat-off a little bit. But these days, time management skills is a lot much better, ya feel me? So, I think I’m a little more disciplined now than I was back then.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are some of the things that you’re dealing with with life right now? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s a trip because you know all these great things are happening in the art department. You know a lot of people, they see me accomplishing great things every month. I’m having unveiling, there’s a celebration, I’m being honored by The Warriors and Allen Temple Baptist Church and it’s just love being thrown my way, but at the, on the flip side of it, man I’ve been feeling like sh*t. I’m feeling terrible, you know, just for the reasons that my personal relationships to the people I love the most, you know are in sh*t. It’s like, I don’t know man. Just trying to find that balance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s your method to the madness? How do you deal with it all? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Martial arts, you know, has really helped. I’ve been, you know, getting some sun. And also just accepting that people are going to feel how they feel, you know. Like, there’s nothing, you know, there’s certain things you just can’t do. You know, you can’t control how people think of you. You know, like, if your intentions is to do right by people, but they don’t, they can’t receive it for whatever reason, yo, that’s outside of you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But I’m learning, you know, these days to, you know, continue to just show the love that I want to receive and if they could receive it from you. Cool. You know, if they not, if they can’t, I’m still going to try to pour as much as I can. You feel me? But, you know, just set my boundaries to protect my heart. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, the last thing I want to do is like, be here, be out here angry or frustrated. You feel me? So, you know, as of late I’ve been, like, moving in gratitude. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You once told me that your artwork is an escape for you. Does it still provide that same escape? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah man, it really does. It really does. Because I mean, essentially, you know, I create worlds, you know whenever, you know, I’m logging into the arts, I’m in a whole different zone. Like, I’m in a whole different thinking space, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you describe your style? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think I have, like a Afro-futuristic, surrealist style. I love, like, a stylistic, illustrative type of art, you know, similar to, like, you know, like, comic book style. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m thinking of, like, I’ll read, like, you know, like the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Black Panther\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the one that was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can’t think of who the illustrator is right now, but his work is is tight. You know, it’s like it’s highly detailed, kind of wanderlust. And whenever I think of my work, you know, I try to give that kind of a Candyland type feel, you know, but with, you know, a real sense of reality, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That makes perfect sense. But I like what you say like surrealism, Afrofuturism, a little, you know, flavor to make it shine. And I could fully see that in your work, man. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m thinking about a design you did earlier this year that debuted for The Warriors during Black History Month, real big deal, man. Walk me through the process of designing that image. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I usually start with looking at different references. I would write down, like my intentions for the design, how I want it to feel, what I want it to represent. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That piece was like, it was themed around manifesting your life, your destiny, your dreams. And it was of a boy, you know, with his hands out and like his strength, his power is in his hands. Right? And my, you know, thinking about myself, you know, I’ve been able to manifest everything I want in life, you know, like I’m living the dream right now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Man, it all came from my hands. You know, I’ve been able to travel the world. I’ve been able to buy the cars I want. I’ve been able to live in the space I want to live in. All because of these hands. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Behind him was, the elders, you know, that were standing together in prayer, praying over the boy. You know, I come from a big village as you know. My family has always been, ya know, real good at uplifting me in whatever I wanted to do. And, so, you know, that’s what that piece was about. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having that image printed on hundreds of thousands of t-shirts inside of The Warriors’ Chase Center, what was it like for you to walk in that evening and see your art?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was unreal. I would say it was unreal. Like, I don’t even think it really like resonated until afterwards. It was a reminder that I’ve came a long way. You know, like I, you know, I remember, you know, being in college telling myself that one day all this is going to make sense. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So now, to be in this position where, like you say, I got t-shirts, I’m doing.. got t-shirts all over the arena, the Chase. You know, I could barely even afford to be in the arena but now, you know, I’m in partnership with The Warriors, you feel me. It was like, man, like, it’s just it’s euphoric. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You had your son with you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My son going everywhere with me. You feel me? Like he needs to know that anything is possible at a very young age.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What does it mean for someone to come up to you and compliment your work and give you your flowers? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What that means to me is that one… people, people see me. And that feels good in itself to be seen, to be recognized, and also to be appreciated for the things that you love to do that you think no one sees. It’d be one thing if I was out here popular for, like, putting out negativity. But when you’re not with that, when you out here putting, you know, spreading love, that’s what you receive. Everywhere you go is just love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond putting paint where it ain’t and just doing an immaculate job at it, you’re also the founder of Good Air Studios, where you host live events and workshops for artists. Bringing it back a little bit, the last time we talked you were at Mouse Cat, and five years, a lot has changed. How was Good Air different from Mouse Cat? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Mouse Cat, personal studio is just all about…it’s my living space, you know. This is where I create, where I sleep, you know, but I needed a space for the community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the longest time I’ve been doing this arts stuff, running this business by myself. I wanted to share this with other people. There’s a bunch of artists that look up to me and want to work by my side. And I want to be there to work in collaboration with them and teach them and learn from them. So I wanted to, you know, create a space for, you know, me and the community to connect and build. That’s how Good Air Studios came about. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For months, I was looking in this space, and I was just trying to, you know, figure out how I was going to pay that rent. So I reached out to all my closest friends and, you know, I pitched the idea to them, and then they believed in what I was talking about and now we here. \u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We makin’ enough money to pay rent, you know, but that’s a milestone. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s gotta be dope to see it happening, the wheels are turning.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ve been to the space it’s high ceilings, you know, like old warehouse just covered in art everywhere, the ping pong tables out front. You got the vibes and all of that is important. But the… what you just said beyond just the esthetics, this is about having space for creatives to come together. Why do you think that’s important for creatives in the Bay area right now? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like we as Black artists need a space for us, you know? And that’s what Good Air Studio is, you know? And it’s not just for Black artists, of course, but we are trying to encourage the Black community to come out and even those who don’t really draw like that and who want to learn, you know, we want to host workshops for them so they could develop the confidence to, you know, express themselves through that medium. We doing something really dope. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I feel like you personally, and also the larger ideas that come from you and your circle are very representative of creatives in the Bay Area right now. And also like, looking forward, I feel like y’all have a foot on the pulse of the now and also have some say in what’s to come down the pipeline.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we’re coming to the end of producing this show. With that, there’s a slight relief that I don’t do the same thing over and over again and there’s some sadness of like losing this thing that I love, right? And you as a person who’s gone through some transitions in your life, what advice would you give to myself and the Rightnowish team as we go through this transition? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We all creatives here. So no matter what we doing, we are doing something..we gon do something dope. So I guess my advice is to, continue to move in purpose, you know, and continue to move, towards whatever it is that is fulfilling your spirit, you know, because that is the thing that is going to wake us all up. That’s the… you like, you starting this show, this is the thing that we all needed. We needed to hear these stories of, you know, all these local celebrities. We use these stories that just, you know, remind us of maybe what we doing or, maybe get an insight of, you know, what is out there. Yeah man, continue to explore and experiment, it will happen for you, I promise you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you. Thank you for sharing some insight into your life as a parent and also your life as an artist, man. And like, yeah, I can’t thank you enough because, you know, you changed the visual landscape at a place that we love. And that’s, that’s a hell of a task. So thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s this thing that happens in journalism sometimes, where the person you’re interviewing speaks your truths. And all you can do is nod in agreement as the tape rolls. Timothy B.’s thoughts on community interaction — how it’s fueled his art and community service, even while dealing with all that life can throw at him. Yeah, bingo. That’s been a big part of this Rightnowish experience. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So Timothy B, Thank you again for your words of wisdom, your story and your work. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To keep up with Timothy B’s visual arts, live events and more follow him on Instagram at timothyb underscore art. That’s t-i-m-o-t-h-y-b underscore art. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, wow…. for the last time here go the show credits:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marisol Medina-Cadena is the Rightnowish producer. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the music you heard in the episode was sourced from Audio Network.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\nChris Hambrick and Chris Egusa edited this episode.\u003cbr>\nChristopher Beale is our engineer.\u003cbr>\nThe Rightnowish team is also supported by Jen Chien, Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan and Katie Sprenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aight yall. This is the end. Thanks again. As a wise person once told me: keep it lit. Peace. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this final episode of the Rightnowish podcast, we end back where we started — but with some pretty significant updates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2019, renowned visual artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/timothyb_art/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timothy B.\u003c/a> gave us the first full Rightnowish interview for an episode titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13868502/from-d-boys-to-dope-art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From D-Boys to Dope Art.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During that interview, Timothy B. was flanked by his mother Dana Bluitt and his father Timothy Bluitt Sr. as he shared with us his perspective on mural making, community building and his work in Oakland. We also discussed how Timothy B.’s colorful paintings on the streets of the Town differ drastically from the work his father did in Oakland during the ’80s and early ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Timothy Sr., a representative of East Oakland’s legendary 69 Mob, was incarcerated in a federal penitentiary for over two decades. During that time, Mrs. Bluitt held the family down. Timothy B. took notes from both his mother and father, and flourished because of the strength of his parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, five years after our last conversation on tape, Timothy B. is a father too. Stepping into parenthood has changed his painting schedule and personal priorities. But he remains creative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13961247\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13961247 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56%E2%80%AFPM-800x1100.png\" alt=\"Timothy B. stands on a lift in front of a mural he painted at the East Oakland Youth Center dedicated to journalist and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM-800x1100.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM-160x220.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM-768x1056.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-at-11.40.56 PM.png 972w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Timothy B. stands on a lift in front of a mural he painted at the East Oakland Youth Center dedicated to journalist and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Timothy B. )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In fact, having painted numerous murals around the Town and beyond, his work is getting out there more than ever. In Oakland, his work can be seen at places like the corner store on Grand and Ellita, as well as the broad side of buildings on 7th and Washington, 82nd and International, and 15th and Webster. He has more murals in the works, plus he’s expanding beyond walls: this past February, his designs were commissioned, printed on T-shirts and given away at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C3RDwNIPJNl/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a Golden State Warriors home game\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, we discuss how Timothy B. has grown, and how Oakland has changed. And then Timothy B. gives us some advice on how to deal with major life transitions; advice I needed to hear as we end the Rightnowish podcast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC4636659965\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s up Rightnowish listeners, I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We are here. At the grand finale, the final episode of Rightnowish. We’ve had an amazing 5 year run, so much love, so many memories. Thank you all for rocking with us. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To host an arts and culture show in the Bay Area, it’s been so dope, I haven’t fully processed it. But for now I can say that I’m extremely grateful…grateful for the emails, comments on social posts and conversations at bars and coffee shops…grateful that we’ve had the support from KQED and from the community…grateful to the people who shared their stories with us, and to everyone who listened. I could go on but, yeah, grateful. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That being said, to bookend this Rightnowish podcast, we’re going back to where we started: a conversation with the very first guest on the show– renowned visual artist, Timothy B. We caught up with him via zoom from his Oakland studio.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Timothy’s work can be found all around the Bay, and beyond. He’s painted images of community members, goddesses and of Huey P. Newton. His mural of the late Nipsey Hussle on Grand and Perkins in Oakland is a trademark piece. Another mural on a wall further down Grand pays homage to the memory of Nia Wilson, a young woman who was slain on a BART platform in July of 2018.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the first episode of Rightnowish, Timothy B. and I discussed how his work on the streets of the town differs drastically from the work his father did. His dad, Timothy Bliutt Sr., is a factor from East Oakland’s legendary 69 Mob, and he also served a significant amount of time in a federal penitentiary. And from there Mrs. Dana Bluitt, Timothy B.’s mother, held the family down. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which brings us to today– over the last five years a lot has changed for Timothy B. He’s a father now. So, for this final episode, we chop it up about Oakland, art and mental health, as well as fatherhood, personal relationships and the process of dealing with life’s big transitions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you might imagine, I could use that advice right now… ish. Yeah, more after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There we go, there we go, there we go, Timothy B! I’m really excited to talk to you today for a number of reasons, really because you were the first interview in the Rightnowish series. You started us off on a good note, and so much has changed over the past 5 years. And when I think of all the changes that you have experienced, the biggest one is fatherhood. And our past conversation was about family and your parents and how they poured into you, and how that shows up in your artistry and given your relationship with your parents, what does it mean to you to be a father now? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, my son, he’s, he’s going to be the first to experience having a father and grandfather in I don’t know in how many generations, you know. So, you know, that’s power in itself. Because my father was incarcerated for 24 years of my life, to receive the opportunity to be a father now is monumental. I could give, ya know, my son, he’s…he won’t ever know what it’s like to not have a father around, you know? God forbid anything happens to me. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you know, being a father yourself, I’m learning a lot around patience. Being a father is probably like, one of my hardest tasks, you know, just trying to balance everything. And I don’t cook to often, right? I think that’s probably like, my biggest challenge is just cooking different meals \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">that he would eat.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gotta gotta learn more than just the spaghetti. I remember I stepped my game up. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’m tired of having spaghetti, Dawg. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, for me, man, it’s mashed potatoes and broccoli \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But that’s clutch, that’s clutch yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But yeah, it’s been an amazing journey so far. You know, just seeing how, how much joy he bring, not to just myself, but everybody around. I feel like he was just, he was brought at the perfect time. He gave my family hope. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You mentioned the balance, the balancing act and, I mean, you are a renowned artist. How has parenthood changed your schedule as an artist?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Considering that I have my son four days a week,\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t have much time to focus on my work like I used to. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I’m off father-duty, I’m a lot more focused than I used to be. Whereas before I used to cat-off a little bit. But these days, time management skills is a lot much better, ya feel me? So, I think I’m a little more disciplined now than I was back then.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are some of the things that you’re dealing with with life right now? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s a trip because you know all these great things are happening in the art department. You know a lot of people, they see me accomplishing great things every month. I’m having unveiling, there’s a celebration, I’m being honored by The Warriors and Allen Temple Baptist Church and it’s just love being thrown my way, but at the, on the flip side of it, man I’ve been feeling like sh*t. I’m feeling terrible, you know, just for the reasons that my personal relationships to the people I love the most, you know are in sh*t. It’s like, I don’t know man. Just trying to find that balance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What’s your method to the madness? How do you deal with it all? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Martial arts, you know, has really helped. I’ve been, you know, getting some sun. And also just accepting that people are going to feel how they feel, you know. Like, there’s nothing, you know, there’s certain things you just can’t do. You know, you can’t control how people think of you. You know, like, if your intentions is to do right by people, but they don’t, they can’t receive it for whatever reason, yo, that’s outside of you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But I’m learning, you know, these days to, you know, continue to just show the love that I want to receive and if they could receive it from you. Cool. You know, if they not, if they can’t, I’m still going to try to pour as much as I can. You feel me? But, you know, just set my boundaries to protect my heart. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, the last thing I want to do is like, be here, be out here angry or frustrated. You feel me? So, you know, as of late I’ve been, like, moving in gratitude. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You once told me that your artwork is an escape for you. Does it still provide that same escape? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah man, it really does. It really does. Because I mean, essentially, you know, I create worlds, you know whenever, you know, I’m logging into the arts, I’m in a whole different zone. Like, I’m in a whole different thinking space, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you describe your style? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think I have, like a Afro-futuristic, surrealist style. I love, like, a stylistic, illustrative type of art, you know, similar to, like, you know, like, comic book style. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m thinking of, like, I’ll read, like, you know, like the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Black Panther\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the one that was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can’t think of who the illustrator is right now, but his work is is tight. You know, it’s like it’s highly detailed, kind of wanderlust. And whenever I think of my work, you know, I try to give that kind of a Candyland type feel, you know, but with, you know, a real sense of reality, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That makes perfect sense. But I like what you say like surrealism, Afrofuturism, a little, you know, flavor to make it shine. And I could fully see that in your work, man. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m thinking about a design you did earlier this year that debuted for The Warriors during Black History Month, real big deal, man. Walk me through the process of designing that image. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I usually start with looking at different references. I would write down, like my intentions for the design, how I want it to feel, what I want it to represent. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That piece was like, it was themed around manifesting your life, your destiny, your dreams. And it was of a boy, you know, with his hands out and like his strength, his power is in his hands. Right? And my, you know, thinking about myself, you know, I’ve been able to manifest everything I want in life, you know, like I’m living the dream right now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Man, it all came from my hands. You know, I’ve been able to travel the world. I’ve been able to buy the cars I want. I’ve been able to live in the space I want to live in. All because of these hands. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Behind him was, the elders, you know, that were standing together in prayer, praying over the boy. You know, I come from a big village as you know. My family has always been, ya know, real good at uplifting me in whatever I wanted to do. And, so, you know, that’s what that piece was about. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having that image printed on hundreds of thousands of t-shirts inside of The Warriors’ Chase Center, what was it like for you to walk in that evening and see your art?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was unreal. I would say it was unreal. Like, I don’t even think it really like resonated until afterwards. It was a reminder that I’ve came a long way. You know, like I, you know, I remember, you know, being in college telling myself that one day all this is going to make sense. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So now, to be in this position where, like you say, I got t-shirts, I’m doing.. got t-shirts all over the arena, the Chase. You know, I could barely even afford to be in the arena but now, you know, I’m in partnership with The Warriors, you feel me. It was like, man, like, it’s just it’s euphoric. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You had your son with you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My son going everywhere with me. You feel me? Like he needs to know that anything is possible at a very young age.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What does it mean for someone to come up to you and compliment your work and give you your flowers? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What that means to me is that one… people, people see me. And that feels good in itself to be seen, to be recognized, and also to be appreciated for the things that you love to do that you think no one sees. It’d be one thing if I was out here popular for, like, putting out negativity. But when you’re not with that, when you out here putting, you know, spreading love, that’s what you receive. Everywhere you go is just love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond putting paint where it ain’t and just doing an immaculate job at it, you’re also the founder of Good Air Studios, where you host live events and workshops for artists. Bringing it back a little bit, the last time we talked you were at Mouse Cat, and five years, a lot has changed. How was Good Air different from Mouse Cat? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Mouse Cat, personal studio is just all about…it’s my living space, you know. This is where I create, where I sleep, you know, but I needed a space for the community. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the longest time I’ve been doing this arts stuff, running this business by myself. I wanted to share this with other people. There’s a bunch of artists that look up to me and want to work by my side. And I want to be there to work in collaboration with them and teach them and learn from them. So I wanted to, you know, create a space for, you know, me and the community to connect and build. That’s how Good Air Studios came about. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For months, I was looking in this space, and I was just trying to, you know, figure out how I was going to pay that rent. So I reached out to all my closest friends and, you know, I pitched the idea to them, and then they believed in what I was talking about and now we here. \u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We makin’ enough money to pay rent, you know, but that’s a milestone. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s gotta be dope to see it happening, the wheels are turning.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ve been to the space it’s high ceilings, you know, like old warehouse just covered in art everywhere, the ping pong tables out front. You got the vibes and all of that is important. But the… what you just said beyond just the esthetics, this is about having space for creatives to come together. Why do you think that’s important for creatives in the Bay area right now? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like we as Black artists need a space for us, you know? And that’s what Good Air Studio is, you know? And it’s not just for Black artists, of course, but we are trying to encourage the Black community to come out and even those who don’t really draw like that and who want to learn, you know, we want to host workshops for them so they could develop the confidence to, you know, express themselves through that medium. We doing something really dope. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I feel like you personally, and also the larger ideas that come from you and your circle are very representative of creatives in the Bay Area right now. And also like, looking forward, I feel like y’all have a foot on the pulse of the now and also have some say in what’s to come down the pipeline.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we’re coming to the end of producing this show. With that, there’s a slight relief that I don’t do the same thing over and over again and there’s some sadness of like losing this thing that I love, right? And you as a person who’s gone through some transitions in your life, what advice would you give to myself and the Rightnowish team as we go through this transition? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Timothy B: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We all creatives here. So no matter what we doing, we are doing something..we gon do something dope. So I guess my advice is to, continue to move in purpose, you know, and continue to move, towards whatever it is that is fulfilling your spirit, you know, because that is the thing that is going to wake us all up. That’s the… you like, you starting this show, this is the thing that we all needed. We needed to hear these stories of, you know, all these local celebrities. We use these stories that just, you know, remind us of maybe what we doing or, maybe get an insight of, you know, what is out there. Yeah man, continue to explore and experiment, it will happen for you, I promise you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you. Thank you for sharing some insight into your life as a parent and also your life as an artist, man. And like, yeah, I can’t thank you enough because, you know, you changed the visual landscape at a place that we love. And that’s, that’s a hell of a task. So thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s this thing that happens in journalism sometimes, where the person you’re interviewing speaks your truths. And all you can do is nod in agreement as the tape rolls. Timothy B.’s thoughts on community interaction — how it’s fueled his art and community service, even while dealing with all that life can throw at him. Yeah, bingo. That’s been a big part of this Rightnowish experience. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So Timothy B, Thank you again for your words of wisdom, your story and your work. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To keep up with Timothy B’s visual arts, live events and more follow him on Instagram at timothyb underscore art. That’s t-i-m-o-t-h-y-b underscore art. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, wow…. for the last time here go the show credits:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marisol Medina-Cadena is the Rightnowish producer. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the music you heard in the episode was sourced from Audio Network.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\nChris Hambrick and Chris Egusa edited this episode.\u003cbr>\nChristopher Beale is our engineer.\u003cbr>\nThe Rightnowish team is also supported by Jen Chien, Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan and Katie Sprenger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aight yall. This is the end. Thanks again. As a wise person once told me: keep it lit. Peace. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"content": "\u003cp>The first time photographer and filmmaker Clara Pérez visited Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://lapena.org/\">La Peña Cultural Center\u003c/a> for an open mic, they were amazed by the sense of community at the venue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was new to the Bay, trying to get my grounding,” says Pérez, “and just walking into that room, there was so much love.” Moved by the performers and the way the crowd received them, Pérez reached out to management that same evening. “Pretty quickly after that I became a staff photographer with La Peña.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venue, active for nearly 50 years, is well known for its live music and community gatherings that are often full of political discourse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the outside of the building is \u003ca href=\"https://lapena.org/about-lapena/\">the center’s trademark mural\u003c/a>, \u003ci>Song of Unity\u003c/i>. The 15-by-40-foot piece depicts multiple icons, including Mexican American labor leader Cesar Chavez, Native American activist Bill Wahpepah and slain Chilean folk singer Victor Jara. Originally painted in 1978, the mural is a visual representation of what the space is all about — the people \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13959720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1159px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-8.jpg\" alt=\"four people look at a sheet of paper with brainstorming ideas in a colorfully painted room\" width=\"1159\" height=\"608\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13959720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-8.jpg 1159w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-8-800x420.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-8-1020x535.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-8-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-8-768x403.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1159px) 100vw, 1159px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist Cece Carpio leads a workshop as attendees review notes. \u003ccite>(Clara Pérez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That idea, of using murals to claim space for cultural purposes, is explored in the new short film \u003cem>A Place to Call Home\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Directed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.claraperezmedina.com/\">Clara Pérez\u003c/a> and co-produced by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/coreylapena/\">Corey Raynor\u003c/a>, the film focuses on La Peña’s intergenerational mural-making workshops and the importance of cultural preservation through visual art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 11-minute documentary film, which screens on Friday, June 14, at \u003ca href=\"https://qwocff.org/\">San Francisco’s Queer Women of Color Film Festival\u003c/a>, features budding visual artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/art.bymarshall/\">Lauryn Marshall\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/corazon_ycolor/\">Angélica López\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maangohoney/\">kahalla\u003c/a> all working on their craft under the tutelage of artist and educator \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cececarpio/\">Cece Carpio\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The film follows the artists through the process of painting a floor-to-ceiling mural in the center’s community room. The finished mural, Pérez explains, is a nod to intergenerational connections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On the left side is a Black queer trans nonbinary person, and the different iterations of them as a child. And then on the right, you see three generations of Black women who are braiding each other’s hair — a grandmother, a mother and a child,” says Pérez. Elsewhere, an image of corn is López’s way of acknowledging the cultural ritual of corn dances to celebrate womanhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The artists] had these amazing stories about honoring their ancestors, in place,” says Pérez, noting that a tree in the middle of the mural represents Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13959728\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"Three artists sit at a table during the filming of a documentary.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13959728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Behind the scenes of ‘A Place To Call Home’: artists Lauryn Marshall, kahalla and Angélica López talk shop. \u003ccite>(Clara Pérez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pérez followed the trio through the creative process, attending meetings and brainstorming sessions. At times, Pérez put the camera down to allow the artists to fully express themselves during vulnerable moments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing them, as artists, come up with something on the spot, it really requires a collaboration that you don’t see in other spaces,” says Pérez. Discussions about turning abstract ideas into a tangible creation takes more than just \u003cem>work\u003c/em>. “Color, shape, theme — how can we communicate these things?” asks Pérez. “It requires a certain level of vulnerability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add in the hurdle of finding funding, and these artists get the real-world experience of being muralists. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://vimeo.com/957245456\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hope is that those who see the film will appreciate the time artists must spend to learn and perfect their craft. Having a vision, translating it to something real, and in doing so, uplifting their cultural heritage: “It’s real spiritual work,” says Pérez.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘A Place to Call Home’ screens Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. at the Presidio Theatre (499 Moraga Ave., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"http://qwocff.org\">Find tickets and information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Directed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.claraperezmedina.com/\">Clara Pérez\u003c/a> and co-produced by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/coreylapena/\">Corey Raynor\u003c/a>, the film focuses on La Peña’s intergenerational mural-making workshops and the importance of cultural preservation through visual art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 11-minute documentary film, which screens on Friday, June 14, at \u003ca href=\"https://qwocff.org/\">San Francisco’s Queer Women of Color Film Festival\u003c/a>, features budding visual artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/art.bymarshall/\">Lauryn Marshall\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/corazon_ycolor/\">Angélica López\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maangohoney/\">kahalla\u003c/a> all working on their craft under the tutelage of artist and educator \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cececarpio/\">Cece Carpio\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The film follows the artists through the process of painting a floor-to-ceiling mural in the center’s community room. The finished mural, Pérez explains, is a nod to intergenerational connections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On the left side is a Black queer trans nonbinary person, and the different iterations of them as a child. And then on the right, you see three generations of Black women who are braiding each other’s hair — a grandmother, a mother and a child,” says Pérez. Elsewhere, an image of corn is López’s way of acknowledging the cultural ritual of corn dances to celebrate womanhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The artists] had these amazing stories about honoring their ancestors, in place,” says Pérez, noting that a tree in the middle of the mural represents Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13959728\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6.jpg\" alt=\"Three artists sit at a table during the filming of a documentary.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13959728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/unnamed-6-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Behind the scenes of ‘A Place To Call Home’: artists Lauryn Marshall, kahalla and Angélica López talk shop. \u003ccite>(Clara Pérez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Pérez followed the trio through the creative process, attending meetings and brainstorming sessions. At times, Pérez put the camera down to allow the artists to fully express themselves during vulnerable moments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing them, as artists, come up with something on the spot, it really requires a collaboration that you don’t see in other spaces,” says Pérez. Discussions about turning abstract ideas into a tangible creation takes more than just \u003cem>work\u003c/em>. “Color, shape, theme — how can we communicate these things?” asks Pérez. “It requires a certain level of vulnerability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add in the hurdle of finding funding, and these artists get the real-world experience of being muralists. \u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The hope is that those who see the film will appreciate the time artists must spend to learn and perfect their craft. Having a vision, translating it to something real, and in doing so, uplifting their cultural heritage: “It’s real spiritual work,” says Pérez.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘A Place to Call Home’ screens Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. at the Presidio Theatre (499 Moraga Ave., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"http://qwocff.org\">Find tickets and information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Miguel ‘Bounce’ Perez’s Culture Flows Through His Ink",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003cem>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript\u003c/span>\u003c/i>.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.instagram.com/misterbouncer/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.instagram.com/misterbouncer/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Miguel “Bounce” Perez\u003c/a> is a visual artist who owes a lot of his talents to childhood memories with his family. His mother introduced him to sketching, as she’d draw “chola-style” portraits of women with feathered hair and sharp brows. His uncles taught him the art of lettering in “Cali-Chicano” Old English script. And Bounce’s father was part of a car club in West Berkeley, a neighborhood that was also home to a number of graffiti murals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through these interactions Perez was introduced to what he does today: spreading culture through murals and tattoos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13918626\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13918626 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miguel ‘Bounce’ Perez works with Lindsey Tran to create her leg and sleeve tattoos at Philthy Clean Tattoo in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13935864']He’s a versatile artist who sees collaboration with his clients as central to his work. He’s done touch-ups for people who’ve been incarcerated, and even inked a team of mathletes. His art is detailed and graphic, ranging from Mayan goddesses to anime characters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perez says he doesn’t have a “specialty,” but he’s often asked to do cover-ups of faded tattoos; a community service of sorts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also part of the art collective\u003ca href=\"https://www.trustyourstruggle.org/\"> Trust Your Struggle\u003c/a>, which paints murals in other countries that have been historically colonized and thus, under-resourced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13918595\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13918595 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miguel Bounce Perez tattoos Lindsey Tran at Philthy Clean Tattoo in Berkeley on Aug. 31, 2022, a continuation of the sleeve Perez tattooed. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Given Perez’s experiences with both impermanent aerosol and indelible ink, I figured he’d be the best person to start this exploration into the culture of tattooing in the Bay Area, and what it feels like to create \u003cem>permanent\u003c/em> artwork— if such a thing exists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published September 2, 2022 as part of \u003ci>“Permanent Behavior: Getting Tatted in the Bay” a\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13918368/rightnowish-presents-permanent-behavior-getting-tatted-in-the-bay\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">\u003ci> four-part series\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, about local tattoo artists.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC2771419798\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hey, what’s up ya’ll! Welcome to Rightnowish, I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw bringing you some heavy news. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish, the podcast that has brought you a taste of Bay Area arts and culture for the past five years, will be ending soon. Our final episode is July 18th. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’ve had a great run, gleaned wisdom from the practitioners, gotten insight from the social scientists and soaked up game from the artists who make this place what it is. Thank you all for this run! Looking back at what we’ve done, it’s amazing. We’ve created a huge archive of what was happening in the Bay Area for the past half decade. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ll share more thoughts on the final episode, but for this week we’re going \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">into\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that rich archive for a classic episode from the summer of 2022, where we talked to a handful of Bay Area tattoo artists for our series called Permanent Behavior.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond the idea of needles rapidly jabbing through skin and leaving indelible ink, we talked about the ins-and-outs of tattoo culture. The art, the business and the politics. We also discussed family, which is a big part of today’s guest’s story.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel “Bounce” Perez was raised in West Berkeley, where his parents taught him artistic techniques like shading and cholo-style lettering. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He also learned about the impact of declining industry in his neighborhood and his family’s connection to the local car culture– all of which poured into his artistic craft. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the center of our conversation was this idea of permanency.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw,\u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci> in clip\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You do work that’s permanent and long lasting. Like I just I talk to artists all the time and there’s a certain impermanence to the art. And so in doing tattoos, like, how do you even approach doing something that you know is going to stick with folks forever? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That hit me weird, too, because ah, you know, I started got into graffiti mural art and that’s like, you know, part of the game is it’s going to get covered, it’s going to get gone over. And so I like doing something a little more permanent. I feel like definitely at first, I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t, I can’t go fix this up later. I can’t, I can’t like touch it up in a couple of years when it fades.’ I mean, you can kind of with tattoos, but it’s a whole different thing. So made me a little nervous at first, just like, okay, I definitely got to get it \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">right first time. I never did anything in my life permanent seemed like.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When they start tripping about being permanent, ya know, only until you decompose.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More deep thoughts from Miguel “Bounce” Perez, right after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bring us back to the origins, how’d you get started in art in general?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first influences are like from my mom. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She used to draw the little old school, like these kind of chola drawings, you know, the Chicano style. Cholas would like the feathered hair, all nice and detailed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I remember I used to like kind of create my own little comic characters and my uncles drew too, and they all kind of did that same kind of that Cali-Chicano style. My uncles did like the the cholo letters, you know, we’d see them around the house, like written on the books and all this stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think it was just more about like seeing them make stuff with their hands. Like my dad was also like carpenter, mechanic, built lowriders and stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think definitely with the family was the first influence and then I think what really… like in school. I would definitely always try to try to wiggle my way into ‘Ay, Can I just do a poster for like half credit and like, you know, only write half the assignment? Oh yeah.’ So, I started like, you know, early on, I knew I could kind of wiggle it that way, so that was cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like, honestly, one of the things that got me really serious was when, you know, girls would be like, ‘Ooh, that looks pretty. Can you write my name?’ \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right. Yeah. Okay. They like cursive. I mean, let me get my cursive game up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gotcha. Okay. So it’s the amalgamation of all those influences, you know a little bit of everything pouring into you. How would you describe like cholo style for someone who was goofy, just didn’t know, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like the style kind of came from them trying to emulate, like, old English. And what you’re saying is like old English was ah anything important was written in Old English, like a death certificate, birth certificate, always Old English. So like when you look at cholo style, it is like kind of a simplified version of Old English, just like, you know, the straight up and down letters. But all the letters have this similar like structure that they’re made from. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But it’s something you don’t need a fancy brush to do. You can do it with like one line or the spray paint or, you know, marker or something. And the thing has always been about, representing people that aren’t really seen and it’s like always been about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is kind of mind blowing to me that you said, all right, so writing in that like dignified kind of font, if you will, and how it comes from Old English by way of like governing forces. You mentioned like birth certificates, death certificates. And I know that there’s a stereotype around like that type of lettering that it comes from prisons as well, or that there’s, you know, like it’s related to, you know, kind of prison culture. But to say that like, ‘No, this is a way to dignify a people, you know, a group. Hell, whatever I’m writing, whatever word I’m putting in there,’ because I know in like yeah, I know in black culture as well there’s that Old English is definitely a form of tattooing styling that you put words or even commemorate a fallen friend in that font. Sorry, just had a lightbulb moment right there.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel’s a child of immigrants who raised him in the industrial bay side neighborhood of West Berkeley. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kind of moved around Berkeley a lot. Mexican side was like more West Berkeley, my Filipino side was more technically in North Berkeley. We called it South Central Berkeley.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right, p\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">arents first came over. They both came when they were probably about 13, 12 ish. And they happened to both come to Hunter’s Point, there first, and then came to Berkeley around the sixties, something like that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How did they describe sixties West Berkeley, to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They never really explained too much about like old school Berkeley. They more… feel like they talk more about when they’re in high school and their partying. Kind of always about chillin’. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My parents met when they’re when they’re in high school and they’re in Berkeley High. Actually the story is my dad was working at a gas station right on what is like University and MLK or somewhere right there. And my mom was like walking from Berkeley High. And like she said that she saw him smoking a cigarette or somethin’, you know, smoking at the gas station. Some 70’s shi*t. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> She came over and, you know, asked for a light and supposedly, like he lit her hair on fire like, well, he was. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the gas station? How dangerous is that? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, that’s the story I heard. I mean, my dad my dad was known for embellishing a little bit, so it could be made up, but it sounds pretty cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">T\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">hey were part of a car club, right? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it was called Pueblo Nuevo…Pueblo Nuevo de West Berkeley. My dad and my uncle from my mom’s side had started the car club. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So how did, how did Berkeley, as a city, pour into your work as an artist? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like there’s a lot of murals around Berkeley that influenced me. The Che mural, the West Campus, the recycling mural that was on MLK. The apartment we lived on, it was on Bancroft and, like McKinley, literally a block below Berkeley High. I went \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">from seeing all the Chicano styles that my family was doing and seeing the graff on the street and the murals, I think that definitely seeped its way in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel also came up with a crew known as Trust Your Struggle. The collective of artists do work for low or no cost in communities that could benefit from murals or other visual art that supports local culture. They started in 2003, and they’ve done work not only in the Bay but in Hawaii and the Philippines, and other places. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">T\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">rust Your Struggle is like like, it was definitely like-minded folks who had a lot of the same passions and same views on the world, politics and life and everything. I think we’re more just like a crew of homies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the earlier things we were doing was these mural tours. You know, like the first one we went to is Mexico. We went started in Mexico and like worked our way down, like on bus all the way to Nicaragua. It is basically donated murals, you know, linked up with different organizations and painted. And I remember one of the last ones we did in 2009, went to the Philippines. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We were meeting up with these orgs and stuff. Like this is the one we’d probably raised the most money for and put together. And we get out there and we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna do this mural for y’all, it’s free, blah, blah, blah.’ And they’re like, ‘Great, this is beautiful.’ And then we see like how they living and they’re like, ‘Oh sh*t. Like, they don’t need a mural. They need food. They need, like, some clothes.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think it made us think of different ways. it humbled us and you know, like you ain’t gonna save the world with a painting. Like, it might look pretty. But, you know, some of us have got more into, like, actual, like, legislation. Y’know, my boy Rob is, like, doing, like, children’s books, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, I’m doing tattoos, which is just like not like a political thing, is a smaller scale, intimate thing, but the thing that’s cool about tattoos it’s always, like well not always, there’s definitely some people are not is getting it for the aesthetics but it’s like you know it’s always some transitional period in most people’s lives when they’re getting it. And it’s pretty cool to share that with them and even help them guide them through it. You know, if they don’t have, like, the exact idea what they want to do with it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s so tight, bro, like thinking about life in those transitional periods and like change is the only constant. But like to get something to signify that you’ve gone through a transitional period is to say that I want something to last forever from this doorway that I’m going through. And you’re more or less holding that door open or helping, you know, construct the doorway. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even sometimes I’m closing it, like, now, you know, don’t go through that door! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’re right, right.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t know if you want that door. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you have any specifically that came from a point of transition in your life? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first big ones I got were um, actually my dad had this rose of my mom’s name and I pretty much just tried to, when he passed away in 2009, I pretty much just did the exact same thing he had, on both arms. I mean, those are probably my most meaningful tattoos, maybe I would say. The other ones have been a little more loose. Like, like, ‘Okay, yeah, that looks cool. Let’s do it.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I definitely know people like, ‘Whatever, I’m in Vegas, time to get tattooed, I ain’t trippin’. But yeah, definitely. When I was younger, it was like, What’s my first tat going to be? Don’t do anything stupid, you know? I went with, you know, my aunt, my mom, my sister, family names, you know, that kind of thing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can’t go wrong with mom’s name, right? \u003cem>[laughs]\u003c/em> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right. And so when your mom saw your tattoo that you did in honor of your father, how did she react? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Um. I mean, I think it definitely. She was sad just because it reminded her of my dad. You know, I remember even. I mean, her saying one time she was like, ‘Damn, you got your dad’s hands. Like, especially with, like, the tattoo.’ Like the same thing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like, same placement. Yeah. She’s also proud too because she thinks she’s she’s really proud that I get to do what I love for a living, you know? I feel like it’s almost like that was the reason why they sacrificed to come to this country when they’re young so the kids can, like, do what the f*ck they want. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel’s got a strong POV when it comes to his work, but he says he doesn’t stick to just one style. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, I think, like the big thing for me with tattooing is, you know, I’ve always been about collaboration in my paintings and painting with the crews has always been collaborative. But these like tattoos, it’s like a real collaboration, like because it’s like this is long term bonding. You’re making every time with somebody. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I generally try to have it be about more about what they want, you know. I definitely will take, you know, my knowledge and expertise and try to, like, make sure it’s going to be something that’s going to look good years down the line, make that work with what they want, you know. And I think that’s kind of my specialty is like versatility. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m sure you get a mixture of people coming in with different ideas for artwork that they want. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I remember we got this math club one time, which is funny is they all got like inner lip tattoos, but they all like, if you seen them, you know, you would never thought that they would have had tattoos. But I guess that’s why they went with the inner lip, because that’s like the most hidden places, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wait, hold on. Wait. A whole math club got the same inner lip tattoo? What did they get tattooed inside their lip? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They didn’t all get the same thing, but they all got the same place. I remember one of them, I think, said, ‘F*ck off,’ actually. It was funny, they’re all were ‘Yeah, we’re the math club. Yeah. This is our bonding experience.’ And we get that, you know, we get the range.You get that. But we still get, you know, dudes that are spending a lot of time in prison and, you know, want to like, finish off their prison style tattoo. Actually, I’ve actually done a lot of a couple of prison cover ups, too, like: ‘I got this in prison. Can you fix this for me?’ I’ve done a lot of those I feel like.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you feel like your work is a community service? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I didn’t really think of it like that, but it really is, man. You know, just yesterday, my boy had a Raiders tattoo that, you know, the dude’s, the Raider face dude was like, was all smushed up. Like, you couldn’t see none of the features and \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">couldn’t read the letters and I just brought it back. That was like a service to him, making him feel better about hisself something It’s like a service. It is a really a service, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right. So another comparison or just a question I’ve had… So in the graff world, you go from a tool like learning into scribbles, you know, tagging your name to doing bubble letters and working your way up to, you doing huge murals. Yeah is there a similar chain of command in the tattoo world? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s similar in that, um, you definitely got to, like, pay your dues you know to get, like, respected in the industry. You gotta like, you got to apprentice with somebody who’s already respected. Before like, recently the game has hella changed And a lot of a lot of those old-heads will say it’s f*cked up now because, you know, people are learning how to tattoo off of YouTube and sh*t where as even like ten years ago it’s like, literally like like damn near like a f*cking secret society that you had to like. claw and beg to get your way into it. Like a big thing with your apprenticeship is generally not paid. The Apprentice is the one that has to be there on time, has to spend the most hours. You know, has to do like the most like grunt work. And it’s like two years before you can even start to like pick up a machine or something. I mean, this is definitely more like the whole school classic way is definitely changing these last couple of years which. It’s all f*cked up now with social media. New tattooers would get like one famous client, and then all of a sudden they’re, you know, $2,000 an hour. Like damn, your work isn’t even that good. It’s like a big thing about tattooing is like, you don’t really know what you’re doing until you see, like, some sh*t you did like 15 years down the line, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like it can be the prettiest, most detailed thing, but the real test is what’s it going to look like 15, 20 years later, you know? Is it going to stay? Is it going to – are the colors are going to hold up? Are your lines going to fade out. So I think definitely like the old school, the old school tattooers there, they’re definitely focused on that more, you know. So I mean, because even before I got into tattooing that traditional style that\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">they call it American Traditional, where it’s like. You know, like the real thick lines, kind of simpler drawings, like, you know, the classic images like the panther or, you know, the kind of like the pin-up style ladies and roses. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like a kind of didn’t really feel. Before I really knew about tattooing. I didn’t really appreciate that stuff that much, you know. But then after I started doing it and really like, ‘Oh, there’s a reason why those lines are so thick,’, or there’s a reason why it’s so simple because, you know, they want, you know, they want this to look good in 15 years, you know. And this just a. And there’s a reason why they make it bold and simple. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you Miguel Bounce Perez! So much game, thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s wild to see the convergence of culture, community and environment– as well as family– all pour into the ways you express yourself artistically, both as a muralist and as a tattoo artist. Thanks for taking some time, and giving us a window into your world.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can find \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel’s\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> work on Instagram at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/misterbouncer/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">misterbouncer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\nThis episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw. Marisol Medina-Cadena, Kyanna Moghadam and C\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">orey Antonio Rose produced \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">this episode. Jen Chien and Chris Hambrick edited this episode. Ceil Muller and Christopher Beale engineered this joint. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Rightnowish team is also supported by Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan, Cesar Saldaña, and Katie Sprenger. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Until next time, y’all take care! Peace.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Tattoo artist Miguel ‘Bounce’ Perez takes inspiration for his art from his family and neighborhood.",
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"description": "Miguel "Bounce" Perez is a visual artist who owes a lot of his talents to childhood memories with his family. His mother introduced him to sketching, as she'd draw “chola-style” portraits of women with feathered hair and sharp brows. His uncles taught him the art of lettering in "Cali-Chicano" Old English script. And Bounce's father was part of a car club in West Berkeley, a neighborhood that was also home to a number of graffiti murals. Through these interactions Perez was introduced to what he does today: spreading culture through murals and tattoos.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003cem>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript\u003c/span>\u003c/i>.\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca class=\"c-link\" href=\"https://www.instagram.com/misterbouncer/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https://www.instagram.com/misterbouncer/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" data-remove-tab-index=\"true\">Miguel “Bounce” Perez\u003c/a> is a visual artist who owes a lot of his talents to childhood memories with his family. His mother introduced him to sketching, as she’d draw “chola-style” portraits of women with feathered hair and sharp brows. His uncles taught him the art of lettering in “Cali-Chicano” Old English script. And Bounce’s father was part of a car club in West Berkeley, a neighborhood that was also home to a number of graffiti murals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through these interactions Perez was introduced to what he does today: spreading culture through murals and tattoos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13918626\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13918626 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/016_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miguel ‘Bounce’ Perez works with Lindsey Tran to create her leg and sleeve tattoos at Philthy Clean Tattoo in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He’s a versatile artist who sees collaboration with his clients as central to his work. He’s done touch-ups for people who’ve been incarcerated, and even inked a team of mathletes. His art is detailed and graphic, ranging from Mayan goddesses to anime characters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perez says he doesn’t have a “specialty,” but he’s often asked to do cover-ups of faded tattoos; a community service of sorts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s also part of the art collective\u003ca href=\"https://www.trustyourstruggle.org/\"> Trust Your Struggle\u003c/a>, which paints murals in other countries that have been historically colonized and thus, under-resourced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13918595\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13918595 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/010_KQEDArts_TattooArtistMiguelBouncePerez_08312022.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miguel Bounce Perez tattoos Lindsey Tran at Philthy Clean Tattoo in Berkeley on Aug. 31, 2022, a continuation of the sleeve Perez tattooed. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Given Perez’s experiences with both impermanent aerosol and indelible ink, I figured he’d be the best person to start this exploration into the culture of tattooing in the Bay Area, and what it feels like to create \u003cem>permanent\u003c/em> artwork— if such a thing exists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published September 2, 2022 as part of \u003ci>“Permanent Behavior: Getting Tatted in the Bay” a\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13918368/rightnowish-presents-permanent-behavior-getting-tatted-in-the-bay\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">\u003ci> four-part series\u003c/i>\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003ci>, about local tattoo artists.\u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC2771419798\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, Host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hey, what’s up ya’ll! Welcome to Rightnowish, I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw bringing you some heavy news. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish, the podcast that has brought you a taste of Bay Area arts and culture for the past five years, will be ending soon. Our final episode is July 18th. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’ve had a great run, gleaned wisdom from the practitioners, gotten insight from the social scientists and soaked up game from the artists who make this place what it is. Thank you all for this run! Looking back at what we’ve done, it’s amazing. We’ve created a huge archive of what was happening in the Bay Area for the past half decade. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ll share more thoughts on the final episode, but for this week we’re going \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">into\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that rich archive for a classic episode from the summer of 2022, where we talked to a handful of Bay Area tattoo artists for our series called Permanent Behavior.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond the idea of needles rapidly jabbing through skin and leaving indelible ink, we talked about the ins-and-outs of tattoo culture. The art, the business and the politics. We also discussed family, which is a big part of today’s guest’s story.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel “Bounce” Perez was raised in West Berkeley, where his parents taught him artistic techniques like shading and cholo-style lettering. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He also learned about the impact of declining industry in his neighborhood and his family’s connection to the local car culture– all of which poured into his artistic craft. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the center of our conversation was this idea of permanency.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw,\u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003ci> in clip\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003cb>: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You do work that’s permanent and long lasting. Like I just I talk to artists all the time and there’s a certain impermanence to the art. And so in doing tattoos, like, how do you even approach doing something that you know is going to stick with folks forever? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez, Guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That hit me weird, too, because ah, you know, I started got into graffiti mural art and that’s like, you know, part of the game is it’s going to get covered, it’s going to get gone over. And so I like doing something a little more permanent. I feel like definitely at first, I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t, I can’t go fix this up later. I can’t, I can’t like touch it up in a couple of years when it fades.’ I mean, you can kind of with tattoos, but it’s a whole different thing. So made me a little nervous at first, just like, okay, I definitely got to get it \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">right first time. I never did anything in my life permanent seemed like.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When they start tripping about being permanent, ya know, only until you decompose.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More deep thoughts from Miguel “Bounce” Perez, right after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bring us back to the origins, how’d you get started in art in general?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first influences are like from my mom. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She used to draw the little old school, like these kind of chola drawings, you know, the Chicano style. Cholas would like the feathered hair, all nice and detailed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I remember I used to like kind of create my own little comic characters and my uncles drew too, and they all kind of did that same kind of that Cali-Chicano style. My uncles did like the the cholo letters, you know, we’d see them around the house, like written on the books and all this stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think it was just more about like seeing them make stuff with their hands. Like my dad was also like carpenter, mechanic, built lowriders and stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think definitely with the family was the first influence and then I think what really… like in school. I would definitely always try to try to wiggle my way into ‘Ay, Can I just do a poster for like half credit and like, you know, only write half the assignment? Oh yeah.’ So, I started like, you know, early on, I knew I could kind of wiggle it that way, so that was cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like, honestly, one of the things that got me really serious was when, you know, girls would be like, ‘Ooh, that looks pretty. Can you write my name?’ \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right. Yeah. Okay. They like cursive. I mean, let me get my cursive game up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gotcha. Okay. So it’s the amalgamation of all those influences, you know a little bit of everything pouring into you. How would you describe like cholo style for someone who was goofy, just didn’t know, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like the style kind of came from them trying to emulate, like, old English. And what you’re saying is like old English was ah anything important was written in Old English, like a death certificate, birth certificate, always Old English. So like when you look at cholo style, it is like kind of a simplified version of Old English, just like, you know, the straight up and down letters. But all the letters have this similar like structure that they’re made from. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But it’s something you don’t need a fancy brush to do. You can do it with like one line or the spray paint or, you know, marker or something. And the thing has always been about, representing people that aren’t really seen and it’s like always been about that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is kind of mind blowing to me that you said, all right, so writing in that like dignified kind of font, if you will, and how it comes from Old English by way of like governing forces. You mentioned like birth certificates, death certificates. And I know that there’s a stereotype around like that type of lettering that it comes from prisons as well, or that there’s, you know, like it’s related to, you know, kind of prison culture. But to say that like, ‘No, this is a way to dignify a people, you know, a group. Hell, whatever I’m writing, whatever word I’m putting in there,’ because I know in like yeah, I know in black culture as well there’s that Old English is definitely a form of tattooing styling that you put words or even commemorate a fallen friend in that font. Sorry, just had a lightbulb moment right there.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel’s a child of immigrants who raised him in the industrial bay side neighborhood of West Berkeley. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kind of moved around Berkeley a lot. Mexican side was like more West Berkeley, my Filipino side was more technically in North Berkeley. We called it South Central Berkeley.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right, p\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">arents first came over. They both came when they were probably about 13, 12 ish. And they happened to both come to Hunter’s Point, there first, and then came to Berkeley around the sixties, something like that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">How did they describe sixties West Berkeley, to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They never really explained too much about like old school Berkeley. They more… feel like they talk more about when they’re in high school and their partying. Kind of always about chillin’. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My parents met when they’re when they’re in high school and they’re in Berkeley High. Actually the story is my dad was working at a gas station right on what is like University and MLK or somewhere right there. And my mom was like walking from Berkeley High. And like she said that she saw him smoking a cigarette or somethin’, you know, smoking at the gas station. Some 70’s shi*t. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> She came over and, you know, asked for a light and supposedly, like he lit her hair on fire like, well, he was. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the gas station? How dangerous is that? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, that’s the story I heard. I mean, my dad my dad was known for embellishing a little bit, so it could be made up, but it sounds pretty cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">T\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">hey were part of a car club, right? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it was called Pueblo Nuevo…Pueblo Nuevo de West Berkeley. My dad and my uncle from my mom’s side had started the car club. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So how did, how did Berkeley, as a city, pour into your work as an artist? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like there’s a lot of murals around Berkeley that influenced me. The Che mural, the West Campus, the recycling mural that was on MLK. The apartment we lived on, it was on Bancroft and, like McKinley, literally a block below Berkeley High. I went \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">from seeing all the Chicano styles that my family was doing and seeing the graff on the street and the murals, I think that definitely seeped its way in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel also came up with a crew known as Trust Your Struggle. The collective of artists do work for low or no cost in communities that could benefit from murals or other visual art that supports local culture. They started in 2003, and they’ve done work not only in the Bay but in Hawaii and the Philippines, and other places. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">T\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">rust Your Struggle is like like, it was definitely like-minded folks who had a lot of the same passions and same views on the world, politics and life and everything. I think we’re more just like a crew of homies. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the earlier things we were doing was these mural tours. You know, like the first one we went to is Mexico. We went started in Mexico and like worked our way down, like on bus all the way to Nicaragua. It is basically donated murals, you know, linked up with different organizations and painted. And I remember one of the last ones we did in 2009, went to the Philippines. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We were meeting up with these orgs and stuff. Like this is the one we’d probably raised the most money for and put together. And we get out there and we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna do this mural for y’all, it’s free, blah, blah, blah.’ And they’re like, ‘Great, this is beautiful.’ And then we see like how they living and they’re like, ‘Oh sh*t. Like, they don’t need a mural. They need food. They need, like, some clothes.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think it made us think of different ways. it humbled us and you know, like you ain’t gonna save the world with a painting. Like, it might look pretty. But, you know, some of us have got more into, like, actual, like, legislation. Y’know, my boy Rob is, like, doing, like, children’s books, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean, I’m doing tattoos, which is just like not like a political thing, is a smaller scale, intimate thing, but the thing that’s cool about tattoos it’s always, like well not always, there’s definitely some people are not is getting it for the aesthetics but it’s like you know it’s always some transitional period in most people’s lives when they’re getting it. And it’s pretty cool to share that with them and even help them guide them through it. You know, if they don’t have, like, the exact idea what they want to do with it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s so tight, bro, like thinking about life in those transitional periods and like change is the only constant. But like to get something to signify that you’ve gone through a transitional period is to say that I want something to last forever from this doorway that I’m going through. And you’re more or less holding that door open or helping, you know, construct the doorway. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even sometimes I’m closing it, like, now, you know, don’t go through that door! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You’re right, right.\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t know if you want that door. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you have any specifically that came from a point of transition in your life? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first big ones I got were um, actually my dad had this rose of my mom’s name and I pretty much just tried to, when he passed away in 2009, I pretty much just did the exact same thing he had, on both arms. I mean, those are probably my most meaningful tattoos, maybe I would say. The other ones have been a little more loose. Like, like, ‘Okay, yeah, that looks cool. Let’s do it.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I definitely know people like, ‘Whatever, I’m in Vegas, time to get tattooed, I ain’t trippin’. But yeah, definitely. When I was younger, it was like, What’s my first tat going to be? Don’t do anything stupid, you know? I went with, you know, my aunt, my mom, my sister, family names, you know, that kind of thing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can’t go wrong with mom’s name, right? \u003cem>[laughs]\u003c/em> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Right. And so when your mom saw your tattoo that you did in honor of your father, how did she react? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Um. I mean, I think it definitely. She was sad just because it reminded her of my dad. You know, I remember even. I mean, her saying one time she was like, ‘Damn, you got your dad’s hands. Like, especially with, like, the tattoo.’ Like the same thing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like, same placement. Yeah. She’s also proud too because she thinks she’s she’s really proud that I get to do what I love for a living, you know? I feel like it’s almost like that was the reason why they sacrificed to come to this country when they’re young so the kids can, like, do what the f*ck they want. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel’s got a strong POV when it comes to his work, but he says he doesn’t stick to just one style. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, I think, like the big thing for me with tattooing is, you know, I’ve always been about collaboration in my paintings and painting with the crews has always been collaborative. But these like tattoos, it’s like a real collaboration, like because it’s like this is long term bonding. You’re making every time with somebody. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I generally try to have it be about more about what they want, you know. I definitely will take, you know, my knowledge and expertise and try to, like, make sure it’s going to be something that’s going to look good years down the line, make that work with what they want, you know. And I think that’s kind of my specialty is like versatility. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m sure you get a mixture of people coming in with different ideas for artwork that they want. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I remember we got this math club one time, which is funny is they all got like inner lip tattoos, but they all like, if you seen them, you know, you would never thought that they would have had tattoos. But I guess that’s why they went with the inner lip, because that’s like the most hidden places, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wait, hold on. Wait. A whole math club got the same inner lip tattoo? What did they get tattooed inside their lip? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They didn’t all get the same thing, but they all got the same place. I remember one of them, I think, said, ‘F*ck off,’ actually. It was funny, they’re all were ‘Yeah, we’re the math club. Yeah. This is our bonding experience.’ And we get that, you know, we get the range.You get that. But we still get, you know, dudes that are spending a lot of time in prison and, you know, want to like, finish off their prison style tattoo. Actually, I’ve actually done a lot of a couple of prison cover ups, too, like: ‘I got this in prison. Can you fix this for me?’ I’ve done a lot of those I feel like.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you feel like your work is a community service? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I didn’t really think of it like that, but it really is, man. You know, just yesterday, my boy had a Raiders tattoo that, you know, the dude’s, the Raider face dude was like, was all smushed up. Like, you couldn’t see none of the features and \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">couldn’t read the letters and I just brought it back. That was like a service to him, making him feel better about hisself something It’s like a service. It is a really a service, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All right. So another comparison or just a question I’ve had… So in the graff world, you go from a tool like learning into scribbles, you know, tagging your name to doing bubble letters and working your way up to, you doing huge murals. Yeah is there a similar chain of command in the tattoo world? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Miguel “Bounce” Perez: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s similar in that, um, you definitely got to, like, pay your dues you know to get, like, respected in the industry. You gotta like, you got to apprentice with somebody who’s already respected. Before like, recently the game has hella changed And a lot of a lot of those old-heads will say it’s f*cked up now because, you know, people are learning how to tattoo off of YouTube and sh*t where as even like ten years ago it’s like, literally like like damn near like a f*cking secret society that you had to like. claw and beg to get your way into it. Like a big thing with your apprenticeship is generally not paid. The Apprentice is the one that has to be there on time, has to spend the most hours. You know, has to do like the most like grunt work. And it’s like two years before you can even start to like pick up a machine or something. I mean, this is definitely more like the whole school classic way is definitely changing these last couple of years which. It’s all f*cked up now with social media. New tattooers would get like one famous client, and then all of a sudden they’re, you know, $2,000 an hour. Like damn, your work isn’t even that good. It’s like a big thing about tattooing is like, you don’t really know what you’re doing until you see, like, some sh*t you did like 15 years down the line, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like it can be the prettiest, most detailed thing, but the real test is what’s it going to look like 15, 20 years later, you know? Is it going to stay? Is it going to – are the colors are going to hold up? Are your lines going to fade out. So I think definitely like the old school, the old school tattooers there, they’re definitely focused on that more, you know. So I mean, because even before I got into tattooing that traditional style that\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">they call it American Traditional, where it’s like. You know, like the real thick lines, kind of simpler drawings, like, you know, the classic images like the panther or, you know, the kind of like the pin-up style ladies and roses. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like a kind of didn’t really feel. Before I really knew about tattooing. I didn’t really appreciate that stuff that much, you know. But then after I started doing it and really like, ‘Oh, there’s a reason why those lines are so thick,’, or there’s a reason why it’s so simple because, you know, they want, you know, they want this to look good in 15 years, you know. And this just a. And there’s a reason why they make it bold and simple. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you Miguel Bounce Perez! So much game, thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s wild to see the convergence of culture, community and environment– as well as family– all pour into the ways you express yourself artistically, both as a muralist and as a tattoo artist. Thanks for taking some time, and giving us a window into your world.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can find \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miguel’s\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> work on Instagram at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/misterbouncer/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">misterbouncer\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\nThis episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw. Marisol Medina-Cadena, Kyanna Moghadam and C\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">orey Antonio Rose produced \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">this episode. Jen Chien and Chris Hambrick edited this episode. Ceil Muller and Christopher Beale engineered this joint. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Rightnowish team is also supported by Ugur Dursun, Holly Kernan, Cesar Saldaña, and Katie Sprenger. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Until next time, y’all take care! Peace.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"title": "Wolfe Pack Studios’ Final Show Isn’t Bad News",
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"content": "\u003cp>Even when venues close and galleries shutter, the idea that led to the creation of the space can remain; sometimes that idea can grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is true for Oakland-based painter \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rachelwolfepack/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith,\u003c/a> whose event space, studio and gallery\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wolfepack_studios/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Wolfe Pack Studios\u003c/a> is set to host its final exhibition May 9 through May 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957251\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1226px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Woman wearing clothes covered in different colors of paint standing in front of a studio-gallery space.\" width=\"1226\" height=\"1570\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM.png 1226w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-800x1024.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-1020x1306.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-160x205.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-768x983.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-1199x1536.png 1199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1226px) 100vw, 1226px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith in front of Wolfe Pack Studios in downtown Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Unfinished Business\u003c/em>, a solo show of Wolfe-Goldsmith’s latest work, is a series of sandy golden-brown painted canvases, each based on a photograph of Wolfe-Goldsmith’s recent lived experiences. Those include a scene of West Oakland’s Wood Street, an image from a trip Wolfe-Goldsmith took to Morocco last year, and a silhouette of Wolfe-Goldsmith in a harness while rock climbing, made to look as if she’s flying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The artwork flows beyond the borders of the canvases, with lines and shapes enveloping the entire gallery as one big continuous piece. Within that, there’s a metaphor: when the canvases come down, blank spaces will remain where the images once hung.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m working on a story based on myself,” says Wolfe-Goldsmith of the exhibition, while sitting on a couch in her studio-gallery. She adds that the driving notion behind her latest work is “death and transition — whether that be in a spiritual form or in a real world of things changing, dying and moving into a new form.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The title \u003cem>Unfinished Business\u003c/em> was inspired by a 2018 fire at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13864120/m0xy-warehouse-artists-in-oakland-plot-recovery-from-fire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">M0xy Warehouse\u003c/a> in Oakland, in which Wolfe-Goldsmith lost all of her paintings. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s since gained recognition for her large-scale murals that span multiple stories on the exteriors of huge buildings. Her work can be seen all around downtown Oakland, as well on walls in Sacramento, Detroit and Washington D.C. “I was mostly a canvas painter at that time,” Wolfe-Goldsmith reflects about the 2018 fire. “I lost everything, and that was kind of the time where I transitioned toward mural paintings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1096px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Woman with her back to the camera holds a canvas painting.\" width=\"1096\" height=\"1654\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957252\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM.png 1096w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-800x1207.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-1020x1539.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-160x241.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-768x1159.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-1018x1536.png 1018w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith mounts her exhibition ‘Unfinished Business’ at Wolfe Pack Studios. \u003ccite>(Deej Letemps)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to making murals, she’s been holding events at her Wolfe Pack Studios. Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927149/welcome-to-wolfe-pack-studios-a-new-creative-clubhouse-in-oakland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">opening in October of 2022\u003c/a>, Wolfe Pack has regularly hosted comedy showcases with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kinglangbang/?hl=en\">Langstyn Avery\u003c/a>, as well as events like Writer’s Block, a gathering for wordsmiths led by Deej Letemps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But her fondest memory? “The feeling of standing in an idea,” Wolfe-Goldsmith says, without hesitation. Looking around her space, she adds, “It’s not just thinking about it or praying for it, it’s coming in everyday and doing a little bit, and doing a little bit more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing in your own idea is one thing, but seeing its impact on others takes it to the next level. “This wouldn’t be possible without everyone else,” says Wolfe-Goldsmith. “Standing in an idea, and watching other people be a part of it… Seeing that infectious creative energy take with other people — it’s really dope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957250\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1232px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Woman with blue hat on paints a brown and gold image on a canvas.\" width=\"1232\" height=\"1644\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957250\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM.png 1232w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-800x1068.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-1020x1361.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-160x214.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-768x1025.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-1151x1536.png 1151w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1232px) 100vw, 1232px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith putting the final touches on her exhibition ‘Unfinished Business.’ \u003ccite>(Deej Letemps)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There’s good news for anyone who’s benefited from that infectious energy: the idea isn’t ending, it’s growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without yet going into details on what’s next for Wolfe Pack Studios, Wolfe-Goldsmith says the closure isn’t altogether bad. The idea behind the gallery-studio is moving to a bigger shared space, she explains, that will still be accessible to the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Unfinished Business’ is on view at Wolfe Pack Studios (306 13th St., Oakland) from May 9–18. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C6cfso-PbQg/\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Even when venues close and galleries shutter, the idea that led to the creation of the space can remain; sometimes that idea can grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is true for Oakland-based painter \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rachelwolfepack/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith,\u003c/a> whose event space, studio and gallery\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/wolfepack_studios/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Wolfe Pack Studios\u003c/a> is set to host its final exhibition May 9 through May 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957251\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1226px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Woman wearing clothes covered in different colors of paint standing in front of a studio-gallery space.\" width=\"1226\" height=\"1570\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM.png 1226w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-800x1024.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-1020x1306.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-160x205.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-768x983.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.40.07 AM-1199x1536.png 1199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1226px) 100vw, 1226px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith in front of Wolfe Pack Studios in downtown Oakland. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Unfinished Business\u003c/em>, a solo show of Wolfe-Goldsmith’s latest work, is a series of sandy golden-brown painted canvases, each based on a photograph of Wolfe-Goldsmith’s recent lived experiences. Those include a scene of West Oakland’s Wood Street, an image from a trip Wolfe-Goldsmith took to Morocco last year, and a silhouette of Wolfe-Goldsmith in a harness while rock climbing, made to look as if she’s flying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The artwork flows beyond the borders of the canvases, with lines and shapes enveloping the entire gallery as one big continuous piece. Within that, there’s a metaphor: when the canvases come down, blank spaces will remain where the images once hung.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m working on a story based on myself,” says Wolfe-Goldsmith of the exhibition, while sitting on a couch in her studio-gallery. She adds that the driving notion behind her latest work is “death and transition — whether that be in a spiritual form or in a real world of things changing, dying and moving into a new form.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The title \u003cem>Unfinished Business\u003c/em> was inspired by a 2018 fire at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13864120/m0xy-warehouse-artists-in-oakland-plot-recovery-from-fire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">M0xy Warehouse\u003c/a> in Oakland, in which Wolfe-Goldsmith lost all of her paintings. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’s since gained recognition for her large-scale murals that span multiple stories on the exteriors of huge buildings. Her work can be seen all around downtown Oakland, as well on walls in Sacramento, Detroit and Washington D.C. “I was mostly a canvas painter at that time,” Wolfe-Goldsmith reflects about the 2018 fire. “I lost everything, and that was kind of the time where I transitioned toward mural paintings.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1096px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Woman with her back to the camera holds a canvas painting.\" width=\"1096\" height=\"1654\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957252\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM.png 1096w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-800x1207.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-1020x1539.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-160x241.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-768x1159.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.34.56 AM-1018x1536.png 1018w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith mounts her exhibition ‘Unfinished Business’ at Wolfe Pack Studios. \u003ccite>(Deej Letemps)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to making murals, she’s been holding events at her Wolfe Pack Studios. Since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927149/welcome-to-wolfe-pack-studios-a-new-creative-clubhouse-in-oakland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">opening in October of 2022\u003c/a>, Wolfe Pack has regularly hosted comedy showcases with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kinglangbang/?hl=en\">Langstyn Avery\u003c/a>, as well as events like Writer’s Block, a gathering for wordsmiths led by Deej Letemps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But her fondest memory? “The feeling of standing in an idea,” Wolfe-Goldsmith says, without hesitation. Looking around her space, she adds, “It’s not just thinking about it or praying for it, it’s coming in everyday and doing a little bit, and doing a little bit more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing in your own idea is one thing, but seeing its impact on others takes it to the next level. “This wouldn’t be possible without everyone else,” says Wolfe-Goldsmith. “Standing in an idea, and watching other people be a part of it… Seeing that infectious creative energy take with other people — it’s really dope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13957250\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1232px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28%E2%80%AFAM.png\" alt=\"Woman with blue hat on paints a brown and gold image on a canvas.\" width=\"1232\" height=\"1644\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13957250\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM.png 1232w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-800x1068.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-1020x1361.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-160x214.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-768x1025.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-06-at-8.35.28 AM-1151x1536.png 1151w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1232px) 100vw, 1232px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith putting the final touches on her exhibition ‘Unfinished Business.’ \u003ccite>(Deej Letemps)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There’s good news for anyone who’s benefited from that infectious energy: the idea isn’t ending, it’s growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without yet going into details on what’s next for Wolfe Pack Studios, Wolfe-Goldsmith says the closure isn’t altogether bad. The idea behind the gallery-studio is moving to a bigger shared space, she explains, that will still be accessible to the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Unfinished Business’ is on view at Wolfe Pack Studios (306 13th St., Oakland) from May 9–18. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C6cfso-PbQg/\">Details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "george-crampton-glassanos-has-pendletons-paint-and-passion",
"title": "George Crampton Glassanos has Pendletons, Paint and Passion",
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"headTitle": "George Crampton Glassanos has Pendletons, Paint and Passion | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/paintergeorge415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">George Crampton Glassanos\u003c/a> tell it, he isn’t an artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, he’s painted numerous signs and murals throughout San Francisco’s Mission district— including one depicting a fly, black, droptop lowrider in front of the once beloved eatery, \u003ca href=\"https://www.doggiediner.info/\">Doggie Diner\u003c/a> and another of the legendary, charismatic gorilla logo of union-made work clothing company, Ben Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>George is firm on this: he isn’t an artist, he’s a painter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13953121 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Person in plaid button-up shirt standing in front of the Ben Davis sign, where the iconic logo of a yellow gorilla with a charismatic smile serves as the main image, and the words "World's Toughest Work Clothing" sits atop the sign. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Harry Crampton Glassanos standing in front of the Ben Davis sign he restored. (Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His work, full of eye-catching colors and symbols representative of the Mission’s culture, is utilitarian in nature. It’s born out of both a need to serve others, and George’s personal urge to create.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised on Lexington and San Carlos streets, George was an imaginative kid. His parents introduced him to the creative process and gave him basic art tools and a foundation to express himself (including comic books like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTYzqHRqRQU\">Love and Rockets\u003c/a>). That coupled with his memories of frequenting eateries and hanging out with friends, serves as the backdrop to his work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when he wasn’t outside, George’s unique perspective on his neighborhood was further tailored by watching the world through a window overlooking 18th and Valencia streets. From that perch he began to create.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953179\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13953179\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing sunglasses holds up a jacket with "International Longshoremen's Warehousemen's Union" written on it.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Harry Crampton Glassanos holds up his International Longshoremen’s and Warehouse’s Union (ILWU) jacket in front of a mural he painted in Clarion Alley in San Francisco’s Mission District on Nov. 28, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Years later, George is a proud member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.ilwu.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU).\u003c/a> He gets creative inspiration from getting up early to take in the sunrise and listen to the birds. He’s also driven by the need to advocate for the rights of working class people, locally and abroad. This all adds to his paintings and drawings, but don’t call it artwork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recently stopped by KQED’s headquarters to share a bit of his story, then he took us on a short ride to see a few of his hand painted signs and murals— his work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8150831467\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hey, what’s up Rightnowish listeners. It’s the dream team Pendarvis Harshaw\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena, host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">and Marisol Medina-Cadena!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today’s episode has us locked in The Mission, starting at a parking lot off 18th and Valencia. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s where I caught up with painter\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George Crampton Glassanos putting the final touches on his latest mural. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That parking lot is near and dear to George because it’s the main intersection where he grew up \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos, guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This street’s completely changed. You know, it’s like you’re in the Marina now or something. It’s completely wacky. I don’t think anyone ever thought it was going to be like this when I was a kid, you know? Growing up right here, Valencia Street was no man’s land, given the few auto body shops. But it was like a lot of gas stations, auto, uh, used car lots, a lot of appliance stores. Which is cool that we’re painting this mural on, on the Cherin’s, in the Cherin’s parking lot. Cherin’s has been here since 1892. They sell refrigerators and washing machines and stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I remember this whole street just being like, a crazy mix of working class people, you know, different families. There was a guy next door to us that lived on the ground floor, corner apartment, right there on Lexington. And his family came up from the South during World War II to work in the shipyards. We had all different types of neighbors from different countries, you know. It wasn’t just Latinos. There’s a lot of Asian folks and I do remember Eastern Europeans in the neighborhood. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George’s memories of the way the neighborhood was back iin the 90s, find their way into his work. Living in the bay, where murals are a-plenty, I think we residents take these large scale works of art for granted. They become like wallpaper. But when you stop to really look at the stories these walls tell, you can learn a lot about a place, its history and the people who came before us.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassnos:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To be able to paint right here on this corner has been a real treat, completely different from painting at home, you know. Painting outside, you you’re on a ladder and there’s cars flying by and people walking by, and it’s a whole other experience than painting on a canvas at home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George and his friend named the mural the “Four-Fifteenth Dimension.” It portrays a night out at a drive-in movie theater. Parked lowriders face a projection screen. And in each corner is a depiction of different Mission institutions like Doggie Diner, Hunt’s Donuts, and the 500 Club. It looks like a scene straight out of a comic book.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wanted to stick with, like, the theme of, like, new and old and, like, ancient civilizations fitting in with, like, modern or, you know, 1980’s burger stand. So I put the pyramid in just to kind of pay respects to, you know, the people that were here before us. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’ll hear more about George Crampton Glassanos’ work and the message of caretaking that he’s spreading, right after this message.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I thought we could start by just talking about your… your threads. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because every time I see you in the mission, you’re always wearing really cool outfits. Like jackets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So what are you wearing today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wore a Pendleton. I dressed up because I wear my work clothes all week long, so when the weekend rolls around, I like to put on a nice outfit. It’s also the, you know, it’s that time of year it’s cold out, and Pendleton keeps you warm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, back in November, when we first started talking to you, I caught up with you and your friend, 18th and Valencia. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Painting that mural. It’s finished now. So what’s the reception been like?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The other day I drove by it after high school got out, up at Mission High school. And there’s a big group of kids in there, you know, with their backpacks and skateboards, and they were all checking it out, so that makes me feel good, driving by and seeing the youth checking it out. That’s who it’s for: it’s for the kids. And, you know, my neighbors that are still there on that street that I grew up on a lot of… a lot of people left. A lot of people got pushed out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Why is that street corner significant to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I have memories of standing in the window as a kid, and I came up to, like, right at right to, like, the window sill when I was a kid. So I’d sit there in that fucking window for hours, and I’d look at cars driving by on the street, and my mom was like, “I couldn’t figure out what your obsession was with cars.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we chewed on the window sill and, you know, this, like, lead paint, okay?And so, I just sit up there in that window, chewing on the window sill, and I could see that parking lot from my window. And across from the parking lot there was another, empty lot. It’s a condo now, but that was a used car dealership.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I had a whole view of that street, and there was a puddle that would form across the street from my house. And this was back in the day, so they had rush hour. They make you move your car at a certain time in the afternoon. It was like commute hours, so there’d be no cars on 18th. It was like four lanes, two lanes going down and two lanes going up. And you’d watch cars come tearing down the street and hit this puddle and it would soak people on the sidewalk. So that was our entertainment, you know, we’d sit up there and we’d laugh at people getting splashed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s very Looney Tunes behavior. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looney, looney. Yeah, Looney Tune behavior. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All of those memories hold significance to me. And part of growing up in the neighborhood and, being able to paint in that parking lot, it’s crazy. We were evicted out of that apartment at a certain point, but 18th Street was a big part of my upbringing, and it was such a beautiful community. All different kinds of people from every walk of life living around us really embodied what the mission used to be, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was the 90s? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was the 90s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thank you for sharing that. That’s beautiful. Paint that picture for us, everything from the window sill to the interactions in the community.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Man… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And you mentioned your mother and as I understand that both of your parents are artists. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They are, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah. And I’m wondering, what role did they play in shaping you as an artist? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My dad would get off of work and he’d come home and draw with us, or on the weekends we’d draw together. And, you know, my mom always encouraged art in the house. We always had art materials laying around. They didn’t stick me in front of the TV, they stuck me in front of a drawing pad. Which I hated, you know, because I, you know, you’d go to school and I would be talking about TV and stuff, but now I’m very grateful for it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You hear that, parents?\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And then on top of providing the resources, were there any specific techniques that they showed you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, my dad would sit down with me and show me how to, like, crosshatch and shade. And, I remember my mom showing me, shad— like, how to shadow, like, “look a lamp is pointed at this, uh, cylinder. Your shadow is going to come off this side.” So they taught me stuff like that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My father had a huge comic book collection when I was a kid. Every Friday after work, he’d come home, we’d walk up Mission from 18th Street to 23rd. There’s a comic book shop on 23rd and Bartlett. He’d grab a stack of comic books, and that’s where I got a lot of inspiration from to, you know, like, underground comics and Spain Rodriguez, R. Crumb. My mom had a big collection of the Hernandez brothers comics called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Love and Rockets\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When they were like, doing something in the other room, I’d get, I’d grab the ladder and go up to the shelf and pull down on R. Crumb book and run off into my room. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I like that whole, that whole underground comic scene, but then combining that with, like, everyday life in the neighborhood, you know, like cars cruising on Mission, Muni busses. That’s when it, like, it clicked for me and I was like, this is what I want to draw and paint. And then from then on, I was like, you know, coming up with wacky scenarios in my head, probably all that lead paint I chewed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I was, it goes back to the window. I was, I promise you, I was thinking that it goes back to the kid in the window, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It does, you know? Yeah, I like having a good time with it. Like painting that mural on 18th Street. We were just joking with each other all day long, coming up with crazy scenarios and then painting them. We didn’t map anything out. We kind of just showed up there and started painting, and that’s what we came up with. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got to give my high school teachers a lot of credit too, because, they played, I went to School of the Arts here in San Francisco, and they played a huge role in, you know, kind of shaping me and teaching me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was stuck in a rut, you know, this was like ninth grade. I didn’t, I had all these fucking teachers telling me to do these, like, still lifes of fruit, like a vase with flowers and I hated it. And I had this one teacher tell me, “Just draw what you want to draw.” So I did, like, a popsicle man pushing a cart, but he’s a skeleton, you know. I put him in front of, like, a produce market on 23rd and Mission and that’s when my creativity flourished. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At what point did young George, who used to draw and then eventually went to high school, when did he claim the title of an artist? When did you see yourself as such? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I still don’t like considering myself an artist. I just consider myself a painter. It’s fine to be called an artist, but I feel weird about, like, giving yourself that title. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So you not an artist, a painter, and and you walked in today with this beautiful piece that you did with a ballpoint pen. It’s beautiful, black and white, a 1937 Chevy bomber.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> yeah, yeah, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">..in front of a panaderia. This piece, that’s not painting, and so you’re still not an artist?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s a drawing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s a drawing?! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Come on! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A ballpoint pen drawing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You went through two ballpoint pens in making this drawing? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I did, yeah. I like to just work with whatever I got laying around, you know, and I think that’s important for a lot of people that create. You don’t need a $50 set of acrylic paint. You don’t need a canvas. Pick up a piece of cardboard or a piece of plywood off the street and just draw on it, or pick up a Sharpie and draw something on a wall. I think once people break through that boundary of being like, oh you know, I don’t have the right supplies or this or that, you can start rolling from there, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I love it. I was going to ask for some words of wisdom for the creatives out there, but that’s it: just create. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So you’re a member of the ILWU, the International Longshore Workers Union. Talk to us about how that influences your creative practice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Being right on the waterfront under these huge cranes and trucks and machines and all of that’s super inspirational to me. Also, being up at like 4 or 5 in the morning, you see all different kinds of crazy shit on your way to work. And all of that plays a role in inspiration, you know, crazy sunrises and trains and freeways. And I take parts from my day to day surroundings and put them into my paintings at the end of the day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Was it a big deal to get into the ILWU because from what I understood, like you can only get in if you have a relative in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well my dad’s right hand man for a long time, for a number of years, worked with my father. He put his name on the list in ‘99. They did uh… off-the-street hires, and he didn’t get a call until mid 2000, like ‘12, ‘10. When he became registered he got an interest card and he passed that along to me. So that was how I got in there. You know it’s been a, it’s a blessing. You know, have the benefits and the security. It’s a good gig. I feel lucky to be down there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You posted on Instagram about the the local chapter passing a resolution calling for a cease fire in Gaza?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Can you talk about how organizing that came to be? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, it’s long overdue. In the past, our union has stood steadfast with dismantling apartheid in South Africa. And, we always stick up for, you know, the workers that get the lower end of the stick and the people that- oppressed people around the world. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our chairman of the Young Workers Committee, Bo Logo, you need to be at a certain level of seniority within the union to push forward a resolution, and he has that position. So he drafted up the resolution and pushed it forward, and it passed unanimously. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s a big deal! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we, to my knowledge, are the only local that pushed forward a resolution for the ceasefire. And we’ve always been kind of more the-we’ve been more militant and radical here in the Bay area. And this is where, this is where the longshoremen started, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the general strike. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> General strike, a number of ports along the West Coast, you know, went on strike. And we… we were founded in ‘37. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It makes sense that the I-W-L-U… Sorry.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, ILWU, yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> it’s hard to roll off the tongue. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But, yeah. You know, they were so staunchly opposed to South African apartheid because in the 30s, not staunchly, it was a battle, but they were about integration when a lot of other unions weren’t. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah and a lot of the African Americans, you know, were brought in to scab, scab and to take the work over. And, Harry bridges said, look, if if we all come together, we’re all going to work together. We’re all workers, and, we’re going to get benefits and we’re going to get what we want. His promise was at the end of the day, there’d be a Black guy and a white guy on the dock together. And that’s what, you know, that was the start of the integration. And, today, my union’s 85% African-American. Yeah, we got a rich history. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We did a march on Market Street with the farm workers during the grape strike. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the 60s? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, in the 60s, our drill team met Martin Luther King at the airport and provided a security for him when he came to visit. We are super involved with the Black Panthers and um…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A couple of years ago, you guys gave Angela Davis, like, honorary status. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, yeah, yeah, our sister, Angela Davis, she’s an honorary member. Danny Glover was inducted recently. So there’s all this history within the union. And, when I got my letter in the mail for my safety training and my drug test and everything it was like a dream come true. I couldn’t think of a better union to be part of. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also sounds like you have this like deep responsibility to others and to the city, in the land and the people. And I feel like that kind of shows up in the work you do to restore, like classic signs in the mission, like I’m thinking about the iconic Ben Davis mural, by Arik’s, or it was that Arik’s Supply Co before, they had an electrical fire and burned down. Can you talk about what led you to restore that mural? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t think we’re the first to restore it. I restored it with a friend of mine, Charlie. But it’s kind of our civic duty, you know. We think of it as, like, community service. So, you know, driving by it and seeing that, how it was, it needed to be fixed. And it’s been holding up pretty good. We’ve done it twice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When did you first do it, in 2016?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Sometime around then. I can’t remember the exact year, but we went down there early in the morning with a drop cloth and a ladder, and we didn’t want an audience. We wanted to get in and out as fast as possible. So we started early, but we had people thanking us and offering to buy us beer and whatever. And it felt good, you know, doing something like that for the neighborhood. And we didn’t expect anything in return from it. We just love that sign. We’ve seen it for so long that… It almost felt like it was… It was like a mandatory thing for us to do. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You mentioned folks were hitting the horn and offering to buy you beer. Like for folks who don’t know, why is this sign so significant to Frisco kids? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s on the corner of Mission and Valencia, right where Mission and Valencia butt into each other. But that gorilla has been there ever, you know, it’s been there as long as I’ve been alive. And he’s grinning at you, and, it’s a symbol of resilience and resistance and in my opinion, you know, like a fading image of the working class here in San Francisco. And, it’s a killer sign. Glad that it’s still there. It’s a church now, I think. Did you see that? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I don’t know if you know this, but the church owners said to the bar, bar owners next door that they will keep the mural\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re not going to touch it because they understand it has important value. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it’s our savior, Ben Davis. Right? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our Lord and Savior. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What was your relationship like with the, with the brand? When did you start rocking the gear? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We went out and bought Ben Davis shirts and like fifth or sixth grade, like me and a group of my friends because, my, my older, my friend’s older brother would wear it and we thought it was so cool. You know, we love striped Ben Davis shirts with the… the little zipper that came down on the, you know, with the collar. We all would wear Ben Davis to school. The school decided we can’t wear it, you can’t wear your Ben Davis no more because it’s, uh, street gang clothing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If I can remember correctly, a group of our dads went, went down there and talked to school and said, there’s no way you guys make them… can’t make them wear it. Where? Like, my friend’s dad was a muffler guy and he wore it. And my other friend’s dad was the janitor at the school and he wore it. So it was like, this has nothing to do with that, you know? So we won. We won our right to wear Ben Davis. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s beautiful. That’s what my, you know, fighting the system at a young age. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’ve been wearing it ever since. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The process of hand painting something. Why is that important to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s not cookie cutter, printed out on a printer or vinyl banner and you see so much of that now. Everything’s so digitalized now. So the importance of a hand-painted sign is it has character. You know, lines aren’t perfect. There’s drips. There’s paint on the sidewalk, You know.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The texture!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s texture. There’s years of, you know, oh there’s been someone leaning against it in this corner so there’s a mark on it now. And you don’t get that with a vinyl banner. The sun, the sun will end up destroying it, and then it’ll be flapping there and…the signs really hold a lot of value, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You pay a lot of attention to preserving technique, preserving culture through signs, iconography. I’m wondering, is there someone or a group of people you’re trying to pass your skills onto? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s just part of being from the city and growing up here. And, anyone that wants to pick up a brush and learn and, you know, just do it. I’m happy to teach you. I’ll show you as much as I know, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But I guess it’s not only just like the technique. It’s like you’re… maybe you’re teaching people like, a perspective, like a way to go about your business. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. And I just kind of try to show, this sign’s been around since the 40s or the 50. So let’s preserve it. But I also don’t, you know, I’m not, I’m not here to tell people what to do either so… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I get that. Yeah, yeah. Do you have your eyes set on another sign? I mean, I know you also take care of the Lucca’s Ravioli one. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it got graffitied on, so we touch that up. All these places were like places that I’d go and walk to with my mom when I was a little kid. You know, my brother in the stroller. And I’d be walking along, and I just like keeping an eye on things. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What about, I guess, can I volunteer you one, put it on your radar? It’s that burger joint on mission, but over in the Excelsior, like on Silver. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, you’re talking about “Joe Grinds His Fresh Chuck Daily.” Cable Car Joe’s? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. Like that needs some love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton-Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, that sign was too cool. Yeah. I never even ate a burger in there because we were when we were kids. They’re like, oh, those burgers are like 15 bucks. You know, when you’re young, you want to, like, buy some weed and like a 40, and you’d probably going to end up, like, splitting a burrito with three other people or something. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, you got to maximize.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Priorities. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for sharing that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. Thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Much appreciation to George Crampton Glassanos for bringing us into your world. For real tho! You drove us around in your truck and gave us a tour of basically your hall of fame… of murals. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you’re itching to see George’s work in person, I highly recommend you get yourself to 24th street or Mission & 18th. He’s got a bunch of pieces up on the walls. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And to keep up with him online, his Instagram handle is @paintergeorge415\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by Marisol Medina-Cadena and myself, Pendarvis Harshaw. It was produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena. Chris Hambrick is our fierce editor. Christopher Beale is our wizard of an engineer. Sheree Bishop is the Rightnowish production intern. Additional support provided by Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña, Ugur Dursun and Holly Kernan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get out and see some art, hit the streets y’all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED Production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peace.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Let George Crampton Glassanos tell it, he isn't an artist. He's a painter.",
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"title": "George Crampton Glassanos has Pendletons, Paint and Passion | KQED",
"description": "George Crampton Glassanos says he isn't an artist, he's a painter. Despite this assertion, his work is full of eye-catching colors and symbols representative of San Francisco's Mission district culture. It's born out of both a need to serve others, and George's personal urge to create. He's also driven by the need to advocate for the rights of working class people locally and abroad. This all adds to his paintings and drawings, but don't call it artwork. He recently stopped by KQED's headquarters to share a bit of his story, then he took us on a short ride to see a few of his hand painted signs and murals.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Let \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/paintergeorge415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">George Crampton Glassanos\u003c/a> tell it, he isn’t an artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, he’s painted numerous signs and murals throughout San Francisco’s Mission district— including one depicting a fly, black, droptop lowrider in front of the once beloved eatery, \u003ca href=\"https://www.doggiediner.info/\">Doggie Diner\u003c/a> and another of the legendary, charismatic gorilla logo of union-made work clothing company, Ben Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>George is firm on this: he isn’t an artist, he’s a painter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13953121 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Person in plaid button-up shirt standing in front of the Ben Davis sign, where the iconic logo of a yellow gorilla with a charismatic smile serves as the main image, and the words "World's Toughest Work Clothing" sits atop the sign. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GeorgeCramptonGlassanos_PhotosByPendarvisH_3-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Harry Crampton Glassanos standing in front of the Ben Davis sign he restored. (Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His work, full of eye-catching colors and symbols representative of the Mission’s culture, is utilitarian in nature. It’s born out of both a need to serve others, and George’s personal urge to create.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised on Lexington and San Carlos streets, George was an imaginative kid. His parents introduced him to the creative process and gave him basic art tools and a foundation to express himself (including comic books like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTYzqHRqRQU\">Love and Rockets\u003c/a>). That coupled with his memories of frequenting eateries and hanging out with friends, serves as the backdrop to his work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even when he wasn’t outside, George’s unique perspective on his neighborhood was further tailored by watching the world through a window overlooking 18th and Valencia streets. From that perch he began to create.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953179\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13953179\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing sunglasses holds up a jacket with "International Longshoremen's Warehousemen's Union" written on it.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/231128-GeorgeCramptonGlassanos-09-BL-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">George Harry Crampton Glassanos holds up his International Longshoremen’s and Warehouse’s Union (ILWU) jacket in front of a mural he painted in Clarion Alley in San Francisco’s Mission District on Nov. 28, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Years later, George is a proud member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.ilwu.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU).\u003c/a> He gets creative inspiration from getting up early to take in the sunrise and listen to the birds. He’s also driven by the need to advocate for the rights of working class people, locally and abroad. This all adds to his paintings and drawings, but don’t call it artwork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recently stopped by KQED’s headquarters to share a bit of his story, then he took us on a short ride to see a few of his hand painted signs and murals— his work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC8150831467\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hey, what’s up Rightnowish listeners. It’s the dream team Pendarvis Harshaw\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena, host: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">and Marisol Medina-Cadena!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today’s episode has us locked in The Mission, starting at a parking lot off 18th and Valencia. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s where I caught up with painter\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George Crampton Glassanos putting the final touches on his latest mural. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That parking lot is near and dear to George because it’s the main intersection where he grew up \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos, guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This street’s completely changed. You know, it’s like you’re in the Marina now or something. It’s completely wacky. I don’t think anyone ever thought it was going to be like this when I was a kid, you know? Growing up right here, Valencia Street was no man’s land, given the few auto body shops. But it was like a lot of gas stations, auto, uh, used car lots, a lot of appliance stores. Which is cool that we’re painting this mural on, on the Cherin’s, in the Cherin’s parking lot. Cherin’s has been here since 1892. They sell refrigerators and washing machines and stuff. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I remember this whole street just being like, a crazy mix of working class people, you know, different families. There was a guy next door to us that lived on the ground floor, corner apartment, right there on Lexington. And his family came up from the South during World War II to work in the shipyards. We had all different types of neighbors from different countries, you know. It wasn’t just Latinos. There’s a lot of Asian folks and I do remember Eastern Europeans in the neighborhood. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George’s memories of the way the neighborhood was back iin the 90s, find their way into his work. Living in the bay, where murals are a-plenty, I think we residents take these large scale works of art for granted. They become like wallpaper. But when you stop to really look at the stories these walls tell, you can learn a lot about a place, its history and the people who came before us.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassnos:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To be able to paint right here on this corner has been a real treat, completely different from painting at home, you know. Painting outside, you you’re on a ladder and there’s cars flying by and people walking by, and it’s a whole other experience than painting on a canvas at home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George and his friend named the mural the “Four-Fifteenth Dimension.” It portrays a night out at a drive-in movie theater. Parked lowriders face a projection screen. And in each corner is a depiction of different Mission institutions like Doggie Diner, Hunt’s Donuts, and the 500 Club. It looks like a scene straight out of a comic book.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wanted to stick with, like, the theme of, like, new and old and, like, ancient civilizations fitting in with, like, modern or, you know, 1980’s burger stand. So I put the pyramid in just to kind of pay respects to, you know, the people that were here before us. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’ll hear more about George Crampton Glassanos’ work and the message of caretaking that he’s spreading, right after this message.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I thought we could start by just talking about your… your threads. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs] \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because every time I see you in the mission, you’re always wearing really cool outfits. Like jackets. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So what are you wearing today? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wore a Pendleton. I dressed up because I wear my work clothes all week long, so when the weekend rolls around, I like to put on a nice outfit. It’s also the, you know, it’s that time of year it’s cold out, and Pendleton keeps you warm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well, back in November, when we first started talking to you, I caught up with you and your friend, 18th and Valencia. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Painting that mural. It’s finished now. So what’s the reception been like?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The other day I drove by it after high school got out, up at Mission High school. And there’s a big group of kids in there, you know, with their backpacks and skateboards, and they were all checking it out, so that makes me feel good, driving by and seeing the youth checking it out. That’s who it’s for: it’s for the kids. And, you know, my neighbors that are still there on that street that I grew up on a lot of… a lot of people left. A lot of people got pushed out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Why is that street corner significant to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I have memories of standing in the window as a kid, and I came up to, like, right at right to, like, the window sill when I was a kid. So I’d sit there in that fucking window for hours, and I’d look at cars driving by on the street, and my mom was like, “I couldn’t figure out what your obsession was with cars.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we chewed on the window sill and, you know, this, like, lead paint, okay?And so, I just sit up there in that window, chewing on the window sill, and I could see that parking lot from my window. And across from the parking lot there was another, empty lot. It’s a condo now, but that was a used car dealership.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So I had a whole view of that street, and there was a puddle that would form across the street from my house. And this was back in the day, so they had rush hour. They make you move your car at a certain time in the afternoon. It was like commute hours, so there’d be no cars on 18th. It was like four lanes, two lanes going down and two lanes going up. And you’d watch cars come tearing down the street and hit this puddle and it would soak people on the sidewalk. So that was our entertainment, you know, we’d sit up there and we’d laugh at people getting splashed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s very Looney Tunes behavior. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looney, looney. Yeah, Looney Tune behavior. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All of those memories hold significance to me. And part of growing up in the neighborhood and, being able to paint in that parking lot, it’s crazy. We were evicted out of that apartment at a certain point, but 18th Street was a big part of my upbringing, and it was such a beautiful community. All different kinds of people from every walk of life living around us really embodied what the mission used to be, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was the 90s? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was the 90s. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thank you for sharing that. That’s beautiful. Paint that picture for us, everything from the window sill to the interactions in the community.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Man… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And you mentioned your mother and as I understand that both of your parents are artists. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They are, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah. And I’m wondering, what role did they play in shaping you as an artist? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My dad would get off of work and he’d come home and draw with us, or on the weekends we’d draw together. And, you know, my mom always encouraged art in the house. We always had art materials laying around. They didn’t stick me in front of the TV, they stuck me in front of a drawing pad. Which I hated, you know, because I, you know, you’d go to school and I would be talking about TV and stuff, but now I’m very grateful for it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You hear that, parents?\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> [Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And then on top of providing the resources, were there any specific techniques that they showed you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, my dad would sit down with me and show me how to, like, crosshatch and shade. And, I remember my mom showing me, shad— like, how to shadow, like, “look a lamp is pointed at this, uh, cylinder. Your shadow is going to come off this side.” So they taught me stuff like that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My father had a huge comic book collection when I was a kid. Every Friday after work, he’d come home, we’d walk up Mission from 18th Street to 23rd. There’s a comic book shop on 23rd and Bartlett. He’d grab a stack of comic books, and that’s where I got a lot of inspiration from to, you know, like, underground comics and Spain Rodriguez, R. Crumb. My mom had a big collection of the Hernandez brothers comics called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Love and Rockets\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When they were like, doing something in the other room, I’d get, I’d grab the ladder and go up to the shelf and pull down on R. Crumb book and run off into my room. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I like that whole, that whole underground comic scene, but then combining that with, like, everyday life in the neighborhood, you know, like cars cruising on Mission, Muni busses. That’s when it, like, it clicked for me and I was like, this is what I want to draw and paint. And then from then on, I was like, you know, coming up with wacky scenarios in my head, probably all that lead paint I chewed. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I was, it goes back to the window. I was, I promise you, I was thinking that it goes back to the kid in the window, you know? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It does, you know? Yeah, I like having a good time with it. Like painting that mural on 18th Street. We were just joking with each other all day long, coming up with crazy scenarios and then painting them. We didn’t map anything out. We kind of just showed up there and started painting, and that’s what we came up with. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I got to give my high school teachers a lot of credit too, because, they played, I went to School of the Arts here in San Francisco, and they played a huge role in, you know, kind of shaping me and teaching me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was stuck in a rut, you know, this was like ninth grade. I didn’t, I had all these fucking teachers telling me to do these, like, still lifes of fruit, like a vase with flowers and I hated it. And I had this one teacher tell me, “Just draw what you want to draw.” So I did, like, a popsicle man pushing a cart, but he’s a skeleton, you know. I put him in front of, like, a produce market on 23rd and Mission and that’s when my creativity flourished. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At what point did young George, who used to draw and then eventually went to high school, when did he claim the title of an artist? When did you see yourself as such? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I still don’t like considering myself an artist. I just consider myself a painter. It’s fine to be called an artist, but I feel weird about, like, giving yourself that title. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So you not an artist, a painter, and and you walked in today with this beautiful piece that you did with a ballpoint pen. It’s beautiful, black and white, a 1937 Chevy bomber.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> yeah, yeah, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">..in front of a panaderia. This piece, that’s not painting, and so you’re still not an artist?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s a drawing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s a drawing?! \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Come on! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A ballpoint pen drawing. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You went through two ballpoint pens in making this drawing? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, I did, yeah. I like to just work with whatever I got laying around, you know, and I think that’s important for a lot of people that create. You don’t need a $50 set of acrylic paint. You don’t need a canvas. Pick up a piece of cardboard or a piece of plywood off the street and just draw on it, or pick up a Sharpie and draw something on a wall. I think once people break through that boundary of being like, oh you know, I don’t have the right supplies or this or that, you can start rolling from there, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I love it. I was going to ask for some words of wisdom for the creatives out there, but that’s it: just create. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So you’re a member of the ILWU, the International Longshore Workers Union. Talk to us about how that influences your creative practice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Being right on the waterfront under these huge cranes and trucks and machines and all of that’s super inspirational to me. Also, being up at like 4 or 5 in the morning, you see all different kinds of crazy shit on your way to work. And all of that plays a role in inspiration, you know, crazy sunrises and trains and freeways. And I take parts from my day to day surroundings and put them into my paintings at the end of the day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Was it a big deal to get into the ILWU because from what I understood, like you can only get in if you have a relative in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Well my dad’s right hand man for a long time, for a number of years, worked with my father. He put his name on the list in ‘99. They did uh… off-the-street hires, and he didn’t get a call until mid 2000, like ‘12, ‘10. When he became registered he got an interest card and he passed that along to me. So that was how I got in there. You know it’s been a, it’s a blessing. You know, have the benefits and the security. It’s a good gig. I feel lucky to be down there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You posted on Instagram about the the local chapter passing a resolution calling for a cease fire in Gaza?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Can you talk about how organizing that came to be? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, it’s long overdue. In the past, our union has stood steadfast with dismantling apartheid in South Africa. And, we always stick up for, you know, the workers that get the lower end of the stick and the people that- oppressed people around the world. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our chairman of the Young Workers Committee, Bo Logo, you need to be at a certain level of seniority within the union to push forward a resolution, and he has that position. So he drafted up the resolution and pushed it forward, and it passed unanimously. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s a big deal! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And we, to my knowledge, are the only local that pushed forward a resolution for the ceasefire. And we’ve always been kind of more the-we’ve been more militant and radical here in the Bay area. And this is where, this is where the longshoremen started, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the general strike. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> General strike, a number of ports along the West Coast, you know, went on strike. And we… we were founded in ‘37. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It makes sense that the I-W-L-U… Sorry.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, ILWU, yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> it’s hard to roll off the tongue. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But, yeah. You know, they were so staunchly opposed to South African apartheid because in the 30s, not staunchly, it was a battle, but they were about integration when a lot of other unions weren’t. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah and a lot of the African Americans, you know, were brought in to scab, scab and to take the work over. And, Harry bridges said, look, if if we all come together, we’re all going to work together. We’re all workers, and, we’re going to get benefits and we’re going to get what we want. His promise was at the end of the day, there’d be a Black guy and a white guy on the dock together. And that’s what, you know, that was the start of the integration. And, today, my union’s 85% African-American. Yeah, we got a rich history. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We did a march on Market Street with the farm workers during the grape strike. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the 60s? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, in the 60s, our drill team met Martin Luther King at the airport and provided a security for him when he came to visit. We are super involved with the Black Panthers and um…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A couple of years ago, you guys gave Angela Davis, like, honorary status. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, yeah, yeah, our sister, Angela Davis, she’s an honorary member. Danny Glover was inducted recently. So there’s all this history within the union. And, when I got my letter in the mail for my safety training and my drug test and everything it was like a dream come true. I couldn’t think of a better union to be part of. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also sounds like you have this like deep responsibility to others and to the city, in the land and the people. And I feel like that kind of shows up in the work you do to restore, like classic signs in the mission, like I’m thinking about the iconic Ben Davis mural, by Arik’s, or it was that Arik’s Supply Co before, they had an electrical fire and burned down. Can you talk about what led you to restore that mural? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t think we’re the first to restore it. I restored it with a friend of mine, Charlie. But it’s kind of our civic duty, you know. We think of it as, like, community service. So, you know, driving by it and seeing that, how it was, it needed to be fixed. And it’s been holding up pretty good. We’ve done it twice. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When did you first do it, in 2016?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Sometime around then. I can’t remember the exact year, but we went down there early in the morning with a drop cloth and a ladder, and we didn’t want an audience. We wanted to get in and out as fast as possible. So we started early, but we had people thanking us and offering to buy us beer and whatever. And it felt good, you know, doing something like that for the neighborhood. And we didn’t expect anything in return from it. We just love that sign. We’ve seen it for so long that… It almost felt like it was… It was like a mandatory thing for us to do. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You mentioned folks were hitting the horn and offering to buy you beer. Like for folks who don’t know, why is this sign so significant to Frisco kids? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s on the corner of Mission and Valencia, right where Mission and Valencia butt into each other. But that gorilla has been there ever, you know, it’s been there as long as I’ve been alive. And he’s grinning at you, and, it’s a symbol of resilience and resistance and in my opinion, you know, like a fading image of the working class here in San Francisco. And, it’s a killer sign. Glad that it’s still there. It’s a church now, I think. Did you see that? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I don’t know if you know this, but the church owners said to the bar, bar owners next door that they will keep the mural\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cool. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> They’re not going to touch it because they understand it has important value. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it’s our savior, Ben Davis. Right? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our Lord and Savior. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What was your relationship like with the, with the brand? When did you start rocking the gear? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We went out and bought Ben Davis shirts and like fifth or sixth grade, like me and a group of my friends because, my, my older, my friend’s older brother would wear it and we thought it was so cool. You know, we love striped Ben Davis shirts with the… the little zipper that came down on the, you know, with the collar. We all would wear Ben Davis to school. The school decided we can’t wear it, you can’t wear your Ben Davis no more because it’s, uh, street gang clothing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If I can remember correctly, a group of our dads went, went down there and talked to school and said, there’s no way you guys make them… can’t make them wear it. Where? Like, my friend’s dad was a muffler guy and he wore it. And my other friend’s dad was the janitor at the school and he wore it. So it was like, this has nothing to do with that, you know? So we won. We won our right to wear Ben Davis. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s beautiful. That’s what my, you know, fighting the system at a young age. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’ve been wearing it ever since. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The process of hand painting something. Why is that important to you? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s not cookie cutter, printed out on a printer or vinyl banner and you see so much of that now. Everything’s so digitalized now. So the importance of a hand-painted sign is it has character. You know, lines aren’t perfect. There’s drips. There’s paint on the sidewalk, You know.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The texture!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s texture. There’s years of, you know, oh there’s been someone leaning against it in this corner so there’s a mark on it now. And you don’t get that with a vinyl banner. The sun, the sun will end up destroying it, and then it’ll be flapping there and…the signs really hold a lot of value, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You pay a lot of attention to preserving technique, preserving culture through signs, iconography. I’m wondering, is there someone or a group of people you’re trying to pass your skills onto? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s just part of being from the city and growing up here. And, anyone that wants to pick up a brush and learn and, you know, just do it. I’m happy to teach you. I’ll show you as much as I know, you know. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But I guess it’s not only just like the technique. It’s like you’re… maybe you’re teaching people like, a perspective, like a way to go about your business. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, yeah. And I just kind of try to show, this sign’s been around since the 40s or the 50. So let’s preserve it. But I also don’t, you know, I’m not, I’m not here to tell people what to do either so… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I get that. Yeah, yeah. Do you have your eyes set on another sign? I mean, I know you also take care of the Lucca’s Ravioli one. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, it got graffitied on, so we touch that up. All these places were like places that I’d go and walk to with my mom when I was a little kid. You know, my brother in the stroller. And I’d be walking along, and I just like keeping an eye on things. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What about, I guess, can I volunteer you one, put it on your radar? It’s that burger joint on mission, but over in the Excelsior, like on Silver. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, you’re talking about “Joe Grinds His Fresh Chuck Daily.” Cable Car Joe’s? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes. Like that needs some love. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton-Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, that sign was too cool. Yeah. I never even ate a burger in there because we were when we were kids. They’re like, oh, those burgers are like 15 bucks. You know, when you’re young, you want to, like, buy some weed and like a 40, and you’d probably going to end up, like, splitting a burrito with three other people or something. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah, you got to maximize.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Priorities. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Yeah, yeah.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for sharing that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George Crampton Glassanos: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yeah. Thank you. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Marisol Medina-Cadena: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Much appreciation to George Crampton Glassanos for bringing us into your world. For real tho! You drove us around in your truck and gave us a tour of basically your hall of fame… of murals. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you’re itching to see George’s work in person, I highly recommend you get yourself to 24th street or Mission & 18th. He’s got a bunch of pieces up on the walls. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And to keep up with him online, his Instagram handle is @paintergeorge415\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by Marisol Medina-Cadena and myself, Pendarvis Harshaw. It was produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena. Chris Hambrick is our fierce editor. Christopher Beale is our wizard of an engineer. Sheree Bishop is the Rightnowish production intern. Additional support provided by Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña, Ugur Dursun and Holly Kernan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get out and see some art, hit the streets y’all. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED Production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peace.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"title": "Cézanne Seascape Mural Discovered at Artist’s Childhood Home",
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"content": "\u003cp>A mural by Paul Cézanne has been discovered at the artist’s family home, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cezanne-en-provence.com/en/the-cezanne-sites/bastide-du-jas-de-bouffan/\">Bastide du Jas de Bouffan\u003c/a>, in Aix-en-Provence, France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The previously unknown large-scale artwork by the great Post-Impressionist painter, which experts are referring to as \u003cem>Entrée du port (Entrance to the Port)\u003c/em>, is in poor condition. It was hidden under layers of wallpaper, plaster and paint. But despite the gaping hole at its center, the composition clearly depicts a harbor scene with boats and buildings set against a streaked white and blue sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13951379']Contractors uncovered the artwork during renovations at Bastide du Jas de Bouffan last August in preparation for upcoming celebrations centering on Cézanne’s connection to Aix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview with NPR, Cézanne scholar Mary Tompkins Lewis said she learned about the discovery as part of a small group of experts who visited the property last September. “We were just thunderstruck,” Tompkins Lewis said. “It was a very exciting moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, local authorities in Aix only officially announced the find earlier this month. “We were sworn to secrecy,” Tompkins Lewis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952952\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GettyImages-1345189538-scaled-e1708730283779.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly man with white beard in a suit sits in front of a painting of people and trees.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1504\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Cézanne in his studio in Les Lauves, 1904. \u003ccite>(Fine Art Images/ Heritage Images via Getty Images/ Private Collection, Émile Bernard, 1868-1941)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.societe-cezanne.fr/\">Société Paul Cézanne\u003c/a> (Paul Cézanne Association), the composition is one of 14 artworks (counting works in fragments) discovered on the walls of the Grand Salon at the Cézanne family home. The artist’s father purchased the property in 1859 and allowed his son to experiment liberally in the space with his brushes and paints over the decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The young man took the opportunity to test his skills by imitating the works of other painters including the French artists Gustave Courbet and Nicolas Lancret, and the Dutch artist Jacob van Ruisdael.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The artwork expands our understanding of how the artist developed his style,” said Tompkins Lewis, noting the probable influence of Claude-Joseph Vernet, an 18th-century French painter well known for his harbor scenes, on Cézanne’s \u003cem>Entrée du port\u003c/em>. “We really see him grow up from a provincial painter trying to please his father to this young rebellious artist who would take on the world in Paris.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13952460']In an interview with NPR, Société Paul Cézanne president Denis Coutagne said the other Cézanne murals discovered on the walls of the salon were removed from the property over the years. These works are now housed in various institutions around the world, such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France; the Nakata Museum in Onomichi, Japan; and the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Coutagne said the fate of \u003cem>Entrée du port\u003c/em> will be different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This mural that we discovered, we’re going to leave it; we’re going to keep it there,” Coutagne said. “It’s the result of continuous restoration work on the Grand Salon, with a view to its reopening in 2025.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Cezanne+seascape+mural+discovered+at+artist%27s+childhood+home&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Contractors uncovered the artwork during renovations at Bastide du Jas de Bouffan last August in preparation for upcoming celebrations centering on Cézanne’s connection to Aix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview with NPR, Cézanne scholar Mary Tompkins Lewis said she learned about the discovery as part of a small group of experts who visited the property last September. “We were just thunderstruck,” Tompkins Lewis said. “It was a very exciting moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, local authorities in Aix only officially announced the find earlier this month. “We were sworn to secrecy,” Tompkins Lewis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952952\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/GettyImages-1345189538-scaled-e1708730283779.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly man with white beard in a suit sits in front of a painting of people and trees.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1504\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Cézanne in his studio in Les Lauves, 1904. \u003ccite>(Fine Art Images/ Heritage Images via Getty Images/ Private Collection, Émile Bernard, 1868-1941)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.societe-cezanne.fr/\">Société Paul Cézanne\u003c/a> (Paul Cézanne Association), the composition is one of 14 artworks (counting works in fragments) discovered on the walls of the Grand Salon at the Cézanne family home. The artist’s father purchased the property in 1859 and allowed his son to experiment liberally in the space with his brushes and paints over the decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In an interview with NPR, Société Paul Cézanne president Denis Coutagne said the other Cézanne murals discovered on the walls of the salon were removed from the property over the years. These works are now housed in various institutions around the world, such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France; the Nakata Museum in Onomichi, Japan; and the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Coutagne said the fate of \u003cem>Entrée du port\u003c/em> will be different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This mural that we discovered, we’re going to leave it; we’re going to keep it there,” Coutagne said. “It’s the result of continuous restoration work on the Grand Salon, with a view to its reopening in 2025.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Cezanne+seascape+mural+discovered+at+artist%27s+childhood+home&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
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"soldout": {
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"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
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"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
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