{"id":30674,"date":"2025-10-30T19:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T19:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/30674\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T19:51:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T19:51:09","slug":"how-oaklands-muralists-are-preserving-history-and-keeping-the-town-colorful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/30674\/","title":{"rendered":"How Oakland\u2019s muralists are preserving history and keeping The Town colorful"},"content":{"rendered":"

From school buildings<\/a> to warehouses<\/a> to freeway underpasses<\/a> and beyond<\/a>, Oakland\u2019s landscape is home to a rich tapestry of street art that contributes to the city\u2019s vibrancy, reflects its values, and tells the stories of the diverse communities who live here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thursday, Nov. 13, 6:30-8 p.m. at The New Parkway Theater<\/p>\n

Get tickets<\/a><\/p>\n

On Thursday, Nov. 13, from 6:30-8pm at The New Parkway Theater, our arts and community reporter Azucena Rasilla will host a conversation with three local artists who\u2019ve played a key part in creating some of the city\u2019s most iconic murals. Together, they\u2019ll examine the role that large-scale public artwork plays in preserving local history, honoring communities, and shaping Oakland culture.<\/p>\n

Attendees will also get to enjoy a live performance by the Edna Brewer String Quartet, featuring talented student musicians studying in one of Oakland Unified\u2019s celebrated music programs at Edna Brewer Middle School.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Get your tickets today<\/a>, tell a friend, and we look forward to seeing you there!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s more about our guests:<\/p>\n

David Burke
\n\"\"David Burke, founder of Hungry Ghost Productions. Photo: courtesy of the artist<\/p>\n

Burke\u2019s career as an artist is defined by a balance between teaching, studio practice, and public art. Over the past two decades, he has created impactful murals, exhibitions, and collaborative projects that bridge creativity, community engagement and cultural storytelling. He is the founder of Hungry Ghost Productions, a Bay Area mural collective dedicated to diversity, social justice and collaboration. Their\u00a0ongoing Love Letter to Oakland Mural Project celebrates generations of artists, activists and leaders in the city of Oakland.\u00a0Burke\u2019s studio work addresses ecology, climate change, and the intersection of the natural and built environment. His teaching career spans from Chiang Mai University in Thailand to the Academy of Art University and Cal State East Bay.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Solari Espinoza (aka Agana)
\n\"\"Vanessa Solari Espinoza, aka Agana, creates works that are calls to action. Photo: courtesy of the artist<\/p>\n

Agana is an internationally acclaimed multi-dimensional contemporary artist converging traditional large scale murals and contemporary street art. Rooted in her Latinx identity of Venezuelan descent and hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Agana paints prolific imagery as calls to action encompassing Black liberation, women\u2019s empowerment, environmental and racial justice issues. Impactful and intentional to the specific locations they are placed in, Agana\u2019s artistry adds color and light to what would be blight.<\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9 Jahmora (aka Natty Rebel)
\n\"\"Andr\u00e9 Jahmora, aka Natty Rebel, is the founder and executive director of the Bay Area Mural Program. Photo: courtesy of the artist<\/p>\n

Jamorah is a graphic designer, illustrator, muralist and mentor whose artistry spans over 20 years. As the founder and Executive Director of the Bay Area Mural Program (BAMP), he has dedicated his life to using public art as a tool for community engagement, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment. His vibrant murals can be found across Oakland, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, and internationally in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zanzibar. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in illustration and commercial arts, Jahmora blends Afrocentric themes, Rastafarian philosophy, and community storytelling in his work. Beyond painting, he is also the creator of the clothing brand Natty Rebel and host of the Urban Artist Talk Podcast, continuing his mission to uplift voices through art and culture.<\/p>\n

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