Jingletown Open Studios '09

East Bay Open Studios starts tomorrow and runs the next two weekends:
June 6, 7 & 13, 14. 11am til 6pm.
Next Saturday there will be a STREET PARTY outside the 4:20 Gallery
from 1pm til about 4pm.
Stop by to see the art, eat some food, taste some wine and hear some live music!
There will be maps of the 'hood available when you get here.

Here is some, but not all, of my latest work I will be showing:

These "Heart Banners" are each 32" x 18" and made of mirror, stained glass and, in one case, high fire tile.

This is "Froggy Longstocking"
He is 28" tall x 16" wide and also made of mirror and stained glass.

Bright Ideas Mural

Jingletown has a new mosaic.

Well, technically it's just over the bridge in Alameda on Blanding Street.

The name is "Bright Ideas" and it is a 365 square foot, 75 foot long mural on the
facade of a software company named Perforce.

Delaine Hackney designed it, Julie Alpers and I assisted in the mosaic work
and the three of us did the installation.
(Mary Earl, a mosaic artist from Las Vegas
came up to pitch in on the installation too.)

As the viewer walks up on this image from either end,
he will think that it is simply a design of colorful circles.
But those soon coalesce into the main image - a woman blowing bubbles - and the
whole image takes shape.

This work has three large separate sections - a small planter on the left:

the large center section:

and a large planter to the right:

Farther down the sidewalk there are even a few "bubbles" that
have blown out of the "frame":

Unlike the last installations which necessitated scary scaffolding and rickety ladders,
this site was at street level. Inside the building there was an elevator we could use
and outside there was a ramp instead of stairs! Very civilized.

So of course we had to take advantage of the ramp and have some fun.

Here we are ramp-surfing!

But after the frivolity it was time to get serious
so Delaine gently nudged us back to work.

She runs a tight ship!

Delaine's style is to use found objects and other elements of surprise in her designs.
This work includes small animal tiles. If the viewer looks closely he will see cats:

frogs:

and my favorites, ANTS:

This job was fun, not only because the logistics were easy
but the "audience" - Perforce employees, pedestrians,
neighborhood denizens - were all engaged and enthralled by the art and the process.
We had many visitors while we worked.
The weather veered wildly from freezing cold to boiling hot
but we got the installation done in three weeks.

Exhaustion made us giddy so by the end of the installation
we would yell "Ta Daaaaa" after each section was complete.
The closer we got to the end, the louder and longer would be our "Ta Daaaa".
It became a silly but fun tradition.
So here we are - Julie, me and Delaine - saying "Ta Daaaa"
to the completion of "Bright Ideas":

Here is a map that shows not only where this new mosaic is (indicated by the red dot) but where all the many mosaics in Jingletown can be found.

Jingletown's Mosaics

There is a small neighborhood in Oakland that is a hidden jewel.

It's called Jingletown and it is covered in mosaics!
Relatively few people know about it though.

It gets it's name from back when it was a working-class neighborhood. The men would walk home on payday jingling their money in their pockets - hence the name.

I always compare this area to Balmy Alley in San Francisco - a neighborhood covered in art by artists working under the radar.

Many many mosaic artists, including me, contributed their skills and time to these murals.

But whereas painted murals are standard in the mural game, mosaic murals are much more rare, I think.
And whereas paint is a flat medium, mosaics are 3 dimensional and sparkly!

The neighborhood itself is little more than several square blocks of artists' warehouse lofts, condos, older homes and small businesses on the Oakland Riviera, between the Park Street Bridge and the Fruitvale Bridge.

It's an easy stroll for any art lover who wants to discover a new place.

These photos are presented here with very little description and are in no particular order.

I am doing this on purpose.

The mosaics range in size from sidewalk planters to creations that cover entire walls of buildings.

Just come, take a walk and experience this unique neighborhood for yourself.

Then have a nosh at Kefa Cafe or a drink and dinner at Tiki Tom's restaurant.

Jingletown is also a part of the East Bay Open Studios in June every year and holds an Art Walk of it's own in early December.

Again, these are purposefully presented with no information. Intrigued by what you see? Then come on down!

And note that some will be found inside buildings, not on them!



Mosaic teachers, students and volunteers all contributed to this neighborhood covered in art.
There are too many to name, really.

The orange dots on this map give you an idea where to find these mosaics.
Learn more about Jingletown at jingletown.org.

Isaiah Zagar in Jingletown

In the previous post you may have recognized the very cool style of one particular mosaic artist: Isaiah Zagar.

He lives in Philadelphia and has covered the famous South Street area with his own style of mosaics.
He has now done several in Jingletown too.

As with the last post, I am not going to be specific about where his mosaic murals are. Just come to Jingletown, follow the map and see for yourself.

Hint: this particular mosaic is technically outside of Jtown.

It's on Blanding Street in Alameda - just across the Park Street Bridge.
The red dots indicate the locations of his mosaics.

To learn more about Isaiah Zagar, click here.
To learn more about Jingletown, click here.

Jingletown Frog Walk

While you're in Jingletown, be sure to try to find all 20 (approximately) little mosaic frogs!

I've been told this is a new favorite pastime for kids and dog-walkers alike.

Here's a map to help you zero in on them.

Look for the frogs in the "red" areas.

These small frogs are sprinkled about the 'hood to be discovered when you least expect it!

Look high and low.

They're everywhere!

Have fun.
For more about Jingletown, click here.

Jingletown Open Studios 2009

To find out more, go to www.jingletown.org

Peacock & Coffee Time

These are two of my latest pieces that will be shown in this year's Open Studios at 4:20 Gallery.

Peacock
Mirror, Glass and Tile mosaic
18" x 26"
2009

Coffee Time
Mirror, Glass & Tile Mosaic
15" x 20"
2009