Video Release: San Leandro Mural Art Project
In 2016, the City initiated a project to install four murals throughout the City of San Leandro. Born from the City’s Next Generation Workplace Study in 2013 and funded via the City’s Commercial Rehabilitation incentive, the program aims to energize and beautify passive spaces, specifically in the industrial area. The program received support from the San Leandro City Council and Arts Commission, and engaged Athen B Gallery as a consultant to curate, coordinate, and facilitate the installation of the murals.
In February, 2017, Bay Area artist Kelly Ording installed an abstract modernist mural at 14995 Farnsworth Street (at Manor Boulevard), and Argentinian artist Pastel installed a monumental, 330-foot long mural depicting local flora at the Marina Boulevard exit on I-880, on the rear wall of 1605 Abram Court. In March and April 2017, Bay Area artists Troy Lovegates and Cannon Dill collaborated on another large mural on the 350-foot wall on the Williams Street side of 1800 Merced Avenue. This mural celebrates local San Leandro industrial workers in their element, representing East Bay Logistics, Inc., Scandic, PCC Structurals, and 21st Amendment Brewery.
On February 28, 2017, the City hosted an event to celebrate the arrival of these significant works of art. The event took place at 21st Amendment Brewery, where the public was invited to meet the artists and learn more about the project.
To document this momentous undertaking, the City partnered with Lost Summit Films to produce a short video documentary on the arrival of the first three murals.
The fourth mural of the project is scheduled to arrive at the Downtown San Leandro BART station in 2019, after maintenance on the building has been completed, and a public artist selection process has taken place. Furthermore, a fifth mural is in the works, with plans to begin installation this summer. The location is 15000 Farnsworth Street, and the selected artist is Oakland-based Sarah Bowser.
Thank you city of San Leandro! These are wonderful important projects
[…] More Mural Art will be arriving at in the Washington Manor neighborhood. Oakland artist Sarah Bowser will install a large mural at 15000 Farnsworth Avenue, on the south-facing wall of the 88 Manor Market. An additional mural is planned to be installed at the Downtown BART station within the next couple of years. Check out our video on the 2017 Mural Program here. […]
[…] A fifth mural was also planned for the substation building at the Downtown San Leandro BART station. At that time, the building was scheduled to undergo significant renovation, so the project was delayed until the completion of this maintenance. In 2019, a call for artists was issued to recruit a strong artist for this location. For more information and a documentary video about the mural project, follow this link. […]