Support Local Culture at the Oakland Art Murmur

Two months after the tragic warehouse fire in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood, the 10th anniversary of the Oakland Art Murmur shows the city is still going strong.

A post shared by Oakland Art Murmur (@oaklandartmurmur) on Sep 23, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

The first event took place as the First Friday Art Walk, a cooperative effort between eight art spaces in the Northgate and Temescal neighborhoods to promote local culture, drawing around 150 people in the area. The idea soon expanded into the Oakland Art Murmur, held in conjunction with the city’s First Friday festival.

Over the next 10 years, the event grew in scope and attendance, getting coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times. In the past few years, crowds have gotten so big (up to 25,000), the local government enforces street enclosures for the event, which only increased its appeal by allowing buskers and open containers on the walk.

A post shared by Oakland Art Murmur (@oaklandartmurmur) on Oct 18, 2014 at 2:35pm PDT

The event helped nurture a thriving art community, but the changing racial makeup of the city stoked concerns over gentrification. Despite the neighborhood’s history, few of the participating galleries are owned by members of the black community. Even Rock Paper Scissors, one of Art Murmur’s original art collectives, got priced out of the area.

As the debate continues over Oakland’s future, participants in the event urge attendees to purchase art by local and minority artists to help preserve the city’s culture and build a brighter future.