Local artists, community create new mural at Oakland's Highland Hospital
Today is the first day that Highland Hospital visitors, staff and local neighborhood community members can view the new 600-foot long mural placed along the entire length of the hospital’s construction fence on East 31st Street and Vallecito Place in Oakland.
The colorful mural features images of local families as well as the families’ hand-crafted artworks. The mural was created by local artists Joaquin Newman and Eduardo Pineda as part of Alameda County’s new program called 100 Families Alameda County: Art and Social Change.
The goal of "100 Families Alameda County: Art and Social Change" is to bring together multi-generational families to enliven, celebrate and strengthen the power and health of families and community through the inspiring and transformative process of making art.
Sixteen families from the Highland Hospital neighborhood community worked with Newman and Pineda during five art workshops conducted at the hospital. The family members included a total of 50 individuals ranging in age from 2 to 74 years old. Newman and Pineda combined photographs of the families and the families’ completed artworks along with images of natural environments to create this temporary public art mural for the hospital.
The participating families were recruited though a process that included hand-delivering 300 fliers throughout the neighborhood, email invitations to neighborhood groups and outreach to families with children at Bella Vista Elementary School and other community organizations.
This program contributes to Alameda County’s vision to be one of the best counties in which to live, work and do business while fostering safe neighborhoods and thriving communities.
Through a partnership with 100 Families Oakland founder F. Noel Perry, 100 Families Alameda County: Art and Social Change became an official program of the Alameda County Arts Commission in 2010.
Read more about the project here. See the photo album or visit for more images.
