Downtown

200 Yards project asks photographers to focus on downtown Oakland

Genevieve Brazelton, co-founder of 200 Yards, wants photographers to take a closer look at North Oakland. The premise of the project is simple: Draw a 200-yard radius around an alternative gallery or other landmark and invite photographers to cover that area with a hyperlocal focus and submit their work. The cream of the crop from the show’s Oakland version, which has the majestic oak tree as the center of its radius, will be displayed in a show at Oakland City Hall during the Art & Soul festival.

Souley Vegan brings an unexpected twist to Southern comfort food

Souley Vegan, located at Broadway and 3rd Street in downtown Oakland, conjures up a sense of Southern comfort with murals of jazz artists like Louis Armstrong and Big Mama Thornton covering the walls. The air is scented by the steaming gravy wafting off the top of one patron’s mashed potatoes. Blues tunes carry over the entire seating area and bar, as does the sizzling of something frying in a batter: tofu.

Children’s Hospital supporters lift their voices at benefit

The Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland hosted the second annual Notes and Words event at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Oakland. The event combined authors and recording artists for an evening of spoken word and musical entertainment to a venue of nearly 1,300 guests.

‘We Are One’ rallies in solidarity

The Alameda Labor Council organized the “We Are One” rally, which was held outside the steps of Oakland City Hall on Monday, the 43rd anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Union workers, teamsters, supporters, and demonstrators ignored the heat, carried their “We Are One” signs, and stood in solidarity against government leaders and politicians opposing union rights for union workers.

Downtown Oakland streets close for election festivities

Members of the Oakland Police Department cordoned off several streets on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for some pre-planned election night parties, as well as other less formal street celebrations, as media gathered in downtown Oakland to cover two of the nation’s most high-profile electoral contests — the California governor’s race and the fate of Proposition 19.

Street chic: the faces of fashion at Art Murmur

Oakland’s Art Murmur event on Friday night focused on art of all forms. There were storyboards of comic books. There was a fawn with a surveillance camera for a head. But aside from what could be found in the galleries, the event attracted creative individuals who chose to wear their art rather than display it on a wall. Click on the article for a Flash interactive about the back stories about Art Murmur fashion.