Downtown

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.

Big bikes, small bikes, kid’s bikes and tall bikes — they were all out in force on Sunday. It was Oakland’s first Oaklavía—an event that closed down the Broadway corridor, from Grand Avenue to Jack London Square, to all cars. Bikes, pedestrians, unicyclists and rollerbladers cruised up and down the street checking out the booths and activities on the sidewalks.

At 9 a.m., the old industrial doors of the Great Western Power Company on 20th Street are shut; if it wasn’t for a laminated sign next to one of the doors with “Weekday hours 6:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.” printed on it, at first glance the place would look abandoned. But if you look up, rather than a typical grey smokestack you see one that resonates humor. Simple icons of people are painted in white all around the coal black…

The Oakland Art Murmur once again drew hundreds to the corner of 23rd and Telegraph Avenue on Friday to sample the art and experience the atmosphere of the many galleries that opened their doors to the public.