Estria Foundation Unveils #WaterWrites Mural in Oakland, CA

May 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Estria Foundation (www.estria.org) – an Oakland-based non-profit that raises social consciousness for critical human and environmental issues through public art projects – is proud to announce the completion of “#WaterWrites.”  This epic 5,500 square foot mural is the second in their series of ten dedicated to global Water issues. The year-long project aims to educate and empower communities to express their voice through public art.

The Oakland mural is the result of a partnership between neighborhood organizations, local youth, and renowned graffiti artists to raise awareness of water issues within their community. Over 200 volunteers contributed to the production of this mural.  Local organizations Land is Life Collective, Trust Your Struggle Art Collective, and Youth Together worked together to develop the content. Lead artist Estria Miyashiro and contributing artists Cece Carpio, Josue Rojas, Robert Trujillo, Bounce TYS, Vogue TDK, Mike Bam, and Vanessa  Espinosa  brought the mural to life as a part of this movement to transform the environment through art.  

“We are ecstatic about the mural,” says Manuel Cabello, owner of the building at 2120 Broadway. “The mural not only adds value to the neighborhood, but helps businesses by deterring costs of having to paint the wall every time it is marked up with graffiti.” Program Director Nancy Hernandez adds that “We have had so much positive feedback. The mural’s size, color, and images really grab people’s attention, stirring up conversations on the street and eliciting a reaction from passersby. It really does show that images are universal and powerful when wielded with a positive message behind them.”

The Estria Foundation will host an unveiling of the #WaterWrites mural on Thursday, May 19th from 4:00pm-7:00pm on Broadway and 21st Street in downtown Oakland.  The community celebration is in honor of the new landmark and the local community who participated in its creation. In an effort to connect the public with public art, local youth will offer their services as “art docents,” offering “walk-through tours” of the large-scale mural. Local vendors will be selling homemade food, as well as hand-made goods created from recycled materials.

“The mural is not only on the intersection of Broadway and 21st, but also at the intersection of every different class and ethnicity in Oakland,” says Hernandez.  “There are expensive condos next to a homeless services center, trendy new restaurants next to historic cultural landmarks, non-profits and businesses, all within walking distance of this intersection. Every day we have been out here painting, people from all walks of life stop on the street taking pictures and talking about the mural.  So many different people have voiced that something on the mural represents them, resonates with their own story, makes them stop and think.”

With the completion of the first two murals in Los Angeles and Oakland, the Estria Foundation will next travel to paint about water issues in Honolulu, HI. Water Writes murals are being planned in The Philippines, Palestine, El Salvador, Colombia, Arizona, and along the Klamath River in Northern California.

In the battle to be heard, public art is a visual microphone for impacted communities. Water Writes is an international mural and community building campaign that aims to inspire action on global water issues though creating public art for social change.

For more information about Estria Foundation or the Water Writes Mural Series, please contact Haily (haily@secretagentpr.com) or visit www.estria.org.

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