Bay Area Inspiration Guide
East Bay Inspiration Guide 1
Fertile Ground
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Published by the Oakland Museum of California Photography by Miles Jackler Design by Neil Uhl
E RTILE GROUN D: Art and Community in California, a collaborative exhibition between the Oakland Museum of California and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, illuminates local histories and social forces that changed the face of art in— and beyond—the Golden State. Weaving together art and ephemera from both museums’ collections, the exhibition tells the stories of four creative communities at decisive moments in the history of California art, starting in 1930’s to the Mission Scene of 1990’s through today.
Still thriving, the creative culture of the Bay Area continues to be fostered and supported in countless ways. From the people who inhabit this place to the natural environment, to local businesses, parks, streets, and shops, these sources of inspiration are as distinctive and unique as the people who return to them day after day. We asked four creative people living in the East Bay to share the special places they go to find inspiration. In the pages that follow, these East Bay locals provide an in-their-own-words look at some of the most exciting, beautiful, and motivating places in the Bay.
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Traci Bartlow
Fertile Ground
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B-LOV E ’ S GU E S T H O U S E
2 M A N D E L A PA R K WAY 3 M A N D E L A M A R KE T PL AC E 4 B I KE S FO R LI FE 5 D E FR E M E RY PA R K
Michael Pollan page 14 6 I N D I A N ROC K 7 I N S PI R AT I O N PO I N T 8 M Y O FFI C E 9 T H E C H E E S E BOA R D
Philip Milic
page 22
10 A LBA N Y BU LB 11 M V M N T S T U D I O 12 O LD C ROW TAT TOO 13 B E R KE LE Y ROS E G A R D E N 14 A N C I E N T WAYS
Dasha Matsuura page 32 15 FI R S T FR I DAYS
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Nature Indoors
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TRACI
Bartlow Fertile Ground
6 A native of Oakland, this dancer, choreographer, photographer, and poet has worked locally, nationally, and internationally in theater, film, exhibition and print. Founder and Creative Director of Starchild Enterprise, Ms. Bartlow is a longstanding contributor to many social and creative movements in the Bay Area. She is currently a core member of Eastside Cultural Center, Director of Starchild Dance, and Owner/Operator of B-Love’s Guest House.
Traci Bartlow
Traci’s Inspirations B-LOVE ’S GU E S T HOUS E MAN D E L A PAR K WAY MAN D E L A MAR KE TPL ACE BI KE S FO R LI FE D E FR E M E RY PAR K
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1 B-LOV E ’ S GU E S T H O U S E . I am the
owner and operator of B-Love’s Guest House. It is a unique extension of my lifestyle of wellness and creativity and, as the name suggests, a place built on love with a high vibration. B-Love’s Guest House embodies the sustainability, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit Oakland is known for.
Fertile Ground
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1131 Center Street, Oakland
Traci Bartlow
“A place built on love… the sustainability, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit Oakland is known for.”
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2 M A N D E L A PA R K WAY. A beautiful
parkway that replaced a freeway destroyed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Thank goodness for activists like Margret Gordon who fought to have the freeway rerouted away from residents to a more industrial area of West Oakland. Mandela Parkway is a beautifully landscaped place to walk, ride your bike, and just chill and read a book.
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Mandela Parkway, Oakland
Traci Bartlow
sustainability at its finest in a worker-owned cooperative. There’s good food from local farmers and vendors, and a wonderful healthy food initiative for the community. 1364 7th Street, Oakland
Bay Area Inspiration Guide
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A cool local business that sells and services bikes. They also have a great mentoring program and support many community events. I have two bikes from here, one for myself and one for my guest house.Â
B I KE S FO R LI FE .
1600 7th Street, Oakland
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This historic park is an urban oasis! Home to the Black Panther Party’s community services of the 1960s, this park has a great swimming pool, skate park, tennis courts, and recreation center with many cultural activities for children, adults, and families, including the annual Life is Living Festival.
D E FR E M E RY PA R K .
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland
Traci Bartlow
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MICHAEL
Pollan Fertile Ground
14 Michael Pollan is the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, as well as The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Botany of Desire. A contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the James Beard Award. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of Harper’s Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley.
Michael Pollan
Michael’s Inspirations I N D IAN ROCK I N S PI R ATIO N PO I NT M Y O FFI CE TH E CH E E S E BOAR D
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at the terminus of Shattuck Avenue, is a great place to watch the sunset and look for inspiration. One of the best views in Berkeley.Â
I N D I A N ROC K ,
Indian Rock Park, Berkeley
Bay Area Inspiration Guide
Michael Pollan
“One of the best views in Berkeley.”
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aptly named, is the terminus of the Nimitz Trail, my favorite walking and running path in Tilden Park. I go here alone to untie knots in my thinking or with a friend to talk about current and future projects. The views of the bay and the hills are stunning, and the presence of cows is always a calming reminder of the absurdity of our striving.
I N S PI R AT I O N PO I N T,
Tilden Park, Berkeley
Michael Pollan
To the extent I am inspired on any given day, is owed to this long narrow former sleeping porch where I work, overlooking the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge. Bridges are very useful mental tools when writing and though I seldom think to actually look up at them, knowing they’re there is a help. My bookshelves, which line the room on one side, are also important tools of inspiration.
M Y O FFI C E .
Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
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Every morning, my wife and I “walk to coffee,� to use the current real estate industry terms. We walk down the hill along Shattuck Avenue to the Cheese Board, which serves excellent coffee from 7 am on. Coffee is an important pharmacological inspiration for my work, as is the community of friends and acquaintances we bump into on the benches outside.
T H E C H E E S E BOA R D.
1512 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Michael Pollan
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PHILIP
Milic Fertile Ground
22 Philip Milic started tattooing in the summer of 1995 when he was entering 12th grade. Besides working at a surf and skateboard shop, Philip has only had one other job: tattooing. He learned the art of tattooing in Huntington Beach, California under the mentorship of Rob Nunez. In June of 2009, on the summer solstice, Philip opened his tattoo studio and art gallery under the name Old Crow Tattoo. He enjoys building and tuning tattoo machines, drawing traditional fine line flourishes with an infusion of indigenous-inspired tribal tattooing, and spending as much time as he can with his son.
Philip Milic
Philip’s Inspirations ALBAN Y BU LB M V M NT S TU D IO O LD CROW TAT TOO BE R KE LE Y ROS E G AR D E N AN CI E NT WAYS
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Fertile Ground
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This spot reminds me of what the Bay Area represented when I moved here 17 years ago. It still holds the edge, grit, and epic views that first made me fall in love with the Bay.
A LBA N Y BU LB .
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland
Philip Milic
Dance has always been one of my creative outlets. MVMNT is an inspirational place for any b-boy who still honors the four elements of hip hop: breaking, MC-ing, graffiti, and turntablism.
M V M N T S T U D I O.
2973 Sacramento Street, Berkeley
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is an artistic inspiration because of the deep bonds and creative reflections I receive daily from my colleagues and neighbors.
O LD C ROW TAT TOO
362 Grand Avenue, Oakland
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Philip Milic
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“Old Crow Tattoo is an artistic inspiration because of the creative reflections I receive daily.�
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Philip Milic
Fertile Ground
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The combination of breathtaking views and my connection to the rose makes this place special. Since the first time I saw a rose, the beauty, magnificence and complexity have been constantly awe-inspiring.
B E R K E LE Y ROS E G A R D E N .
1200 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley
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assists in taking care of my spiritual needs. They provide literature and tools for the magical workings that are a large part of my creative process.
A N C I E N T WAYS
4075 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
Philip Milic
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DASHA
Matsuura Fertile Ground
32 A photographer, curator, art consultant, and all around art enthusiast. A California native and East Bay resident, Dasha serves as the Vice President on the Board of Directors for Oakland Art Murmur, and is a consultant at Chandra Cerrito Contemporary.
Dasha Matsuura
Dasha’s Inspirations FI R S T FR I DAYS JOAQU I N M I LLE R PAR K CL A SS I C C AR S W E S T
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Fertile Ground
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Being able to see so many people out and about in Oakland, enjoying art and exploring the town because of First Friday, is really rewarding. First Fridays, since is origins with Art Murmur, has grown immensely thanks to the many years of hard work and the dedicated community. Telegraph Avenue between West Grand Avenue & 27th Street, Oakland
Dasha Matsuura
FI R S T FR I DAYS .
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So many of our local artists take inspiration from Oakland’s beautiful natural environment. I love taking the dogs up to Joaquin for afternoon hikes, even when I can’t make it out to these places on a regular basis. It is somehow comforting to know that the forest and nature are so close by.
J OAQU I N M I LLE R PA R K .
Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland
411 26th Street, Oakland
Dasha Matsuura
I curate three shows a year in the huge vintage car showroom and multi-dimensional gallery. These shows, and all the First Friday and Saturday Stroll events, have been a great community builder for art lovers, patrons, artists, and gallery staff.
T H E ROO F O F C L A S S I C C A R S W E S T D U R I N G FI R S T FR I DAY.
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“It is nice to get a reminder of the bigger picture and why we do this—
Dasha Matsuura
for our amazing and vibrant arts community.�
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On view September 20, 2014 through April 12, 2015
Fertile Ground: A rt and Community in California is jointly organized by the Oakland Museum of California and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.