In collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Oakland Museum of California presented "Fertile Ground," an exhibition illuminating local histories and social forces that changed the face of art in California. They asked me to design a companion booklet featuring current luminaries in the East Bay creative scene. With photos by Miles Jackler, the book functions as a guidebook inviting you to follow these creatives to the places where they find inspiration.
East Bay
Inspiration
Guide
1
Bay Area Inspiration Guide
2
Fertile Ground
Published by the Oakland Museum of California
Photography by Miles Jackler
Design by Neil Uhl
ERTILE GROUND: 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.
7
EL CERRITO
PLAZA
Tilden
Park
6
MARIN
10
BUCHANAN
Albany
MARIN
HOPKINS
9
8
SHATTUCK
13
EUCLID
UNIVERSITY
SACRAMENTO
Berkeley
ASHBY
TUNNEL
580
ADELINE
24
4
Emeryville
40TH
BROADWAY
Fertile Ground
BAY BRIDGE (80)
880
MANDELA
SAN PABLO SAN PABLO
NORTH
BERKELEY
BERKELEY
UC Berkeley
14
ASHBY
COLLEGE
M.L.K. JR
ROCKRIDGE
11
MACARTHUR
4
WEST
OAKLAND
1
3
2
West
Oakland
5
GRAND
14TH
7TH
580
980
15
17
19TH ST
OAKLAND
12TH ST
OAKLAND
Oakland
12
Lake
Merritt
L A KE S H O R E
880
LAKE
MERRITT
Fertile Ground
Bay Area
Inspiration
Guide
Traci Bartlow page 6
1 B-LOVE’S GUEST HOUSE
2 MANDELA PARKWAY
3 MANDELA MARKETPLACE
4 BIKES FOR LIFE
5 DE FREMERY PARK
Michael Pollan page 14
6 INDIAN ROCK
7 INSPIRATION POINT
8 MY OFFICE
9 THE CHEESE BOARD
Philip Milic page 22
10 ALBANY BULB
11 MVMNT STUDIO
12 OLD CROW TATTOO
13 BERKELEY ROSE GARDEN
14 ANCIENT WAYS
Dasha Matsuura page 32
13
15 FIRST FRIDAYS
16 JOAQUIN MILLER PARK
5
16
JO A Q U I N MILLER
17 CLASSIC CARS WEST
Nature
Indoors
Art
Bay Area Inspiration Guide
LINCOLN
Food
Shop
Active
View
TRACI
Bartlow
6
Fertile Ground
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’s
Inspirations
B-LOVE’S GUEST HOUSE
MANDELA PARKWAY
MANDELA MARKETPLACE
BIKES FOR LIFE
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Traci Bartlow
7
DE FREMERY PARK
8
Fertile Ground
1 B-LOVE’S GUEST HOUSE. 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.
1131 Center Street, Oakland
“A place built on love…
the sustainability, creativity,
and entrepreneurial
spirit Oakland is known for.”
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Traci Bartlow
9
2 MANDELA PARKWAY. 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.
Mandela Parkway, Oakland
10
Fertile Ground
3 MANDELA MARKETPLACE is local
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 Traci Bartlow
11
12
Fertile Ground
4 BIKES FOR LIFE. 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.
1600 7th Street, Oakland
5 DE FREMERY PARK. 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.
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Traci Bartlow
13
MICHAEL
Pollan
14
Fertile Ground
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’s
Inspirations
INDIAN ROCK
INSPIRATION POINT
MY OFFICE
THE CHEESE BOARD
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Michael Pollan
15
6 INDIAN ROCK, 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.
Indian Rock Park, Berkeley
16
Fertile Ground
“One of the best views
in Berkeley.”
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Michael Pollan
17
18
Fertile Ground
7 INSPIRATION POINT, 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.
Tilden Park, Berkeley
8 MY OFFICE. 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.
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Michael Pollan
19
Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
20
Fertile Ground
9 THE CHEESE BOARD. 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.
1512 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Michael Pollan
21
PHILIP
Milic
22
Fertile Ground
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’s
Inspirations
ALBANY BULB
MVMNT STUDIO
OLD CROW TATTOO
BERKELEY ROSE GARDEN
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Philip Milic
23
ANCIENT WAYS
24
Fertile Ground
10 ALBANY BULB. 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.
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland
11 MVMNT STUDIO. 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.
2973 Sacramento Street, Berkeley
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Philip Milic
25
26
Fertile Ground
12 OLD CROW TATTOO is an artistic
inspiration because of the deep
bonds and creative reflections I
receive daily from my colleagues
and neighbors.
362 Grand Avenue, Oakland
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Philip Milic
27
28
Fertile Ground
“Old Crow Tattoo is an
artistic inspiration
because of the creative
reflections I receive daily.”
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Philip Milic
29
30
Fertile Ground
13 BERKELEY ROSE GARDEN. 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.
1200 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley
14 ANCIENT WAYS 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.
4075 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Philip Milic
31
DASHA
Matsuura
32
Fertile Ground
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’s
Inspirations
FIRST FRIDAYS
JOAQUIN MILLER PARK
CLASSIC CARS WEST
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Dasha Matsuura
33
34
Fertile Ground
15 FIRST FRIDAYS. 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
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Dasha Matsuura
35
36
Fertile Ground
16 JOAQUIN MILLER PARK. 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.
Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland
17 THE ROOF OF CLASSIC CARS WEST DURING FIRST FRIDAY. 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.
411 26th Street, Oakland
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Dasha Matsuura
37
38
Fertile Ground
“It is nice to get a reminder of the
bigger picture and why we do this—
for our amazing and
vibrant arts community.”
Bay Area Inspiration Guide Dasha Matsuura
39
40
Fertile Ground
On view September 20, 2014 through April 12, 2015
Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California is jointly
organized by the Oakland Museum of California and the
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
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