REALM FELLOWSHIP PROSPECTUS
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Realm Prospectus 5<br />
As a passionate artist, I can’t think of a better place<br />
to concentrate on than the place where West<br />
Oakland and Uptown Arts communities meet. This<br />
area is also a Key NAMB location situated across the<br />
bay from San Francisco. Oakland is a busy port city<br />
that historically served as the early terminus for the<br />
transcontinental railroad. Today, the city still<br />
maintains its identity around the transportation and<br />
manufacturing sectors, but recently has become<br />
known as a hub for area artists.<br />
Central to this new art scene is the downtown area<br />
where the Uptown District is located. The district<br />
once served as the city’s main shopping district but<br />
began to decline in the 1970s when many cities<br />
across the nation experienced a downtown exodus<br />
due to suburbanization. After several unsuccessful<br />
renewal projects were attempted to help turn the<br />
area around, then-Mayor Jerry Brown spearheaded a<br />
number of initiatives aimed at transforming the<br />
depressed area and bringing people back to<br />
downtown. These initiatives, along with a growing<br />
economy would accomplish just that.<br />
Oakland is a busy port city that historically served<br />
as the early terminus for the transcontinental<br />
railroad. Today, the city still maintains its identity<br />
around the transportation and manufacturing<br />
sectors, but recently has become known as a hub<br />
for area artists.<br />
across the nation experienced a downtown exodus due<br />
to suburbanization.<br />
After several unsuccessful renewal projects were<br />
attempted to help turn the area around, then-Mayor<br />
Jerry Brown spearheaded a number of initiatives aimed<br />
at transforming the depressed area and bringing<br />
people back to downtown.<br />
These initiatives, along with a growing economy,<br />
transformed the district into what is known now as an<br />
area for entertainment and housing.<br />
Economically less affluent than neighboring San<br />
Francisco, Oakland saw a surge of new artist residents<br />
when the dot-com boom brought skyrocketing housing<br />
costs to the region.<br />
Today the city boasts of having one of the highest<br />
populations of artists per capita in the nation. Already<br />
home to many artistic and industrial fabricators,<br />
Oakland became home to a burgeoning community of<br />
industrial artists, and today a high percentage of the<br />
large-scale interactive artworks shown at the annual<br />
Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert are<br />
fabricated in Oakland.<br />
Central to this new art scene is the downtown area<br />
where the Uptown District is located. The district<br />
once served as the city’s main shopping district but<br />
began to decline in the 1970s when many cities<br />
“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous<br />
deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most<br />
worthy of praise.” – Psalm 36<br />
Psalm 36: 3-4
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