Community leaders are looking at artistic ways of beautifying Oakland’s Chinatown.
The Chinatown Improvement Council is hoping to exemplify and honor pan-Asian culture and heritage by having artists and community members paint over graffiti-prone areas.
“What we are trying to do is get people coming back into the community and we are trying to make it attractive and relevant,” said Anderson Gin, an artist and member of the Chinatown Improvement Council. “We want to strengthen our cultural identity and maintain it.”
According to the council, the artwork will focus on images celebrating pan-Asian heritage. The project, which was started this week, will encompass painting every utility box in the 52-block Chinatown radius.
Additionally, the project seeks to expand artwork to parking kiosks and other installations.
Stewart Chen, president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, said businesses in the area have been hit hard by crime. In order to help struggling businesses from “broken window syndrome,” shoppers need to feel that the area is safe and inviting, Chen added.
“If you have a neighborhood with tags and broken windows, that is not going to attract shoppers. But if it is clean with art and murals, that will bring people and encourage them to come to a safe, clean neighborhood,” Chen said.
The council also plans on installing planters, lanterns and artwork along 8th Street, a month ahead of the planned night market.
“If you want to keep the small business owners in Oakland, in Chinatown, we are the pillars of this community. We need to make it safe. We need to make it clean,” Chen said. “This is one step toward the right direction.”
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