CIVIC DESIGN STUDIO
Ancora Place, Oakland CA
Ancora Place is a new affordable housing development to over 140 residents and families. Civic curated an all local, all women crew of muralists from next door EastSide Arts Alliance and Cultural Center, to collaborate on the design and handpaint 10,000 sq ft of groundfloor exterior walls. Civic principal Tommy Wong worked at EastSide Art Alliance for 15 years, so the project and neighborhood hold much personal meaning.
We created 3D relief carvings with local artists Leslie Lopez, Sal Cortez Jr, and Ajuan Mance. Our Civic Art Squad produced the artwork at Castlemont High School Fabrication Lab, where dozens of students engaged in it’s creation. The themes were brainstormed with the new residents of the building, and incorporated their ideas and wishes to beautify their new home.
