In September, ARTogether facilitated the creation of a new mural, featured on the entry wall of the Clinton Community Center building. This community art project celebrates the rich history of the park while envisioning a hopeful future for the neighborhood.

Bridging the Past and Future

At the heart of the mural is a storytelling circle under a heritage oak tree, symbolizing the exchange of knowledge between elders and youth. The mural also features a community garden, a nod to the park’s role as a vital green space for the area. This imagery represents not just environmental sustainability, but the park’s ongoing evolution as a place of growth, healing, and gathering for the community.

Celebrating Cultural Diversity

Youth volunteers were central to the mural’s creation, contributing unique cultural patterns that surround the doorway of the community center. These designs, reflecting the heritage of the local community, form a multicultural gateway. 

Chien Nguyen, a community organizer with Trybe Oakland, An Oakland based organization who is the driving force in rebuilding access to some of East Oakland’s greenspaces, played a critical role in realizing this vision: “The cultural panels reflect that everyone—African American, Latino, Asian, and Arab—belong here, and this community center is meant to serve everyone.” This gateway represents Clinton Park’s role as a welcoming space for all, particularly for the many refugee and immigrant families who have made the neighborhood their home.

A Collaborative Effort

The mural’s creation was about more than just aesthetics- the goal was to create something inclusive, working with partners across the area, while addressing issues like graffiti and activating the park in new ways. As Chien shared, “The idea behind the mural was to make a strong statement: to claim our space and let the community know there’s new management at the park and positive changes on the way.” 

This community-driven project wouldn’t have been possible without collaboration. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the city of Oakland’s support and the collaborative efforts of locals, ARTogether, CERI, and AYPAL, to name a few,” Chien noted. Even students from Franklin Elementary School lent a hand, helping to paint a mural inside the recreation center. 

A Vision of Hope

The revitalization of Clinton Park reflects the power to bring people together, tell stories, and inspire hope for the future. As the park continues to serve as a gathering place for the community, it remains a symbol of its resilience, diversity, and unity.

Clinton Park Community Coalition: Trybe, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, ARTogether, Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, East Bay Refugee Forum, Tzu-Chi, Asian Health Services, Civic Design Studios, District 2 Councilmember Nikki Furtunato Bas and the City of Oakland

Lead Artist: Sabina Kariat

Assistants: Sarah McClean, Polina Marso, Valerie Liu, Alona G., Quingyun, Cindy L., Natalie C., Sal, Eyner P., Maliha K., Mojgan A., Jess Zhou