CRP Founder Desi W.O.M.E representing at the International Meeting of Styles

The International Meeting of Styles is a series of weekend mural gatherings held in different cities throughout the globe. The MOS has held events on the west coast for several years now. However, or the first time, the MOS was be held at San Francisco at one of the most historic and famous places for mural art, the Mission district. CRP founder Desi WOME was invited to participate and created the mural above in a few hours on the first day of the event, on September 24. The event also featured painting by Bay Area legends, TDK Crew, WCF, and many more. Stay tuned for more photos in the days to come.

Diego's Power Alley Gym Mural

Story by Jill Replogle (http://www.jillrep.com)

Members of Diego’s Power Alley Gym, at the corner of Foothill Blvd. and Seminary Ave., already made the choice for a healthier life. Now the whole community has a vision of strength and health, brightening the neighborhood outside the gym.

The Community Rejuvenation Project recently turned the gym’s void outer wall into a portrait of health—physical, mental and spiritual. A native Aztec dancer, a man meditating in lotus pose and a Zulu nobility, expression proud, chest and arms powerful, have replaced the pale yellow wall of Diego’s. The mural was created by Desi WOME, Dave Kim, and youth apprentice Leo Delgado and other CRP volunteers.

As the mural took shape, neighbors stopped by to check out progress on the wall, and thank the artists for bringing color to the neighborhood which, one man said, is plagued by a lot of “dark things going on.”

It’s easy to guess at the neighborhood’s problems by the empty, boarded-up storefronts and ubiquitous metal gates, locking up homes, lots and businesses. With an unemployment rate of over 17%, economic recovery still on shaky ground, and public services declining rapidly, East Oakland could use some brightness on its horizon.

A mural may not solve the neighborhood’s problems, but it’s one step toward rejuvenating the community, and opening minds to the possibilities for healthy change.