AGENDAREPORT
TO:
HonorableMayor &CityCouncil FROM: Council President NikkiFortunatoBasCouncil District 2 SUBJECT:
District 2Mural FundGrant ForChinatownKitchenKidsMural Project DATE: October 5, 2023
RECOMMENDATIONCouncil President Nikki FortunatoBasRespectfullyRecommendsAdoptionOf AResolutionAwardingAGrant InTheAmount Of $28,000FromCouncil President Bas’ Mural FundToCommunityRejuvenationProject For ACommunityMural OnPrivatePropertyInTheHistoricChinatownNeighborhoodAt 723Webster St., WithTheSupport Of Artist Desi Mundo.
EXECUTIVESUMMARYCouncil President Basisseekingtoaward$28,000totheCommunityRejuvenationProject andDesiMundotoexecuteandinstall amural reflectingthecultural andhistorical significancefor Oakland’sChinatowncommunity. Themural will beinstalledat 723Webster Street. andwill depict arenderingof“legacy”, speakingtothehistoryandlegacyof thosewhohavecomebefore, andhowwehonor them.Themural isdirectedbytheoral historyworkbeingconductedbyRoyChanof theOaklandChinatownOral HistoryProject.
BACKGROUND/ LEGISLATIVEHISTORYIn Fall of 2022, Roy Chan approached Desi Mundo and Flo Oy Wong about an oral history projecthighlighting and accentuating the experience of young people growing up in Chinatown. The projectfocuses on families that have businesses, or had them at 723 Webster St. These families represent asampling of the hundreds of hard working immigrant family businesses that have contributed to therichcultural fabricof OaklandChinatown. DuringatimewhenChinatownbusinessesstruggletorecover fromthepandemicandwidespreadxenophobia, thistimelymural at the723Webster buildingwill celebratethecultural vitality and resilience of culture-keeping entrepreneurs in Chinatown. Other businesses that willbe invited to be featured include Golden Eagle Restaurant located next to Quong Wor Food Companyduringthe1970sandImperial SoupRestaurant currentlyoperatingat 723Webster.
ANALYSISANDPOLICYALTERNATIVESOn July 26, 2021, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 88783, which amended Resolution No.88717, theadoptionof theFY2021-23Biennial Budget adjustments, toappropriateadditional fundingformurals across the City of Oakland, business improvement district support, cameras in commercialcorridors, transportation, and capital projects. The recommended action would allow for the CityAdministrator to enter into a grant agreement with the artists and organization outlinedfor theexecutionof amural at 723Webster.
FISCALIMPACTTheProject Budget isatotal of Fifty-OneThousandDollarstocomplete($51,000), andTwentyEightThousandDollars($28,000) arebeingallocatedfromtheDistrict 2Office’sMural Grant Fund(Fund5505).
Special CityCouncil MeetingOctober 17th, 2023
HonorableMayor &CityCouncilSubject: ChinatownKitchenKidsMural GrantDate: October 5, 2023 Page2 PUBLICOUTREACH/ INTERESTTheMural will exploregenerationsof theOaklandChinatownneighborhoodanditssmall businessesthroughcommunityoral historiesconductedbyRoyChanof theOaklandChinatownOral HistoryProject(https://www.chinatownmemories.org/). Themural isdesignedbasedontheinformationcollectedbyRoy,whoishighlyregardedasanoral historianandcultural strategist.
COORDINATIONMyofficehasbeenincoordinationwiththePublicArtsAdvisoryCommissionsinceabout Mayof 2023.Staff at theCommissionhavehadanopportunitytoreviewtheproposal andstaff intendtobringthisproposal tothePublicArtsAdvisoryCommissionat thenext meetingwithquorum. It hasalsobeenapleasuretoworkwithandcoordinatewiththedifferent communitypartnersandartistsadvancingthisproject. ThankyoutoRoyChan, Desi Mundo, FloOyWong, communitypartnersLailanHuenandAshleyChin, andour organizational partnerstheOaklandAsianCultural Center andtheOaklandChinatownOral HistoryProject.
SUSTAINABLEOPPORTUNITIESRace&Equity: Asanartisticrepresentationof thelegacyof residentsintheChinatowncommunityovertime, themural isaimedat not onlycelebrating, but bringingtotheforefront thecultureandexperiencesof AsianAmericansinOakland’sChinatownover thelast 80- 100years. Havingtheseconcreteexamplesof cultural appreciationandsupport isanimportant factor inaddressingissueslikeinternalizedracism,andbringsaneducational opportunitytoothersthat canhelphalt other socio-economicissues, likegentrification.
ACTIONREQUESTEDOFTHECITYCOUNCILCouncil President Nikki FortunatoBasRespectfullyRecommendsAdoptionOf AResolutionAwardingAGrant InTheAmount Of $28,000FromCouncil President Bas’ Mural FundToCommunityRejuvenationProject For ACommunityMural OnPrivatePropertyInTheHistoricChinatownNeighborhoodAt 723Webster St., WithTheSupport Of Artist Desi Mundo.
For questionsregardingthisreport, pleasecontact EricAdams, CommunityPartnershipsManager, at(510) 238- 7022, or [email protected].
RespectfullySubmitted,Council President Nikki FortunatoBasDistrict 2 Special CityCouncil MeetingOctober 17, 2023