If you've walked anywhere in Oakland, you've likely seen the ubiquitous trash can mosaics. There are more than 60 around the city, and Keep Oakland Beautiful has helped contribute to this effort through our small grants program.
The program began as in 2010 to beautify Allendale Park in East Oakland, and has grown to other parts of the city. Volunteer artists Roberto Costa and Daud Abdullah lead the beautification effort early on and have designed trash cans on High Street, 35th Avenue to Seminary Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, Grand Avenue, and Telegraph. Beverly Shalom, Karen Diffrumolo, and Linda Vogel have also created beautiful works of art on trash cans throughout the city. Costa wanted to bring mosaic trash cans to Oakland after seeing decorated trash cans while visiting Arcata, CA. Costa has also taught neighborhood groups to decorate the trash cans in their communities. Abdullah was quoted in the Oakland Tribune as saying, "I had done a lot of community cleanup projects, I liked the idea of making a trash can look so pretty that nobody could miss it." He has has decorated most of the mosaic trash cans, mostly in East Oakland with the themes of love and peace. Learn How to Mosaic a Trash Can:See a Slideshow of Oakland's Trash Can Mosaics: |
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