A group of artists wants to make Temescal a ‘go-to’ destination for art

During a community meeting in 2017, the Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District promotions committee asked people in attendance how it could best support the arts in the neighborhood. Someone in the audience suggested asking the artists themselves. 

According to Don Stahlhut, a BID member at the time, that’s how Temescal Arts Community (TACO)—a grassroots group of local creatives committed to building up the neighborhood’s art scene—was born. 

Stahlhut, a Temescal resident and former community organizer for over 30 years, began gathering the names of artists in the area who shared his desire to make Temescal a “go-to” neighborhood for the arts in Oakland. 

As Stahlhut spoke with local artists, he found they lacked an organization or platform to bring them together. “One of the concerns the artists raised with me is how they didn’t know each other,” Stahlhut recalled. 

Initially, the group hosted potlucks and other gatherings to allow artists in the neighborhood to meet and learn about each other’s work. 

In the years since then, TACO has grown to include over 70 artists living in Temescal who help organize events like workshops and markets and has an email list of over 200 supporters. While the listserve has done a good job of spreading the word about TACO’s activities to nearby residents, Samia said the group has plans to increase its outreach to other parts of Oakland to build awareness among a more diverse mix of people.

He first connected with artist Deborah Samia, who’d assisted sculptor Mario Chiodo in the making of one of Oakland’s most striking monuments, “Remember Them: Champions for Humanity,”  depicting 25 leaders who made significant contributions to world peace. The statue was unveiled in 2013 at Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park in Uptown. He also met artist and teacher Caroline Stern, who has operated the DecoArt Oakland Artworks studio on Claremont Avenue for over three decades. Stern is also known for her work with muralist Dan Fontes and for her own murals around Oakland.

To date, the group has organized scores of events—from artist workshops to pop-ups to exhibits at local businesses in the area, public art displays, sidewalk chalk-art projects, and networking events. Members have also helped on projects like the Temescal Art Map—a visual aid for self-guided walking tours of public artwork in the neighborhood—and an art directory listing artists and businesses that help support creatives. The group shares the directory with members via Google Docs. 

TACO has already organized three events in 2023 and will host three more, all holiday-themed, this month: the Temescal Holiday Faire on Dec. 10, the TACO Holiday Art Show on Dec. 15, and a Group Show on Dec. 22.

As more members join and take it upon themselves to organize events, Stalhut has been able to scale back on his involvement. “The artists have now taken over [for] themselves,” Stalhut said. 

The group’s core artists include Robert Temple and his wife, Lory Haward, Tami DeSellier, Joanie Mitchel, Elly Faden (Momi), Kathy Goss, Celena Peet, Apartha Ewing, and Darril Tighe.

One challenge faced by artists in Temescal and across Oakland, said Stern, is the rising cost of residential and commercial spaces. Stern also cited a lack of city funding for art projects and the limited number of city staff available to help artists fill out grant applications. “My landlady raises my rent every year,” Stern said. “We don’t have a lot of support to help artists stay in their studios.” 

Temescal is down to only two galleries, a handful of art studios like Oakland Art Works, and some home studios. Group members Temple and Haward run their shop, Reclaimed Luminosity, out of their living room. It features lamps and light sculptures made by Temple out of recycled materials. 

“When I was a youngster, I would go out, and everybody was an artist. There were poets, photographers, writers. Anywhere you go, all neighborhoods, east and west, had artists,” Stern said. “A lot of them cannot afford the rent. The scene has changed.” 

Beyond the three upcoming holiday events, the group hopes to find “art-minded” businesses where they can hold events consistently. TACO used to hold events at the now-shuttered Julie’s coffee and tea garden. 

While making money from selling their artwork is financially significant for members, TACO’s success ultimately “isn’t about selling,” said Stern, “but about building community.”