Art & Soul

gospel stage

Yesterday was the first day of the 2009 Art & Soul festival. The festival is going on today, too, from noon to 6pm. There are multiple stages with live music all through the event. My wife and I checked out Shawn Colvin on the rock stage and caught part of Men of Endurance on the gospel stage.

There are also lots of food and drink vendors, artisans selling all sorts of goods, and a variety of informational booths. Oaklandish has their truck there, with brisk t-shirt and hoodie sales.

community art

I think my favorite thing was the community art project. A basic background was painted, and the canvas divided into squares. Each person is given a small amount of blue paint or brownish paint depending on where in the image they're going to paint, and they paint whatever they want in their square.

free bike parking

I volunteered at the East Bay Bicycle Coalition free valet bike parking lot. Besides providing free and safe bike parking for the event, they're offering a deal on membership: for $20 you get discounts at 50 local bike shops plus their awesome bike map, plus a chance to win a fast commuter bike.

Check out more coverage in the Oakland Tribune.