Oakland’s Jingletown: Arts, Crafts, Cool Kitsch — And Cookies

The facade of Jingletown Art Studios in Oakland, CA, is decorated with colorful mosaics of fanciful castles and towers. Photo by BF Newhall — Jingletown Art Studios in Oakland, CA, is decorated with mosaics inspired by Laurel True, founder of the Institute of Mosaic Art. *Photo by BF Newhall*

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

It was a lovely afternoon for wandering in and out of artists’ studios in Oakland, California’s Jingletown neighborhood, where a vibrant, up-and-coming arts community mingles with a robust Latino population.

More than a dozen neighborhood artists joined hundreds of other San Francisco East Bay artists in opening their doors for the annual Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios earlier this month. And there was lots to see — fine art, beautiful crafts, and a dollop of fun, kitschy stuff. Also, fruit, brownies, chips and cookies being offered everywhere.

The Institute of Mosaic Art has departed Jingletown for a site in Berkeley. But founder Laurel True and her colleagues and students left their dazzling handiwork behind on walls and buildings all over the neighborhood.

Is Oakland the West Coast Brooklyn? Take a look at “Amazing Places — A Walk Around Oakland’s Jingletown.”