OAKLAND — A wide grin spread across the face of Scraper Bike Team co-founder Tyrone “Baybe Champ” Stevenson. Jr., as gazed at two new vibrant, colorful murals at the Coliseum BART station in his neighborhood — a welcome contrast to a nearby parking lot heavy with graffiti and trash.
The art adorns two facing columns under the BART tracks at 75th Avenue, near the East Bay Greenway. One large panel shows a bike with two feet hanging off of it and a wheel six green and gold spokes dedicated to different cultures, beneath a fist designating Oakland unity. The second features blue and gold wheels, four orange and black butterfly wings that double as basketball colors, surrounding a leafy oak tree — the symbol of Oakland — with deep roots and royal blue letters that read “Welcome to the East Bay Greenway.”
The Original Scraper Bike Team, an organization known for members’ colorful, quirky customized bikes and its dedication to helping kids stay safe and active, obtained a grant and commissioned the two murals with a goal of beautifying the neighborhood and showcasing its rich culture.
While some neighborhoods in East Oakland suffer from heavy crime, poverty and increasing gentrification, Stevenson said he is proud of the area and sees the murals as a way to preserve its treasures.
“It’s a great representation of Oakland and the people that live in the community,” said Stevenson, the organization’s executive director. “Living around a lot of cement, it’s good to add color, to add vibrancy in an unexpected place.”
Desi Mundo, the muralist who came up with design after consulting with the Scraper Bike team, used the Golden State Warriors’ royal blue and gold and the Oakland Athletics’ green and gold to illustrate diversity and unity. Mundo said he’s always been inspired by Scraper Bikes, so he wanted to represent their work in a painting.
“They’re connected by this oak tree, this boost of community power. We’re all living together connected through that circle,” he said of the second mural.
The project was a collaboration between Bike East Bay and Scraper Bikes, who selected Mundo to complete the Community Rejuvenation project. It was funded by a grant provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
City officials also said the murals are meant to serve as an eye-catching site for residents and sports fans visiting the area, as well as a unifying symbol for community members and their government.
“We need to recognize that our job isn’t just getting motor vehicles from A to B…, our job is to connect with communities and helped them express themselves,” said Ryan Russo, director of Oakland’s department of transportation.
The murals are perpendicular to the East Bay Greenway, a partially completed trail that will run from between the Lake Merritt and South Hayward BART stations.
“If you ride your bike to get around you can be healthier, you can save money and get access,” Russo said.