3 Places to Explore Public Art in Oakland

Bringing people together through public art in Oakland.

Free. Instagrammable. Year round. Public art is also there for everyone to enjoy. 

Public spaces beautified by artists should be on every sightseeing adventure or day trip. Because public art is an expression of the collective community’s values. And it’s a documentation of its public history. So get outside and experience some Togetherness and In Solidarity vibes while exploring public art in Oakland.

A secret stairway park with great views of Oakland’s Lake Merritt. This public art was designed in 1923 by landscape architect Howard Gilkey and is modeled after the fountains of Italy. Bring your kids and fur babies to Cleveland Cascade for some togetherness time. 

Found on a small lakeshore beach this 40-foot-long, free-form sculpture slash play structure at Lake Merritt has something for everyone. Created in the 1950s by artist Robert Winston and now painted green, it’s iconic to behold and fun for kids to climb and hold. Fun fact: The Mid-Century Monster is on Sly and the Family Stone’s "Dance to the Music" album cover.

Created as an homage to the California live oak that gives Oakland its name. And see this great installation by day but definitely in the evening. That’s when “In Their Roots All Trees Keep the Light” lights up, revealing intricate shadow designs dancing on the ground. Made by Oakland arts duo Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu under the name HYBYCOZO (which stands for Hyperspace Bypass Construction Zone), this public art feels a little Burning Man-ny, and adds a striking visual identity to the Uptown Oakland neighborhood.