Events

Join journalists from The Oaklandside, the Oakland Lowdown and Oakland North for conversation about what's working and what isn't downtown. RSVP here.

This past fall, the Oakland-based civic media organization El Tímpano set up a pop-up photo booth at Oakland’s Coliseum’s Swap Meet, an open air market affectionately known by many as “La Pulga.” Over the course of several weekends, El Tímpano’s team photographed and spoke to nearly 75 vendors and patrons who shared tales of celebration,Continue reading "Opening reception: Postcards from “La Pulga”"

Are you someone who cares about how your community stays informed? Would you like to experiment with creativity and innovation skills that help you understand and respond to your community’s information needs? Then this workshop is for you!

Photo by Richard Grant In partnership with Oakland North, a publication of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, we're talking with people across Oakland about their priorities for local elected officials. We're bringing our interactive screenprinting installation to community events and asking: "If you were an elected official in Oakland, what would your firstContinue reading "My Oakland Agenda: 2024 edition"

Photo by Cole Goins Downtown Oakland has changed a lot since the start of the pandemic. Many small local businesses – bars, restaurants, clothing stores, and more – shuttered theirContinue reading "Endless Storefronts, Endless Possibilities"

Since 2017, the Sanctuary City Project (SCP) has engaged individuals and institutions in dialogue and participatory art-making around sanctuary cities and immigration policy. By connecting with people in public spaces, artists Chris Treggiari (co-founder of the Oakland Lowdown) and Sergio De La Torre gathered experiences and perspectives related to immigration and transformed quotes from theContinue reading "Sanctuary City Project"

We Are Neighbors Together::The Harrison is a dynamic multimedia storytelling initiative bringing visibility to the lives and voices of residents at the historic Harrison Hotel—one of downtown Oakland’s last remaining single room occupancy (SRO) buildings. Led by Commons Archive, a grassroots history project, in partnership with Lifelong Medical Care and the Oakland Lowdown, the projectContinue reading "We Are Neighbors Together"

News/Print fellow Danbi Han (left) prints their poster with Lowdown co-founder Chris Treggiari. Photo: Cole Goins In fall 2025, the Oakland Lowdown and City Studio hosted the inaugural News/Print fellowship, inviting five local community college students to draw attention to local issues in Oakland through creative visuals. Over the course of 10 weeks, each News/PrintContinue reading "News/Print fellowship exhibition"