Photos from Mesoamerica Meet-up #1 – a monthly meet-up sponsored by Mesoamerica Institute and Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center. The purpose of the meet-up is to bring together artists from different backgrounds to collaborate and strengthen the community through complimentary mediums: dance, education, mixed-media, photography, technology, and video.

The Oakland Housing Authority, The John Stewart Company, Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center (ODALC) and the Craigslist Foundation held the 2010 West Oakland National Night Out (NNO) on 8th Street & Mandela in Oakland, California.

Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center (ODALC) provided the community with a Digital Photography booth with cool activities and an innovative approach for West Oakland youth to pick-up new skills.

The Oakland Housing Authority, The John Stewart Company, Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center (ODALC) and the Craigslist Foundation held the 2010 West Oakland National Night Out (NNO) on 8th Street & Mandela in Oakland, California.

Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center (ODALC) provided the community with a Digital Photography booth with cool activities and an innovative approach for West Oakland youth to pick-up new skills.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is designed to:

- Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
- Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
- Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
- Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

For more information about Oakland Digital Arts and Literacy Center (ODALC), please visit www.odalc.org and www.inspireoakland.com.

Want to learn how to make a rap/hip-hop beat? This workshop will introduce Reason, a music software program developed by Propellerhead Software. It emulates a rack of hardware synthesizers, samplers, signal processors, sequencers and mixers, all of which can be interconnected. Reason can be used either as a complete virtual music studio, or as a collection of virtual instruments to be played live or used with other sequencing software.

Remember. Oscar Grant. Tian Sheng Yu. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Help ODALC win $250,000 in Funding! All we need is YOUR vote!

Oakland Digital Arts & Literacy Center (ODALC) held the grand opening of their new digital co-working and Internet literacy facility in the Frank G. Mar building located at 1224 Harrison Street, on Saturday, May 29th, 2010.

Distinguished guests that attended the launch event: Jean Quan, Dr. Kitty Epstein, and Dr. Andreas Weigend. ODALC’s service to disadvantaged youth and struggling small business owners in the community empowers them with digital literacy and technology to achieve higher career goals.

INSPIRE the Oakland community. Rouse young minds, uplift the city, and ensure that no one gets left behind in this time of technological and social transition. TRAIN young people and struggling small business owners to utilize the digital resources they need to compete in today’s workforce. Your gift will help fund ODALC’s digital media workshops and computer training courses. INNOVATE by engaging participants and taking a proactive role in community and economic development. ODALC opens up new channels of dialogue by inviting participants of all ages, lifestyles, and cultural backgrounds to interact with one another in a cooperative and constructive context.

The Oakland Indie Awards is one of several programs of OneCalifornia Foundation, and its purpose is to encourage people to recognize the community, economic, environmental, and political impact of supporting Oakland’s locally-owned businesses and artists instead of chain stores. It also provides rare opportunities for recognition for the small businesses and artists that make Oakland such a wonderful, creative place. Finally, it’s a chance for Oaklanders to just celebrate Oakland by enjoying Oakland food, wine, chocolate and music. The event serves as a fundraiser for and builds awareness of the Foundation’s other programs.

ODALC asked participants to submit a billboard design conveying something inspirational about the City of Oakland. The top twelve submissions will be featured in three of Oakland’s most prominent art galleries; the top four submissions will be displayed on a digital billboard on Highway 80 (donated by CBS Outdoor). Finally, one lucky winner will have his or her work posted on a commercial billboard (donated by the City of Oakland).