The new OACC Art Cart was co-designed by Pathways to Equity 2018-2019 fellows Louise Mackie and Ramy Kim with OACC leadership to be able to create a welcoming space outside the walls of the OACC. The partnership between OACC and the fellows started in the fall of 2018, and after several months of participating in research and understanding of the local community, the idea of the Art Cart was born.
The Art Cart is an intentional way that the OACC can create a space outside its physical walls, grow its visibility throughout Oakland Chinatown and engage with different community members. The cart is flexible and could host different activities such as silkscreening, calligraphy or lantern making.
Pathways to Equity launched its inaugural fellowship program in September 2018, as a design leadership experience for social equity. Fellows ranged from many different professions, including architects, public health, city planning, and development. They participated in a series of workshops training them to understand how to work authentically with local communities. Teams of fellows were partnered with local community organizations such as the OACC in the Bay Area to co-create meaningful projects rooted in justice. Louise and Ramy especially acknowledge the help and resources of their larger community team: Kion Sawney, Kate Spacek, Alex Anderson, and Jason Su.