The Murals of Rocky Rische-Baird

Have you driven or walked by the corners of 11th and Broadway and 41st and Piedmont in Oakland and remarked about the murals that depict the Key System Stations that operated streetcars and bus lines throughout the East Bay (and a commuter rail and ferry to San Francisco) from 1903 until 1948 and wondered who this talented artist is in our midst? His name is Rocky Rische-Baird and this native of Northern California who splits his time between the Bay Area and the village of Putney, Vermont. Rische-Baird self describes his art as representative of the unity between nature, self and the idea that the human mind retains past memories.  However it is interpreted, his art has an other-worldly quality that is mesmerizing and  gives us a peek into Oakland’s unique history.  Love them!

Broadway Mural
Broadway Mural
mural on 41st
mural on 41st