Rabbit mural brings Lunar New Year spirit to downtown Concord
CONCORD, CA (Feb. 7, 2023) — In honor of the Chinese New Year, with 2023 the Year of Rabbit, Oakland artist Emily Ding recently erected a mural in Concord. Four other artists also assisted in the project. The mural adorns an outward facing wall of the Brenden Theater garage. The crew outlined the image January 28 and completed work on the 30th.
The artists dubbed the rabbit “Riley” in honor of a pet rabbit belonging to one of the volunteer artists on the project that recently passed away. Ding was contacted for the mural project after Walnut Creek-based nonprofit 333Arts received approval to move forward with it. Brenden Mann Foundation provided funds to facilitate the mural. The donation covered supplies and a stipend for the guest artist. It also bought lunch for the team of amateur and aspiring artists who assisted in the project.
Volunteers supporting Ding on the project included Concord resident Demaris Brown. Brown belongs to the Concord Arts Association. Kai Newquist, a Concord resident and primarily a digital artist, also assisted. “We have known Emily Ding for many years and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity for her to lead a collaborative mural with our nonprofit,” said Sage Loring, 333Arts’ executive director.
You can view the mural for free by entering the garage located between Willow Pass Road and Salvio Street.
David Scholz
David Scholz is back in journalism as a freelance writer and photographer after nearly two decades in education. Prior to moving into teaching in 2000, he worked as a full-time journalist since 1988 for rural community and small daily newspapers in Central Ohio and Northern Nevada, and later in California with The Business Journal in Fresno and dailies in the Bay Area, including The Oakland Tribune and The San Francisco Chronicle. More recently Scholz also worked in an editing, writing, and page layout role with the Rossmoor News.