Lake Merritt

Beginning August 7th, 2010 and running through to November 14th, all visitors to Oakland's Lake Merritt will be welcome to partake in a new public art project called Once Upon A Time, Happily Ever After... Produced by local artist Scott Oliver, the multifaceted work centers around a self-guided audio tour that applies an idiosyncratic layer of intimate history to some of the lake's most familiar and peculiar features. While picking up their audio equipment, which is provided free at the lake's Rotary Nature Center, visitors will also have a chance to browse the souvenir shop, which will be stocked with an assortment of original, Lake Merritt inspired collector's items. These will include a postcard series featuring the photography of Rachel Heath, T-shirts featuring drawings made by St. Paul’s sixth-graders, a screen printed map of Lake Merritt drawn by artist Veronica Graham, and a compilation CD of some of the music and sounds heard on the audio tour. Proceeds will support local non-profit organizations. The project will be expanded later this year with the installation of watershed awareness signage that will encourage a deeper understanding of the lake and its continued role in the practical and cultural functioning of the City of Oakland.