Other Windows Project Credits

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, after awarding an “OBA” (Oakland Business Arts) Award to Slobodan Dan Paich for his Flag Pole Project, invited him to submit ideas for “art as collateral” for urban economic development. The project that emerged as most achievable was the idea of exhibiting art in vacant storefront windows, of which there were many at the time in downtown Oakland . Mary Lou Weggenmann and Admiral Robert Tony were primary supporters of the project among Chamber officers, along with Margaret Bertrand who served as chair of its Arts and Culture Committee.

Joan Gibb, owner of the Waterfront Plaza Hotel in Jack London Square and Vice President of Chamber's Community Affairs approached the Port of Oakland (property owner) for permission to display art work in approximately 200 vacant storefront windows at then-deserted Jack London Square .

The Port granted permission, and also set up marketing and leasing offices, hiring as key consultant the real estate development firm, Terranomics now Metrovation, under leadership of Merritt Sher who embraced the Windows Project.

Slobodan worked closely, almost daily, with the marketing office headed by Kappi Hommert and later with Jim MacIlvane.

After five years of the Windows Project, Jack London Square was becoming more alive and vibrant. Oakland City Council Member At Large, Henry Chang, invited Slobodan and the Artship team to extend the Windows Project to the Broadway corridor, from 14 th to 20 th Streets along Broadway. After several months of art exhibitions on Broadway, more and more of the vacant properties began to be rented commercially. Now nearly all of the properties, which the Windows Project enhanced by art exhibitions, are rented commercially.