MONROE ESTATE
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The Monroe Cultural Arts Center seeks support to preserve the legacy of the late Arthur Monroe (1935–2019) — a pioneering jazz-inspired abstract expressionist painter and a central figure in Oakland’s cultural and artistic renaissance.
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As gentrification continues to displace artists and cultural spaces across Oakland, our family is seeking $125,000 in matching funds to complete essential capital improvements for a newly acquired property in Jingletown, East Oakland. This funding will help secure a permanent home for a living cultural space dedicated to African American art, jazz, activism, and community history.
Why This Matters
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For decades, Oakland’s creative identity was shaped by artists who transformed abandoned industrial buildings into vibrant cultural sanctuaries. After the Ghost Ship fire and the rezoning of former artist spaces into Oakland’s Cannabis Green Zone, hundreds of artists lost their live-work studios — including those at the historic Oakland Cannery, where Arthur Monroe helped establish the city’s first legal artist warehouse.
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Today, legacy artists are being priced out of the very neighborhoods they helped define. Without immediate action, Oakland risks losing not just physical spaces — but the stories, voices, and cultural lineage that shaped the city.
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The Vision
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The Monroe Cultural Arts Complex will be a living museum and community arts hub, designed to serve artists and residents for generations. The space will include:
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The Arthur Monroe Museum & Gallery — showcasing paintings, archives, and rare artifacts
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Community Studio & Maker Space — for workshops, rehearsals, exhibitions, and education
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Cultural Programming — including youth engagement, artist residencies, and annual events
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Outdoor Gathering Area — for performances, film screenings, and community dialogue
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Archival Research Library — preserving Monroe’s papers and oral histories, many housed in the Smithsonian
About Us
About Arthur Monroe
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Arthur Monroe trained under Hans Hofmann and was closely connected to the Beat Generation, Abstract Expressionism, and the jazz greats of the 20th century — including John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker. His work reflects the improvisational spirit of jazz and the social consciousness of Black artistry in mid-century America.
His legacy continues through national and international exhibitions, including partnerships with Van Doren Waxter Gallery (NYC) and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.
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Community Impact
Your support will help:
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Preserve African American and Oakland-based art history
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Provide accessible and affordable creative space for artists
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Offer arts education and mentorship for local youth
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Strengthen intergenerational connections in Jingletown and beyond
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Support cultural tourism and creative economic growth in the East Bay​
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Leadership
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This project is led by Alistair Monroe, founder of the North Beach Jazz Festival and a lifelong arts producer and community organizer. As Arthur Monroe’s son, Alistair brings both deep personal commitment and decades of experience in cultural programming and advocacy.
How You Can Help
This campaign is about more than preserving a legacy — it’s about reclaiming space, memory, and voice in a rapidly changing city. Every contribution brings us closer to securing a permanent home for art, education, and community connection in Oakland.
Please donate, share, and help ensure that Oakland’s artistic soul continues to thrive. We have secured a fiscal agent through San Francisco Intersection For The Arts, non-profit 501C3, for the Monroe Arts Center.
The Core
