Arts & Eats: Oakland A Collaboration Between Oakland Restaurants and Creative Growth Artists

What marries up sumptuous recipes from some of Oakland’s hottest restaurants with whimsical and poignant “outsider” art from local Creative Growth artists? Arts & Eats: Oakland, that’s what. Arts & Eats: Oakland celebrates the compelling connection between culinary and visual arts; it is a collaboration between 25 acclaimed restaurants in Oakland—a city often referred to as the “Brooklyn by the Bay” for its vibrant arts and dining scene—and artists from the nonprofit organization, Creative Growth. Arts & Eats: Oakland is a nonprofit project from animal rescue organization Creative Rescue, which is donating proceeds from the cookbook series that will benefit both Creative Growth and Creative Rescue.

A lively mix of inventive new dishes and familiar classics, recipes come from some of Oakland’s most beloved restaurants and bars: A16 Rockridge, BayWolf, Brown Sugar Kitchen, Camino, Cholita Linda, Chop Bar, Cosecha, Dopo, Duende, Encuentro, Flora, Fusebox, Haven, Hawker Fare, Hog’s Apothecary, Homestead, Hopscotch, Juhu Beach Club, Kronnerburger, Miss Ollie’s, Nido, Oliveto, Pizzaiolo, Ramen Shop and Wood Tavern. Alongside these recipes, the cookbook features the colorful work of 16 artists from the Creative Growth Art Center, the oldest and largest organization of its kind, providing adults with developmental, mental and physical disabilities with a professional studio environment and gallery representation.

Creative Rescue: Susan Kay and Teri Hauswirth founded Creative Rescue in 2011, whose mission is to utilize nonprofit arts organizations to create products, with proceeds of their sales benefiting animal rescue groups. While there are numerous shelters and rescue groups that make animal adoption easily accessible, some are well funded, others operate on shoestring budgets and struggle month to month to sustain the animals in foster situations.

Creative Growth: Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development, gallery exhibition and representation and a social atmosphere among peers.