A Mural of Bouncing Beach Balls by William Schlough

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In 2006 the Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID) had a program called Stores and Doors designed to renovate some of the local businesses’ facades. Within that program they had the Doors of Oakland Public Art Project that paired artists with unused doors in the central business district. Artist Will Schlough said in his blog that the objective was to beautify and reclaim the streetscape.

Information on the project is sparse and conflicting. We found a map that showed 9 doors in the program, but in articles written for the ribbon cutting ceremony, they said there were 9 artists and 7 doors. Whatever there might have been originally, there are currently 7 doors to see. We did find the location where an eighth door once was, but no information on it. There’s a plaque at that location (for Door #1), but no door.

This mural is Door #4 by Will Schlough. On his own website he lists it as untitled (Beach Balls). He doesn’t say much more about the design or the project.

We thought this mural was especially fun. The beach balls tumbling down a spiral staircase are sure to get a smile from people walking past. Mr Schlough did a nice job with the Trompe l’oeil technique. You almost want to jump out of the way when you approach it.