The idea for a pocket park at MacArthur and Lincoln began back in the 1990s with a group of local businesses and citizens, hoping to convert the vacant, weed-filled, City property into a landscaped, welcoming “gateway” to the Dimond business district. The City authorized the project, pitched in with some funds, and helped install the irrigation.
Tricia Christopher, a landscape architect and Dimond resident, designed the space and plantings, which have beautifully matured and evolved over the years as she, and her husband and fellow steward Tom, see what thrives and what doesn’t. The two have skillfully and lovingly maintained the parklet ever since, with help from volunteers from time to time.
The original group also wanted a piece of art to give the location an identity and sense of place. In 1998, they received a grant from Oakland’s Cultural Arts Division to install a sculpture. The City’s Public Art Advisory Committee selected Steve Gillman’s work from several Oakland artists’ submissions. His piece–two granite columns entitled “Encounter No. 2”–was appealing because the pillars evoked the “gateway” concept.
Reflecting on the whole endeavor, Tricia says, “The best part of this park is how people appreciate it. When people drive by and see us working, they honk, they say thank you. It is the most rewarding thing I’ve worked on. I normally do residential landscape design, and that’s rewarding, too, but it’s limited to the family that lives in the house. This is very public.”
Ellipse
In 2021, Dimond artist Andrea Bacigalupo approached the Dimond Improvement Association (DIA), offering to donate one of her sculptures entitled Ellipse, a tall, multi-angled oval in concrete and steel. DIA’s Beautification Committee enthusiastically accepted and began exploring for the perfect installation location.
Once the Gateway Garden was identified, Andrea and DIA worked through the various City boards and departments to get approval. The magic moment came on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 2026 as part of the City’s Day of Service. The sculpture went in and now graces the garden.
As Andrea describes her work with sculptural objects: “I create spatial fields by placing basic forms—ellipses, rods, planks, slabs, wedges, and ramps—within an environment. Placing these objects in space invites viewers to encounter the work from multiple angles, particularly as they move past it.
“Two core themes in my work are freedom of movement and democracy. I believe that moving freely through space allows individuals to form their own inner harmony. The work is democratic in the sense of being for the people: this is reflected in the use of ubiquitous materials and simple, recognizable forms that are easily accessible and familiar.”