Mutual Housing California and the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) are thrilled to announce the collaboration of 30 talented graffiti artists for a unique, community graffiti jam event, “Transforming Sacramento.” This exciting 3-day event will take place over Labor Day Weekend, starting at 8 AM on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 805 R Street, ending at 2 PM each day, going through Monday, September 2, 2024 at 2pm. A small program and celebration will be held at noon on September 2nd to celebrate the artists, the event partners, and the upcoming affordable housing project being developed at this location under Governor Newsom’s Excess Site Program for affordable housing development.
Event Highlights
This event will celebrate the dynamic art form of graffiti and transform the entire building at 805 R Street into a vibrant canvas showcasing the unique styles of select local artists with a range of techniques and decades of experience. The community is warmly invited to participate as spectators and can engage in hands-on instruction and painting with these talented and knowledgeable artists.
The theme of this event is transformation. This is consistent with the State’s Excess Site Program and its transformative focus of providing housing on vacant and underutilized properties and it aligns with the work of CADA, it’s nonprofit development arm, the Capitol Area Community Development Corporation (CACDC), and Mutual Housing in cultivating community and providing affordable housing options. The future affordable housing development is called the Monarch and harkens to the way affordable, quality housing changes lives much like the caterpillar that transforms into the monarch butterfly. In line with the theme of transformation, the front of the building will be adorned with hundreds of monarch butterflies made from vivid transparencies, casting playful light and shadows. As a second interactive artistic option, community members can create and add their butterflies to the building or take them home as a keepsake.
- Date & Time: Saturday, August 31, 2024, starting at 8 AM, ending at 2 PM,
- Sunday, September 1, 2024, starting at 8AM, ending at 2PM, and
- Monday, September 2, 2024, starting at 8 AM, ending at 2PM
- Community celebration on Monday, September 2, 2024 at 12PM
- Location: 805 R Street, Sacramento, CA
- Activities: Graffiti painting, hands-on art instruction and painting, butterfly art creation
- Music: DJ playing from 9 AM to 2 PM on Monday
- Food & Entertainment: Food truck and crafts for children daily
Temporary Art Activation
This temporary art installation will remain until winter 2024, when the building will be demolished to make way for “The Monarch,” a new development with 241-unit affordable apartments and a manager’s unit, with commercial space on the first floor. The Monarch will include units for low and very low-income households, as well as extremely-low income units reserved for formerly homeless households. Marketing and outreach will include focus on serving our local artist community. CADA and Mutual extend gratitude to the State Department of General Services (DGS) in their partnership on this art activation and to both DGS and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on their efforts to build this and other housing developments on state-owned properties.
The Director of DGS notes that “Our long-standing and continued partnership with CADA has not only resulted in affordable housing to serve the Sacramento community, as the Monarch project will, but has also helped keep the local arts alive,” said California Department of General Services Director Ana M. Lasso. “Creating affordable housing isn’t just about buildings – it’s about embracing the local community and creating beautiful, inviting places where people want to live.”
Community Engagement
“We believe in the positive and engaging nature of graffiti street art and its ability to bring people together and increase understanding within a sanctioned space,” said CADA Executive Director, Danielle Foster. “Transforming Sacramento is about more than just art; it’s about cultivating a sense of community and passing down cultural history, expression, and unique skills to the next generation.”
Creating Critically Needed Affordable Housing & Supporting the Arts
“We are excited to introduce Monarch, an affordable housing partnership between Mutual and CADA that will not only provide critically-needed transit-oriented affordable housing but also work to support and uplift our local artists,” said Roberto Jimenez, CEO of Mutual Housing. “Our goal is to support the community’s creative spirit while also addressing housing and transportation needs with our largest project to date.”
About the Monarch
The Monarch, located at 805 R Street, is a mixed-use, affordable housing development set to transform a former State of California storage warehouse into a vital community hub. Consistent with the Central City Special Planning District’s requirements, the five-story, 201,456-square-foot building will feature:
- 241 residential units regulated for low and very low-income levels, plus one on-site manager’s unit
- 20 units reserved for formerly homeless and at-risk households
- The project will contain first-floor commercial space.
- Various amenities, including an exercise studio, event courtyard, private resident courtyard, and laundry rooms on each floor
- Focused marketing and outreach to artists with affordable housing needs
For more information about the event or the upcoming apartment project, please visit www.monarch916.com or contact our media relations team.
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CADA
Cultivating community by building and maintaining vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use neighborhoods that support California’s capital city.
Mutual Housing California
Founded in 1988, Mutual Housing California develops, manages, and supports sustainable affordable housing where residents are partners in advancing equitable communities.