Painting Around the New Parkway Theater

Way back in 2015, the New Parkway Theater in Oakland was my very first sign painting client! I’ve done a lot of painting for them over the years, and walking around the theater is a fun experience - I can see the progression of my skills on their walls. They’ve been a wonderful client and I encourage everyone to go see movies and get dinner there, it’s a great place to hang out and bring community together. It’s very much the type of business I want to support in my community!

I’m not going to detail every single thing I’ve painted at the theater in this post, but I have to mention the lobby floor. It was something I’d never done before (or since), and couldn’t have done it without the help of their facilities manager. The concept was to have a film reel flowing throughout the lobby to guide the line for food and drinks that by necessity had to snake through an area that also had tables.

I created the design in advance, then drew it freehand on the floor with chalk. We decided the best plan of action would be to create a stencil on the floor with contact paper, paint over it with the type of paint used to mark crosswalks (since it sticks to concrete and is super durable), and then peel the stencil off. It was a big project, and I’m proud of how it turned out and thankful to the Parkway for trusting I could make the idea a reality! I definitely couldn’t have done it alone, and I’m really grateful for all the help I received.

I’ve also painted lots of activity signs that hang along the edge of the mezzanine in the lobby. These were painted freehand and were a lot of fun.

And my crowning Parkway achievement - the murinal! I designed this bright movie-icon mural and painted it in one of their all-gender restrooms. I also painted the privacy screen to match the urinal walls. We sign painters get to paint all kinds of random spots!

It’s been a treat to be involved in the unique look of the New Parkway, and I’m forever grateful to them for giving me a place to practice my craft when I was just starting out. Go treat yourself and see a movie at the Parkway!