“I think it’s a great symbol of Oakland,
our vitality, our creativity, our secret sauce”
– Libby Schaaf on the Golden Mean Snail Art Car
Photo by D. Ross Cameron/Bay Area News Group
It’s no surprise people are talking about Oakland’s new mayor, Libby Schaaf, but there’s one detail that seems to surprise everyone: her mayoral ride, the Golden Mean. Apparently most political figures don’t travel to their inauguration in a giant snail with flaming eye sockets.
Schaaf and I first connected during the 2013 Oakland mayoral race around West Oakland business. I agreed with Schaaf’s vision for an Oakland that supports artists, makers, and industrial businesses like mine. When she requested the Golden Mean make a campaign event appearance, I was happy to oblige.
When Schaaf won the election, we took a celebratory ride in the Golden Mean. But the greatest honor came with the last request: a ride for Schaaf and her family to her mayoral inauguration. The event was quintessential Oakland: held at the Paramount Theater, the mayor and her family arriving in the Golden Mean, Schaaf’s acceptance speech including “hella”, and protesters reminding everyone of issues to be addressed.
When we first built the Golden Mean in 2008, little did we know it would someday make Oakland history. Working on nights and weekends, the snail car my wife Kyrsten dreamed up was built by her, myself, and our Empire of Dirt crew of artist makers in my West Oakland Form & Reform shop. Since building Golden Mean we’ve made the Electrobite and Serpent Twins, but you’re less likely to see our mayor riding around in them, seeing as they’re not street legal.
Meet the Golden Mean Sunday, January 11, 2015
As part of Schaaf’s inaugural week, the Golden Mean Snail Art Car will soon make another appearance at the public event celebrating the great town of Oakland and it’s makers this Sunday, January 11. We hope you’ll join us for the “Made in Oakland” Inaugural Festival at American Steel in West Oakland from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Press with Libby Schaaf and the Golden Mean
Inauguration
SFGate / SF Chronicle – Libby Schaaf sworn in as Oakland’s 50th mayor
San Francisco Magazine – That Fire-Shooting Snail Car That Mayor Libby Schaaf Keeps Driving Around Oakland Is the Best Thing Ever
Inside Bay Area – Libby Schaaf sworn in as Oakland mayor
Laughing Squid – Oakland, California’s New Mayor Libby Schaaf Rides Snail Art Car To Her Inauguration
Election Victory Celebration
KQED – Video: Libby Schaaf Rides a Giant Mechanical Snail
SF Gate/ SF Chronicle – Libby Schaaf celebrates Oakland mayoral victory: “an awesome city”
SJ Mercury News / Oakland Tribune – Libby Schaaf celebrates decisive victory and ‘Oakland’s awesomeness’
CBS – Quan Concedes Oakland Mayor’s Race; Schaaf Celebrates In Fire-Breathing Snail Car
Golden Mean Snail Art Car
Facebook Fan Page
Instructable / how it was made
Blog: Golden Mean
Recent Golden Mean in Oakland
Popular Mechanics Video – How Oakland Is Becoming Northern California’s Next Great Startup Hub
“It’s hella time for Oakland.”
– Libby Schaaf, inaugural speech
Serpent Twins thank you party Oct 22nd 9pm
As a special thank you to our over $100 Kickstarter supportors there will be a special thank you VIP party from 6 to 9pm
General admission starts at 9pm
2600 Magnolia Oakland CA
This is your chance to see the Serpent Twins finished, meet the artists and crew who built these wonderful creations.
Come prepared to enjoy the sights of the
Empire of Dirt
Serpent Twins Two 50ft long color morphing serpents
The Golden Mean The giant iron snail car
The Electrobite An electric prehistoric wonder
Zeppelini The lost WWII personnel flight vehicle
Plus songs from our flying angels Jillian & Kyrsten.
Stick around past midnight and help celebrate Jon Sarriugarte’s birthday!
Thank you to the following Donors who gave
Due to permit issues with the event staff we have decided not to perform this sat at Sand by the Ton. The front Porch will still show up. We are sad and had a really good show planned. This was to be our fundraiser, please join the Giant Iron Snail Car the Golden Mean fan club to keep track of our next fabulous events http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44874701099. And if you would like make a donation to the car here:http://formandreform.com/?page_id=388
Friends and family? Join us in the parking lot at the shop for some bbq a beer and maybe the girls on the loading dock putting on a show.
The Boiler Bar crew & The Front Porch have decided to throw in with Sand by the Ton and hold our annual fundraiser there instead.
We teamed up with all our favorite art, cars, performers, and music to create the spot to be July 31st, stage number 9.
Update to Stage #9
Sister Kate
Plus:
2 one hundred foot water slides, 300 tons of sand, eight swimming pools, nine stages
including live music, electronic music stage, bluegrass and circus arts, giant foam wars bathtub, carnival midway and side shows, giant sand sculpture, thousands of your closest friends, and a host of other ambitious ideas yet to be formulated!
Saturday July 31st, 2010
Big Art Studios at American Steel
1960 Mandela Parkway Oakland, California 94607
tickets are limited & exclusively avaliable at
www.thebigartexperience.com
Tickets go on sale July 1st
Stage #23
Art & Sculpture by:
Dan Das Mann – Karen Cusolito – Michael Christian – Flaming Lotus Girls – Orion Fredericks – Roseanna Scimeca – Omega Recoil (will it fry?) plus others to be announced later
Stage #9
The Traveling Wonders of the Boiler Bar & The Front Porch Stage
El Radio Fantastique • Blue Bone
Express • Thee Hobo Goblins • Shovel
Man (Digging deep for music) • Denzel (Dances
on Glass) • Tansy the Serpent Queen•
Miss Opportunity(what will she do next?) •
Holly Volatile • JD Limelight • Room
for Cream • Miss Melanie’s Oddity Em-
porium • The Boiler Bar performers, Sister Kate
&more!
Stage #111
Symbiosis Stage
Antennae (Acid Crunk/Muti Music)
Little Jon (Raindance)
Treavor Moontribe (Iboga Recs-Desert Dwellers)
Phidelity (Native State Records-Phidelity.com)
Mozaic (Glimmer Of Dope)
Bogl&Dials (Symbiosis-Soundpieces)
Tonyinorbit (Symbiosis)
Danny Corn (3ws)
Laura (El Circo)
Shawna (El Circo)
Chlorophil (Cosmicleaf-Synchronos)
Stage #86
Dustfish Bordello Stage
From Weimar to Vegas and all points in-
between……these acts sizzle with sensual,
glamorous, humorous, supersexy eyecandy!
SF Boylesque
Dark Sparkle
Barbary Coast Burlesque
Burley Sisters
La Malinche
Stage #92
big ART Studios Live Music Stage
The Mutaytor
Kid Beyond
Mark Growden Sextet
Fil Lorenz Orchestra
Super Geek League
Tornado Rider
Special performance on Michael Christian’s sculpture by
Gooferman & Vau De Vire Society
Stage #68
The Bicycle Stage
Heavy Pedal Cyclecide Bike Rodeo
vs.
First Rule BMX Collective
Bicycle carnival rides, jousting & bicycle trickeryall night!
Stage #13
Wanderlust Circus Stage
Performances on Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito’s figures by:
Mr. Creature
William Batty
Brittany Walsh
Tera Zara
Russell Bruner
Jay Leiber
&more!
Stage #000
Opulent Temple Stage:
Syd Gris (Opulent Temple / Opel)
Dutch (Opulent Temple)
TekFreaks (Opulent Temple / TeknicalFunk / CDR)
Icon (Opulent Temple / djicon.com)
Billy Seal (Opulent Temple)
Dex Stakker (Opulent Temple / Opel)
Drew Drop (Opulent Temple)
Jamie Lin (Opulent Temple)
Jonboy (Swag / Dubalicious)
T-Dub (Rebel Bass Collective)
P-Dub (guerillaBASS)
Mike Butler (OTWB)
Rachel Whiskeydevil (OTWB)
Stage # 5.1
Space Cowboys Stage
8ball
Brad Robinson
Mancub
Kapt’n Kirk
Shissla
shOOey
Deckard
Zach Moore
Trav
