Emeryville mudflat sculptures for kids
The Mud Sculptures by the Bay. A true story near Oakland, CA, told for kids 6-8.
Read along
Look out at the muddy edge of the bay! Long ago, strange art grew right out there in the mud. People built sculptures from stuff they found on the spot, like driftwood and junk that washed up. Nobody signed their names. Nobody knew who the artists were!
They started in 1962, and soon people all over the country heard about them. Drivers heading to the Bay Bridge could see them from the road. Imagine sitting in traffic, bored, and then you spot a driftwood statue standing in the mud, looking back at you! Over many years, lots of different sculptures popped up and then disappeared. Today the shore is a protected home for wildlife, so the last sculptures were taken away in 1997.
Now, look out the window. Can you find the muddy shore? Pretend you see a giant driftwood robot waving at you!
Quiz the back seat
What were the mudflat sculptures mostly made from?
Show the answer
Things found on the shore. Yes! Driftwood and other found stuff. The artists never had to go shopping.
3 fun facts
- The sculptures were first built in 1962 and got national attention by 1964.
- The artists were usually anonymous amateurs.
- The last sculptures were removed in 1997.
For grown-ups
Written with AI from public sources, then checked claim by claim against the sources below before it was published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.
Sources
More stories in Oakland
The Mud Zoo Art Show
Look out the window toward the bay! See that flat, squishy mud?
The Super Long Train Pier
Choo choo! Look toward Oakland.
The Cafe That Can't Fail
Are you hungry? Over in Emeryville there is a diner with a very silly name.
The Giant Hill Made of Shells
Look out the window. Do you see a hill?Roads
Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).