"It feels like a festival, it's really cool. It's been by word of mouth, people telling other people," said Kevin Slagle, founder of Ego Park, 492 23rd St. When he opened the gallery six years ago, there were a couple of other galleries in the area.

"Bing Gallery was there, it's not here now. 21 Grand was getting under way. You had the feeling of an up-and-coming neighborhood that centered around Papa Buzz, a small gallery," Slagle recalled.

Today there are nine artist-run galleries in a 20-block area. Add several other galleries on Grand Avenue and in West Oakland, and you've got an explosion of art venues attracting attention. In fact, Oakland's gallery scene is being featured in the "Sampling Oakland" exhibit at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in SanFrancisco. The exhibit is curated by the gallery owners.

"I'd been hearing about the scene for a while. I'd written about a couple of the spaces for an arts publication. Recently it has been coming to a head with more and more spaces," said Berin Golonu, associate visual arts curator for Yerba Buena . "You have a network of these curators, creating a vital energy. The creative spirit spreads from one person to the next, making a broad sweep."

The gallery owners say several factors have contributed to the growing number of galleries — a community of artists, affordable space and a collaborative approach.

"We were going to each other's spaces, dropping off postcards. We were having gallery openings but not always on the same night," said Nicole Neditch, co-owner of Mama Buzz Cafe, 2318 Telegraph at 23rd. She and Jen Loy purchased Papa Buzz four years ago and changed the name.

In November, the gallery owners sat down to talk about how to promote each other. In addition to the First Friday Crawl when all the galleries are open, they put together the Oakland Murmur (oaklandartmurmur.com) Web site that features a map of the galleries with exhibits and news.

"It creates communication between the artists. That's one of Oakland's strongest features. There is an entrepreneurial spirit here. Everyone does their thing," Neditch said.

The cafe plays a central role, providing a space where people can gather and exchange ideas.

"They may meet here or come in and start talking and go off to work together, put on a show together," she said. "There are artists who live together or have a gallery together who met at Mama Buzz. It's neat to see that grow."

Neditch and Loy also publish "Kitchen Sink," an arts and culture quarterly that further enhances communication within the arts community.

A corridor of galleries, a cafe, a Web site and a publication. It's a well-developed community, centered around creativity.

"When a gallery is artist run," Slagle said, "there is less emphasis on maximizing the profit. Frankly I never think about what will sell. I ask who is fun, who is into doing something? What is a good thing to show? There is a lot more freedom with people coming in with a wider range of ideas," he said.

Affordable space is an important part of the equation. Slagle said his landlord, Haig Mardikian, owns three of the buildings that make up the corridor and has kept the rents low.

"I think he and his wife are both painters. They come to the shows and have bought work. He's been very receptive to the arts."

Neditch sees the galleries creating a momentum.

"Oakland has always been thought of as a creative place. A lot of people are seeing other opening spaces and the public going to see the artwork. Young people seeing other people open arts-related businesses in Oakland will give them the confidence to do it as well," she said.

The First Friday Crawl kicks off today, 7 to 10 p.m. It features a performance by Double Dutchesses, a high-energy jump-rope ensemble. Visit oaklandartmurmur.com for a map of the galleries.

"Sampling Oakland," featuring 20 artists from Oakland galleries, will be on exhibit from July 15 through Oct. 8, at the Terrace Gardens, Yerba Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. @ 3rd, San Francisco.

The opening-night party will be July 14, 8 to 11. Visit ybca.org for gallery hours. $6 general, $4 seniors, teachers and students.

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