1 Oakland Superheroes Mural Project No. 5
Attitudinal Healing Connection (The Center for ArtEsteem)
Project Description
Attitudinal Healing Connection ( doing business as The Center for ArtEsteem) is sponsoring the Hoover Corridor Neighborhood’s first large scale mural revitalization and beautification project.
Since 2012, ArtEsteem have completed four murals below the 580 freeway in West Oakland.
Using the theme of superheroes, the murals are designed by elementary, midd le and high school students in D istrict 3 schools. The project is intended to uplift and positively transform the neighborhood.
The first of the five murals w ere conceptually designed by students from McClymonds High School. The second was conceptually designed by students from Westlake Middle School’s afterschool program, the third by students from West Oakland Middle School and the fourth was designed by students from Hoover Elementary. All schools and students involved are engaged in The Self as Super Hero curriculum. The curriculum takes students through a collective process of character development to design super (s)hero chara cters that embody the students image and addresses our community’s deepest concerns. Students tackle social problems and create super (s)heroes with powers to bring about real change in their neighborhood. These students collectively developed the characters and the stories behind them. The (s)heroes culminate in an illuminating scene but are developed creatively as an immergence of dreams and imaginations.
The fifth and final OSH mural design proposed to the City of Oakland for completion will be located on the west wall of the Market Street underpass, between 35th and 36th Streets directly across from Mural #2. The design was conceptualized by students from the Oakland Legacy Project (OLP; 2019 -20, 2020-21, and 2021 -22 cohorts) which consists of local middle & high school students. The 2019-20 cohort created the foundational designs and narrative beginnings for the characters, their elder guides, and their v ision for the community. Through a series of collaborative sessions, Lead Artist Pancho Pescador manifested the students' visioning into the mural designs. On March 1st, 2021, the 2020 -21 Legacy cohort presented the final design to the City of Oakland's Public Art Advisory Committee, who promptly approved it.
Mural #5's concept is a timeline spanning between dystopia to utopia, with the superheroes, elders, and animal spirits the OLP students crafted for 2 years interwoven throughout. The imagery of community elders and elder spirits was included because this mural is intended to serve as a visual homage to support elders as heroes in the community, and highlight the importance and power in intergenerational collaboration. The Art Director is David Burke who served as the lead artist for Mural #1. The Lead Artis t for this project is Oakland based muralist and educator, Pancho Pescador, who served as an assisting artist for OSH murals 2 & 3. In addition, ArtEsteem will be hiring primarily Oakland based artists to paint the murals, as the whole process will promote and exemplify community collaboration from beginning to end.
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Mural #5 Timeline
March - May 2020: Identify Lead Artist for Mural #5 on West Wall of Market St.
August - December 2020: Teaching artists engage OLP students in Self as Super Hero curriculum. • Students collectively develop life -size self -portrait superheroes and write narratives to accompany their characters.
January 2021: ArtEsteem assembles a youth leadership team to further develop the stories, engage in the arts and serve as leaders, ambassadors and artists in the mural process. • OLP students engage in community outreach & homeless encampment advocacy. • Lead artists and ArtEsteem team engage with OLP students to cultivate draft of design.
February 2021: Lead artist produces final draft design & design is presented to the OLP students for feedback.
March 2021: ArtEsteem, artists and OLP youth leadership team present final design to City of Oakland Public Art Advisory Committee for approval.
September - November 2021 / May - June 2023: Grant applications & fundraising to secure funding for mural production.
July 2023 - May 2024: Complete Transportation Art Proposal application process and gain approval to begin mural production. Collaborate with the City of Oakland and a community based organization to plan the preparation of the east and west walls for mural production. • March 2024: Conduct mural project promotional activities (Benefit Screening of Cheryl Fabio’s A Rising Tide documentary at The New Parkway Theater on March 24th, 2024) and begin clean -up of east wall area in collaboration with selected unhoused service organization.
June 2024: Production of Mural #5 with OLP students and artist team. • ArtEsteem and art director oversee installation of the mural, supported by the lead artist and 10- 12 assisting artists for each wall with youth engagement incorporated.
July 2024: Mural Unveiling & Community Celebration
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