Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project
The OSHMP is a crucial community development effort that cultivates, educates
and engages youth in community issues and solutions through the power of public art.
This project aims to resolve issues that plague our city by engaging 500 Oakland youth,
create 30 creative jobs, enhance our neighborhoods and reduce blight.
Creative Originator: Amana Harris
Art Director: David Burke
As part of the planning process, ArtEsteem surveyed residents of the Hoover Corridor Neighborhood where the murals will be immediately located. Community members were asked to describe positive and negative aspects of the neighborhood and their hopes and dreams for the community.
Responses determine the content of all five murals. ArtEsteem has hired mainly Oakland-based artists to paint the murals, as the whole process will promote and exemplify community collaboration from beginning to end.
OSH Mural #5
This mural was designed and is undergoing the process of creation in partnership with students from the 2019-20 and 2020-21 cohorts of the Oakland Legacy Project. The murals includes super-powered youths supported by both historic and fictional elder guides, pictured from left to right:
Tobi Kogen is an impulsive and free spirit that carries a lot of emotion (he’s a Pisces). Tobi grew up in a forest with his older and younger siblings, Mordicai and Diola, surrounded by lush redwood groves and practically raised by nature. He and his siblings treat the forest with respect, and the forest responds in kind. Micah, Tawny Owl and occasional geriatric apparition, is an ancestral spirit willed to protect and guide Tobi and his siblings by their parents. Tobi has enhanced sight, smell, and hearing. He developed these abilities through training with Micah to harness the powers of the wilderness from a family heirloom, the Fauna Strap bracelet, and absorbing the energy of the animals he has lived amongst for his entire life. He can harness the abilities of any animal, but only after gaining its trust. While these powers are near limitless, they can only be maintained with extreme mental focus. With these powers, he protects forests around the world.
Jonathan Seraphin, mostly known as Phin or Time Watcher, is a 15 year old with a passion for architecture, environmental design, and clock-making. Phin earned the title and responsibility of Time Watcher after opening his grandmother’s clock shop one day and finding a timerite battery on his work bench. Timerite batteries are placed in the paths of Time Watcher candidates by ancient galactic beings called the Incipexxum. Time Watcher candidates are rare: they must be pure of heart and have strength of will, with high potential to bring healing to various corners of the universe. The Trial tests if a candidate can activate the timerite battery and releases cosmic energy that will manifest to fulfill the candidate’s wishes. After his Incipexxum Trial, Phin emerged with a profound connection to Incipexxus Urso, the Incipexxum who was called to test him by fate. With this connection, Phin has access to Urso’s bear and butterfly spirits. They can fight corporate means of production by consuming factories and plants with high greenhouse gas emissions. Urso channels their energy to the bear spirits with their blue oak and rose quartz staff.
Ariez is your almost typical 16-year-old. She was born in April, making her an Aries; fiery, adventurous, energetic, and cheerful. Ariez has been singing since she could talk, since the tender age of three. She’s been belting classics from legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone to her family members at family gatherings. Her mentor and grandfather, Khalil Shaheed, is a notable Bay Area musician and educator who shares a love for jazz music with his youngest granddaughter. Their lives change when a mystical mask from an ancient city in South Africa called Geluk reveals itself at Ariez and Khalil’s first live performance and activates their talents into superpowers. On this day, the mask gives Khalil a new trumpet that has special powers. The trumpet can transmute love and tranquility into any space it occupies. The combination of the trumpet’s sweet jazz notes and Ariez’s vocal tone can heal anyone listening. At times of great calamity, three cheerful hummingbirds fly nearby and amplify the music’s healing capacity. This power cures people of their sorrows, insecurities, and wounds and sparks hope so that everyone can find their purpose and live happily.
One day, Mother Wright had a life-altering dream where Mountain Lion revealed a mission to her: solving the food crisis in her community with the help of a powerful youth she would encounter soon. Shortly after this dream Mother Wright met Marianna; an empath with a sensible heart who dedicated her mornings to upkeep the community garden and teach others about healthy food choices and resources. Marianna and Mother Wright have the aid of two very crucial and magical elements; Marianna’s aquamarine necklace, and a farm that is carefully tucked away into a pocket dimension in Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. The necklace has the ability to restore and accelerate the growth process on plants without the use of harmful fertilizers or synthetic pesticides. With this ability, plants are able to grow quickly and sustainably, making food scarcity disappear. The farm is self-operated and functions with Marianna’s necklace. At the farm, produce is converted into vegetarian hot meals, and fresh fruits and vegetables are packed and ready for distribution weekly. Together they stopped the food crisis dilemma the community was facing and bettered the lives of those who didn’t have a fair shot at having healthy meals.
The mural will be located on the west wall under the I-580 underpass on Market Street between 35th and 36th Street.
Student Conceptual Designers: Oakland Legacy Project (Cohorts 2019-20, 2020-21)
Lead Artist: Pancho Pescador
OSH Mural #4
Photo Credit: Studio-FAB
This mural was designed and created in partnership with students from Hoover Elementary School. The mural includes these characters: Fantastic Girl is from New Mexico. After her mom gave her a necklace, she got special powers like telekinesis, seeing into the future, money power which she uses to help people so they don’t have to steal, and making water and soap appear for cleaning the community. She also uses her water power to grow food to help feed the homeless. The Lava Twins, Lava Boy and Lava Girl, become superheroes after sipping a magic potion and being burned by lava in a volcano. Lava Girl got the super powers of shooting lava out of her hand, flight and lava vision. The lava vision can turn guns into chocolate bars that, when eaten, turn bad guys into good guys. Lava Boy got the super powers of turning guns into stone, and he shoots love lava, which turns bad guys into good guys. Golden Boy was born in New York and lives in the Golden Kingdom. He touched a coin in a cave and received the super powers of electric force field and electric vision, golden shield, heat vision and speed. D-Bow Jalapeño has origins in Saturn but was born in Nacho City when Saturn became too cold to live on. After his dad did a super hero experiment with him and a shot of superhero blood got on him, he got the super powers of telekinesis, being invisible, super speed to get to people who are in trouble in a hurry, super strength to pick up heavy things like trash, sending nacho cheese and water balls out of his hands to put out fires and make guns not work. This mural is located on the east wall under the I-580 underpass on West Street between 35th and 36th Street.
Student Conceptual Designers: Hoover Elementary
Art Director: David Burke
Lead Artist: Lindsey Millikan
Assistant Artists: Sydney Cain (Sage), Norman Chuck (Vogue), Vanessa Espinoza (Agana), Cristian Munoz, Angel Perez, Ryan Pera, Pancho Pescador, David Platford, Keena Romano, Jeovic Yeban
OSH Mural #3
Photo Credit: Studio-FAB
This mural was designed and created in partnership with students from West Oakland Middle School. The mural includes these characters: Emilio is a young, Mexican-American boy who is the earth sign. He uses the music from his purple and blue car to spread joy, peace and love. Gaza is a young lady from Yemen. She is like the wind. Her mission is to stop crime by using the flowers on her dress. The dress was given to her by her mother who died in a car accident. Her last words to Gaza were, “Magic dress.” The Twins, aka Planteen and Solar, are Black American siblings. They are water and energy. These two ensure that plants are healthy and growing and that water is clean and plentiful. This mural is located on the west wall under the I-580 underpass on West Street between 35th and 36th Street.
Student Conceptual Designers: West Oakland Middle School
Art Director: David Burke
Lead Artist: Javier Rocabado
Assistant Artists: Keena Romano, Lindsey Millikan, Dave Kim, David Platford, Jessica Eastburn, Antonio Ramos, DeVante Brooks, James Shields, Vanessa Espinoza (Agana), Dawood Marion, Jae Walker, Dan Bortz, Pancho Pescador
OSH Mural #2
Photo Credit: Studio-FAB
This mural was designed and created in partnership with students from Westlake Middle School. The mural includes these characters: Serenity is a shy but charismatic Mexican girl who lives in Oakland. Bob is a Jamaican boy who is forced to move away from his parents to live with his grandparents in Oakland in order to protect a powerful and secret family heirloom. Sasha is a gay, albino, Parisian young boy who, one day, swallows a butterfly, which transforms his skin to glow gold, permanent tattoos. Paris is a 103 year-old Unicornian who takes the form of a 17 year-old human girl, from a far-away planet called Unicornia. This mural is located on the east wall under the I-580 underpass on Market Street between 35th and 36th Street.
Student Conceptual Designers: Westlake Middle School
Art Director: David Burke
Lead Artist: Senay "Refa" Dennis
Assistant Artists: Keena Romano, Javier Rocabado, Daniel Panko, Helen Bayley, Sydney Cain (Sage), Lindsey Millikan, Dorias Brannon, Vanessa Espinoza (Agana), Duane Deterville, Dawood Marion
OSH Mural #1
Photo Credit: Studio-FAB
This mural was designed and created in partnership with students from McClymonds High School. The mural includes these characters: Ja’Khi is the princess of knowledge. She influences the people in her life to achieve the impossible. Josiah is the messenger of fate. He works together with Ja’Khi changing the lives of people around the world. He is a McClymonds High alumnus who uses his success to help people take control of their lives. DJ Justice is a DJ who spins and hosts block parties in West Oakland. These block parties are a way to unite all people and ignite fires of change. DJ Justice plays uplifting music that influences unity and change. This mural is located under the I-580 underpass on San Pablo Avenue between 35th and 36th Street.
Student Conceptual Designers: McClymonds High School
Art Director: Aaron De La Cruz
Lead Artist: David Burke
Assistant Artists: Fred Alvarado, Pablo Cristy, Lindsey Millikan, Dave Kim, Antonio Ramos, Magdalena Gross, Ryan Martin, Gaelen Smith, Lauren Scherf, Summer Solstiz, Dorias Brannon, Rafa Sanhuesso, Colin Harris
In Memory of Antonio Ramos
ArtEsteem staff and the Board of Directors wish to express our gratitude for our community’s love and support following the loss of Antonio Ramos and the emotional trauma surrounding the tragic event. With your support, we are moving forward with ArtEsteem’s vision to complete the fifth and final mural.
Community Murals
Community Foods Market
Lead Artist: Jack Leamy, Assisting Artists: Amana Harris, Angel Perez, California College of the Arts Spring 2022 Mural Project Class
The Center for ArtEsteem is on a charge to engage Oakland youth, adults, and partner organizations to execute, preserve, and revitalize a series of community-informed public murals in the historic Hoover-Foster neighborhood of West Oakland. This drive for beautification includes a 20’ x 30’ mural on the exterior wall of the Community Foods Market in West Oakland.
Community Foods Market opened its doors in 2019 after a decade-long effort to address issues of inequitable food access in West Oakland. Unfortunately, the Market closed in February 2022 due to underinvestment and downtrending pandemic revenue. Local lender and nonprofit support organization Community Vision controls the space and is in conversation with community leaders to ensure the now-empty store will continue to serve the community’s food security needs.
The design for the Community Foods Mural honors Mary Ann Wright, known as Mother Wright, who fed hungry East Bay residents for almost three decades. She started in 1983, feeding the community one meal a week with as much food as she could afford with her Social Security check. Her heartfelt act grew to feed 450 people a day, and became the Mother Mary Ann Wright Foundation, where Mother Wright continued working well into her eighties. The mural will also pay tribute to the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast Program, which began at St. Augustine’s Church in Oakland in January 1969. The Free Breakfast Program helped focus national attention on the urgent need to provide nutritious meals to marginalized children.
This design reflects the activist spirit and history of West Oakland, and the ongoing struggle for food justice in BIPOC communities and disenfranchised neighborhoods. This mural adds to the series of ArtEsteem-led, community-engaged murals along the San Pablo Avenue corridor: the Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project.
Grass Valley Elementary
Lead Artist: Keena Romano
St. Andrew’s Plaza
Artists: Alilah Monet, Izzy Drumgoole, James Gayles, Natty Rebel
Bridge of Life: activates the spirit to serve another (Elder Clyde)
Heartsongs: vibrations expand our compassion & love (Elder Tanya)
The Music Uplifter: sings songs of comfort that uplift the oppressed (Elder Scott)
Myra, Queen of the Manor: heals our community with love, peace, & justice (Elder Patricia)
Radiance Man: the light of existence that sees into souls (Elder Curtis)
See It All: spiritual touch to bring love & hope to all people (Elder Jerome)
Super Mama Grace: nurtures us to feel valued & connected (Elder Asanta)
Super Nana: channels inner strength to overcome challenges & enjoy life (Elder Denise)
Tree of Life: gently guides us towards self-love (Elder Diana)
Verde Gaia: radiates healing green light of loving guidance (Elder Anne)
Yerac: empowers knowledge & understanding of selfless love (Elder Carey)
In this creative, transformative, collaborative project between Attitudinal Healing Connection and St. Mary’s Center, eleven seniors said yes to the opportunity to reinvent themselves as superheroes to artistically define their solutions to our neighborhood’s challenges and to promote a healthy community. The seniors hope that this project will be perceived as a catalyst for the betterment of our neighborhood. They believe the mural captures a powerful community spirit that has been buried for years under piles of illegal dumping and dilapidated streets. The seniors loved working together with the artists and coming to consensus on the design; they feel honored by the completed mural.
The mural reflects the intention of the seniors to turn their lived experiences and heart-felt love for their neighbors into imaginary super heroes that heal suffering and transform lives. Each super hero conveys unique values and powers. They use their powers to connect with those in need, and those who feel disconnected and lost. As a collective, all nurture life and relate to the Tree of Life— that grew deep roots as it aged and that has so much to give. The radiant heart of the Tree of Life pulsates as do the open hearts of the seniors. The elders affirm that they are essentially caring, loving, gentle and kind. They offer listening ears and a healing green light that banishes fears, and music that uplifts and empowers. They share peace of mind, soothing good vibes, strength and hope. They radiate a light and energy that is comforting, restorative and confirms everlasting peace. They empower communication, learning about one another, and uniting for the common good with love for all fellow human beings.
We are deeply grateful to the artists who devoted their attention and creative talents to the genuine, respectful portrayal of the visions of the seniors: James Gayles, Natty Rebel, Izzy Drumgoole and Alilah Monet. We also thank the artists who painted colorful water mandalas in the street: Keena Romano, Vanessa “Agana” Espinoza, Daniel Jimenez and Leslie Lopez.
The mural is an edict: these seniors, and anyone with the will to do good, has the power to contribute to healing our community. As guardians of life, the seniors bring forth new vision, vibrant spirit, and refreshing innocence. These wisdom warriors recognize and use their gifts for connection, hope and community healing. They unite for the rebirth of this neighborhood and positive changes along the San Pablo Avenue corridor.
As you gaze at the mural, what comes alive in you? Perhaps a tune comes to you, or your heart beat pulses more strongly. What do you feel as you see people come through the fog, drawn to the powers of the super heroes?
