Oakland
Super Heroes
Mural Project
Introduction
Attitudinal Healing Connection, Inc. (AHC)
Founded in 1989, Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in West
Oakland, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Over our 23-year history, our programs
have transformed the lives and made learning fun again for over 50,000 students across more than 75 Bay
Area schools and community centers.
AHC builds healthy communities by breaking the cycle of violence. We provide platforms for creative
expression and communication for children, youth, adults and families. Through our educational programs,
workshops, events and healing circles, we cultivate skills in personal development, community leadership
and the arts. AHC promotes the understanding that we can choose peace over conflict and love over fear.
Our interdisciplinary educational programs inspire individuals to engage deeply and actively in the learning
process.
Our workshops use experiential learning to foster skills in communication, cooperation, and compassion.
Our events showcase the work of local children and youth while promoting social justice and civic
participation.
Our healing circles provide a safe space for reflection and community building by helping participants
respond to conflict, grief and loss.
Our work is based on the principles of attitudinal healing, a non-traditional approach to mental health that
develops resiliency by promoting self-awareness, mindfulness and compassion.
Our mission: AHC eliminates violence by offering creative and educational programs that transform the
human spirit and build peaceful, loving communities for all humanity. We envision a world where everyone
is whole, safe, educated, and valued.
Organization Overview and Mission
The Attitudinal Healing Connection proposes to
the City of Oakland to lead and engage residents
in the Hoover Corridor neighborhood and local
public artists in the creation of 6 murals with the
overarching theme of Oakland Super Heroes
under the 580 freeway between Martin Luther
king Jr. Way and San Pablo Ave. The Oakland
Super Heroes Project will be highlighted as an
opportunity to bring light and beauty to one of
the major gateways of West and Downtown
Oakland. The project will shift the image of the
Hoover Corridor neighborhood being known to
many of the residents and youth as “Ghost Town”
to a vibrant community of youth, families, elders,
artists and activists.
Project Goal - Overview
AHC Neighborhood Context
Hoover Corridor
AHC is located near the
borders of the Hoover
Corridor at the corner of
33rd and West Street
approximately 2 blocks from
the mural project sites. The
construction of the I-580
freeway divided the
neighborhood, creating a
barrier between the
northern, western and
southern parts of the old
neighborhood. The Hoover
Corridor is bordered by I580, Martin Luther King Jr.
Way, West Grand and San
Pablo Ave.
Gateway to Downtown
Martin Luther King Jr. Way
North View
Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Gateway to Downtown
Market Street
North View
Market Street
Gateway to Downtown
San Pablo Ave.
North View
San Pablo Ave.
Addressing Blight
The Oakland Super Heroes
Mural Project will engage the
community and the larger
public to reduce blight through
color, beauty and a message
of peace through creativity
and problem solving. The
message of the Oakland Super
Heroes Mural Project will be
directly from the youth to the
larger community. The area
will be transformed from gray
and dull where dumping ,
litter, prostitution, drug use
and tagging takes place to a
colorful hallway of vibrant
beauty that carries the pride
and hopes of the youth.
Addressing Blight
Addressing Blight
Self as Super
Hero Theme
Each mural will include a Super
Hero that has been creatively
imagined and cultivated by
youth. The Self as Super hero
curriculum is inspired by our
current need for heroes for
ourselves, our children, our
youth and our community. The
Self as Super Hero is a recreated version of self that
embodies superpowers that help
create a more loving and
peaceful world. The mural will
incorporate the immediate
community’s culture, values,
hopes and dreams.
***
Soul Sisters - Mizan Radiance
and Johari the Morning Sun”
Sabah Harris
Grade 5
Munirah Harris
Grade 3
El Mundo Real:
Conversion to love
and Peace
In my artwork there is a
woman, a leader, and an
example of how the world
should be acting. Moreover,
this woman is trying to pick up
the world from disaster
and jeopardy. The heart inside
the world is everyone and all
that is supposed to be in a
perfect world. Also, the color
abstract is all the feelings and
emotions of every person in
the world. This woman
wants evil and violence to go
away forever.
Perla Albavera
Grade 8
KIPP Bridge College
Preparatory School
3-D
My painting consists of three
things: Knowledge, Hope, and
Wisdom. I thought about this
painting because I’m a twin,
so the two characters in this
painting are twins and the
snake is their guide. Each
character has a magic stone;
this magic stone helps people
remember their problems and
figure out ways to help each
other. The snake is wisdom,
the boy is knowledge,
and the girl is hope; that’s
why I call my painting 3D.
DeMarcello Funes
Grade 8
Lowell Middle School
Tropical City
My character has the super power
of controlling fire with his hands
and arms. Another one of his super
powers is to control turtles with his
mind. For his last superpower, he
has the power to attract metal to
his body to make body armor. My
character is a man that is a fiery,
human robot. He works with fire
and has the mind of a robot. He
uses his powers to burn away
people's bad thoughts of hate,
homelessness, and poverty. He has
the turtle-attracting power because
he is Polynesian and spends most
of the time in the ocean. His
powers affect the community
because before everyone thought
he was a bad guy until he started
to eliminate criminals and crooks.
Then everyone started to think that
he was a positive influence on his
community.
Saiti Vaoleti
Grade 6
Explore College Preparatory
Middle School
Youth Involvement
Youth
Involvement
Youth from the Hoover
Corridor community and
potentially neighboring
corridors will have an
opportunity to become
involved. These youth will
participate in a meaningful
process and be engaged in
the curriculum to develop
a series of heroes
collectively. The final
heroes will include aspects
from each student’s
imagination and creativity
and the artist will help
bring the final images
alive.
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The Call for Artists process will select
several artists to work in a team effort to
help the Hoover Corridor establish its first
large scale, public, city and Caltrans
approved mural project. Selection criteria
will include the applicant’s professional
qualifications, proven experience, history
and the ability to undertake installations
of a similar scope within the given budget.
Call for Artists
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Link to Remember Them
Bronze Plaque by Crucible
West Oakland Schools
California Hotel
St. Mary’s Center
Urban Services YMCA
West Oakland Teen Center
Community Linkages and
Partnerships
Youth involved in this project will become
civically engaged in various facets of the
process from becoming aesthetically aware of
their environment, using creativity and
imagination to solve social problems and
engaging local residents to gain buy-in and
support of their ideas. The youth will benefit
tremendously from having their art rendered
for the larger public to view and enjoy for
years to come. The youth will be
acknowledged for their hard work locally and
abroad.
Youth Development and Civic
Engagement
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We will get input from local community
members with the goal of gaining
excitement and investment in this project.
We will conduct surveys to glean the
values and perspectives of local residents
and neighbors. We will conduct
community meetings to present the
project with a draft of the heroes for
community members to ask questions,
make comments and provide suggestions.
Community Engagement
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The vibrancy and vitality of the mural will
be maintained by the Attitudinal Healing
Connection, Inc. as an organization that is
based in and serves the targeted
community. AHC will seek funding to
preserve the aesthetic quality of the
mural and will work with Caltrans to keep
the freeway underpass areas clean.
Mural Maintenance
Attitudinal Healing Connection, Inc. will:
Hire 3 administrative team members to manage
and deliver the project
 Hire 5 to 10 local Oakland based artists to render
and produce the murals
 Recruit 40 to 50 local youth ages 11 to 17 and
facilitate a 10-week class to develop the concept
and characteristics of 6 Oakland Super Hero
Mural project scenes.
 Stipend the youth
 Manage a 13 month project timeline from July
2011 through August 2012
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Deliverables
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The total project budget is $431,000 which is
approximately $31 per square foot for 14,000 square feet
of mural space for the 6 walls.
AHC was recently granted $75,000 from the West Oakland
Project Area Committee for the Oakland Super Heroes
Mural Project. AHC will use this funding to leverage other
sources of support.
AHC will seek funding from the following sources and
more:
1. Cultural Funding Program – Project Support
2. National Endowment for the Arts
3. Roy A. Hunt Foundation
4. Met Life Foundation
5. Corporate Funding
6. Private Donations
Funding Sources