Celebrate the beauty brought to the Marcus Foster School Site by community
For Immediate Release
Marcus Foster Mural Project Unveiling
In efforts to engage the community and beautify the fences that now surround the Marcus Foster School site, OUSD partnered with AHC, a grassroots non-profit in West Oakland, to create 6 murals inspired by the visions and values of residents.
OAKLAND, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 – The public is invited to attend the unveiling ceremony of the Marcus Foster Mural Project on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 from 2:30-3:30pm at 2850 West Street, Oakland, CA 94608. Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) representatives, AHC muralists and local youth will be presenting the artistic work born out of the ideas and creativity from the community during the City of Oakland’s Friday Night Live events during the summer.
OUSD has identified the Marcus Foster School as the site to become the new centralized kitchen with education center and urban farm for all students K-12. In efforts to engage the community, OUSD partnered with AHC to capture sentiments from residents and youth who then hired local muralists and gave stipends to youth to bring those concepts to life through public art. These images from the community are intended to aid in the transformation of the building and beautify the site as it undergoes 2 years of construction.
The 6 murals depict a variety of themes ranging from a portrait of Marcus Foster to the African concept of cooperative economics, called ujamaa, to the giving and receiving of food, family and community support systems and unity, self love, legacy in West Oakland, and much more.
Mi’Quel Sapp, youth artist on the project, is a big advocate of public art, stating that “we want our community to be beautiful, we want our neighborhood to be beautiful”. Many more youth like Mi’Quel feel inspired when they walk down the street and see powerful images they helped create.
Come out and capture the unveiling of the murals as well as pride felt by the community, artists, youth and OUSD staff.
For more information, contact:
Name: Erica Wheeler-Dubin
Title: ArtEsteem Manager and Communications
Phone: (510) 652-5530
Email address: communications@ahc-oakland.org
Much appreciation goes out to the following sponsors and partners throughout the Friday Night Live Events and creation of the murals!
