OaklandOakland Super Heroes Super Heroes Mural ProjectMural Project

Introduction

Organization Overview and MissionOrganization Overview and Mission

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.

Project Goal - OverviewProject Goal - Overview

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.

AHC Neighborhood ContextAHC Neighborhood Context

Hoover CorridorHoover CorridorAHC 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 I-580, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, West Grand and San Pablo Ave.

Gateway to DowntownGateway to DowntownMartin Luther King Jr. WayMartin Luther King Jr. Way

North ViewNorth ViewMartin Luther King Jr. WayMartin Luther King Jr. Way

Gateway to DowntownGateway to DowntownMarket StreetMarket Street

North ViewNorth ViewMarket StreetMarket Street

Gateway to DowntownGateway to DowntownSan Pablo Ave.San Pablo Ave.

North ViewNorth ViewSan Pablo Ave.San Pablo Ave.

Addressing Addressing BlightBlightThe 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 BlightAddressing Blight

Addressing BlightAddressing Blight

Self as Super Self as Super Hero ThemeHero ThemeEach 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 re-created 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 Radianceand Johari the Morning Sun”Sabah HarrisGrade 5Munirah HarrisGrade 3

El Mundo Real: El Mundo Real: Conversion to love Conversion to love and Peaceand PeaceIn 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 disasterand 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 womanwants evil and violence to goaway forever.

Perla AlbaveraGrade 8KIPP Bridge CollegePreparatory School

3-D3-DMy painting consists of threethings: Knowledge, Hope, andWisdom. I thought about thispainting because I’m a twin,so the two characters in thispainting 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 FunesGrade 8Lowell Middle School

Tropical CityTropical CityMy 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 mostof 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 VaoletiGrade 6Explore College PreparatoryMiddle School

Youth InvolvementYouth Involvement

Youth Youth InvolvementInvolvementYouth 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.

Call for ArtistsCall for Artists

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.

Community Linkages and Community Linkages and PartnershipsPartnerships

Link to Remember ThemBronze Plaque by CrucibleWest Oakland SchoolsCalifornia HotelSt. Mary’s CenterUrban Services YMCAWest Oakland Teen Center

Youth Development and Civic Youth Development and Civic EngagementEngagement

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.

Community EngagementCommunity Engagement

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.

Mural MaintenanceMural Maintenance

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.

DeliverablesDeliverables

Attitudinal Healing Connection, Inc. will:Hire 3 administrative team members to manage

and deliver the projectHire 5 to 10 local Oakland based artists to render

and produce the muralsRecruit 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 youthManage a 13 month project timeline from July

2011 through August 2012

Funding SourcesFunding Sources

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 Support2. National Endowment for the Arts3. Roy A. Hunt Foundation4. Met Life Foundation5. Corporate Funding6. Private Donations