Maya Angelou Mural Festival

Maya Angelou Mural Festival

Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School

300 E. 53rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90011

Mural Festival: May 13–18, 2019 Grand Reception: May 18, 2019 | 4:00–9:00 PM

Project Overview

Branded Arts presented the Maya Angelou Mural Festival, the second installment of its Los Angeles Unified School District mural festival series. Over the course of one week, nearly 30 local and internationally recognized artists transformed Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School in South Los Angeles through a series of permanent murals created throughout the campus.

The project was developed in collaboration with LAUSD Local District Central staff under the guidance of Superintendent Roberto Antonio Martinez. The festival series began in 2016 with a mural festival at Robert F. Kennedy Community School in Koreatown and was created to transform school campuses into artistic environments while providing students with meaningful access to art, artists, and cultural programming.

The Maya Angelou Mural Festival brought together artists, students, educators, cultural institutions, scientists, musicians, designers, and community leaders for a week of mural production, workshops, exhibitions, presentations, performances, and conversations.

A Campus Transformed Through Art

Throughout the week, artists created murals across the school campus, responding to the cultural landscape of the community and the ideals and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou.

The participating artists were asked to create works that would serve as permanent gifts to the school and the surrounding community. Branded Arts worked with school administrators and LAUSD to identify locations throughout the campus where each artist’s work could meaningfully integrate with the architecture, students, and broader community.

The school gymnasium was also transformed into a temporary gallery exhibition featuring artwork by more than 50 artists, alongside work created by students.

“Art was the most important subject I was ever exposed to as a student. A field trip to LACMA when I was in school honestly changed the course of my entire life. These festivals are about sharing my love of art with the next generation, and giving kids the opportunity to be impacted like I was.”

— Warren Brand, Founder, Branded Arts

Participating Artists

The festival featured a diverse group of local, national, and internationally recognized artists:

1010 · Add Fuel · Daniel Arsham · Axel Void · Bliss One · Brushwork · Victoria Cassinova · The Clover Signs · Enk One · Josh Everhorn · Shepard Fairey · Faith XLVII · Griffin Loop · Rob Hill · Huge · Jasm One · JR’s Inside Out Project · L.E.O. · Jona Meelan · Mictlan Murals · Mr. B Baby · Ni Santas · Nunca · Perez Bros · Petal 1 · Rabi of Cyrcle · Raquel Rojas · Tochtlita · Valfre · Shawn Michael Warren · Andi Xoch · Joan Zeta · ZUCO

Academic Symposium & Student Programming

The festival extended beyond the murals through a multi-day academic symposium and series of student and community engagement programs.

Students participated in workshops, seminars, guided mural tours, presentations, screenings, panel discussions, and creative activities exploring:

Art and social change Social justice Printmaking and visual storytelling Film and filmmaking Algorithmic bias and racial identity Financial literacy and entrepreneurship Architecture and urban development Science and space exploration Music and popular culture Mental health and meditation Spoken-word poetry and creative expression

Symposium Schedule

Wednesday, May 15

Community Workshop with LACMA Teaching Artists: Katy Unger and Larry Ashton

Students explored the relationship between art and social change through drawing and printmaking. Inspired by the words of Dr. Maya Angelou and the work of artist Charles White, participants created hand-printed postcard designs addressing issues that were meaningful to their lives and communities.

A second workshop examined how artists use social justice themes to create awareness, drawing inspiration from Dr. Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise and Mark Bradford’s 150 Portrait Tone.

Community Workshop with Artsy Families participated in a collaborative diptych painting workshop designed to encourage creative connection and teamwork. Participants learned painting techniques while maintaining the freedom to develop their own imagery and color choices.

Community Workshop with Self Help Graphics Participants created stencils around a specific theme and screen-printed their designs onto posters they could take home.

Events concluded at 7:00 PM.

Thursday, May 16

Film Screening: Forgiveness Directed by Satie Gossett

The festival featured a screening of Forgiveness, directed by Satie Gossett, a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and producer who teaches video production at Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School. The screening was followed by a Q&A with Gossett and members of the cast.

Presentation by Avriel Epps-Darling Harvard Ph.D. candidate and Presidential Scholar Avriel Epps-Darling discussed her journey from LAUSD schools to community college and ultimately Harvard, exploring the role individuals play in transforming inequitable educational policies and institutions while navigating them.

Her work focuses on algorithmic bias, online recommendation systems, music streaming, and racial identity development.

“Husslenomics” Presentation Financial advisor Kyler Franklin and brand strategist Peri Chantelle presented “Husslenomics,” a program focused on technology, culture, financial literacy, and empowerment inspired by the life and legacy of Nipsey Hussle.

Friday, May 17

NASA JPL “Time and Space” Student Contest Student winners presented their work from the NASA JPL “Time and Space” poster contest. The student artwork was displayed in the school’s multipurpose room.

The contest was developed through a special collaboration between Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Daniel Arsham Studio. Students were invited to create artwork that combined scientific curiosity, creativity, and educational storytelling. Winners received a signed book by Daniel Arsham and NASA merchandise.

Architecture & Art Panel Roland Wiley, RAW International · Rob Hill, Muralist · Vanessa Rivera, Artist

The panel explored the relationship between architecture, public art, community development, and creative practice.

Roland Wiley, founder of RAW International, discussed his work across transit-oriented development, college campuses, workplaces, and public-sector projects, with a focus on cultural preservation and the sustainable revitalization of underserved urban communities.

Los Angeles-based artist Rob Hill discussed his practice across denim, leather, wood, glass, marble, silk, and metal, exploring themes of unity, color, texture, line, geometric patterning, and abstraction.

Artist Vanessa Rivera discussed her figurative and abstract expressionist practice, which examines emotions and the human experience through dreamlike compositions and shifting fields of color.

Presentation by Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of RUN-DMC Darryl “DMC” McDaniels presented and participated in a Q&A moderated by Brenda Reynoso.

As one-third of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Run-DMC, McDaniels played a defining role in transforming rap and hip-hop into a global cultural force. Run-DMC sold more than 30 million singles and albums worldwide and became one of the most influential groups in popular music.

KITH Presentation Mikol Stambaugh

The festival also featured a presentation from KITH, the New York-based retail and lifestyle brand founded by sneaker designer Ronnie Fieg. KITH has become internationally recognized for its apparel, footwear collaborations, and partnerships with leading brands including Adidas, Nike, PUMA, ASICS, and New Balance.

Saturday, May 18

Presentations from Sonder and Amber Olivier The final day of programming began with presentations from Sonder and Amber Olivier.

Live Performance by Quin The program continued with a live performance by Quin.

Dance Jam A community dance jam brought students and attendees together through movement and live performance.

Git Lit Spoken Word Poetry Performances Git Lit presented spoken-word poetry inspired by the work and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou.

Special Guest: InQ

Group Meditation A guided group meditation was led by Julie Hovsepian.

Miguel: Conversation & Performance The festival concluded with a special conversation and performance featuring Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Miguel, focused on mental health, art, and meditation. The program was introduced by Torri Shack of Tangible Movement.

Miguel first gained mainstream recognition with his 2010 debut album All I Want Is You. His critically acclaimed follow-up, Kaleidoscope Dream, earned four Grammy Award nominations and featured the hit single “Adorn,” which earned Miguel his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.

Special Collaborations

NASA JPL × Daniel Arsham Studio × Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School

Branded Arts facilitated a special collaboration between NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Daniel Arsham Studio, and Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School.

The partnership combined scientific exploration, creative curiosity, and community engagement through a student poster contest focused on artwork that could inform and educate. Students had the opportunity to win a signed Daniel Arsham book and NASA gear.

Grand Reception

The week-long festival culminated in a public Grand Reception on May 18, 2019.

The celebration featured:

A campus-wide presentation of the newly completed murals A gallery exhibition featuring work by more than 50 artists Spoken-word poetry Dance performances Group meditation Student programming A special conversation and performance with Miguel

Sponsors & Partners

LACMA · BEHR Paint · Ironlak · NASA JPL · KITH · Adidas Originals · Mosaic Art Foundation · Creative Constellations · Thinkspace Gallery · Newmark Knight Frank · Officecreated.com · Represent Global · The Mayfair Hotel · HyperX · Hello Stranger Creative

About the Festival Series

The Maya Angelou Mural Festival was the second installment of Branded Arts’ LAUSD mural festival series, following the inaugural festival at Robert F. Kennedy Community School in 2016.

The series was created to transform school campuses into immersive artistic environments while giving students direct access to artists, cultural institutions, educators, scientists, musicians, and creative professionals.

Through the combination of permanent murals, exhibitions, workshops, and interdisciplinary programming, the festivals seek to demonstrate the transformative role of art in education and provide students with experiences that can inspire new perspectives, interests, and possibilities.

About Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School

When Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School opened its doors in September 2011, three schools were located on the campus. As the new school worked to establish its own identity, students advocated for the name Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School.

The name reflected both the students’ sense of community and their connection to Dr. Maya Angelou’s life and legacy—particularly the struggles she endured and overcame.

The mural festival was developed in that spirit, creating a permanent artistic environment that celebrates the school’s identity, its students, and the enduring legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou.