Morgan has worked with Peralta students on several mural projects in the past decade. He first became involved with the school when his daughter, who is currently a student at UC Berkeley, was a student at Peralta.

Oppenheimer is the artist in residence at Peralta. The mural is a new media for Oppenheimer, who usually makes quilts. The quilts that she has made with students at Peralta are displayed at Oakland branch libraries, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Children's Hospital Oakland and the American Embassy in Moscow.

The mural, when completed, will cover the western wall of the school stretching more than 70 feet across and 16 feet high. The mural will be visible to cars passing on Telegraph Avenue as they stop on Alcatraz Avenue.

The inspiration for the mural is the painted houses of the Ndebele people of South Africa. Students have not only designed and painted the plywood panels for the murals but they have also been learning about the culture and the people.

They recently read "My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me" by Maya Angelou and learned that the Ndebele painted with a feather and so they tried to paint with a feather.

All of the students from first to fifth grade are involved in working on this mural. They began work in April and will continue to work until the end of May. The mural will be installed before the end of the school year.

This project is funded through a grant from the city of Oakland, with additional funding from the Tides Foundation and the Peralta Parent Teachers Group.

Peralta Elementary School is located at 460 63rd St., Oakland.