Murals at Our Portola and Excelsior Centers
Building Façades
Portola and Excelsior Centers
In 2024, we received a grant from the Department of Early Childhood for improvements to our building exteriors. Working closely with Building 180 / Paint the Void Project, Ayesha Rana gathered input from our families and community to design two new murals.
Portola Center: “Hand in Hand”, 2024
Excelsior Center: “Little Wonders“, 2024
Pre-K Play Area
Excelsior Center
Neil G. Ballard, “Redwoods”, 2022
“Redwoods” is a celebration of the forests of giant trees found along the Pacific Coast. The mural is inspired by the experience of being a small child first exploring their incredible scale. Hundreds of people voted to select the mural design (view some of our favorite voting moments here and here), and we love having this beautiful forest part of our center.
Amandalynn, “Family Garden”, 2021
“Family Garden” features native plants and insects that connect to families’ sense of home and community. The mural depicts California and Mexican poppies, echeveria elegans, bird of paradise, Mexican marigolds, lotuses, plumeria, cantua, cacti, butterflies, and bees.
Kaiya Canja Wong Jones, “Equanimity”, 2022
“Equanimity” was inspired by the culture of the Portola District, which supports and encourages a thriving community through the visual arts. Kaiya’s mural depicts a family of tigers, representing the rich community of Portola and the families of this neighborhood.
