Berkeley Residents Asked To Help Choose Design For Martin Luther King Jr. Mosaic Mural

BERKELEY, CA — The City of Berkeley is looking for input from locals about a new city art project, officials announced on Monday.

City officials would like the public’s input – via an online survey – to help select from among five proposed designs for a mosaic mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Services Center, located in South Berkeley.

The five proposed artworks are “We Are the Dream” by Reginald C. Adams; “South Berkeley Shines 2” by Sorell Raino-Tsui; “Neighborhood Roots, Tree of Life” by Elyse Pignolet; “Rhythmic Unity” by Eric Okdeh and Monica Mathieu; and “The Dreamers” by Moses Ball.

The city shared that the selected mosaic design will cover a large exterior wall, measuring 20 feet by 35 feet., and it will extend into the lobby, of the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Services Center. In total, it spans about 885 square feet and is visible from both inside and outside the building.

“The project aims to create a warm, welcoming environment, strengthen neighborhood ties, and establish a meaningful connection between the community and the site,” Berkeley officials announced. To that end, they’re asking people to review each design proposal and decide which one best achieves those objectives – and to share their selection in the survey.

The survey will be available until 5 p.m. on August 1, after which an artist review panel will review the results and make a recommendation to the Public Art Subcommittee of the Civic Arts Commission. That recommendation will then be forwarded to the full commission for a final decision in August 2025.

The mosaic will be installed in late 2026.

The survey can be accessed here.