Danville Artist Paints Largest Mural in Hayward

Danville 's Andrew Kong Knight recently brushed finishing touches on the largest mural ever painted in Hayward.

The breathtaking, 3,500-square-foot "Gateway to Hayward " mural, located in the heart of the downtown area on Foothill Boulevard at City Center Drive, depicts tranquil nature scenes from various parts of Hayward, where Knight grew up.

It's so realistic, hummingbirds have tried to feed off the nectar on painted poppies.

A Giant Wall of Intimidation

Knight says working on a mural this size was like "going 15 rounds with a giant mass of concrete staring you down. It knocked the wind out of me a few times."

At the end of each painting session, Knight says he wondered, "Who won this round? Me or the wall?"

Challenges included a wasp invasion, water leaking through the wall, record cold winter, lots of rain and if that weren't enough, a large truck ran into his scaffolding one night. Luckily he wasn't working on the mural at the time and the accident didn't damage the wall.

The City of Hayward commissioned Knight, a full-time art teacher at Hayward High School, to start working on the mural last August. Since then, he's spent his afternoons working on it every day after school, as well as every weekend and holiday.

In His Corner: Friends & Family

Knight is quick to point out he didn't paint the mural alone, noting that volunteers pitched in early on and friends and family helped throughout the project.

His girlfriend, artist Alani Rose, not only helped him paint the mural but inspired him to do his best.

Knight says, "One of my goals for the project was that I wanted her to be proud of it. Alani was invaluable for her great detailed work and palette choices."

A close artist friend from high school, Chris Wyers, helped a lot with painting, as well as color mixing and matching.

"I was fortunate to have both of these great artists giving me constructive feedback all through this project," says Knight.

Even Knights' two children, Drew, 11, and Jenna, 9, helped paint background colors in the mural's early stages.

"This was the best part about the project—getting to work on it with the people I love," said Knight.

How Danville Inspired Him

The oak tree in Danville 's downtown inspired the oak tree in the mural, Knight explained.

He lives around the corner from the Danville oak tree, and says he enjoys taking his kids to see it lit with Christmas lights every December.

He likes the tree so much, he packed up the kids one Saturday before the mural project began to hunt for a similar tree in Hayward's Garin Park, so he could include it, since the mural needed to depict various parts of Hayward.

"It took until almost nightfall before we finally spotted a tree that could match its drama," said Knight.

Though Knight has painted, directed murals and taught mural classes at countless schools throughout the Hayward Unified School district and at Cal State Hayward and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, he considers this mural his crowning achievement.

A Big Blow

Ironically, just as Knight finished his mural February, he was one of 23,000 California teachers to receive a layoff notice.

Knight, a 15-year, tenured teacher at Hayward High School and the only remaining art teacher left at that school doesn't know if he'll have a job next school year.

As of this moment, the entire art program at Hayward High may not exist next year.

"It's a shame," Knight says "because I've seen that art can really make a difference in kids' lives."

His students have won many awards in city, county and statewide contests and placed as finalists in national art competitions.

Many of his students, he explains, come from single-parent homes in poorer neighborhoods.

"They don't always get as much attention as they need at home," said Knight. "Art provides an outlet for them to release their anger and express themselves in creative and positive ways."

He hopes the mural will serve as an inspiration to younger people.

He says, "I wanted to create something my students and my own kids would be proud of and want to take their kids to see."

By all accounts, he did just that.

The public is invited to attend a free street party and mural dedication on Saturday, May 1st from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Civic Center Drive in downtown Hayward.

To see more of Knight's artwork, visit his Web site. He is available for mural and teaching assignments.