Artists, community welcome World Cup to Inglewood with murals and more

A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.

Perry is now a renowned artist who goes by Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.

The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.

And that campus’ lecture hall now features a large ornate mural depicting a soccer ball gripped by the hands of two people – freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium starting next month.

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artists, real name Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

“If you told me I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think I necessarily would have anticipated it,” Mr. Ace said as he put the finishing touches on his mural last week. “So I’m a little amazed at how life works in that sense.”

He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists to participate in a Road to World Cup community day last month at Inglewood High United. Many artists — including Juan Pablo Reyes (“JP Murals”), Michelle Ruby Guerrero (“Mr. B Baby”) and Angel Acordagoitia — drew designs on portable signs (12 feet by 8 feet) and picnic tables that community members could paint.

The picnic tables will remain at the high school in front of the Mr. Ace mural. The mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors arriving for the World Cup.

Kathryn Schloessman, CEO of the Los Angeles 2026 World Cup organizing committee, said in a press release that the event was “just one example of how the energy of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods across our region.”

“Students, artists and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will live on well beyond the end of the tournament,” Schloessman said. “It is a reflection of the creativity, diversity and community pride that makes our region so special as we prepare to welcome the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

Community members were encouraged to participate in the painting process, regardless of their skill level.

“We made it easy for people with no experience to have a proficient level of experience, so they could all get involved,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two wall panels and three tables. “We did the sketch, and then I tried to dab a little color – whatever color is supposed to be there, I dab a little color right there, so they have a guide.

Students and community members help paint a wall sign during a Road to the World Cup community day May 2 at Inglewood High School.

(Dawn M. Burkes/Los Angeles Times)

“I was there, kind of supervising, making sure everything was going according to plan. And if anyone has any questions, they’re more than welcome to ask me. But, yeah, it’s pretty easy for them to get involved, to feel that sense of ownership and to have a sense of pride: ‘Yes, I was a part of that process of creating a mural.’ It’s a rich experience for them.”

Acordagoitia has designed several table models that the public will be able to paint during the event.

“They did a great job,” he said of the community members. “They were very helpful. They were asking questions. They got all the other colors correct. So, yeah, they were excited. A lot of the kids were excited to see the painting live, because now the kids are used to being on their phones. So it was a great experience for them.”

Acordagoitia also chose to paint a wall panel himself because “it was a little more technical,” involving portraits of his 8-year-old son, a nephew and a friend.

“I wanted to focus more on youth because that’s really our future,” he said. “So that’s the essence of the mural, about kids, about football, about culture, about community. It’s exciting for me, because I grew up playing football and to include football in art, it’s just a dream come true.”

Guerrero said that “the community has been a big help to me in filling in all the background colors I need to build the details and layers” on the two wall panels she designed.

“My whole style is based on culture. And I think there’s a connection there with the World Cup and the fact that I feel like it brings together all the culture and just celebration,” Guerrero said. “It goes hand in hand with the type of work I do, because my work is really celebratory, celebrating culture. And as an artist based in Los Angeles, I think the collaboration made sense.”

The four artists also participated in another Road to World Cup community day in downtown Los Angeles at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At the event, artists drew designs on large soccer ball-shaped sculptures and an oversized picnic table, also for community members to paint.

Although Mr. Ace chose to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United himself, he was sure to include the theme of community in his work.

“The idea was really centered around creating something that was community based – something that represented the World Cup but also represented a certain sense of community,” he said. “And so what I did was try to create something symbolic, very direct in terms of its relationship with football and find through that how to create something simple that [brings] in this a feeling of community. And that’s how I landed on both hands holding the soccer ball.

Local artist Mr Ace works on his World Cup themed mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

During his time as a student on this campus, Mr. Ace said he had always been involved in art and knew he wanted to pursue a career as an artist. He struggled to find the right words to describe what it felt like to create a piece of art to share with students, the entire community, and everyone who saw it on the way to a World Cup match.

“I guess there are no words to really describe it,” he said. “I think if an artist has the opportunity to paint in their own high school – especially if they’ve done large-scale works in the city, the country or the world – I think it’s a little touching. When it’s tied to something like the World Cup… you know, a lot of my childhood was spent in Inglewood, so given my situation and my life, I think it’s even more intriguing.”