A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.
Perry is now a famous artist who goes by the name Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.
The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.
And a lecture hall on that campus now has a large, ornate painting of a soccer ball being held by two people – recently painted by a 2004 Morningside student as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.
Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artist, whose real name is Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“If you had told me that I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think I would have foreseen that,” said Mr. So I’m a little surprised at how life works in that sense.
He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists who participated in last month’s Road to World Cup community day 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 panels (12 feet by 8 feet) and picnic tables for community members to paint.
Picnic tables will sit at the high school in front of the Mr. Ace mural. Mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors to the World Cup.
Kathryn Schloessman, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles 2026 World Cup Host Committee, said in a news release that the event is “one example of how the power of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods in our region.”
“Students, artists, and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will last long after the competition is over,” said Schloessman. “It is a testament to the creativity, diversity, and community pride that makes our region special as we prepare to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
Community members are encouraged to participate in the painting process, regardless of their skill level.
“We made it easy enough for people with no experience to reach a high level of experience, so that everyone could participate,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two wall panels and three tables. “We did a drawing, and I tried to draw a little color – whatever color should be there, put a little color right there, so they have a guide. …
Students and community members help paint a graffiti panel during the Road to the World Cup Community Day event on May 2 at Inglewood High School.
(Dawn M. Burkes / Los Angeles Times)
“I was there, directing, making sure everything went as planned. And if anyone has any questions, you’re welcome to let me know. But, yes, it’s very easy for them to be involved and feel that sense of ownership and have a sense of pride saying, ‘Yes, I was part of that process of creating the mural.’ It is a rich experience for them.”
Acordagoitia drew several tablet designs for the public to paint at the event.
“They did well,” he said of the community members. “They helped a lot. They were asking questions. They were fixing all the other colors. So, yeah, they were happy. A lot of the kids were excited to see the live drawing, because now the kids are used to being on their phones. So that was a great experience for them.”
Acordagoitia also chose to paint the mural itself because it was “a bit more technical,” featuring pictures of her 8-year-old son, nephew and friend.
“I wanted to focus more on the youth because that is really our future,” he said. “That’s the main thing about the mural, about children, football, culture, community. It makes me happy, because I grew up playing football and combining football with art, it’s just a dream.”
Guerrero said “the community was very helpful in filling in all the background colors I needed to create the details and layers” in the two painted panels he designed.
“My whole style is based on culture. And I think there’s a connection there with the World Cup and how I feel like it brings all cultures together, like a celebration,” Guerrero said. “It kind of fits with the kind of work I do, because my stuff is really a celebration of the holidays, I celebrate the culture. And as an artist based in LA, I think the collaboration made sense.”
The four artists also participated in another Road to World Cup Community Day in downtown LA at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At that event, the artists drew designs on large soccer ball-shaped sculptures and on a large picnic table, again for members of the public to paint.
While Mr. Ace chose to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United on his own, he was sure to incorporate a community theme into his work.
“The idea was to create something community-based – something that represents the World Cup but also represents a certain sense of community,” he said. “So what I did was try to create something symbolic, very specific about its relationship with football and I found out from that how to make something simple [brings] in that sense of community. I sat like that with both hands holding the 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)
Back when he was a student at that campus, Mr. Ace said he was always involved in the arts and knew he wanted a career as an artist. He struggled to come up with the right words to describe how he felt back when he created a work of art that he will share with students, the whole community and everyone who has seen it when going to the World Cup match.
“I don’t think there are any words that can really describe it,” she said. “I think that when any artist gets a chance to paint in their high school — especially if they’ve been doing big works in the city, the country or the world — I think it’s a little bit more emotional. When it’s connected to something like the World Cup … you know, I spent a lot of my childhood in Inglewood, so because of my circumstances and my life, I think it’s even more complicated.”
