{"id":12461,"date":"2025-10-19T07:22:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T07:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/12461\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T07:22:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T07:22:01","slug":"new-dream-center-mural-brings-youth-voices-to-life-in-downtown-bakersfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/12461\/","title":{"rendered":"New Dream Center Mural Brings Youth Voices to Life in Downtown Bakersfield"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where once there was a blank stucco wall on the southwest side of the Dream Center, there is now a splash of vibrant color \u2013 a mural that tells a story of resilience, growth, and community, all brought to life by the very youth the center serves.<\/p>\n

Local artist Jennifer Williams-Cordova, and current and former foster youth from the Dream Center collaborated to brainstorm, design, and paint the mural from start to finish. Through lunchtime \u201cpizza chats,\u201d Williams-Cordova worked with youth to sketch out ideas and settle on a theme.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an effort on everybody\u2019s part, but the general idea and the concept behind it definitely came from the youth themselves,\u201d Williams-Cordova said.<\/p>\n

The central theme of the piece is about life being a journey. The background transitions from darkness into light. Road signs and winding paths represent the challenges and detours young people face, especially in the foster care system. The monarch butterfly stands as a powerful symbol of change and transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe youth wanted to show that everyone\u2019s on a different journey, and sometimes it\u2019s not a straight path; it can be difficult,\u201d Williams-Cordova said. \u201cAnd they wanted it to be positive and show that there is healing in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Boys & Girls Club volunteers helped paint the mural.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cYou Matter\u201d- the message from Artist Jennifer Williams-Cordova and Dream Center youth.<\/p>\n

For the Dream Center, which serves current and former foster youth up to age 25, the mural is a meaningful addition. The building has always been more than a resource center. It\u2019s a safe place where current and former foster youth can find support, community, and a sense of belonging. Dream Center coordinator Bryanna Wood says it was important for the youth to be a part of the process, leaving their own mark on the mural, which will last long after they leave the Dream Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey know it\u2019s going to be there forever. That\u2019s impactful to know that they\u2019re going to be a part of something that\u2019s going to last and be bigger than them,\u201d Wood said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mural was supported by the Arts Council of Kern, which provided about half of the funds used to create the piece. Jeanette Richardson, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Kern, says the council joined the project with the desire to beautify public spaces, and celebrate kids\u2019 creativity, teamwork, and self-expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, we celebrate youth, community, and the enduring power of the arts to inspire and uplift Bakersfield,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Boys and Girls Club of Bakersfield, which also provided about half the funding, sent students in its art program to help Williams-Cordova block out the main colors, add roads and signs, and even mix colors to create an ombre effect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have very good artists at the Boys and Girls Club and a good art program, so they\u2019re helping me paint some of the things, so they can also help contribute to it, too,\u201d Williams-Cordova said.<\/p>\n

Youth from the Dream Center also added a personal touch: stars to fill out the mural\u2019s night sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll know that their star is there, and they\u2019ll always have a piece that they contributed,\u201d Williams-Cordova explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Foster Youth make their mark on the mural.<\/p>\n

Wood agrees, saying that by putting their own personal flair on the mural, they\u2019re building a lasting connection with the Dream Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re leaving their mark. They\u2019re saying: \u2018I was here, I\u2019m important, I\u2019m seen, I\u2019m acknowledged, I\u2019m a part of something,’\u201d Wood said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Richardson says this project is so much more than a mural.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the youth it can build pride, confidence, and belonging,\u201d she said. \u201cThe mural will stand as a permanent reminder that their creativity matters and that they are an essential part of the city\u2019s story.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For KCSOS Chief of Staff Steve Sanders, who helped facilitate the partnership, the mural shows what we can accomplish when we collaborate as a community to benefit our youth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see the Dream Center join other local downtown businesses in creating public art that helps improve our community\u2019s image,\u201d he said. \u201cJen\u2019s artistic talents plus the vision and input of our youth have helped create another gem in Bakersfield!\u201d<\/p>\n

Located downtown, the mural adds to Bakersfield\u2019s growing landscape of public art, allowing everyone to appreciate it, while also carrying deep personal significance for those who created it.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic art never really stays yours. The whole point is that it\u2019s supposed to belong to the public,\u201d Williams-Cordova explained. \u201cThe youth know that this is their mural, and this is the community\u2019s mural; it belongs to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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