Kern Behavioral Health and local artists unveil mural to address mental health, lift up hospital workers
Sep. 24—Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services and Creative Co-Crossing on Thursday unveiled a mural at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital that is the penultimate work in a four-part everGREEN artwork series.
The project was initiated by a KernBHRS employee who wanted to uplift hospital workers through colorful, meaningful art amid the stress put on them during the COVID-19 pandemic, said KernBHRS Director Stacey Kuwahara.
The painting is also intended to spark dialogue about mental health, and it attempts to end the stigma surrounding mental health during September, which is National Suicide Prevention and Recovery Month.
"The sheer volume, the longevity of this pandemic has been exhausting," Kuwahara said. "This mural is a small way to show our support and appreciation for the dedication, commitment to caring and compassion, health care workers."
Kei Deragon, co-founder of Creative Co-Crossing and the sole artist behind the mural, said her ultimate goal was to combine medical elements with iconic local landmarks.
An anatomically correct heart in the center draws attention to the hospital's location in the heart of Bakersfield. To her, streets, like arteries transporting blood, pour patients into and out of the hospital.
The Kern River flows into half the heart, with the bluffs in the distance. Locally important street names such as Chester Avenue, Union Avenue and 34th Street pay homage to traditional Bakersfield landmarks.
Deragon incorporated elements of diversity within the painting. She purposefully left the women racially ambiguous to let more individuals visualize themselves in her work. The mother in the mural represents health care workers aiding the community and providing healing, she said.
"Community members give their interpretations and share their experiences, and that is what creative crossing believes," Deragon said. "Public art is really about connecting."
Furthermore, the artist gave a nod to the LGBTQ-plus community by painting a rainbow shooting out at the heart's bottom.
Robin Mangarin-Scott, vice president of marketing and communications in the Southern California division of Dignity Health, said the rendering of Bakersfield residents demonstrates the hospital's ability to serve everyone.
Donna Sharp, the regional director of Community Health, said health-care workers feel hope when spotting the mural.
"It creates a light of positivity and that's exciting at a time when a lot of things may not seem positive," Sharp added.
Founded in 2019, Creative Co-crossing aims to lift up the community by conveying Bakersfield's stories, said Christopher Perez, an artist with the group.
Deja Nunez, another artist with Creative Co-crossing, said art pieces like the mural also spark conversations about taboo topics.
"Even if one little piece of this mural inspires one person, then we did our job." Perez said. "That's why it's so powerful."
The colorful mural on the side of a hospital recognizes how mental health is important to regular, physical health, Kuwahara said.
"If I have something physically hurting me, it's very hard to ignore that," Kuwhara said. "But if I'm feeling depressed or anxious ... sometimes those feelings are easy to not address immediately. Using art ... to continue the conversation about mental health (and) to normalize it becomes really important."
The largest and final artwork in the everGREEN series will be unveiled at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at CALM Zoo on 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway.
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. Follow her on Twitter: @idesai98.
