Mural Stories: EASTCHESTER: One Word, An Artful Direction
Sponsored by Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County
by Mary Anne Radmacher, Arts Council of Kern
Sponsored by Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County
by Mary Anne Radmacher, Arts Council of Kern
Mar 26, 2026
Heather Hafen Photography; Brandon Thompson, Muralist and Air Force Veteran, 11andt.com; Deidre Hathor, Muralist, Life Coach @DeidreHathor on social media; Tomás del ToroDíaz, Saguaro Investors, LLC
One word. A map. A direction layered with meaning. A mural covers a building, on “O” between 19th and 20th and it boldly declares, “Eastchester.”
Building co-owners Tomás del Toro‑Díaz, MFA, and Branden Dailey, DDS, have hopes that are both simple and ambitious: help establish Eastchester as a widely recognized Arts District. This mural would not advertise the businesses within the building… it would celebrate Bakersfield’s past, present and the direction ahead. Muralists, Brandon Thompson and Deidre Hathor, know Bakersfield’s walls well.
They have completed dozens of murals throughout Kern. Their work pairs discipline with imagination. A mural does not begin with paint. It begins with listening…followed by drafts, color studies, square-foot calculations, contracts, and careful attention to a client’s vision. Look closely: stories reveal themselves.
A man reaching into a laundry basket remembers Sam Woo’s Laundromat. A low rider rests inside the first “E,” modeled after a local car. A mother and daughter ride bicycles through another section of the design. The silhouette of a band honors Bakersfield musicians. A young woman wearing headphones, modeled after Brandon’s niece, Malayah, represents the future of The Bakersfield Sound.
Fifteen windows punctuate the wall, obstacles these artists chose to incorporate rather than avoid. Most of the mural is completed in spray paint, with sharp lines and subtle blends guided by a skill that begins in the artists’ minds and moves through their hands.
Tomás del Toro‑Díaz says, “The mural symbolizes downtown Bakersfield’s promise while paying homage to history. Eastchester, once a place of refuge and row houses, is now a robust epicenter for eateries, entertainment, and the arts. It is full of revitalization and a fundamental shift in mindset.”
He further emphasizes, “Eastchester tells a story of where our dialogue makes a left turn toward something we’ve never had before. We are reimagining this part of the city for the better and declaring broadly: There are indeed many things to do in Bakersfield. Come to Eastchester and see what’s happening.”
Where to See it:
Sound Capital, Inc. On “O” Street, between 19th & 20th, Bakersfield, CA
Find more of KCFM's Mural Stories Series below:
Mural Stories By Arts Council of Kern
Mural Stories: Dream Center Youth Mural
Mutal Stories: Nine Parks, One Mural
