Mural Stories: Color Arrived Before Most People Noticed
Sponsored by Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County
by Mary Anne Em Radmacher, Arts Council of Kern
Sponsored by Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County
by Mary Anne Em Radmacher, Arts Council of Kern
May 28, 2026
WHERE TO SEE IT: State Route 204 at Q Street Underpass. Photo by Stacey Leigh Photography
Commuters passed beneath State Route 204 at Q Street as they always had. Then, almost without fanfare, the concrete began to speak. Colors stretched across the underpass. A story unfolded in two directions. One of Bakersfield’s busiest corridors was quietly transformed.
The project, led by Jeanette Richardson and the Arts Council of Kern, brought together many partners, including Caltrans and Clean California, to create three travel corridor murals. At the 204/Q Street underpass, the largest of the three, that vision culminated: bold, vibrant imagery woven into the daily rhythm of transit.
“Mural projects catalyze dialogue,” Richardson says. “They prompt conversation about identity, belonging, and the power of community art. Their impact extends far beyond the wall.”
The Arts Council issued a public call for artists, placing the final selection in the hands of the community. The chosen work, “Night and Day” by Jesse Moreno, captured both imagination and place.
Moreno’s design reflects Kern County’s natural contrasts. On the Q Street side, daylight, as butterflies and a kit fox move through orange poppies along the Kern River, alive, and playful with bright polka dots! On the Golden State Avenue side, night settles across a desert landscape. A roadrunner stands among cacti, rock formations, and Joshua trees beneath a field of stars.
“It was a privilege to work on a project of this scale,” Moreno says. “But more than that, it was the people. This entire team showed up as artists, builders, problem-solvers, and risk-takers.”
The risk was real. Crews worked 35 feet in the air, navigating scaffolding in an active underpass, facing rain, wind, and heat while meeting a fixed completion date. What emerged was more than a complete mural; it was a shared experience that strengthened the group behind it. And that may be the quiet success of the work.
Not only that a wall was transformed, but that a collection of individuals became part of something larger is evidence of what can happen when vision and partnership align. Day after day, as people pass through, they don’t just witness the mural. They become part of its story, too.
Where You Can See It: State Route 204 at Q Street Underpass
Find more of KCFM's Mural Stories Series below:
Mural Stories: A Slice of Bakersfield History
Mural Stories: Dream Center Youth Mural
Mural Stories: Nine Parks, One Mural
Mural Stories: EASTCHESTER: One Word, An Artful Direction
Mural Stories: The Roots of the Basque Mural
Sponsored by Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County
