The James Irvine Foundation began its commitment to storytelling by commissioning a series of mural projects that brought the work of our Leadership Award recipients to life in creative and impactful ways.
Here’s a look at the projects we proudly helped bring to life, featuring commentary from the artists:
The Power of Unity
Leadership Award Recipients: Naindeep Singh
Participating Artist(s): Levi Ponce
Medium: Mural
Video description: Video description: The livestream shows various speakers celebrating the work of Naindeep Singh. The Leadership Award is presented and a mural is unveiled to celebrate their work.
The Power of Unity—a new mural that reflects the strength we find in one another during times of hardship and hope. There are times when unity is all we have and unity is all we need. When resources are scarce or injustices run high it is our collective power that pushes us through to victory. Throughout history people have come together to ignite the change they seek and many of these moments have involved the loss of leaders and love ones. Their work and legacy is not diminished, it is amplified, by those that continue reaching toward a better tomorrow.
untitled
Leadership Award Recipients: Camila Chávez
Participating Artist(s): Brandon Thompson
Medium: Mural
Video description: Video description: The livestream shows various speakers celebrating the work of Camila Chávez. The Leadership Award is presented and a mural is unveiled to celebrate their work.
‘untitled’ is a transformation in East Bakersfield, which celebrates the Dolores Huerta Foundation’s generational impact on the community for almost 20 years. However interpreted, this mural celebrates youth empowerment, civic engagement, the power of voting, the rich farming and agriculture community, education, and unity. “We are each other’s harvest” is represented by a Latinx/Punjabi/Black Farmer harvesting crops, with people emerging (we painted the face in a way to keep interpretation open). Sprinkled throughout are protest signs as a hard visual of civic engagement. The youth at the podium represents youth empowerment, with generational support at their side. At the right bottom – everyone’s voting! Dolores informs the people with a megaphone in hand, at far right. The mural is flanked with a greyscale abstract, cascading down the left and right, highlighting Bakersfield’s blended city and agriculture scene.
iFoster
Leadership Award Recipients: Serita Cox
Participating Artist(s): Enkone
Medium: Mural
Video description: Video description: The livestream shows various speakers celebrating the work of Serita Cox. The Leadership Award is presented and a mural is unveiled to celebrate their work.
This mural design features kids getting over a wall. The wall is an obstacle in life that can represent a lot of things such as trauma, ugliness, bad times, a dark place, or a bad situation. Sometimes we can’t always do things alone. The help of others is needed to get over the hurdles in life, helping us climb up to a better place. The characters in this piece signify that. They are able to overcome adversity together, as a team. Past the wall you can see the other side, which is green and beautiful, with the ocean, sunrays, light clouds and positivity. I want everyone to know that there truly can be brighter days ahead.
The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program
Leadership Award Recipients: Royal Ramey and Brandon Smith
Participating Artist(s): Enkone
Medium: Mural
Video description: Video description: The livestream shows various speakers celebrating the work of Royal Ramey and Brandon Smith. The Leadership Award is presented and a mural is unveiled to celebrate their work.
This mural blends historic imagery with portraits of FFRP members—highlighting the power of second chances, purpose-driven service, and community resilience.
As Enkone shared, “I have great respect and admiration for the work that FFRP does.” This piece is more than a mural, it’s a tribute to those building equity and opportunity in California’s fire service, one recruit at a time.
Listen
Leadership Award Recipients: DeVone Boggan
Participating Artist(s): John Horton
Medium: Mural
Video description: Video description: This video is a virtual unveiling in which artist John Horton describes how DeVone Boggan’s work with Advance Peace influenced the creation of a mural.
“Listen” The theme of this mural is Transforming Lives, and the good work that DeVone Boggan, and people like him at Advance Peace and others are doing every day, helping others, listening to them, and uplifting them. The artwork features vibrant colors and a scene based on a photo of community members interacting with local youth, speaking to them in a positive way, and helping to guide them in the right direction towards the future. In the background, the city of Richmond is depicted in artist John Horton’s signature vibrant colors and geometric shapes. A few small but special acknowledgements to DeVone’s beloved family members are placed in different areas, along with the Advance Peace logo and RPAL logos to the side.
Roots Community Health Center
Leadership Award Recipients: Dr. Noha Aboelata
Medium: Award Presentation Event
Video description: Video description: The livestream shows various speakers celebrating the work of Dr. Noha Aboeleta. The Leadership Award is presented at the celebration of the Armstead Hall grand opening.
On July 8th we celebrated the opening of Armstead Hall, a new chapter for Roots Community Health Center and the community it serves. This new space now offers walk-in behavioral health services for youth, creating easier access to care in a setting built on trust. Led by Dr. Noha Abolelata, the opening of Armstead Hall reflects a long-standing commitment to meeting people where they are and providing the support they need, when they need it.