Art in the Park in Bakersfield raises awareness for mental health

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services along with Creative Crossing Co-Create and Kern Family Health Care brought back Art in the Park for Mental Health Awareness month.
The event ran throughout the weekend at Panorama Park.

It’s the second annual Art in the Park where 30 murals have been put up throughout the Bluffs.

“Start the conversation with the community about our own mental wellness, Christina Rajlal with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services said. “Check in with the community, your neighbors, your family, your kiddos and ask are you OK? And if you’re not, it’s OK to not be OK. These are hard times right now.”

Thirty local artists painted six-foot canvases that tell stories of mental health.

“I wanted to bring them all out and show the wide variety of things I make that really revolve around mental health and my own struggles with that to hopefully help people with their own struggles to help them work through it through my own work,” Jasmine Turner an artist said.

Some of the art is chaotic, while others are still and calm. All the art though comes with a meaning.

“The painting itself is a character where on the right side shows the lows, bipolar depression and like schizophrenia it’s really darkened,” Art Rodriquez an artist said. “On the left side with a lot of color shows a lot of highs and mania and positive and good feelings and stuff.”

“I think it’s really important to have a representation of anxiety that’s sort of different because I know when anxiety is portrayed it’s done in a really dark and negative light and I really wanted to portray something really colorful, bright and beautiful but also chaotic and just everywhere all at once,” Turner said.

Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services says a crisis number is available for anyone in need.
That number is 1-800-991-5272.