Delano Mural Civic Engagement

Phase 1: The Site

    The site of the artwork that I chose is very close to home and it represents a big part of my family. It is a representation of our Mexican and Filipino community and the United Farm Workers. I chose this site because it is from a surrounding small town, seven miles from my hometown. My hometown is Earlimart, CA  and this mural is from Delano, CA, where many may know for its agriculture industry and the fieldworker movement. I proudly come from an immigrant family and this mural represents how hard working, family-oriented, and self-driven this community is. It represents what our families had to endured to give us a better life and more opportunities. 

Phase 2: Field Work

    

This bright and colorful mural of Filipino labor leader Larry Itliong is located at Morningside Elementary School in Delano, CA painted by artist Eliseo Art Silva. Silva stated “Larry Itliong is the first Filipino American to get a seat at the table. His story is important and has encouraged Filipinos.” Morningside principal Ricardo Chavez said Itliong made it safer for all field workers, including his own father. “The movement helped all our family,” Chavez said. “It’s not easy work, and it’s not appreciated enough.” We would nit have a community in Delano without the farmworkers. Superintendent Rosalina Rivera said Itliong had “a deep conviction for justice. Dedicating this library is a special day for us all.” October 25th is now known as Larry Itliong day. 

This mural is located at Ellington Community Center in Delano, CA painted by a number of unknown Delano residents in 2009. It represents Cesar Chavez and his contribution to Delano’s farmworkers. There are several phrases on the mural such as “a preference to help the most needy, acceptance of all people, sacrifice, and non-violence.” All these phrases represent the United Farm Workers movement and the sacrifices for better labor rights without violence. The children in the mural are a representation of the future and why labor rights were fought for the farmworkers to help them give their children more opportunities. 

Phase 3: Critical Analysis 

    The Delano Downtown Mural represents the agriculture and the historic farmworkers movements for civil rights. Labor leader Cesar Chavez is featured in the painting representing his non-violent tactics to strike and boycott to improve working conditions, wages, and labor rights. Filipino American civil rights leader Larry Itliong is also featured in the painting for leading the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee walkout against grape growers demanding fair pay and better working conditions. There are people of different shades surrounded around a table in the painting that represents how our community is family-oriented and will treat anyone like family. Giving someone food to eat is a Mexican and Filipino gesture that is well-known because no one around us goes hungry and will always have a seat at our table. The children smiling in the painting is a symbolism of how hard our immigrant parents work or worked in order for us to live a stress-free life and focus on our education and live a normal childhood unlike they did. I didn’t verbally receive feedback from a community member, but the community of Delano has been working to remove the name and images of Cesar Chavez from public property due to the sexual abuse allegations against Chavez arose in March 2026. The city council underwent meetings to rename the Cesar Chavez park, high school, and removing face from any tribute to him. The city was given a $60,000 grant from the California Arts Council for the Delano Downtown Breezeway Mural. The grant was awarded to the Art Council of Kern in 2014 and city council decided on commissioned Carlo L. De Guzman to make their vision come to life.  

Phase 4: Proposal 

I like that our community is slowing growing and adding new market places to expand opportunities for those around us. I dislike that there are very little art pieces and murals around our city. I believe there could be more art pieces placed around our community to help elevate the city with color and give people the opportunity to share their work. Having art pieces around our community with help the audience seek meaning and have a different view to what art means to them. Art sculptures and pieces can be placed more around downtown to give those walking a nicer view and for them to stop and admire the pieces. Another placement can be around the new market places on Wolloomes Avenue. There can be a variety of themes such as adding more identity and culture pieces, abstraction and emotion pieces to allow the community to see artwork that they might have not seen before. Abstraction and emotion pieces can be energy and movement, color psychology, and music and sound. Artwork can help residents express their social concerns and bring the neighborhoods together. Our community is used to seeing gang affiliated graffiti and we can make a difference by allowing those who initially did not have a good reason to damage property with graffiti, give them opportunities to learn other art forms. If our community gives people opportunities to learn other art forms, it challenges them to express themselves and want to create meaningful and beautiful art pieces. This gives everyone in our community to come together and admire art pieces that they can possibly relate to and find the underlying meaning and message the artist had behind their work.