Black History Month is often marked by reflection on legacy, struggle, brilliance, and resistance — and in Kern County, that reflection is also happening on walls, in classrooms, and inside community spaces through the work of two local visual artists.
For local artists Brandon Thompson and Deidre Hathor, art has never been just decoration. It’s been language, therapy, community, and a way to celebrate culture and spark conversation through public murals, typography, and community art classes.
Thompson’s journey into the art industry began more than 15 years ago while he was serving in the military. Stationed on the East Coast, he was experimenting with spray paint on a piece of wood as a gift for a neighbor.
He said his neighbor’s response shifted something in him after being told his artwork was good and that he should sell his work.
“That right there let me know,” Thompson said. “I just loved doing it anyway, but that was the moment.”
Even with a military life to balance, Thompson made time to create his art by sketching and painting during the day before putting on his uniform at night. Over time, he said, art stopped feeling like something extra.
“They say you make room for your gift and your gift makes room for you,” he said. “It just became a pattern. And I loved it.”
Now based in Bakersfield, Thompson said he intentionally chose to return to Kern County because his support system is here. He also stated that he sees the region’s location — positioned between Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Las Vegas — as an advantage for working artists. But most importantly, he said, he sees opportunity in the stories here.
Through large-scale public murals, Thompson works to “celebrate, educate, and inspire.” These three words are central to his mission.
“I celebrate people and culture. I educate the masses, maybe show you something you didn’t know,” he said. “And then inspire those before me and the ones coming after.”
Thompson said public art allows him to communicate quickly and powerfully.
“You could say so much with pictures,” he said. “As I keep painting, I’m able to tell bigger stories with just one wall.”
For Hathor, art was never a hobby to begin with. She said it’s how she processes life without using words.
Born in Pittsburgh, raised in a preacher’s family with roots in Los Angeles, and having lived in cities like Memphis and Phoenix, Hathor said she grew up witnessing deep emotions like faith, struggle, joy, and community.
“Art was my language,” she said. “It was a tool I used to communicate to the world what people are feeling and what I’m feeling.”
Now living and creating in Kern County, Hathordescribed the region as layered. She said it is shaped by agriculture, oil fields, migration, faith, wealth, homelessness, and working families.
“There’s a lot of story to tell here,” she said. “Kern County is truth. You can see it all.”
As a visual artist and muralist who incorporates bold typography, Hathor noted that she uses color intentionally. She described this as color therapy.
“If I paint something red, it’s because I want to give the influence of love or passion or pay attention,” she said. “My art is not just there. It has intention.”
Both Hathor and Thompson currently have work featured at Bird Dog Arts as part of a Black History Month exhibition that includes tributes to figures such as Muhammad Ali, Miles Davis, and Nina Simone. Washington also recently exhibited with the Black Student Union at Bakersfield College.
Much of her work centers on empowerment and identity, often aligned with Afrofuturism.
“I think art is a necessity,” she said. “It’s the heartbeat of the world.”
Thompson and Washington have also built together. Five years ago, they launched “Artists Seeking Knowledge,” a free community art class serving youth and aspiring creatives in Kern County.
Hathorhas also worked with local schools and community groups through partnerships with the Arts Council of Kern and the California Arts Council, bringing art into classrooms and public spaces.
In a county where they say Black residents are a small but strong community, both artists understand the power of visibility.
“As a minority here, I get an opportunity to express exactly what people are feeling,” Hathorsaid. “I want them to leave being around my art, learning something, expanding their consciousness.”
For Thompson, the goal remains clear.
“If I can celebrate, educate, and inspire — even two out of those three — with every piece, then I’ve done my job,” he said.
And whether anyone is watching or not, they are still creating.
