Elizabeth Aceves was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. Her interest in art was sparked during a school to LACMA. Surrounded by bright, beautiful colors, and impactful compositions oozing with emotion, she realized her passion to become an artist. From her first sketchbook purchased later that summer, Aceves continued to surround herself with creativity and a community of artists, eventually leading her to BMoA ArtWorks program. 

Storytelling is crucial to Aceves’ artwork. She plans to pursue animation following high school as it is a unique medium in which stories can be relayed. Aceves admires the creative process and experimental approaches to creating. Experimentation allows her to maintain a sense of wonder and curiosity, inspiring the use of new mediums in which to tell stories through.

My artwork is reflective of my own memories with family being at the center. Bright colors, swirling brushstrokes, and blurred edges act to replicate the confusion I have experienced as I decide what my childhood home meant to me and what value it holds in my life now. Hindsight has afforded me the ability to recognize the grief and frustration that loomed over and followed my family. Knowing glances and well-kept distance meant nothing to me at the time, but in the present, provide a world of context. I have been told that I was a child born from grief, and like my childhood home, I was a vessel from which my family could move on from the tragedy of an untimely death. This blurred memory places the viewer in a position to consider what has been forgotten and what new experience can be gained with hindsight. Memories, whether favorable or unfavorable, are uncovered in order to be valued or judged.

-Elizabeth Aceves

Jimena Arriaga was born on March 15, 2005, in Sacramento, California. She has practiced drawing and creating from an early age and, as a musician, played violin and cello in elementary and middle school. Arriaga is always exploring ways to improve her skills as an artist.  

I created this piece as a representation of part of my childhood. When I was younger, I would go to Hart Park regularly. Now, I find myself looking back on those memories each time I return. I want viewers to experience a bit of nostalgia when looking at my piece. Everyone experiences nostalgia differently and likely can have different interpretations of this piece as well. I am interested in the variety of interpretations that my piece will invoke.

-Jimena Ariaga

Elise Barnett was born in Bakersfield, California in 2005. Her interest in art was sparked in kindergarten when she was given her first art project. At age 13, Barnett started to post realistic colored pencil drawings on Instagram. Her preferred medium has always been colored pencils because they offer a preferred feeling of control for the artist. Barnett additionally works with acrylics, watercolor and pottery.  

My piece tells the sweet version of my childhood. Representing different moments in my life and the nostalgia I experience through my cherished childhood toys, animals, and traditions. I have painted myself into the painting holding my younger self’s hand as she guides me through the overwhelming experience of my memories.

-Elise Barnett

Born in 2005, Emily Clerico has always been attracted to creating. Coming from a Roman Catholic background, she loves to incorporate elements of religion into her artwork. Additionally, her love of pop culture and the role it played in her childhood inspired her to connection to Pop Surrealism. Clerico aspires to push people out of their comfort zone and spark conversation.  

In this sculpture I combined elements of music, movies, television, personal items, my experiences growing up Catholic, and my unique childhood fantasies in order to create something that others can connect with, while remaining personal and one of a kind. Rabbit Heart is inspired by a ceramic music box that my maternal grandfather painted when he was battling throat cancer, which my family brings out every spring. I was also inspired by the Florence + the Machine song of the same name. The song’s lyrics describe a transition from “rabbit-hearted girl frozen in the headlights” to “lion-hearted girl ready for a fight,” much like I feel I have transitioned from being a timid child to an outspoken individual who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. The song also represents my relationship with my father because we used to listen to Florence + the Machine when I was younger. Through creating this piece, I discovered that we often cling onto nostalgia because we find comfort in the familiar. I found it difficult to remember certain aspects of my childhood exactly as they had actually happened, and yet, there was comfort. I wanted to show this in my piece by having the rabbit comforting the bleeding organ cradled in its arm. The landscape represents how I remember my childhood and the bunny itself represents the comfort of nostalgia. The heart represents me at the present, healing from traumas I blocked out as a child. Inner conflict remains as we try to grow but have not yet healed from the past. We must open those wounds by exposing the truth, this is the only way to heal.

-Emily Clerico

Born in 2005 in Bakersfield, California, Tera Ellwein was always drawn to illustrations and the textures of art supplies. Her current interests lie in digital software and illustration. Ellwein would like to pursue a career in mathematics and continue art on the side. She is inspired by comedic cartoons, mental health illustrations, and small artist animators. Most of the artist’s recent work has been on digital software, but her sketches are always done on paper.  

My work is my interpretation of the transition from childhood to adulthood. The first 17 years of life are the most important, but also filled with struggle. The path toward the future can be a dark tunnel full of fear. There is always something that would stare, laugh, grab, kick, crawl, and bite you. There are memories that spiral and limbs that move and grow causing a suffocating environment in what was once an empty space. The future, the next room, is a scary and curious place. With the feeling that there is only one way in and one way out, crossing is the toughest and most important decision to make. There is always something that everyone cares about that can cause a gravitation towards what they want in life, whether to go forward into the future or hold on to the past. My art is influenced by famous horror novels and illustrations along with personal experiences as a teenager, a student, friend, youngest sibling and daughter. My work operates as a familiar place that everyone has gone through, and it is a broad interpretation of what transition feels like. While projecting a dark side, these works also show care and love, and the complexity behind everything. Even though growing up can be a terrifying process, there is always beauty in learning to appreciate life and all the good and bad that comes with it.

-Tera Ellwein

Born in Bakersfield, California Robyn Franco grew up with a great love for creativity and discovery. She began her journey in art like most kids, with crayons and colored pencils and from there learned many more techniques through the internet and continued encouragement from her family. From elementary through middle school, Franco participated in art competitions, winning multiple first place awards. In 2022 she won the KHSD Rising Artist Award, pushing her to consider the arts as a career. She will attend Bakersfield College in the fall of 2023 to pursue her AA with plans to transfer to a 4-year university and continue her art education. Franco enjoys making art with themes of self-reflection as well as social and environmental progress aiming to inspire conversation. She plans to become a professional artist and art teacher in order to take the creativity and critical thinking skills she loves and nurture that in future generations, building a future where people can think creatively and learn to express themselves.

In this piece, I put the most detail into the figure to draw attention to her contentment in artistic self-expression and soft purples and pinks to capture the innocent and playful nature of childhood. I also attempted slightly overexposed lighting to imitate the flash of a digital camera. This piece is a reminder to myself and those around me that no matter what, especially when it concerns my sexuality, I am still me and will always stay true to myself. The dolls holding hands in the corner contrast the heterosexual relationship shown on the tv and the stickers are a physical manifestation of my queerness. Similarly to how God gave humanity the rainbow as a promise of graciousness, the rainbows in this piece are a promise to myself to not alter who I am for other people's comfort. I hope through this painting others will find the courage to stay true to themselves.

-Robyn Franco

Born in 2005 in Burbank, California, Alondra Garcia was always attempting to be an artist like her father. At first, she was disillusioned that she couldn’t make art as nice as others, however, that didn’t stop her from trying. Unfortunately, she experienced a period of hardship that changed her life completely. After the passing of her father, drawing became her main distraction and to her surprise she was able to finally create art that she was satisfied with. Because of this, Garcia believes her drawing capability to be a gift from God, as if it were meant for her to take up her father’s place as an artist since he was no longer there. Other than her father teaching her the basics, Garcia had never taken an art class before her junior year of high school. There, she decided to take ceramics, loved it, and has continues to be involved to this day. Her creativity has increased as she continues to make ceramic pieces at school and drawings at home. Garcia plans to have an artistic future and may pursue a major in architecture.

Nostalgia is the feeling I get when I am reminded of beautiful moments, especially those with someone who is no longer in my life. In this drawing I created a broken window into the past on an old TV screen. I used different color saturations to express how I feel about the past and the present. I included several stores and items that were a huge part of my childhood such as Toys R Us and my favorite books at the book fair. I used vivid colors to show the warmth I felt when I came across them. When I was younger, watching movies with my family and creating music with my father, my days seemed bright and the entire world was vibrant, but growing up made me realize that the world wouldn’t always be a happy place. Through my eyes, the present lacks enthusiasm and is dull in color. However, I’m content that I had the opportunity to create wonderful memories that I will cherish for the rest of my days.

-Alondra Garcia 

Ray Garcia was born in Lancaster, California in 2005. As an artist, Garcia enjoys drawing and photography, with the ambition to become a famous artist. In addition to the arts, she also spends time roller skating and spending time with loved ones. Garcia keeps track of her daily experiences which she uses to inspire her creative process. 

Through my work, the viewer is given the opportunity to get a glimpse into my life, represented by the carousel, allowing them to focus on the perceived positive or negative of the work. Each horse represents a core memory of mine. The carousel is partially obscured, representing how my future is yet to be determined. I want to convey that even though the work is focusing on the past, there is more to my life and experiences. In this piece, I hope to demonstrate the influence that my family, most notably my sister, has on my work.

-Ray Garcia

Brian Hernandez was born June 15, 2006, in Indio, California. He enjoys kickboxing and MMA in addition to traditional art. Hernandez is always striving to become a better artist and aspires to have a career making comics or illustrations. He finds inspiration in his determination to continuously achieve more in all aspects of life. 

While many people feel happy remembering the past, I see it as a past that is gone and I don't want to remember it. My piece is meant to represent my want to escape a lot of dark memories. My piece was made using air dry clay and a wooden canvas. The black hand represents current day me and the painting represents happy, younger me.

-Brian Hernandez

Hanna Kim was born on July 26, 2005, in Montana. She was raised in Korea, and attended school in Atlanta, Seattle, and Bakersfield to study abroad during her high school years. Currently, she is a junior at Stockdale high school. Kim is passionate about digital art and her work embodies a captivating blend of nostalgia and whimsy. With a keen eye for intricate details and a mastery of the cartoon, line drawing style, Kim brings imaginative worlds to life, infusing each piece with vibrant colors and enchanting characters. Drawing inspiration from memories and universal experiences, Kim's art invites viewers on a journey through imagination, evoking joy, wonder, and a nostalgic longing for the carefree days of youth. She infuses positive messages that serve as a testament to the enduring power of imagination and the beauty found in the simplest moments of life.

My digital art revolves around nostalgia and childhood, brought to life through my unique and whimsical style. Each piece is meticulously crafted with intricate details and features a colorful array of characters born from the depths of my imagination. Through this playful and vibrant approach, I aim to evoke a sense of joy and wonder, transporting viewers back to the carefree days of childhood and sparking a nostalgic connection to the magical realms of imagination.

-Hanna Kim

Kaela Kirkland was born in 2005 in Bakersfield, California. She has been interested in art since the age of 3 years old. Practicing drawing whenever she could, it became one of her favorite things to do. Creating art has become an outlet for her, when she is stressed or bored, it becomes a peaceful place to focus on creating something new. Currently a junior at Frontier High School, Kirkland has shown work in a few art shows including the Kern County Fair where she was awarded 1st Best of Division 2022 and 1st Best of Class 2022. Kirkland also received 1st for her grade division from the YAM 2023 Bakersfield Art Association. Her artistic goals are to have a career in art and to continue to improve and learn.

What influences me the most are the places I have visited, such as trails along the coast. I love the cool clean air, the beautiful sceneries of the outdoors and mountains, as well as the life that surrounds these places. My artwork is from my memories of going to the beach as a kid and playing in the water. I wanted to recreate places I have been that evoke a feeling of calmness, like the fresh crip air of the ocean breeze to the soft sand I feel moving from underneath my feet. By using acrylic paint to create the colors and textures of the piece to bring it to life. I want others to see my piece and be transported there as well.

-Kaela Kirkland

Born in 2006 in Bakersfield, Claudia Medina was always into the arts whether it was books, doing crafts with her mom, or drawing. Growing up was always too fast for her, but one thing that never seemed to pass was art. A quiet yet creative kid, her love for art flourished in kindergarten when she won an award for the best watercolor fish drawing. Today, she is still the same quiet person who has had her own struggles, using art as an escape and a breath of fresh air. Art has grown to be a part of who she is. Medina plans to pursue a nursing career while, in her down time, continue to create art. Her inspirations come from her experiences, relationships, social media, and emotions, to name a few. She takes in everything, constantly wanting to grow as an artist and a person. Medina has expressed fear of the future because of the unknown and the unlimited possibilities. 

My piece represents my present self looking back on younger, past me. I want to commemorate parts of my childhood and the objects that were key to me. My childhood and the way I was brought up in the 2000's are big influences on my work. I experimented with different mediums and colors to relay nostalgia. My art has personal aspects, and with these, I open myself up to the viewers. I'm willing to discuss all aspects of my work

-Claudia Medina

Ximena Esperanza Moreno was born in 2005 in Bakersfield, California. Growing up in a close-knit family, Moreno was encouraged by her grandmother to explore nature and to use flower petals as paints while sitting under weeping willows. Her mother’s love of art exposed Moreno to art from different cultures around the world. Moreno also had the privilege of traveling to Mexico every year. Having the opportunity to connect with her culture, she soon immersed herself in the beautiful art of her culture. Moreno’s art reflects her childhood, her emotions, her mental health, and tenacity in facing life’s obstacles. Emotion and thought are poured into every single art piece she creates. Moreno prefers working with oil paints, oil pastels, chalk pastels, watercolors, color pencils, charcoal, and flower petals. She plans to continue her art journey and create while continuing her education at CSUB.

My art holds my thoughts and feelings that I'm unable to communicate through words. Every color, every brush stroke holds meaning. I spent half of my young years in Tijuana, Mexico, during that time my father went through the legal process of obtaining papers. I began to realize how big the world is and how harsh life can be. I internalized everything and found it extremely difficult to communicate. I felt like I had big emotions for a little body, until I discovered how colors can communicate what I feel. I began putting my feelings on canvas. I realized that feeling so much is beautiful. I use a variety of colors to create meaning and a beautiful mess, my beautiful mess. Additionally, I often reference music, usually songs from my childhood or songs that I listened to in hard times. Putting so many personal things on display, my artwork reflects who I am.

-Ximena Moreno

Venice Sanchez was born in Bakersfield, California. The third born out of four kids, she has an older sister, brother, and younger brother. The whole family has been supportive and invested in her love of art, whether it be getting supplies or prompts when she didn’t know what to create, they have always encouraged her originality. Currently, Sanchez is an eighteen year old senior at East Bakersfield High School.  

I have never been great at explaining how I felt, so when I feel happy, sad, anxious, or if I don’t even understand what I feel, I look to art, which takes what I’m feeling to another level. I like to create visuals of my emotions which is why I took what I felt when I first cut my hair the way I wanted to as a lovely piece of art. Cutting my hair was a core memory for me, a steppingstone for finding out who I am. I’ve always been a very indecisive person about things such as what I want to do as a career, my style, and even my favorite color (it’s purple and green). Since I have also been so indecisive, I always took my family and friends’ input very seriously. However, I ended up choosing more for them rather than myself, which is not the best way to go when you want to live your OWN life. Of course, you want people’s input, but you shouldn’t forget to put in your own either. Cutting my hair was the one thing that I did that no one else really had input in, I just did it. Even though I knew everyone around me, my friends, family, and even strangers would see my random decision, it felt good to finally make what I consider to be a big decision. And at the same time, it felt like I was starting off new and that felt amazing.

- Venice Sanchez

Pina Tablas was born in 2006 in Bakersfield, California. Her passion for the arts started when she was very young. She remembers watching cartoons and obsessing over the concept of being a voice actor. The idea that someone could be a part of something that seemed so important struck her. However, she was not determined to create anything until meeting one of her closest friends in elementary school. Meeting this person changed her life entirely. They started Tablas’ habit of drawing consistently and introduced her to musical theatre. These new interests helped Tablas discover her true love for storytelling in art. She recognizes the power to build fictional worlds that can capture so much real emotion, and the power to move people comes with insane possibilities. Through the consumption of animated media, spending hours doodling, and writing Tablas discovered her artistic goal. Her dream is to create a show of her own. She wants to write something that can move people or teach them about the issues we face in our everyday lives. She aspires to become the type of artist and storyteller that future generations look up to.

For my paintings, I started off with a sketch using thinned out paint on the canvas then I worked from dark to light when building upon the paint. I wanted to create paintings that express a lot of emotion while also highlighting the mindlessness we enter when we start falling into an addictive state with technology. The first painting shows carelessness, while the second one shows guilt and awareness of the addiction.

-Pina Tablas