One year ago, Pasadena Community Foundation awarded its inaugural Arts & Culture Grants with funding to 18 local arts organizations. Side Street Projects used its funding to support an Artist Residency Program that brings the community together with artists who center collective and intergenerational healing from trauma in their work. Two artists were selected to embark on projects in 2023-2024: Heather Hilliard Bonds (read below) and Kate Muehlemann Cataldo.
Emily Hopkins, Side Street Project’s Executive Director, points out that even though it is often difficult to secure funding for programs focused on emerging artists, “what our community needs right now is emerging artists who have the fluidity to pivot and support the evolving needs of the community.” Recently, when the organization engaged in community dialogue, staff members learned that residents wanted “safe and ‘peaceful’ spaces for folks to connect, create, and heal, with an emphasis on intergenerational engagement.”
Teens Create A Space Space with Heather Hilliard Bonds
On a chilly spring afternoon, a handful of energetic middle school students at La Pintoresca Teen Education Center in northwest Pasadena grabbed cans of spray paint and experimented with getting the aim and volume right. We were watching the very beginning of a mural project – titled A Space for Me: (Creating Safe Outdoor Places for Our Teens) – spearheaded by local artist Heather Hilliard Bonds in partnership with Side Street Projects.
Heather’s three-phase residency project focused on creating a space where teenagers can feel a sense of belonging, connection, and harmony. Phase one involved the teens concepting their ideas and, with Heather’s assistance, creating a digital schematic that combined all of the drawings. The mural highlights the Pasadena Unified School District high schools, Pasadena’s roses, California poppies, and the teens’ pop culture interests. Over the course of several weeks, Heather and the young artists spent time after school painting the artwork to help participants gain an even greater sense of ownership and investment in their sanctuary. It was completed in May 2024 and made its formal debut at the Pasadena Parks and Recreation Family Fun Day on May 25.
In phase two, the teens will further beautify the mural area with the establishment of a garden that they can care for. The final phase will involve repurposing upcycle furniture for the space. Together, these phases help participating teens gain a sense of ownership and investment in the project to make the space feel like their own personal sanctuary.
Heather is an accomplished teaching artist who has participated in numerous local art shows and has created murals for several schools, libraries, and churches. Read more about her Side Street Projects Residency and her career here.
