October 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 39

reflected multiple generations of citizenry to preserve the city's rich history, celebrate its diversity, and inspire the youth to thrive and express
their generational characteristics.
Perris hosted several workshops to
engage various stakeholders in the
community, including its historical
society, local school districts, youth
groups, local leaders and more.
Through this series of workshops,
the community provided input that
represented their legacy, heritage,
culture and future. The intergenerational interaction between youth
and adults provided for a productive
collaboration between two groups
that shared a similar vision in incorporating the city's rich agricultural
and railroad history, diverse culture,
recreation and destination points.
Healthy discussions and disagreements eventually led to a consensus
on the shared pride of Perris' residents, resulting in a beautiful representation of a community that fosters inclusivity, cultural equity and
hope for a bright future.
The mural project sparked a concatenation of public art projects in
the city that provide new opportunities for our youth, local artists
and residents to come together and
" create. " An Art Apprenticeship
Program was introduced to give
young aspiring artists the opportunity to learn and work alongside
professional artists. On the musical
spectrum, a Youth Mariachi Program was established to provide
youth with the opportunity to learn
how instruments and culture interweave to create music. In the future, the city plans to integrate permanent and temporary interactive
art experiences, such as public art
street overlays and art expositions,
that contribute to a healthy built

environment, as well as performing
art activities, music festivals and art
gallery fairs that preserve history
and engage the community.
Perris' efforts to elevate equity
through the parks and recreation
master plan revealed that parks play
an active role in supporting public
art in open spaces. The latest public
art project approved will be incorporated into a 22-acre park development in a disadvantaged community, known as Enchanted Hills. The
first park in this community will
commission local artists, residents
and youth to create a mural on-site.
This park also will feature an art
rock element that originally began
with an existing boulder painted by
residents in the community. The existing boulder art piece will be pre-

served and will help set the tone for
the theme of the park.
Historical preservation, cultural
representation and providing spaces and opportunities that cultivate
public art will paint the way to an
equitable built environment. The
parks and recreation master plan will
incorporate policies that support art
elements and sustainable enrichment
programs. We'll let the community
voices become the strokes on a vibrant canvas to celebrate our diverse
community and bring identity to the
place they call home.
Special thanks to the City of Perris
Community Services Department staff
for their contributions to this article.
Crystal Lopez, MPH, is Public Health Supervisor for
City of Perris Community Services Department.

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October 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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