BGC Brief - Winter 2024

Letter from our Board Vice-President

A true ‘Masterpiece on a Grand Scale’ was celebrated at Vista Del Lago as we revisited and reimagined Artfest, benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County. Team members, board members, community volunteers, donors, and new friends joined us for a glorious night, and a step back in time with all the glitz and glamour of the roaring 20’s.

The venue certainly enhanced the “WOW!” factor we are always seeking, but our friends at Mossman’s, Radio Sandwich, and Locale all played a part in curating upscale flavors for our guests, while we indulged in champagne straight from our Champelier, as well as specialty cocktails and locally sourced wines from TLO and Nickel Family.

Aside from the food and drink, our local artists poured their hearts into the ‘stroll and savor’ portion of our event, creating an exhilarating showcase inspired by Tamara De Lempicka pieces that served as photo backdrops for our guests. Of course, nothing trumps the talent and selflessness exuding from our own BGCKC children as the artists, some as young as eight-years-old, donated their pieces to support the art program at the Club.

For another year, the Clubs allowed me to chair this incredible event, and what an honor it was to address our generous community. If you were not able to join us, I must encourage you to attend next year to celebrate our children, the Clubs throughout Kern County, as well as the growth of the event.

Through the generosity of our own Club children and donors, we will be able to continue serving the 70+ locations and over 12,000 children county-wide with programs such as our after-school and summer programs, but also our young thespians, artists, children with food insecurity, and those with exceptional needs. None of this comes without the tireless efforts of our team members, forever looking for new and improved ways to serve our children.

In the coming years, we hope to embark on a new ‘masterpiece’ of sorts, one with lasting effects for generations to come in our community. Artfest, like many of our fundraisers will assist us in raising unrestricted dollars to improve our facilities and programs, but also to expand on facets that may go overlooked or underfunded to support our children needing specialty care, and our teen program to promote career readiness.

Though we celebrate in the marvelously creative event that is Artfest, and we hope to carry that excitement for many years to come, we also have a dream to create a space for all children in the community to have access to a safe, encouraging environment that supports the next generation in a multitude of ways.

As we learn more about what our children need, BGCKC is looking to provide services “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens”. We carry this mission statement with us through every meeting, fundraiser, and well into the future as we seek to provide more for our children. I am honored to work with our board of directors, team members, and future leaders of our community and I am proud of the village we have built to support our children right here in Kern County and beyond.

Board of Directors Rob Duchow - President of the Board

MacKenzie Boone - Vice President

Southern California Gas Company

Alan Avery - Secretary

Amir Zabrani - Treasurer

Kern Family Health Care

Alex Balfour

Cushman and Wakefield/ Pacific Commercial Realty Advisors

Jimmy Gill

Gold Leaf Farming

Ascend Real Estate

Kristin Monsibais - Past President

Bank of the Sierra

Greg Broida

Juan Campos

Larry Koman

LINQride Inc.

Alex Dominguez

California Resource Corporation

BroidaCo Auto

Cherif Guirguis

Williams Adams & Company, CPAs

Ben LeBeau

Koman Homes

LeBeau Thelen, LLP

Bryce Sterling

Timothy J. Simmons

StructureCast

MOC Incorporated

Zane Smith

Executive Director

Klein DeNatale Goldner

Matt Lemon

Tri Counties Bank

Michael George Safe 1 Credit Union

Marivic Louey Kern Energy

Jon Sampson

Sampson Sipe Ericsson Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Barry Hill

Associate Executive Director

Legacy Board Ken Carter

Watson Realty

Jason Cohen

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

David Couch

Kern County Supervisor

Ben Stinson

Stinson’s Office Supplies

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James & Barbara Kurfess

Gloria Williams

In Memorium

Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County

Janice Meek Retired

Young Talent on the Rise Meet Brenner, a young artist taking the community by storm. At just 14 years old, Brenner already stands out at the Boys & Girls Club of Kern County, proving that age is no barrier to creativity. A dedicated participant in the Club’s after-school art program, Brenner’s passion for the visual arts has quickly evolved into a blossoming talent that has begun to attract attention. She started attending the Club and participating in the art program three years ago.

What sets Brenner apart is her unique ability to express complex emotions through vivid colors, details and technique. Brenner’s favorite medium is colored pencil. She has been building her skills and technique with this medium since joining the Boys & Girls Club art program.

Brenner’s talent has been noticed outside of the Club as well. Just recently, her work, The Musician Sleeping Statue was featured as the signature piece during the live auction at the Club’s annual fundraising event, Artfest. And to her surprise, it garnered a $5000 winning bid!

Brenner took 4 months to complete that art piece, working on it every day after school. The piece is layered colored pencil on pastel paper, so she had to be very careful given that the paper has a very fragile tooth/texture. Brenner took on the challenge of recreating the piece originally painted by the event’s inspirational artist, Tamara de Lempicka. She chose this particular piece because she loved the colors and wanted to try doing a portrait while still giving it her own interpretation.

In addition, Brenner had three other pieces in the Artfest Kidz Art Gallery that together sold for nearly $600. Two of her pieces, The Sleeping Statue, and Holmes were created using a stippling technique with black pen and ink on white Bristol paper while the third piece, Seashell, was done with her favorite medium, colored pencil. All three pieces created a bit of a frenzy at the event attracting multiple bids from event guests.

The Club’s after-school program, where Brenner has honed her Holmes skills, plays a significant role in nurturing young artists like her. One of the program’s instructors, Ms. Emily, says, “Brenner is very gifted and her attention to detail is superb, she loves creating artwork that looks photo realistic.”

As for what’s next, Brenner has big dreams, but art will always be a part of her life. “My overall dream is to become a surgeon and do art on the side,” she commented.

With talent like Brenner’s, it’s only a matter of time before this young artist’s name becomes known far beyond her community.

Brenner presenting her signature art piece, The Musician on stage during this year’s Artfest.

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Seashell

Active 20-30 Club of Bakersfield Vince Aguilar Justin & April Ahart Paul Andre Timothy & Caitlin Ashlock Ariel & Abby Auffant Alan Avery Alex M. Balfour Larry & Kay Bardin Adam Belter Cathy Bennett Aimee Blaine MacKenzie Boone Greg & Rose Broida John & Jean Browning Charles & Theresa Bush Tina Cantelmi Chris Caratan Juan & Sabrina Cazares Elsie Collins Gary & Donna Cross Mickey & Alex Cushine Mike & Maggie Cushine Matt Damian Chelsea Dow Ken & Marjorie Dow Rob Duchow Mark & Becky Evans

Alexandria Fabbro Melissa Fortune & Bruce Beretta Christine Frazier Fanny Gama Justin & Megan Garant Monica Gonzales Renee Goodwin Diana Gordon Robert & Jerry Haner Matthew & Shelly Hewett Barry Hill Cynthia Huggins Edgar Jacobs Larry Koman Allan Krauter & Anna Agenjo Bernie & Lynn LeBeau Michael Lewis & Barbara Rycerski Ryan & Frances Lewis Quon & Marivic Louey Zachary Martindale Erlinda Martinez Natalie Martinez Renee Massey Janice Meek Peggy Miller Ruth Miranda Chris & Jovan Molina Alex & Kristin Monsibais Jonathan & Mary Anne Mueller

Dale Oprandy Randy & Mary Richardson Bruce Saathoff & Tony Cervantes Saber Insurance Agency Darin Schwicker Tim & Christy Simmons John & Christina Sistrunk Paul Skarphol Zane & Amy Smith Mark Steele Bryce & Ashlyn Sterling Keith Stonebraker Carol Sugimori Linda Sullenger Robert Tafoya & Sandra Serrano Josh & Susan Wall Gloria Williams Deborah Wood

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The months of July and August regularly mark that it’s Backto-School time with exciting local campaigns dedicated to raising funds and collecting school supplies to ensure that kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County have all the necessary tools to start school ready to learn.

In a heartwarming display of community spirit, many local organizations rallied to support the Boys & Girls Club by conducting school supply drives, collecting funds, assisting with shopping sprees, providing various services or helping with our supply distribution. In fact, this year’s campaigns saw record participation from the community with over a dozen organizations collecting donations and/or supplies and the same number helping with distribution or other services.

These organizations joined forces to make a big impact for underserved students in our community. Overall, tens of thousands of dollars were raised in either funds or supplies by these organizations and supporters and delivered to children who need them most.

In July, the Isaias Ruiz Agency/State Farm Insurance partnered with two local retailers—Five Below and Burlington to conduct pop-up Quotes for Good “crowdfunding” events which provided a backpack for every insurance quote collected. Shoppers could also contribute supplies as well during those events. Isaias and his team have conducted these events for several years and are always a great partner to the Club with our Back-to-School efforts.

In addition, several other firms held supply and fund drives within their companies, collecting from employees, clients, and customers. The efforts by these community leaders— California Resources Corporation, Li & Liao Optometry, Kern Energy, Kiwanis Club of Westchester, Universal Healthcare, High Desert Distributing, Southern California Gas Company, Frito Lay, Pepsi Co, Bakersfield East Rotary,

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Christian Men’s Fellowship, Adventist Health Physicians Network, and Dollar Tree drove the success of the Back to School Campaign.

In addition to the fundraising and supply drives, other firms helped with getting the kids ready for school in other ways.

In early August, the Kohl’s Department Store on Rosedale Highway opened its doors early for an exclusive Back to School shopping spree. This is an annual event where students are paired with members from the Bakersfield North Rotary Club who help them shop so they can return to school in style. The Kohl’s store on Gosford also held two shopping sprees sponsored by the Active 20-30 Club of Bakersfield and the Kohl’s Care program. And then to add a little coifing to the mix, Curbside Cuts and Shaving provided free haircuts for the kids at the Club’s Armstrong Youth Center on Niles Street.

Finally, on August 9, volunteers from Kern Energy, SoCalGas, Li & Liao Optometry, East Rotary, Kiwanis, Target, and Isaias Ruiz Agency helped with the supply distribution.

Armstrong Youth Center member picks out supplies for the new school year.

Each student was given a backpack and was paired with a volunteer who escorted them through the BGCKC distribution center and helped them fill their backpacks.

“We believe in giving back to our community, and there’s no better way to do that than by supporting education,” said Marivic Louey, Kern Energy Controller and Boys & Girls Club Board Member. “We were thrilled to see our employees rally behind this cause.” The distribution event was rounded out with refreshments from Raising Cane’s and Panda Express.

The Club was able to distribute school supplies to hundreds of students, preparing them for the school year. “This is a fantastic event! It allows us to provide our students with the

Volunteer members happily helped Armstrong Youth Center members pick their new school supplies.

necessities and to help them gain self-confidence for the first day of school. We couldn’t have done this without the generosity of these local organizations and supporters,” said BGCKC Back-to-School Supply Drive coordinator Natalie Martinez. “It’s more than just supplies; it’s about showing these students that their community believes in them.”

Keystone teen members excitedly select items from a large donation of supplies for their new school year.

This annual event has once again proven that when businesses, organizations and community members come together to support kids and education, everyone benefits.

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Devoted Art Instructors Empowering Young Artists At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County, four dedicated art instructors are transforming the lives of young artists, nurturing creativity, and inspiring confidence through the power of art.

These instructors—Emily Loyd, Odalis Barboza Benavides, Nanette Cuellar, and Gabby Lopez—bring unique talents and approaches that help young people not only develop their artistic skills but also discover their voices and express themselves freely.

Bakersfield native, Emily Loyd started at a young age watching her father draw. This inspired her to do the same and from that point on, her life has been filled with art. Emily credits herself as being a self-taught artist and she took her skills and love for art with her to the Girl Scouts where she has been active for 23 years. It was there she realized how much she loves teaching and inspiring young artists. Emily started teaching at the Boys & Girls Club in 2023 and emphasizes the importance of self-expression. Her classes focus on using color and form to communicate emotions, helping young artists tap into their inner worlds. “I feel that our members inspire me just as much as they say I inspire them, I find myself discovering new things about art to love every time I see their passion ignite,” Emily stated. Her students often speak of how her lessons encourage them to break free from self-doubt and embrace their creativity. Additionally, you may have seen Emily’s work at Bakersfield Museum of Art’s famous Via Arté event at the Marketplace where she has been creating colorful chalk pastel masterpieces annually for the past ten years.

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Former Boys & Girls Club kid and art teacher at our Lamont Club, Odalis Barboza Benavides, believes that if you can draw a straight line then you can do it all! Odalis started off drawing stick figures as a child which has led to designing murals for living rooms, garage doors, and now even Grand Masterpieces for the Club’s Artfest event. She also does side projects, such as decorations for life events, face painting, commission pieces, and graduation caps. Truly a “Jill-of-All-Trades”, Odalis loves all aspects of art and does not limit herself to one specific niche. Most importantly, she has a passion for teaching art to those who are willing to learn. She encourages students to use unconventional materials and techniques to create art, showing them that there are no limits to what they can achieve. Her innovative projects allow students to think outside the box, explore new perspectives, and build problem-solving skills. Odalis believes this freedom is vital for their development, saying, “Art is free! Think about it. There are no rules when it comes to creating art. There is no correct way to create art, it’s all in the individual and their perspective.”

Nanette Cuellar,

owner of Nanette Art + Design, is a creator of multimedia art as a muralist, stage designer, and woodworker. She is also a self-taught artist and fabricator specializing in event decor and public arts with a special interest in floraline art, illustration, and watercolor.

She has recently joined the Boys & Girls Club team as an art instructor providing studio instruction for children from disadvantaged communities. Nanette fosters a deep sense of patience and craftsmanship in her students. Her methodical approach

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teaches young artists to take pride in the process of creation. Nanette believes that through hands-on work, students learn perseverance and resilience. “Art has no bounds. Keep creating,” Nanette commented.

With a degree in fine art from California State University Bakersfield,

Gabby Lopez

joined the Club’s Art Department of instructors three years ago and hit the ground running in supervising a studio makeover and expansion. She is committed to sharing her artistic skills and talents with children who otherwise might not have access to lessons or experience the amazing world of art. Gabby is currently working with the Club to design a mobile art studio in areas of shared space that can be replicated for after-school programs.

Students in the afterschool program at Beardsley Elementary are exploring a whole new world of high art, mediums and techniques. Gabby’s insights, problem solving skills, and enthusiasm for teaching are driving success in piloting this important program. While discussing the challenges and rewards of delivering studio classes in underserved communities, Gabby commented, “We are not born artists, but become them through community, support and resources—which is exactly what the Club has provided to each individual young artist in the program. Many individuals come in with natural artistic talent and others just want to learn—believing they do not have the any artistic ability. But here at the Club, we tailor to everyone, helping them learn techniques and skills needed to be the artists they want to be.”

Together, these fabulous instructors— Emily, Odalis, Nanette, and Gabby are making a profound impact, using art as a vehicle for personal growth, confidence, and empowerment.

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