Wet paint streaked across the nearly-finished mural in the alleyway of The Dragonfly, a local art studio in downtown Modesto as the artists scrambled to cover supplies intending to wait out the rain.
A team of four Valley muralists, Abigail Sebastian, along with her girlfriend Lauren Berlin, cousin Joyce Sebastian and friend Brooke Thomas knew they had to power through the bad weather Thursday morning in order to complete the piece before the next day’s celebration of their work.
The women have a unique appreciation for all the elements that make up a city in the Valley, since they come from all over the northern San Joaquin Valley, from Manteca, Lodi, Turlock and Modesto.
The rain didn’t phase them.
“We’re prepared for anything. We already got tagged twice, so we’re not letting it bring us down. We’re determined to finish it. It’s a dream come true,” Abigail Sebastian said.
Berlin estimated they were 85% finished with the painting as she looked at the soaked mock-up of their design.
The four women met in 2022, when they all took a mural painting class together at Modesto Junior College. Now, they’re working in partnership with the college and Downtown Modesto Partnership to complete one of the five murals created as part of the annual DoMo Walls project, aimed at filling the downtown area with murals for visitors and locals to appreciate.
The nonprofit Downtown Modesto Partnership will host its final night market of the season, called DoMo First Fridays Oct. 3 where the DoMo Walls murals will be unveiled.
This year, five murals will be added to the collection. Sebastian’s team, Modesto-based artist Sam Dominquez, and several traveling artists are also set to complete projects in time for the Friday night market.
DoMo Walls advertised the group’s work as the first-ever community mural, with the theme “We Beat Together.”
Each member of the team submitted their own idea for a mural, but ultimately DoMo Walls organizers chose Abigail’s design. Berlin said they later combined elements from everyone’s submission to create the final design.
“What we did was incorporate everything from all the communities that make up Modesto. Like farm communities and the schools and downtown. We wanted to incorporate that all within the heart and (it says) we all beat together because we all are community,” Joyce said. “We want each person that sees it to connect with it in some way or more.”
At first, they were asked to cover a 12-foot by 14-foot section of the alley. But group members told The Modesto Focus that they decided to cover the entire wall because they didn’t want the mural to look awkward.
Looking at a photo of the first mural the team did together while at MJC, Abigail Sebastian reflected on their progress.
“To see that photo and then be here today…” she said, trailing off. “It was unreal,” Joyce finished.
All four women graduated from MJC in 2022 and went on to practice art on their own while they awaited their next opportunity to do another mural together.
Thomas has spent the years since studying studio art at California State University, Stanislaus in her hometown of Turlock. She will graduate this December. She said the opportunity to join her friends again on the community mural has really pushed her in her studies.
“I never thought I was going to be a painter, but (the mural) has helped me a lot. And then just learning from these girls as well has advanced my learning,” she said.
The Sebastian cousins and Berlin worked on their first, large-scale project together post graduation from MJC in Colorado, where her mother who suggested them for the job works as a middle school teacher.
After that, the trio completed a mural in Lodi last September. The friends recommend other aspiring artists look for open calls and citywide design contests to showcase their work.
Half the team is 23-years-old, and the others are only a year older, making them the youngest group to work on DoMo Walls.
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there,” Abigail said.
Originally, the team agreed to the DoMo Walls project as volunteers, but will be compensated for their work with the help of MJC.
Downtown Modesto Partnership CEO Heidi Savage and MJC Foundation Executive Director Emily Lawrence came up with the idea to highlight local talent with a “community mural” featuring MJC artists at a meeting they attended together.
“The result has been an inspiring partnership: MJC students were excited to contribute their skills to a vibrant downtown beautification project that not only elevates the arts but also shines a spotlight on the rich creative legacy of Modesto’s own alumni,” Sara Lowrey Dominguez, district development manager at Downtown Modesto Partnership, wrote in an email.
The community mural and other DoMo Walls designs will be celebrated at the season finale of the DoMo First Fridays night markets from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday on 10th Street between I and K in downtown Modesto.
Vivienne Aguilar is a reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. Contact her at vivienne@cvlocaljournalism.org.