San Ramon parks commission approves two Dougherty Station stairwell murals; elects new chair and vice chair

The San Ramon Parks and Community Services Commission on July 9 approved conceptual designs for two murals at the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center and elected new officers for the 2025–26 term.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the conceptual design for the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center north stairwell mural by artist Joshua Powell. The commission also moved to receive and approve the conceptual design for the south stairwell mural by Deborah Kaufman; staff said the project timeline and final details will be worked out with the artists before installation.

The commission completed its officer elections for 2025–26, selecting Commissioner Steve Breed as chair and Commissioner Kyle Levy as vice chair. The body also adopted the minutes of its June 11 regular meeting before taking up the arts projects.

The two mural projects are intended to animate interior stairwell walls and better connect the arts center to local history and community programming. Adam Chao, the city’s arts and cultural supervisor, presented the two proposals and described the process the Arts Advisory Committee used to select and refine the designs. Chao said the south wall measures about 150 square feet, faces the gallery and front row theater, and includes a built-in shelf and an emergency exit cutout the artist accounted for in the composition.…