Oxnard cultural arts manager reviews five years of community art, cites growth in programs and audience
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Summary
Julia Estrada presented a 2019–2025 review of Oxnard City's Cultural Arts Division, highlighting expanded youth instruction, public murals, partnerships (including Rob Armstrong and CSU Channel Islands), participation metrics (7,000 registered participants; 52,000 facility visits) and planned public-art projects.
Julia Estrada, culture arts program manager for Oxnard City, presented a five-year review of the Cultural Arts Division on behalf of the Culture and Community Services Department, outlining program growth, partnerships and upcoming public-art projects.
Estrada said the division’s work covers educational and recreational programs such as mini murals and the Oxnard Arts Academy, management of the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center, and stewardship of the Carnegie Art Collection. "Art is for everyone," she said, describing the division’s vision to make art visible, accessible and community-centered.
The presentation traced changes that followed budget reductions and operational closures in 2019 that affected direct operation of the performing arts center and the Carnegie Art Museum. Staff realignments led the recreation division to assume a larger operational role while the Cultural Arts Division reimagined public programming.
Estrada highlighted several completed and ongoing projects: a Civic Center mural by Mauricio Ramirez installed in September 2020; the West Wing mural "California Immigrants" by Celeste Byers (2021); and community murals created with youth and local partners. In 2021 the Oxnard Arts Academy opened at the Colonial Recreation Center to provide low-cost music instruction in piano, bells, ukulele, guitar, violin and cello.
She described community-led work including a Día de los Muertos altar built in two weeks and a partnership with CSU Channel Islands that allowed students to complete public-art capstone projects. The division also partnered with Gathering for Justice on a youth mural based on principles of Kenyan nonviolence; Estrada said more than 125 youth participated and that mural now hangs in city council chambers.
Estrada recounted a summer 2024 visit by cartoonist Rob Armstrong through a partnership with the National Police Athletic League and the local Oxnard Police Athletic League. Armstrong led mini-mural activities, contributed artwork to the children’s library and participated in a screening and Q&A tied to the Apple TV program "Snoopy Presents Welcome Home Franklin." Estrada said Armstrong later spoke with six after-school programs in the Oxnard School District, helping launch an Arts Academy chapter within those after-school offerings.
On outreach and impact, Estrada presented evaluation figures: "over 7,000" unduplicated participants in registered formal art programs; more than "52,000" entries to facilities for drop-in and recreational art activities; and a projected reach of over "57,000" people for special events and mobile installations. She said these counts come from department studies aggregated across Culture and Community Services divisions.
Looking ahead, Estrada identified planned work including a public-art call for the downtown parking structure and an asphalt-art component for the 4th Street mobility project. The department will continue World Art Day (theme for the year: storytelling through art) and has been asked by facilities staff to pilot board-up art projects to deter graffiti at specific downtown sites. Those projects will be brought to the commission for input.
Estrada closed by noting the Cultural Arts Division staff grew from a single-person operation to include two additional staff members in recent years but continues to rely on interdepartmental and community partnerships to deliver programs. She invited questions and said the commission will continue discussion at its meeting on February 4.
