Esperanza Rising Mural Project
Downloaded by
Anne Ambrose
Thursday, August 06th 2026, 2:30pm
Call ID: 4698304 Artist ID: 90837
Status: Invited
marconi calindas (Continued)
A. Long Beach Airport Centennial Mural - "A Flight to History" (Long Beach, California, 2023) Monumental public mural commemorating the 100th anniversary of Long Beach Airport. Selected through a competitive national process from 92 artist submissions.
One of the largest permanent murals in the airport.
B. "Community" Asphalt Art Project
James O. Jesse Desert Highland Unity Center Palm Springs, California.
Large-scale pavement mural celebrating diversity, neighborhood pride, and community connection.
C. "Heart of San Francisco"
San Francisco Hearts in San Francisco Program
Monumental painted heart sculpture exhibited in Union Square as part of the city's internationally recognized public art program.
D. Hearts in San Francisco (2019 Collection)
Commissioned public heart sculpture later auctioned to benefit San Francisco General Hospital Foundation.
Provide a color sketch or digital image of proposed artwork to scale.
Marconi_CatCityLegacy.pdf
Provide a narrative or description of your vision for the mural.
My name is Marconi Calindas-Cafege, and I am a visual artist and proud resident of Cathedral City, California. I am writing to express my sincere interest in being considered as an artist for the Esperanza Rising Mural Project.
For more than two decades, I have dedicated my career to creating public art that celebrates diversity, inspires hope, and brings communities together. My public artworks can be found throughout Palm Springs, San Francisco, and beyond, including my most recent large-scale commission-a monumental mural at Long Beach Airport that welcomes thousands of visitors each day. Each of my projects is rooted in the belief that art has the power to unite people, tell meaningful stories, and create a lasting sense of place.
As a Cathedral City resident, I am especially honored by the opportunity to contribute to a project that will transform this vital recreational space in the Dream Homes community. The name Esperanza, meaning hope in Spanish, deeply resonates with my artistic philosophy. Through bold colors, expressive imagery, and uplifting themes, I strive to create artwork that inspires optimism, compassion, and a shared sense of belonging.
My vision for this mural embraces the project's four guiding themes:
Echoes of the Past - honoring the rich cultural heritage, ancestral stories, and the sacred lands of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians upon which the Dream Homes community was built.
Voices of the Present - celebrating the diversity, creativity, resilience, and vibrant spirit that define Cathedral City today.
Visions of the Future - inspiring hope by encouraging future generations to dream boldly and imagine endless possibilities.
Together We Heal - expressing the power of unity, kindness, restoration, and community resilience through art that brings people together.
Throughout my career, my work has consistently conveyed messages of love, peace, acceptance, and unity. I believe public art should do more than beautify a space-it should invite conversation, foster pride, and become a reflection of the people who call that place home.
It would be a tremendous honor to submit a formal proposal and share my creative vision for the Esperanza Rising Mural Project. I hope to create a mural that not only celebrates the history and diversity of Cathedral City but also serves as a lasting symbol of hope and inspiration for generations to come.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to be considered and look forward to the possibility of contributing to this meaningful project in our beloved city.
Sincerely,
Marconi Calindas-Cafege
Cathedral City, California
Art Detail
Category
Statement My name is Marconi Calindas-Cafege, a visual artist and proud resident of Cathedral City. I am honored to apply Call ID: 4698304 Artist ID: 90837
Status: Invited
marconi calindas (Continued)
for the Esperanza Rising Mural Project. My public artworks in Palm Springs, San Francisco, and my monumental mural at Long Beach Airport reflect my commitment to creating art that inspires hope, celebrates diversity, and strengthens communities. The name *Esperanza*-meaning "hope"-perfectly aligns with my artistic vision. I hope to create a mural that honors the cultural roots and ancestral stories of the Dream Homes community, celebrates Cathedral City's vibrant present, inspires bold dreams for the future, and reflects healing through love, peace, unity, and resilience. It would be a privilege to submit a proposal and share my vision for this meaningful project, creating a lasting symbol of pride and connection for our beloved city.
Flight to History
Mixed media
30' x 60' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $25000.00
2023
Asphalt Road Murals at
James O. Jesse Park
Palm Springs, CA
Acrylic on asphalt - two
crosswalks
0" x 6' x 25'
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $16800.00
2024
Proposed Mural Concept
Call ID: 4665160 Artist ID: 281856
Status: Invited
Matthew Cavanagh (Continued)
The young boy gazes upward toward the past, drawing inspiration from the strength, wisdom, and resilience of those who came before him. Above him, a soaring hawk symbolizes vision, courage, and a connection to the region's natural and cultural heritage.
Beside him, a young girl looks confidently toward the future as a hummingbird explores a blooming poppy. Together, they represent growth, possibility, and the opportunities that emerge when a community invests in its youth.
Set against a vibrant desert backdrop, the mural celebrates the spirit of Esperanza Park, a place created through community advocacy and shared vision. It serves as a reminder that hope is rooted in both where we come from and where we are going.
Art Detail
Category
Statement Thank you for considering my proposal. I know there will be many strong submissions for this project, and I am honored to be part of the process. I spent a great deal of time developing a concept that I believe reflects the spirit of Esperanza Park and will resonate with the Cathedral City community for years to come. "Sport Has the Power to
Change the World"
Interior Acrylic Paint on
Drywall.
25' x 18' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $15000.00
Seek Wisdom
Exterior Acrylic Paint on
Cinder Blocks
8' x 24' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $11000.00
2023
Live Well // Take it Easy
Exterior paint on stucco
wall
10' x 35' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $20000.00
2024
Sheraton Whale
Exterior paint and
waterproof seal on
fiberglass
12' x 0" x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $15000.00
"Future Leaders"
Latex paint on exterior
CMU block.
12' x 40' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: Yes
Price/Value: $12000.00
2020
"Wave"
Latex paint on exterior
wood walls.
30' x 40' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: Yes
Price/Value: $30000.00
2018
"1981'
Latex paint on exterior
stucco wall
25' x 70' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: Yes
Price/Value: $35000.00
2020
Welcome to the
Movement
Latex paint on interior
drywall surface
20' x 40' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: Yes
Price/Value: $20000.00
Palm Springs Casita
Exterior Paint
12' x 12" x 0"
Artwork for Sale: Yes
Price/Value: $5000.00
2018
Imagination
Mural - outdoor paint
9' x 40' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: Yes
Price/Value: $12000.00
2016
Call ID: 4684905 Artist ID: 699663
Status: Invited
Autumn Martino (Continued)
As a live painter at community events and festivals, including the Coachella festival season at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, I engage directly with the public while creating artwork, discussing my artistic process, and encouraging participation in the arts.
For the proposed Esperanza Park mural, my role would include designing and executing the mural while also organizing and directing community painting opportunities. I would identify portions of the mural suitable for community participation, provide instruction and oversight, and ensure that all contributions are incorporated into a cohesive and professional final artwork. I believe community involvement creates a stronger sense of ownership, pride, and connection to public art and helps transform a mural into a shared community achievement.
Provide a color sketch or digital image of proposed artwork to scale.
EsperanzaRisingConcept.jpg
Provide a narrative or description of your vision for the mural.
Title: Rooted in Hope
"Rooted in Hope" is a vibrant, large-scale mural celebrating the beauty, resilience, and spirit of Cathedral City's Dream Homes community. Inspired by the themes of Esperanza Rising, the mural uses the desert landscape as a visual metaphor for growth, transformation, connection, and possibility.
The composition features sweeping mountain vistas rendered in my signature style, surrounded by colorful desert wildflowers, native plants, palm trees, and a vibrant desert sky. The landscape reflects the natural beauty that surrounds Cathedral City while creating an inviting and uplifting visual experience for visitors to Esperanza Park and the CV Link Trail.
At the center of the mural stands a flowering desert tree symbolizing Esperanza, or hope. Its roots represent the community's history and cultural foundations, while its branches reach toward the future. The tree serves as a gathering place where families, children, cyclists, walkers, and neighbors come together, representing the diverse voices and energy of Cathedral City today.
The mural incorporates the four themes of the Esperanza Rising cultural series:
Echoes of the Past is represented through the enduring desert landscape and respectful acknowledgment of the ancestral lands of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Voices of the Present is expressed through scenes of community life, recreation, and connection within Esperanza Park and along the CV Link Trail.
Visions of the Future is reflected through a glowing pathway that extends toward the horizon, symbolizing dreams, aspirations, and future generations.
Together We Heal is represented through shared spaces, community gathering, vibrant growth, and the interconnected elements of the composition.
The color palette draws from the dramatic beauty of Coachella Valley sunsets and desert blooms, featuring soft turquoise skies, pink clouds, lavender mountains, warm desert tones, and brightly colored flowers. These colors create a welcoming atmosphere while reflecting the optimism and vibrancy of Cathedral City.
A key component of this project is community participation. Residents will be invited to assist with designated painting sections under my direction, allowing community members to become active contributors to a permanent public artwork that belongs to them.
The mural serves as a visual celebration of hope, resilience, and community pride while creating a meaningful landmark for Esperanza Park that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for generations to come.
Art Detail
Category
Statement I am a Coachella Valley artist born and raised in the desert, inspired by the beauty, culture, and spirit of our region. Through murals and paintings, I use vibrant color, dramatic landscapes, and uplifting imagery to create artwork that evokes joy, hope, and connection. My work is deeply influenced by the desert's mountains, skies, native plants, and diverse communities.
As a muralist, I believe public art should reflect the people and places it serves. I am passionate about creating welcoming spaces that celebrate community identity while inspiring pride and optimism for future generations.
My artistic style combines realistic desert landscapes with expressive color palettes that capture the magic and vibrancy of the Coachella Valley.
Call ID: 4684905 Artist ID: 699663
Status: Invited
Autumn Martino (Continued)
The opportunity to create a mural for Esperanza Park is especially meaningful because it brings together the themes that guide my work: hope, resilience, renewal, and community connection. My goal is to create artwork that honors the past, celebra
Midsummer Night's
Dream
Mixed Media, Acrylic,
Oil, Marker, Gold Leaf,
Spray Paint
24" x 20" x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $575.00
2024
Beautiful Sonoran
Desert
Acrylic and Oil on
canvas
51" x 46" x .25"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $1200.00
2026
"The Golden Hour"
Dunn Edwards
Evershield, Nova Colors
20' x 13' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $10000.00
2025
"It's Pizza Time"
MTN 94 Spray Paint,
Dunn Edwards
Evershield, Behr, Nova
9' x 13' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $6800.00
2024
Life Size Ice Cream
Cone
MTN 94 Spray Paint,
Dunn Edwards
Evershield, Behr, Nova
13' x 11' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $3000.00
2024
The Rat Pack in Palm
Desert
MTN 94 Spray Paint,
Dunn Edwards
Evershield, Behr, Nova
13' x 18' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $5000.00
2023
"Night at the Theatre"
Social Media Mural
MTN 94 Spray Paint
14' x 18' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $9000.00
2022
Veteran Mural for City of
Coachella
Mtn 94 Spray Paint,
Dunn Edwards
Evershield, Createx
12' x 20' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $14000.00
2022
Agua Caliente, Where
Life Blossoms
Ace Hardware paint, and
Liquitex pain
14' x 9' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $4000.00
2021
Prohibition Bar Mural
Dunn Edwards
Evershield, Nova Colors,
Createx Airbrush Paint
12' x 30' x 1"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $6800.00
2024
Call ID: 4648708 Artist ID: 381066
Status: Invited
Jesse Melanson (Continued)
to develop and complete public murals. My role is typically both artist and project lead, guiding the process from early concept development through final installation.
A recent example was my mural project in Hobbs, New Mexico, titled Transcendence. For that project, I worked with the Downtown Improvement Association of Hobbs to create a mural that reflected the character, culture, and energy of the community. The final design incorporated local history, regional symbolism, and imagery connected to transformation, migration, faith, land, and sky.
My role included developing the concept, responding to feedback, refining the design, managing materials and logistics, preparing the wall, painting the mural, and applying the final protective coating.
I have also worked with schools and community groups where the engagement process directly shaped the final artwork. These projects often begin with conversations, Q&A sessions, or creative workshops where participants share ideas, local references, stories, and themes they hope to see reflected in the mural. I then translate that input into a cohesive visual design that honors the community while still maintaining a strong artistic direction.
In each project, I see my role as a listener, designer, organizer, and painter. My goal is to create artwork that feels professionally executed, visually powerful, and genuinely connected to the people and place it represents.
Provide a color sketch or digital image of proposed artwork to scale.
Esperanza Rising Artwork Sketch_JMEL Art.jpg
Provide a narrative or description of your vision for the mural.
The submitted artwork is an initial concept sketch. Community engagement is an important part of my process and would help guide the final design if selected. Revisions would be made based on community input and feedback to ensure the mural feels connected to Esperanza Park, the Dream Homes community, and the people who experience the space every day.
My proposed mural, Esperanza Rising, is a vibrant abstract landscape inspired by hope, renewal, transformation, and the desert environment surrounding Cathedral City. The design uses bold geometric color fields, large abstract plant forms, layered mountain shapes, sun-like movement, and flowing pathways to create a sense of growth and rising energy across the wall.
Rather than illustrating these ideas literally, the mural transforms them into an imaginative visual environment. Large desert plants and organic forms represent resilience, regeneration, and life emerging from the landscape. The mountain shapes and radiant color shifts suggest movement from past to future, while the layered geometry creates a feeling of connection between land, community, and possibility.
The artwork is designed to feel bright, welcoming, and engaging for children and families using Esperanza Park, while also being bold and highly visible from the CV Link trail. My goal is to create a mural that feels uplifting, alive, and rooted in place - a colorful visual expression of hope, safety, transformation, and community pride.
Art Detail
Category
Statement My work is rooted in community storytelling and creating large-scale public art that reflects the identity, energy, and essence of a place. I use bold geometric abstraction, vibrant color, and simplified natural forms to create murals that are visually engaging from a distance while still offering meaningful details up close. My process begins with listening: learning about the site, community, landscape, and history, then translating those layers into a composition that feels both site-specific and imaginative.
For me, public art is more than decoration on a wall. It is a stamp in time and an opportunity to enhance a sense of pride, connection, and possibility for the people who experience it every day. I'm especially drawn to themes of transformation, resilience, nature, and community, and I aim to make work that feels uplifting, accessible, and alive within the public space.
Call ID: 4648708 Artist ID: 381066
Status: Invited
Jesse Melanson (Continued)
Transcendence
Spray Paint
24' x 137' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $60000.00
2025
JADE
Spray paint
10' x 45' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $25000.00
2025
Spirit in the Sky
Acrylic Latex
65' x 45' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $22500.00
2019
A Valley of Color
Spray Paint
25' x 40' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $22500.00
2025
Thunderbird
Spray Paint
13' x 74' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $27500.00
2025
The Lion of Anacostia
Spray Paint
22' x 35' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $20000.00
2024
Morning Glow
Spray Paint
17' x 49' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $27000.00
2024
Chuc A Luc's
Spray Paint
15' x 40' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $19500.00
2024
Cub's First View
Spray Paint
28' x 23' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $12000.00
2024
Love Locus
Spray Paint
23' x 76' x 0"
Artwork for Sale: No
Price/Value: $12500.00
2022