Artists Unveil New Public Art Project: “This is San Bernardino”

“This is San Bernardino” is a new public art project by poet Juan Delgado and photographer Thomas McGovern, installed in the windows of 468 West Fifth Street, the former Arts on 5th in downtown San Bernardino. The windows project combines photographs of historic (a 1919 kindergarten class photo) and contemporary San Bernardino (Route 66 Rendezvous, National Orange Show Swap Meet, roadside memorials) with poetry exploring personal and shared experiences of the city. In addition, Delgado has created a book-themed installation with discarded library books and over-sized bookmarks. In the words of the artists, “We love our city and think the combination of photographs and poetry is a good way to represent our community in a way that is respectful and truthful.” The project will be unveiled on June 27. “This is San Bernardino” was funded through a grant from the Fine Arts Commission of the City of San Bernardino. The co-directors of this project, Delgado, a poet, and Thomas McGovern, a photographer, are the authors of Vital Signs, a book of photography and poetry that focused on the city of San Bernardino and surrounding areas. The book received the prestigious American Book Award in 2014 from the Before Columbus Foundation. They are professors at California State University, San Bernardino and have many years of experience in working in local communities. The artists have created a website (juanandtom.com) and invite the community to post their pictures and poetry and stories about San Bernardino.