New Downtown Bakersfield mural pays homage to local wrester and artist

"Wolf of L Street" located on 20th and L Street in Downtown Bakersfield

On the streets of Downtown Bakersfield, you can now look for a lone wolf as a beacon of hope and inspiration for artists throughout the city.

The "Wolf of L Street" mural was unveiled Thursday by the Gonzalez family and Councilmember Andrae Gonzales, who helped commission the painting. The mural is in honor of the family's lost loved one, Peter Gonzalez, an East Bakersfield High wrestler and artist who died last year.

"Peter touched so many lives and if you really knew Peter, he was just such a special person and he was the most genuine person I could ever meet," said Peter's brother Nick Gonzalez.

Nick said the mural's design is similar to the artistic stylings of his brother and helped bring his art to life. The artist, Hannah Webb, aka The Obanoth, is known for her colorful geometric style paintings. Something Nick said reminded them of his brother.

"We felt that her artwork resonated with what my brother did," said Nick. "At the end of the day, we're family. And when I look at this mural, I see that."

When you see the mural, along with the artist's signature you'll find a hashtag #poselikepeter. Nick hopes the community will see this and use it to empower a message of togetherness.

"Especially in the year that we've lived in in 2020, going through the craziness, going through lockdown," he said. "You have to look past the things that divide us, you have to really focus on the things that bring us together."

"Wolf of L Street" is located on 20th and L Street in Downtown Bakersfield.