A new mural was unveiled last week at Pocket Park in Novato, marking the completion of a project led by the Racial Equity Subcommittee of the Marin County Youth Commission.

The Marin County Youth Commission is a countywide advisory body that gives young people a voice in local government and community issues. Founded in 1969, it is one of the oldest youth commissions in the country. Made up of 25 people aged 12 to 23 years, the commission acts as a political voice for young people by engaging with the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at 950 Seventh St. recognized the young leaders, artists, volunteers, commissioners and city staff who helped develop the mural in collaboration with Novato’s Recreation, Cultural & Community Services Commission. Local artist Heather Phelps worked with student artists to turn their ideas into the permanent artwork.

  • A mural on a brick wall depicts three stylized figures of varying skin tones holding hands in a circle, symbolizing unity.
    A youth-led mural at the pocket park on 7th Street in Novato, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Heather Phelps, a local artist, worked with students to help realize their ideas for this mural. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)
  • Two hands of different skin tones form a heart shape around a smiling face painted on a brick wall.
    A youth-led mural at the pocket park on 7th Street in Novato, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Heather Phelps, a local artist, worked with students to help realize their ideas for this mural. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)
  • A colorful mural on a brick wall features the Spanish phrase "MEJORES JUNTOS" arched above a blue mountain shape.
    A youth-led mural at the pocket park on 7th Street in Novato, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Heather Phelps, a local artist, worked with students to help realize their ideas for this mural. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)
  • A blue brick wall features a painted red heart with the name "Heather Phelps" in blue lettering around it.
    The signature of local artist Heather Phelps at the pocket park mural on 7th Street in Novato, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Heather Phelps, a local artist, worked with students to help realize their ideas for this mural. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)
  • A vibrant mural on a brick wall depicts a sunrise over green hills with the word "NOVATO" arched above.
    A youth-led mural at the pocket park on 7th Street in Novato, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Heather Phelps, a local artist, worked with students to help realize their ideas for this mural. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)
  • A vibrant, stylized butterfly mural painted on a brick wall with colorful, layered wings.
    A youth-led mural at the pocket park on 7th Street in Novato, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Heather Phelps, a local artist, worked with students to help realize their ideas for this mural. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)

“What I love about public art is that it brings people together,” Mayor Rachel Farac said. “This mural celebrates who we are, the things that make each of us unique, and reminds us that we are better together.”

The commission’s Racial Equity Subcommittee focuses on racial equity and representation, providing a forum for youth to identify concerns and develop projects that promote inclusion.

Ruth Dusseault is an investigative reporter and multimedia journalist focused on environment and energy. Her position is supported by the California local news fellowship, a statewide initiative spearheaded by UC Berkeley aimed at supporting local news platforms. While a student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism (c’23), Ruth developed stories about the social and environmental circumstances of contaminated watersheds around the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. Her thesis explored rights of nature laws in small rural communities. She is a former assistant professor and artist in residence at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture, and uses photography, film and digital storytelling to report on the engineered systems that undergird modern life.