World Bipolar Day Honors Vincent van Gogh
World Bipolar Day honors Vincent van Gogh, whose life and work have come to symbolize the powerful connection between bipolar disorder and creativity. While van Gogh struggled with mental illness, his art remains a testament to the depth, beauty, and emotional intensity that can emerge from lived experience.
Because of this connection, the World Bipolar Day Festival in
Wasco intentionally celebrates art as a central form of expression, healing, and awareness. Each year, the festival highlights van Gogh’s work as a unifying theme for its artistic programming.
Last year, artists drew inspiration from his iconic Starry Night, and in 2026, the festival features Sunflowers. Participating artists will lead painting workshops and hands-on art activities inspired
by this masterpiece, inviting the community to engage with van Gogh’s legacy while exploring creativity, connection, and mental health through art.
Meet Our Artists
Casey Dee holds a B.S. in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and studied in Florence, Italy. She serves as the curator of the Meadows Field (BFL) art program, overseeing all
rotating exhibitions throughout the terminal. Casey is also the founder and lead curator of Heal With Hue, an interactive coloring‑book gallery show at the airport. Her multidisciplinary work spans painting, sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media.
At World Bipolar Day 2026, her workshop will guide participants in creating vibrant mango‑yellow sunflowers with soft, luminous highlights using acrylic paint on canvas, drawing from Vincent van Gogh’s painting of the same name. Designed for all ages and skill levels, the session offers step‑by‑step instruction that builds foundational painting techniques while encouraging creativity, confidence, and self‑expression in an inclusive community setting.
Carmen Herrera, known as Carmen Herrera La Pintora, is a Mexican‑born, self‑taught artist from California who specializes in portrait and sacred art. She believes art brings light, healing,
and hope, and she enjoys creating with others to encourage expression and connection.
At this year’s mental health fair inspired by Vincent van Gogh, Carmen invites the community to explore creativity as a path to healing and joy through the guided painting activity she will lead,
referencing van Gogh’s Sunflowers series.
Leo Alvarez is a Chicano artist based in Wasco who has been cultivating his gift since the age of seven. In 2024, he created a large-scale mural for the City of Wasco’s 15th Street Park and has
completed many other murals throughout McFarland and Bakersfield. He is also a celebrated tattoo artist known for his distinctive style. For the inaugural World Bipolar Day event in 2025,
he created a live mural replica, 8 ft x 8 ft, of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, one of van Gogh’s most iconic masterpieces. This year, he will create a 4 ft x 8 ft mural of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
World Bipolar Day Showcases Some Of The Area’s Most Talented Artists.
