562.570.6724
andrew.chang@longbeach.gov
Assistant to the City Manager
Office of the City Manager
Today, the City of Long Beach opened the public voting period to select the final concepts for nine murals that will be placed in parks and public facilities for its Public Mural Program, part of the City's Creative Economy Grants Program that is funded by the Long Beach Recovery Act and administered by the Arts Council for Long Beach. The Creative Economy Grants Program provides funding to local arts, culture and history nonprofits and professional artists to be utilized for operational recovery, public murals, community projects and professional artist fellowships.
A total of 27 artists and their concepts were selected as finalists, with three finalists identified for each of the nine mural sites. Now through Monday, July 8, 2024, community members are invited to vote for the concept they’d like to see implemented at each mural location. Concept details and renderings for the 27 finalists, as well as a link to the voting forms, is now available on the Arts Council for Long Beach website.
The Public Mural Program will present new murals in communities most heavily impacted by COVID-19, with the goal of uplifting the spirit of the neighborhood and improving the experience of public spaces. Earlier this year, the City and the Arts Council for Long Beach conducted a community survey to determine themes that best reflect the local community. Mural locations were also selected based on the availability of walls at public sites throughout the city. The selected mural locations include:
-
125 Elm Ave., future new location for the Long Beach Senior Center
-
Bixby Park Community Center
-
Davenport Park
-
El Dorado Park, Thomas J. Clark Community Center
-
Heartwell Park Community Center
-
McBride Park Gymnasium, Interior
-
Multi-Service Center
-
Ramona Park Community Center
-
Recreation Park Community Center
The City, in partnership with the Arts Council for Long Beach, first launched the Creative Economy Grants in 2022 as part of its Recovery-related programs. The Arts Council for Long Beach continues to administer the Creative Economy Grants Program, which includes $135,000 to support a Public Mural Program, for which the City has made public facilities citywide available to artists for new mural artwork.
This opportunity is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act (Recovery Act), a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $900,000 has been allocated from the Recovery Act to support the City’s arts and culture organizations. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.