The deadline for submitting poetry for the Urban Ocean Festival contest is April 6.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is now accepting entries for its second annual Urban Ocean Poetry Contest, which is held in conjunction with the Aquarium’s Urban Ocean Festival.

Southern California’s Urban Ocean is home to unique marine habitats and animals, a wide variety of recreational activities, industrial and commercial activity, and more than 20 million residents that live along the coast between Santa Barbara and San Diego. Surfers, fishermen, container ships, whales, and many other types of marine life and human activity must share this part of the ocean.

The Urban Ocean Festival will be held May 5 and 6 this year. The festival includes art exhibitions, mural painting, educational activities, and Urban Ocean boat cruises.

Poems submitted must have an Urban Ocean theme and be no longer than 300 words or thirty lines (including empty lines). Three cash prizes will be awarded in each of four age categories: high school students (grades 9-12), young adult (ages 18-25), adults (ages 26-61), and seniors (ages 62 and up). First prize winners will receive $150, four Aquarium tickets, and four Urban Ocean Poetry Cruise tickets. Second prize winners will receive $100 in addition to the Aquarium and cruise tickets, and third place winners will receive $75 plus the tickets.

The deadline for submitting poetry for the contest is April 6. Winners will be announced at the Urban Ocean Festival, where they will read their poem during a special awards ceremony.

For contest rules, guidelines, and additional information, click here.

Photo by Victorial Damrel

Join Dr. Kaye Briegel and Librarian Maureen Neeley on Friday night, September 2, 2011 as they discuss the dramatic changes experienced throughout the Long Beach School District as it rebuilt schools devastated by the Long Beach Earthquake of 1933. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program New Deal helped Long Beach rebuild its schools.  Briegel and Neeley seek to bring the value of these works to a larger audience are giving an illustrated presentation on the First Friday in September. The artists who worked on these Long Beach projects are also part of the story. Learn how their careers were affected through their work with the WPA/FAP. This is an opportunity to see these “New Deal Schools” in a new light.

Read the rest of HSLB Presents A Special Program on New Deal Art in Long Beach Schools

WPA Mural at Third Street and the Promenade in Downtown Long Beach.

Step back in time with Art Deco expert John Thomas (author of Long Beach Art Deco) for a walking tour of Downtown Long Beach and discover the Long Beach of the 1920s and 30s. Wonderful examples of Art Deco and Streamline Modern architecture and design will be showcased on the tour Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 9 am.

Thomas will emphasize significant events in Long Beach history and the Art Deco era, and discuss contributions prominent architects Cecil Schilling, Horace Austin, Nate Piper and Hugh Davies made to Long Beach architecture.

Read the rest of Art Deco Expert Leads Downtown Walking Tour Aug. 27

Read the rest of 14 Long Beach High School Students “Explore, Dream, & Discover” at “Camp Justin!”

Read the rest of Discover Art Deco on The Downtown Long Beach Walking Tour

Read the rest of Create a Day in Nature Exhibit Showcases The Works Of Young Artists

Councilmember Robert Garcia

Residents invited to paint life size MLK, Bobby Kennedy, Mother Teresa and others; Garcia to offer remarks

Councilmember Robert Garcia, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency will host a “Community Paint Day” on Saturday, January 29th, from 10am-2pm, to complete the new “Peacemakers Mural,” at the City’s newest park, which Garcia has proposed naming “Seaside Park” after the hospital that long stood on the site, at Magnolia and 14th Street.

A short program with Councilmember Garcia, the Artist and community children will begin at 10:00am.

Read the rest of Community Invited to Paint “Peacemakers Mural” at City’s Newest Park

The grant will help support GGR’s efforts to foster artistic expression in children while supporting education about sustainability and organic gardening. GGR’s first garden was constructed at Whitman Elementary School in Cerritos, and now GGR is bringing its efforts home to Long Beach and adding an artistic element that will be used both as a learning device and as a beautification technique. The Connected Corridor funding will allow GGR to hold an art competition open to Long Beach artists and pay the winners for their contributions, fueling the idea that earning a living as an artist can be a viable option. With the help of Evan Kelly of LBCreative!, there will be an official art opening and a public showing for the selected artists at a local gallery, to be held in mid-November. To closely align with GGR’s garden program, the murals will depict community or garden scenes and will be later transported to Roosevelt to accompany the raised gardens that GGR and the students will have already planted.

Read the rest of Connected Corridor Grant Plants Seed For Growing Green Roots Sponsored Art Project at Roosevelt Elementary School

Wrigley is Going Green

Read the rest of Henderson Avenue Tree Planting and Wrigley Garden Mural Unveiling

Growing Green Roots Receives Grant from Jim Worsham of the Long Beach Community Foundation

Growing Green Roots (GGR) is the recipient of a grant from the Long Beach Community Foundation (LBCF) as part of Phase 4 of the Leadership Long Beach Atlantic Corridor Project, popularly referred to as the Connected Corridor.

The grant will help support GGR’s efforts to foster artistic expression in children while supporting education about sustainability and organic gardening. GGR’s first garden was constructed at Whitman Elementary School in Cerritos, and now GGR is bringing its efforts home to Long Beach and adding an artistic element that will be used both as a learning device and as a beautification technique. The Connected Corridor funding will allow GGR to hold an art competition open to Long Beach artists and pay the winners for their contributions, fueling the idea that earning a living as an artist can be a viable option. With the help of Evan Kelly of LBCreative!, there will be an official art opening and a public showing for the selected artists at a local gallery, to be held in mid-November. To closely align with GGR’s garden program, the murals will depict community or garden scenes and will be later transported to Roosevelt to accompany the raised gardens that GGR and the students will have already planted.

Read the rest of Growing Green Roots Receives Grant to Foster Artistic Expression in Children

The Restoration Trade Fair—now in its third year—is the place to get your questions answered from the experts. On hand during this day-long fair—Sunday, September 19th, 9:30am – 4pm at Luther Burbank Elementary, 4th & Junipero—you can tap into resources far and wide—from city officials, community experts, specialized contractors and consultants—all educated and certified in historic and preservation topics. All while meeting your neighbors and figuring out your house improvement budget

Read the rest of Navigating Life in an Historic District: Restoration Trade Fair FAQS

Photo by Jeremy Zawodny

In Southern California, more than 20 million people live within 50 miles of the Pacific Ocean. The Aquarium of the Pacific will explore and celebrate Southern California’s Urban Ocean with a new weekend festival that looks at human and wildlife uses of this amazing part of the world ocean. The event will include an art contest and exhibit, mural painting, poetry readings, music, food, and educational activities. There will also be a Poetry and Photography Boat Cruise on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and the Urban Ocean Boat Cruise on Sunday, September 12, 2010, for an additional cost. Each cruise will last approximately two to two and a half hours and will depart from dock #2, which is next to the Aquarium.

Read the rest of Aquarium of the Pacific Hosts New Urban Ocean Festival

Read the rest of 3rd Annual Restoration Trade Fair & Fundraiser Is ON!

Read the rest of Long Beach Indian: How Is It So Good? Part 1

Councilmember Robert Garcia

A ceremonial kick-off is scheduled for June 12, with public program and official remarks beginning at 11am sharp Saturday. Refreshments will be served.  Anyone wishing to be involved with the project should contact the Robin Jones of We Love Long Beach at volunteer@welovelb.org.

Read the rest of 17 art murals at Press Telegram Lofts to be created from We Love Long Beach logo

The Earth Day Celebration will include: appetizers prepared by Local Chefs with farm produce, demonstrations on energy and resource conservation, information on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, interactive eco-freindly informational booths and workshops, children’s activities, mural painting and live music.

The Growing Experience features a seven-acre urban farm and community garden, where sustainably grown produce is provided locally to area residents and restaurants.

Read the rest of Celebrate Earth Day at Urban Farm with Growing Experience

“Pacific Standard Time will celebrate Southern California’s history of post war art and I’m delighted that our Long Beach museums are playing a key role in what will be a major international cultural event,” said Mayor Bob Foster.

The Getty Foundation in Los Angeles has awarded $3.1 million in grants to 26 arts institutions across Southern California as part of its unprecedented initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980.  Concurrent exhibitions, in the fall of 2011, are expected to attract national and international attention and visitors.

“Long Beach played an enormously important role in what was one of the most exciting and vibrant periods of modern American art,” said Melissa Abraham (Getty Foundation).

Read the rest of Three Long Beach museums receive Getty Foundation grants for So Cal collaborative art project

Neighbors, city officials and community activists gathered, Saturday January 30 for the dedication of “The Lion of Judah” mural at 350 East Market Street (corner of Market & Elm) in Long Beach. The mural space, donated by His Nesting Place, is on the side of the building that can be seen by both cars passing down Market and the residential community nearby.

The mural was spearheaded by Scott Blumenthal and his daughter Laura. The family was inspired to create the mural because of Laura’s personal history with His Nesting Place, a crisis pregnancy center in Long Beach. The organization offers free pregnancy tests, counseling and guidance based on Christian values to women who come to them. Watch this video to hear Blumenthal tell the story of how the Lion of Judah mural came to be:

Dreams & Visions Art Company created the artwork of The Lion of Judah with an Angel Child on his back to replace a wall heavily graffiti’d over the last 10 years. Since starting on the mural in June 2009, over 8 months ago, the wall has not been tagged. Dreams & Visions Art Company has painted “hundreds of murals” in Long Beach said lead artist Abner Rivera, and has a 99% success rate with keeping the walls graffiti-free. Learn more about this mural company in this interview with the artist.

“Despite experiencing the worst recession since the Great Depression, we accomplished a great deal during the past 12 months, and we have much to be proud of,” City Manager Patrick West said. “This Year in Review reminds us all of the truly remarkable actions and achievements that resulted from City Council policy direction and the efforts of dedicated City staff.”

Read the rest of City of Long Beach 2009 Year in Review Details Dozens of Significant Accomplishments

The Departments of Parks, Recreation and Marine and Community Development unveiled their newest mural, “Welcome to Long Beach” at 6454 Long Beach Boulevard at Neece Street on Saturday, October 24.

The 36’ x 10’ mural was designed and produced by Long Beach artist and Recreation Leader Abner Rivera Lopez. He worked with community members including volunteers from the Coolidge Triangle Neighborhood Association to design and paint the “Welcome to Long Beach” community mural.

The volunteer’s “visual voice” created a work that reflects the building blocks of Long Beach from yesteryear until the present with images such as the ocean landscape and the former Shady Acres Miniature Golf Course.

This is Mr. Rivera Lopez’ first mural for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and the Department of Community Development Neighborhood Services Bureau. Mr. Rivera Lopez’ began as a volunteer artist designing and producing a banner for the 2008 Neighborhood Leadership Program.

Just south of the 91 freeway, the mural can be seen as visitors enter Long Beach. It is painted on the wall facing the parking lot of the pet store.

For more information, contact Mural and Cultural Arts Program Supervisor Heather Green at (562) 570-1786.

The RDA, in conjunction with the West Long Beach Project Area Committee, initiated this project to involve the community, including five current and former Cabrillo High School art students who learned about the process of creating public art.

Read the rest of Utility box program showcases work of Cabrillo High School student artists

Sponsored by the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, work has begun on a new mural along Atlantic Avenue in North Long Beach.

Local artist Jose M. Loza created “A Neighborhood Perspective” with the assistance of Recreation Leaders Esaul Romo and Abner Rivera, and youth artist volunteers Albaro Agredano, Braulio Cordova, and Pedro Ruiz. Loza began his career as an artist assistant with the City’s Mural and Cultural Arts Program when he was in middle school, and is now a Recreation Leader with the program. He spent many hours researching the history of North Long Beach, and the family and children portrayed in the mural are neighborhood residents.

The North Long Beach mural project is anticipated to be finished in August.

Twelve North Atlantic Avenue community groups will receive a total of $80,000 in funding and technical grant management assistance to build a stronger community in the Bixby Knolls area of Atlantic Avenue — Connected Corridor’s Phase Two.

The Long Beach Community Foundation’s $80,000 in funding for the Leadership Long Beach Atlantic Corridor Phase Two Project, popularly referred to as the Connected Corridor, marks the second funding phase of community-based grants to strengthen the Atlantic Corridor. This project is made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Read the rest of 12 community groups share $80,000 to improve life along Connected Corridor

At the rededication ceremony for “Planet Earth, “ Wyland announced that he planned to paint a mural on the roof of the Arena, spanning three acres, with the project complete in less than 24 hours. He did just that, timed as a gift for Earth Day. “With more people and more demands on a limited supply of resources, our world is getting smaller,” the artist says. “This is a way of celebrating what we have and a reminder that we all have to work together to protect it.”

Wyland’s newest mural, “Earth, the Blue Planet,” was dedicated with a ribbon cutting ceremony where Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Long Beach Second District Councilmember Suja Lowenthall, Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center’s David Gordon and Dan Lee and Wyland volunteer Diane McNinch joined the artist in celebration.