The artwork of Romare Bearden, one of America’s most prolific artists, is featured on a set of four Forever stamps dedicated today by the U.S. Postal Service during a first-day-of-issuance ceremony at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

“Today, we are proud to dedicate a sheet of stamps that honor a man who became one of the 20th Century’s most distinguished, important and inventive American artists,” said Deputy Postmaster General Ron Stroman. “Using various materials, such as foil, cut paper, and fabric, Romare Bearden transformed collage into a forceful means of expression with mainstream appeal – and in doing so, he framed the complexities of the African-American experience in a broad historical and cultural context.”

Joining Stroman to dedicate the stamp were E.T. Williams, chairman of the Board of Directors, Romare Bearden Foundation; Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Raschelle Parker, manager, Marketing, New York District, U.S. Postal Service. 

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An exhibit of works by plein air artist David Gallup will be on display at the Aquarium of the Pacific later this month.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is exhibiting several impressionist paintings of the Channel Islands by artist David Gallup now through September 23, 2011. Gallup practices in the tradition of painting en plein air, a French phrase meaning “in the open air.” This style has a rich history in documenting the natural beauty of coastal areas in California. Over the past fifteen years Gallup has painted landscapes in locations around the country, with a special focus on nearby Malibu and the Channel Islands. 

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Raymond Torres-Santos

Officials at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) have announced the appointment of Raymond Torres-Santos as the campus’ dean for the College of the Arts (COTA). He is expected to begin his new duties on Aug. 1.

Currently the dean for the College of the Arts and Communications at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, Torres-Santos replaces former dean Don Para, who is now CSULB’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Para was the COTA dean for eight years.

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Requirements
Position descriptions and contacts are posted on the Arts Commission’s website. Go to Los Angeles County Arts, click on “Internships, and then “Opportunities for Students.” Interested students should act as soon as positions are posted, as there is stiff competition for a limited number of internships. Students apply directly to the organization offering the internship, not the Arts Commission. The organizations make final candidate selections quickly, as internships begin on May 30.

Graduating seniors who complete their undergraduate degrees by September 1, 2011 are eligible, as well as undergraduates. Applicants must have completed at least one semester of college by June 2011 and be currently enrolled (full-time) in a community college or a four-year university. Applicants must be a resident of and/or attending school in Los Angeles County.

Read the rest of Knabe Announces County’s Arts Internship Program for College Students

The Art Exchange debuts at First Fridays with an interactive “Make a Mandala” activity in the North Room of Expo, 4321 Atlantic. The entire family is encouraged to attend and get creative.

Everyone is invited to attend the one-year-wedding-anniversary-vow-renewal-ceremony of Bixby Knolls locals, Laura and Wade Ashley, taking place at 7:30pm at Melinda McCoy’s Flowers, 611 E. Carson. The Knolls Ranger will officiate the ceremony with the Sultans Car Club serving as the Best Men and Brides Maids.

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Daniel began this body of work five years ago after a number of years working as a Realist painter.  His abstractions are inspired by ocean life at extreme depths.  With this work, he employs a broad range of influences including: The work of the Pattern and Decoration Painters, Pop Art, California Finish Fetish and Surrealism.

Popular cultural influences would include: Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons from the 50′s and 60′s, black velvet paintings, Chinese brush painting and Japanese comics and illustration.

Read the rest of Dark Waters, the art of Michiel Daniel at the Long Beach Playhouse Gallery

DDR Projects is doing an open call to artists who wish to participate in the bi-monthly, one-night event. However, not looking for just any artist(s). Instead they are looking for sound artists and sound installation artists with a focus on audience interaction and participation. DDR Projects wants to hear from artists who work in visual, performative and aural mediums with the use of sound. They are NOT looking for bands or prototypical musical acts. What they want are works of art that incorporate a certain aesthetic and ambiance not normally associated with 2D art and the ilk. Artists and works of art that might be considered on the fringe.

Read the rest of Seeking Artists: DDR Projects Teams With Cannibal Flower and Thinkspace Art Gallery

Photo by Tracy Allison Altman

Downtown Long Beach’s Arts-centric dining experience, Utopia Good Food & Fine Art, will host the Long Beach Opera on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 in the first of a monthly series of Salons spotlighting Artists and Arts organization.

Andreas Mitisek, LBO Artistic and General Director, will introduce the Long Beach Opera Company and the 2011 Season, including a musical performance from one of this season’s operas. Whether you’ve never been to the opera, or you’re a season ticket holder, you’re sure to enjoy this engaging dialog with Mitisek and the company in a relaxing environment.

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The Arts Education Partnership Program will increase and sustain well-rounded education in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts for K-12 students. All of the grant applications that are received will be judged by a panel of experts from the various arts disciplines.

A technical assistance workshop will take place

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This year’s festival theme, “Turning the Tide” brings together businesses, government and individuals, to encourage open discussion and promote awareness.

The Long Beach Green Festival will include a whole day of eco-minded activities: Educational Sustainability Classes & Workshops; Visual Arts displays; live performing arts; public discussions; interactive informational and business booths; and the Saturday Organic Farmer’s Market.

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“Cupid, draw back your bow and let your arrow go…” or at least the Knolls Ranger will do so on February 5 at the Bixby Knolls First Fridays event. “Universal Love” will be the theme woven throughout the participating venues this month.

First Fridays comes out of holiday hibernation with plenty of art, music, and the opportunity for you to show off your performance skills.

Long Beach’s own Held2Gether will provide the improv troupe for “Tea Room Comedy Night” taking audience suggestions and participation. Stop in at Elise’s Tea Room to enjoy some laughs or you can show us what you’ve got.

While you’re at it, come take the stage at the Back Room Theatre @ Expo where the Long Beach Shakespeare Company will give you the stage for one-minute monologues in anticipation of their opening weekend of The Exonerated.

The Sultans Car Club will flex their car muscles at Melinda McCoy’s Flowers with 10 custom cars ranging from a 1940 Chevy to 1962 Chrysler. Automobile Art and man’s love for his vehicle.

When the businesses start to close, after hours begins at Nino’s Italian Restaurant for community eats, drinks and merriment accompanied by The Sit-Ins creating the fun vibe.

Dine on Art-Lantic Avenue at one of our tasty restaurants then grab the Big Red Bus to be whisked out of the rain and safely from venue to venue on Atlantic Avenue between Bixby Road and San Antonio Drive. (Click through for a complete list of venues!)

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Call for artists! The Aquarium of the Pacific is accepting images via JPEG format to be juried for its upcoming “Night Dive” event.

“Night Dive,” held the evening of Jan. 29, 2010, will be a chance for adults 18 and up to explore the Aquarium after dark for an exclusive evening celebrating local music, art and culture. The theme for Night Dive’s exhibition is: “art/ acoustics/ the ocean.” All art entries should relate to the theme.

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Just after sundown on December 5, Phantom Galleries L.A. switched on Let There Be Light, a stellar display of artists and art installations, including video, neon, and kinetic light sculptures. Each exhibition and site-specific installation is accompanied by a Guide by Cell Audio Tour, allowing viewers to listen to an illuminating description of the art on view.

Seven days a week, from dusk till dawn, Long Beach locals and visitors, holiday shoppers, and art-minded and art-curious alike can embark on a self-guided Art Walk and Audio Tour of Let There be Light.  At each storefront, viewers can connect via cell phone with a personalized message from the exhibiting artist or curator through the Guide by Cell Audio Tour, presented in partnership with The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency.

Trifold map of the exhibition sites are available at various Downtown Long Beach restaurants, vendors, hotels, as well as at various exhibition locales.  Maps may also be downloaded from  DowntownLongBeachArtWalk.com  or PhantomGalleriesLA.com.  The exhibitions are on view 24/7 however, it is recommended  that the exhibits be viewed  from 5 pm- 1am order to see all the works turned on and at its best and brightest.  Richard Godfrey and Susan Chorpennings work is best viewed at various times of the day.

Highlights from the Let there Be Light installations include:

Returning Phantom Galleries L.A. artist Richard Godfrey’s TwentyFourSeven installation is an exciting integration of light, space, and motion.  His piece, TwentyFourSeven, is in constant rotation  and infuses the storefront in a vibrant hue. (on view thru March 1, 2010)

Susan Chorpenning will present Fiat Lux IV, her most ambitious installment of her series Fiat Lux (“Let There Be Light,”), three in the series presented through Phantom Galleries L.A.  The dazzling new work expands 11 ft x 35 ft, and will invigorate the space with the joyous commingling of numerous brightly-colored twinkle lights, lava lamps, collored bulb and light based works, both wall-bound and strung. (On View thru March 1)

Known for his iconic neon sculpture set atop the Hayward Gallery in London, Philip Vaughn will present the West Coast debut of “Color Chart 1” featuring a colorful cascade of neon tubes.

Nancy Braver will display an enchanting mobile-like piece comprised of die-cut luminous butterflies, made of mirror that float, swirl, and cast a warm glow.

Laddie John Dill, a Los Angeles native, who was born in Long Beach, creates a new site-specific work of silica sand mix and neon.

Phantom Galleries L.A. is a Los Angeles County-based organization that transforms properties in transition into 24/7 public art galleries. Each installation forms a unique collaboration between the participating artist, curator, and property owner. Exhibits are curated by local arts organizations, galleries, independent curators, and artists.

For more information on Let There Be Light and Phantom Galleries L.A., please visit www.PhantomGalleries LA or  DowntownLongBeachArtWalk.com.

Let There be Light hosts an impressive array of 28 artists, both emerging and renowned, including: Richard Ankrom (neon sculpture),  Kent Anderson Butler (video), Laddie John Dill ( Neon and Sand installation), Nancy Braver (sculpture/installation), Enrique Chiu (neon), Susan Chorpenning (site-specific installation), McLean Fahnestock (site specific installation) , Candice Gawne (neon), Richard Godfrey (Sculpture of light and Movement), Parichard Holm (video installation) Beth King (glass sculpture), Helen Lessick  (site specific intallation) Karen Lofgren (light based sculpture) Justin Lui  (light based sculpture) Joella March (neon), Eric Medine (video), Uudam Nguyen (Light Based Sculpture) , Rebecca Niederlander  (Light based Sculpture),  Christina Pierson (video instllation) Astra Price (video installation),  Jeremy J Quinn (video), Deanne Sabeck (ligh based sculpture),  Ben Shaffer (site specific installation),  Klutch Stanaway (sculpture)  Kazumi Svenson, David Svenson (neon), and Philip Vaughan (neon works and installation), Meeson Pae Yang (site specific installation).

A graduate of the Art Institute of Seattle, Mauer has been a retouching artist for nearly two decades, and began shooting professionally in 1999. He has worked as an assistant learning lighting, portraiture and the business of photography.

Portfolio Coffeehouse is located at 2300 E. 4th Street in Long Beach. Portfolio presents live music, poetry readings, and fine art exhibitions regularly. For more information, call 562-434-2486.

For more than 40 years the California State University, Long Beach Art Department has hosted a very special Holiday shopping opportunity for art lovers. This holiday season, more than 3,000 unique and individual pieces will be available for purchase. Both students and faculty members participate in the sale, with a significant percentage of the proceeds going to support student scholarships, supplies and travel.

The sale officially begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 6 and lasts all week until December 10.

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by Tom Vadakan

Tom Vadakan is a freelance artist located in the Los Altos area of Long Beach, California. His independent work has been shown in galleries around the world, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Barcelona.

He’s also been on the graphic arts side of the music world for more than a decade, re-creating classic album covers for labels like Blue Note; designing t-shirts for music acts and tours; and creating design concepts, road merchandise and pre-production samples as a Lead Merchandiser.

For Tom, all of these professional and independent art worlds work hand-in-hand.

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Project Ondoy will take place on Wednesday, October 28th, from 8p.m.-2 a.m. at The Cellar, 201 E Broadway in Long Beach. There is no cover, but donations of any amount are welcome at the door. All funds raised from the event will be donated directly to the communities affected through AKAP (Ang Kalusugan para sa Pinoy, Inc.).

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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.

In Kristin’s own words:

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Under the auspices of Phantom Galleries LA, and working in tandem with local property owners, artists, and curators, numerous storefronts along Downtown Long Beach’s Pine Avenue, East 3rd Street, The Pike at Rainbow Harbor and Promenade are host to dozens of exciting art exhibitions and site-specific art installations.

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The Queen Mary invites children to submit their best artwork depicting the historic ship based on what they feel is most important about its history — past or present. They can use whatever artistic medium they choose, for example a drawing, painting, sculpture, etc. The only requirement is that the Queen Mary is depicted in the artwork.

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The exhibit captures the emotional connections of families raising children with a wide variety of physical, mental and behavioral conditions. All families are from Long Beach or Southern Los Angeles area. Two families feature children adopted from Russia and Ethiopia as part of Stramski Center’s International Adoption Program.

The “Healing” exhibit features Photographer Linnea Lenkus, The Steel Magnolias, and members of the Stramski Center and their families and children.

Read the rest of Healing: A Fine Art Portrait Exhibit of Families of Children with Special Needs

Long Beach-based artists will open their studios this weekend, October 3-4, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited to see a diverse range of art works by 21 artists including paintings, mixed media constructions, artist’s books, prints, photographs, sculpture and poetry.

The free event is called The Mid-City Studio Tour because of the location of the neighborhoods where the studios are located in Long Beach. This fourth biennial program (expanded to two days for the first time) celebrates the vital visual artist community in this city. 

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On Saturday, September 26, Long Beach residents of all ages are invited to participate in the Good Neighbor Festival Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest — Chalk It Up!

The Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest is one of the many exciting activities at the 3rd Annual Good Neighbor Festival hosted by 5th District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske. The Good Neighbor Festival will run from 10 am til 3 pm at Good Neighbor Park – 2800 Studebaker Road.

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This month the art walk, which includes outdoor music and gallery receptions, will take place November 14.

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