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Nineteen Artists Featured in 2023 Edition of Long Beach Walls and Art Renzei Festival From Aug. 14-19

Annual, free, week-long festival of interactive outdoor installations brings art and culture to public spaces, beautifying the city, and fostering community connection

LONG BEACH, Calif. – July 26, 2023 – The city will once again be filled with art and music as notable international and local artists come together to create murals and other forms of art and music during the Long Beach Walls and Art Renzei Festival, Aug. 14 - 19. This year’s festival, themed, “Follow Your Bliss,” promises to take visitors on a unique journey of outdoor installations and interactive events that encourage self-reflection and exploration of one's passion and joy. Festivalgoers can enjoy 24/7 viewing of the mural art, participate in mural bike tours, enjoy an exhibition by Open Gallery featuring over 30 past and present Long Beach Walls artists, attend artist talks, and much more.

Julia Huang, founder and CEO of Long Beach-based creative agency Intertrend Communications, supporter of lead organizer of the initiative, Creative Class Collective, said, “Long Beach Walls and Art Renzei bring together a diverse group of talented artists, muralists and creators from all over the world who share the goal of promoting culture and fostering connections. We are honored that it has become one of the most anticipated cultural art event of the summer in Long Beach that gets better each year.”

For young artists, who are just beginning to leave their unique imprint in the art world, the festival represents both an opportunity to showcase their work, but also to be inspired by the creative expression of others. “My mission as an artist has always been to use my talents and passion for art to give back and be of service to the global community. Long Beach Walls allows me to fulfill that mission by creating a public artwork that is aimed at uplifting and inspiring the viewers who connect with my work,” said Los Angeles-based artist SUPERWAXX. 

This year more than 600 artists applied to be one of the 19  featured festival artists. The Long Beach Walls worldwide committee reviewed each application and selected a diverse group of local, national and international artists. This year’s lineup will include works from leading artists Dina Saadi, Roshi, Jack Soren, Ryan Griffin, Jason Keam, Stevie Shao, Shar Tui’Asoa, SUPERWAXX, Mister Toledo, Nevermade, Royal Dog, Jess Weymouth, James Shen, Lauren YS, Leho, Crystal Wagner, Jennifer Tran, Balloonski, and Olivia Steele.

The curated journey of self-reflection and exploration of passion and joy is Long Beach's only week-long outdoor art festival. Since 2015, more than 100 murals in over 40 square miles of Long Beach have been created, producing a unique walkable and bikeable public art experience. Each artist has the freedom to create large format works of art displayed throughout Long Beach, set against the backdrop of beautiful parks and ocean vistas, including art installations along Ocean Blvd., Lincoln Park and the Psychic Temple as well as murals located at Renaissance High School, libraries and restaurants. 

Cassandra Leeman, executive director of Creative Class Collective, recognizes the joint effort of many different groups whose support makes this event possible, adding, “We wish to thank our fantastic partners the City of Long Beach, Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Port of Long Beach, Downtown Long Beach Alliance, Worldwide Walls, Monster Energy, XLarge, Long Beach Airport, Montana Cans, Dunn Edwards and many other community partners for helping make the event possible.”

For more information on Long Beach Walls and Art Renzei, please visit www.longbeachwalls.com and www.artrenzei.com.

LONG BEACH WALLS & ART RENZEI 2023 

• For event locations and planning information, please visit www.artrenzei.com/passport.

• Monday, August 14 – Saturday, August 19, 2023: International Mural Festival open; active mural painting and activities with event partners every day between 9-6 p.m.

• Saturday, August 19: Closing celebration at North Promenade from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• All activities are free to the public and open to all ages.

For high-res images, please click here.

About Long Beach Walls: Long Beach Walls is a week-long, city-wide event and is part of the globally recognized Worldwide Walls series of street art events, which since 2010 has brought murals to public spaces in cities like Honolulu, Seoul, Washington DC, Taipei, and Tokyo Learn more at longbeachwalls.com and @longbeach_walls.

About Art Renzei: Art Renzei is a self-guided outdoor sculpture exhibition, which blurs the line between natural and man-made realities by highlighting ethereal backdrops with contemporary installations. Art Renzei invites you to go out and see the world differently! Learn more at artrenzei.com and @artrenzei.

About Intertrend Communications: Intertrend is a multicultural creative agency that understands the intersection of cultures, emerging trends, and the interaction between brands and consumers. With a passionate team of over 70 professionals, Intertrend creates deeply resonant and exceptional consumer experiences. Founded 30 years ago and based in Long Beach, Calif. and Plano, Texas, the agency has worked with leading automotive, financial services, retail, entertainment, pharmaceutical, and telecom brands. Intertrend also houses a family of entrepreneurial brand units that build to its core expertise across digital, content and experiential, including The Art of Bloom, Creative Class Collective, Imprint Culture Lab, Imprint Venture Lab, Long Beach Walls, Make Noise Today, Couriers of Hope, Unexpected Connections, Architecture for Dogs, and The Psychic Temple. Interpreters and interrupters, interdisciplinary and international, Intertrend is where culture and content meet. Learn more at intertrend.com

About Creative Class Collective:  Creative Class Collective is a 501(c)3 supported by Intertrend Communications to foster innovative ideas in the arts and culture realm with the goal of elevating the community and increasing economic viability for creative individuals. Creative Class Collective makes spaces for collaboration, with the belief that connection fuels creation. Learn more at creativeclasscollective.org.

Media Contact

Andrew Meehan

Meehan Business Advisers for Intertrend

(949) 285-0759

ameehan@meehanba.com

Fox 11 News

ABC 7 News

Southern California’s Most Diverse City Will Host the Third of 10 Community Festivals This Summer in Honor of the Getty’s 25th-Anniversary Celebration

LONG BEACH, Calif. May 17, 2022 – The Long Beach Creative Coalition is thrilled to announce the Getty 25 Celebrates Long Beach on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, at Houghton Park from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Organized in partnership with The J. Paul Getty Trust, Community Arts Resources (CARS), and the Long Beach Creative Coalition, the festival will feature diverse artists from throughout the city, shining a light on local talent with an emphasis on North Long Beach, where the festival will take place.

Headliners Dengue Fever and Seafood Sam will perform with an array of talent, including Grammy-winning guitarist J.Mo the Great, Brainstory, JD Dance Company, Modern Apsara Dance, as well as a procession by the Jordan High School Marching Band, and more. Activations will take place throughout the weekend, from artmaking workshops by the Museum of Latin American Art and Centro CHA, to live art demonstrations by Inspired LBC, site-specific art installations by Long Beach Art Museum of Art and Rancho Los Cerritos, as well as composting workshops, African drumming, and skate demos in one of Long Beach’s most iconic bowls. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from a variety of local food trucks, including Belly Bombz, Mikhuna Authentic Peruvian, and Birrieria Michi, to name a few.

According to Griselda Suarez, Arts Council for Long Beach Executive Director and Getty 25 Celebrates Long Beach Advisory Member, “The festival will showcase the vibrance and diversity that Long Beach has to offer. It's a fiesta, a backyard barbecue, and the coolest arts school all happening at Houghton Park for everyone to enjoy.”

The festival is being held in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Getty Center. In conjunction with various community partners, the 10-part series of free outdoor art festivals will occur in neighborhoods across Los Angeles County from May through August. The Long Beach festival is the third in the series and is intended to focus on community building and celebrating cultural diversity post-COVID. The festival is produced by CARS in collaboration with Long Beach Creative Coalition members Studio One Eleven, Intertrend, and Creative Class Collective, and will be a unique reflection of Long Beach.

According to Julia Huang, Founder and CEO of Intertrend, one of the Coalition members, "Our organization has always been committed to bringing diversity and richness to the Long Beach cultural landscape. Partnering with various nonprofit and community organizations, we are excited to celebrate Getty Center’s 25th Anniversary with all of Long Beach this summer.”

Beyond celebrating the richness of the Long Beach Creative community, the Getty will offer an immersive digital experience of Getty Museum collections, and more. North Long Beach resident and Neighborhood Alliance member Jeff Rowe calls the festival, “an unprecedented opportunity to bring world-class art to our area. It will engage and inspire us all and encourage students to strive for greatness and imagine themselves creating masterful work.”

In addition to Getty-inspired art programming, the festival will feature an Artist’s Alley with immersive outdoor exhibitions and live art demonstrations by celebrated Long Beach-based artists and institutions. Rancho Los Cerritos Curator, Carlos Ortega has organized the exhibition, Roots in Long Beach: Concepts of Home, which will propose alternative views of ‘Home’ by local communities, challenging the typical, established societal views. The artwork by a culturally diverse group of local Long Beach artists signifies themes of identity, displacement, family values, and what it means to be a member of an underrepresented community. In addition, Long Beach Museum of Art will present an installation by artist Daniela Soberman that will comprise a large-scale structure of interlocking pieces, symbolizing the diverse people and cultures of Long Beach and how they can come together to support one another. Continuing on that theme, artist, healer, and poet Shelley Bruce will hold a community-based workshop as part of The Arts Council for Long Beach’s Ongoing Conversations series, that will invite community members to share their joys and concerns with the goal of providing the diverse perspectives and critical concerns of folks living in this community.

According to Long Beach Creative Coalition member and co-producer, Sinead Finnerty-Pyne, who represents Studio One Eleven, “The intention of this festival is to celebrate Long Beach by meeting people where they live. It’s been about relationship building, collaboration, and most importantly, making sure that the community has been heard. It’s essential that the festival be created for and by the community itself.”

The Coalition invited some of Long Beach's leading grassroots and institutional organizations to join them in the planning process. Advisory Members include; Arts Council for Long Beach, Centro CHA, Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA), Uptown Business Improvement District, The African American Cultural Center of Long Beach, United Cambodian Community, Rancho Los Cerritos, Council of Business Associations, Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion, Long Beach Unified School District, Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Gallery at CSULB, Senay Kenfe (Eddies Liquor), The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PIEAM), Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA), and Long Beach City College.

These organizations, in addition to many other local stakeholders and local artisans, will be present at the festival. According to Tasha Hunter, Executive Director of the Uptown Business Improvement District and Advisory Member, “This Festival is a great way to kick off the season of summer celebrations in Houghton Park. After all our world has endured over the past couple of years, this is an amazing opportunity to highlight the beauty and talents of our city’s diversity and creativity with the world-renowned Getty. This will be historic!”

The Getty 25 Celebrates Long Beach will be located at Houghton Park - 6301 Myrtle Ave Long Beach, CA. 90805. This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. For more information about this event, please visit www.gettylongbeachfestival.com

About Long Beach Creative Coalition
The Long Beach Creative Coalition is a partnership of members of the Long Beach creative community forged by Studio One Eleven, Intertrend, and Creative Class Collective. As cultural stakeholders in the Long Beach creative community, they believe that arts and culture must be accessible for all to create better community outcomes. Through active civic engagement, they seek to improve the social, environmental, and economic life of our city and provide spaces that encourage creativity through collaboration.

About The Getty
Getty is a leading global arts organization committed to the exhibition, conservation, and understanding of the world’s artistic and cultural heritage. The Getty Center opened in 1997 to house the free Getty Museum and all of the Trust programs. The Getty Foundation, Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Museum and Getty Research Institute are all dedicated to the greater understanding of the relationships between the world’s many cultures. Getty’s support of local communities includes the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program, which funds over 100 paid summer internships at LA museums and arts nonprofits; the LA Arts Recovery Fund, a coalition initiated by Getty to assist the entire arts sector in post-pandemic recovery; the Los Angeles African American Places archive project with the City of Los Angeles’ Office of Historic Resources; educational outreach that brings more than 150,000 schoolchildren from Title IX schools to Getty Museums; and Pacific Standard Time grants for thematically linked exhibitions and public programs at venues throughout Southern California.

About Community Arts Resources (CARS)
Community Arts Resources (CARS) Founded in 1989, Community Arts Resources (CARS) is a trail-blazing company that creates participatory events as well as long-term placemaking in diverse communities. CARS has played key roles in planning, executing, and launching landmark LA institutions including CicLAvia, Grand Performances, Grand Park, Chinatown Summer Nights, the Santa Monica Festival, GLOW, Yiddishkayt, and Go Little Tokyo. Dubbed by the New York Times as “Los Angeles’ preeminent festival producer,” CARS’ work is built upon the principles of collaboration, exploration and celebration. CARS has worked with Getty since 1991 including the production of the opening community celebrations for the Getty Center in 1997 as well as 100 family festivals since then.

Community Arts Resources’ co-founders, Aaron Paley and Katie Bergin, have worked together in the culture and arts scene of Los Angeles since 1982. They played key roles in the seminal Festival of Masks at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, a festival that pioneered multicultural programming, reclaiming public spaces and cultivating awareness of local stories. Out of this history, CARS solidified its ethos of championing cultural connections, creative resources, respect for artists, and utilizing the arts and civic engagement to bring communities together.