In October, the Arts Council for Long Beach launched the Cambodia Town Mural Project, an initiative that will install eight public art murals along Anaheim Street between Long Beach Blvd. and Junipero Ave. This project is in partnership with Cambodia Town Inc., United Cambodian Community (UCC), Homeland Cultural Center (HCC), the offices of councilmembers Daryl Supernaw (4th District), Dee Andrews (6th District) and Midtown Business Improvement District. The Arts Council has secured funding to cover the costs of the project through a grant by the California Arts Council and matching grants from the California Community Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
There was a public call for a videographer and muralists, and the Arts Council is pleased to announce the selection of those artists through a panel composed of community professionals from Long Beach. One of the murals will be created through community workshops, whereby Sayon Syprasoeuth, professional artist and program coordinator for Living Arts Long Beach at UCC, will facilitate the workshop with local community members to conceive, design and paint a mural. Homeland Cultural Center has invited artist, Jose Martinez, to lead community volunteers through the mural painting process of a new permanent mural design for HCC. The six other murals will be painted by the following selected artists: Angela Willcocks, Bodeck Hernandez, ZEINAB (ZYNB), Jason Keam, Ricardo Vilchis and Tracy Negrete. Five of the selected are residents and active artists in Long Beach and one has painted murals in other parts of the U.S. and internationally in Chile and Cuba. A videographer, Federico Laguerder, has also been chosen to create a short video featuring the entire project from start to finish. This summer, the Arts Council will have a celebration and mural walking tour to introduce the finished murals to the community.
The murals will demonstrate and signal our enthusiasm and commitment to making our neighborhoods more joyful while fostering safe public spaces. The project encourages civic pride and supports the Arts Council’s mission to foster creativity and culture, enliven our communities and enable a thriving economy. Join us for the Cambodian Town Culture Festival at Mark Twain Library on Sunday, April 2 where we will kickoff the celebration of the Cambodian Town Mural Project. At the festival, you can meet the artists of the project at the Arts Council’s booth and you are invited to participate in two community art workshops in partnership with United Cambodian Community and Homeland Cultural Center.
For more information about the Cambodia Town Mural Project visit artslb.org/CTMP.