In October, the Arts Council for Long Beach launched the Cambodia Town Mural Project, an initiative that will install eight public art murals near 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), Long Beach Transit and the offices of councilmembers Daryl Supernaw (4th District) and Dee Andrews (6th District). The Arts Council has secured funding to cover the costs of the project through a grant from the California Arts Council, California Community Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts Long Beach Transit, Midtown Business Improvement District and the Port of Long Beach.

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 Homeland. 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 who were chosen by a panel composed of community professionals from Long Beach; five of the muralists are residents and active artists in Long Beach and one artist has painted murals internationally in Chile, Cuba and other parts of the US. A videographer, Federico Laguerder, has also been chosen to create a short video capturing the entire project from start to finish. On Sunday, August 13 we will have a celebration, heART of Long Beach, at Mark Twain Library with a self-led mural walking tour along the Anaheim Corridor that introduces 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.