Long Beach Arts Council showcases $889,000 Long Beach Recovery Act creative-economy investment and nine-district mural program

The Long Beach Arts Council presented the final report on the Long Beach Recovery Act (LBRA) Creative Economy Grant Program during the Feb. 11 City Council meeting, describing a suite of grants and a mural program that funded murals across all nine council districts and supported artists and cultural organizations.

Arts Council staff said the LBRA creative-economy investment totaled $889,000; a portion funded direct grants to organizations and individuals through an annual grant stream and a $135,000 mural program that resulted in publicly sited murals selected through panels and community votes (more than 3,500 community votes were cited). The council presentation emphasized the program's goals: to support artists and organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, bring visual art to neighborhoods, and increase community engagement with public art. Murals are now on the city's public-art map, and the Arts Council said it plans a community celebration in the summer.

Mayor Richardson and several council members praised the murals as part of Long Beach's creative history and civic recovery efforts, referencing past public-art investments, including New Deal-era works. The council accepted the presentation and acknowledged Arts Council staff and participating artists; staff also announced certificates and a photo opportunity for the artists after the meeting.

No formal council action was required; the presentation was informational and intended to update the council and public on grant outcomes and the Arts Council's next steps to sustain creative-economy support.