That 90's Show

THAT 90S SHOWAN ARTEXHIBITION FLASHBACK

Paintings, glassworks, ceramics, bronze, photography, and found object sculptures attest to the vital creative community of artists here in Long Beach. The artwork presented is as diverse as our great city itself and the individuals story themselves chronicle two decades of struggle to establish a cohesive and unified vision and voice.

It was 1996 when the ArtExchange Task Force was formed, in an effort to assure that local Artists had a voice in the implementation of the newly commissioned East Village Arts District Guide for Development. There was a lot of creative energy being expressed during this time, by a very diverse body of artists. It was a dynamic time, resulting in some very dynamic forms of expression and many high level discussions about the arts as an economic catalyst.

This exhibition reaches out to some of those artists who were participants during this period of idealism and collaboration, and tracks where they are now and how their time in the LBC has affected their creative journey.

Artists were selected by their peers for their ability to add value to the dialog about the beginning days of the East Village Arts District; where it is now and where it needs to go in order to fulfill the original vision. Artists were asked to answer the following question: ”How has your time in Long Beach impacted your work as an artist since the 90s?” This statement is displayed alongside the artist’s work and biographical information. These artists have been very candid with their 20 year plus perspectives and combined they paint a picture of a professional community that has struggled to find footing in Long Beach.

FEEL FREE TO TAKE PHOTOS BUT PLEASE ACKNOWELEDGE THE ARTIST AND THE ARTEXCHANGE

#ARTX @ARTEXCHANGELB

EXHIBITINGARTISTS• MAREK DZIDA

• STEPHEN ELICKER

• RICK FRAUSTO

• SYLVIA FULLER

• LANCE GREEN

• AKINSANYAKAMBON

• VICTOR NUANEZ

• GREGORY NAVARRO PICKENS

• SHELLEYRUGG

• ANITA SINCLAIR

• ROSS SONNENBERG

MAREKDZIDAMarek Dzida has always been involved with photography. He established his fine art gallery Hellada in 1996 as a community art center. Studied in Poland, and The United States with final degree in photography.

“Nature and its beauty play a very special role in my line of work. It gives meaning to my art. It makes me involved, passionate, creative, alive, hopeful, curious, and appreciative. Being able to catch and share its wonders makes up for all of my life challenges”.

REFLECTIONS ON LONG BEACH ARTS

“Long Beach is a perfect town for me. I love people, urban environment, and cultural crossroads. To me photography is a perfect medium to reflect all the complexity of Long Beach. I am enjoying every moment of it”.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

HEATNot for sale

Silverprint, hand tinted

UNTITLEDNot for sale

Silverprint

STEPHENELICKER WORK ON

EXHIBIT

CELESTIAL BODY$475

Cast Glass (blue/grey)

LINDA$475

Cast Glass (aqua)

$475

Cast Glass (cobalt)

$475

Cast Glass/Animal Skull

(red)

BLUE

MIS-UNDERSTOOD

BIOGRAPHY

Stephen Elicker has been translating community dialog into relevant public expression for more than 20 years. He owns a glass and ceramic studio where he continues to produce studio art. Elickerthrives on the challenges and rewards specific to the public art process. “I believe art in public spaces facilitates opportunities to process the complexities of life. I thrive on the challenge of reflecting the community’s voice while demystifying the creative process and developing creative solutions in close collaboration with community leaders, civic agencies, architects, and technicians.”

Elicker has been recognized for his contributions to community improvement through the arts by the Long Beach City Council. Elicker received the Algalita Marine Foundation’s Environmental Hero Award for his efforts on the creation of the Pacific Avenue Community Gardens. Elicker was named the Arts Professional of the Year for 2003 by the Public Corporation for the Arts (PCA), and has sat on several project selection panels convened by the PCA. Elickerwas selected by the Smithsonian Foundation to serve as artist in residency with the Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design and Architecture. The project goal was to foster a sense of community pride early in children’s lives through the implement the City of Neighborhoods Program. Elicker was instrumental member of the steering committee for the development of an arts district in Long Beach, CA. This led to the formation of the ArtExchange Task Force, and eventually the ArtExchange Visual Art Center Inc., a 501c3 NPO for which Elicker is the Co-Founder and current Chairperson.

WORK ON EXHIBIT

BITTER PILL$1,800

Blown glass/written word

ALL BOTTLED UP$1,200

Mixed media

FALSE IDOL$1,200

Mixed Media

RELECTIONS ON LONG BEACH ARTS

After completing a glassblowing apprenticeship in Laguna Beach, I decided it was time to venture out and build a studio of my own. Following several months of searching, and a wrong way drive down a one way street, Long Beach it was. The year was 1994, and the city was still reeling from devastating community unrest. I was engaged to a CSULB Education major, and we were looking for a place to make a start. Our family and friends were more than just a little concerned about our choice of where we decided to set out on our journey. What they were not aware of was the creative spirit that was taking hold as an answer to the sense of isolation many of the westside communities of Long Beach were struggling to overcome.

So we dug in, I built my first independent glassblowing studio and my wife started her teaching career with LBUSD. Optimism was replaced with determination. With so much community building to be done, the Arts were placed on the back-burner. Disillusioned with the lack of understanding of how the arts community could help to rebuild the soul of a city, many of my contemporaries left Long Beach for higher ground. The creative community began to list, we were told that we would be included in the plan once the heavy lifting was complete. There was a lot of heavy lifting to be done, and I personally felt that creative solutions were critical to maintaining forward momentum. This was not always met with open arms by those who had studied such matters and were absolute in their knowledge and vision.

It was at this point that Adrienne and I had to decide whether to stay and try to work within the sometimes Kafka-esk system, or move to somewhere that had already been through the process of re-birth and embraced the creative community as vital to the quality of life of their city – like so many of our friends had done. By now, Adrienne was well underway with her teaching career, and we were ready to start a family. So stay we did and I did my best to immerse myself in the world of redevelopment. I attended countless meetings, sat on many committees, and watched what little arts funding there was being handed over to a subcontractor with their own survival to worry about. I witnessed a lot of good intentions go bad, and every 4 to 5 years we would get a “new strategic plan” for the arts. Through this all, I have held onto the simple vision that if you empower the individual artist in a way that allows them to work in a healthy environment with long term security, the arts will flourish.

RICK FRAUSTOBIOGRAPHY

Rick Frausto always knew that making art was to be his life’s work. He has dedicated himself to his process tirelessly for over 20 years, cultivating a highly personal style that defies categorization and genre but remains decidedly accessible.

Rick recycles found objects to create whimsical works of art that are timeless, intuitive and captivating. He draws inspiration from many sources ranging from the natural world to that which is manufactured via the industrial machine. His creativity is fueled and informed by the beauty and potential he sees in both the sacred and the profane.

While finished works of art are available for acquisition, Rick also creates works on a commission basis using personal objects from a client’s past for an individualized, one-of-a-kind work of art. He is also available to work on commission pieces for public art installations.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

THE GREETER$5,000

Multimedia Sculpture

ZOMBIE ROBOT

$1,200


FAST FOOD NATION

$600


KALIFORNIALAND

$2,000



Making Art and Forever Emerging

By Rick Frausto

Art is a blessing. When I see the word "Earth," the word "Art" pops out at me from the middle. All I can think is...that is why I am here on this planet, at this moment in time....to make art. Art can alter reality. Art is Magic. I create art using my intuition. Intuition is an open channel to the ether, the first of the five elements. You have to go deep within yourself to retrieve information, turn information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom in order to deliver your message in an authentic manner. Making art facilitates the process of turning within and allows me to communicate my vision in a meaningful way.

What do I think about whether enough progress has been made or not been made with the Art Scene in Long Beach?

I've been making art in Long Beach for almost 20 years. My personal experience is that Long Beach is not an art friendly city such as Pomona, Santa Ana, many microcosms within Los Angeles and other places where artists are encouraged and allowed to form colonies with the support of local government.

Too many times, and this seems to be the case in Long Beach, local government systematically dismantle anything resembling a real artists community. I've seen it first hand, with the demise of the West Broadway Studios and other culturally important establishments. It has had the effect of alienating, isolating and driving many talented artists out of our city.

It has also prevented real progress from happening and has made Long Beach the best kept secret in Los Angeles for many years now. Real art communities happen organically and take years of intelligent planning, diligent work and community building in order to grow and flourish. My hope is that Long Beach will one day get there.

REFLECTIONS ON LONG BEACH ARTS cont…

Why did I decide to stay and work in Long Beach or opted to move and pursue my creative career?

People seem to think that I left Long Beach a long time ago. I guess it was because I would talk about moving to L.A. when I started working a steady art gig in Hollywood in 2008. The truth is, I never left Long Beach. I ended up riding the Metro Blue line back and forth for more than six years. All the while, I was quietly working away in my studio during my down time and using the time on the train to hone my drawing skills. Logistically speaking, It definitely would've been easier to live in L.A., but the fact of the matter is that I have always felt a strong connection to Long Beach, ever since my childhood. I remember the fog and the Oil Dinosaurs...the Petrosaurus, as I fondly named them. I love the people and strong sense of community in Long Beach, the pace of life and the peace I experience here. Riding my bike in the cool evening air along the beach path has become a weekly ritual that grounds me. I love the energy of Long Beach. I believe it's important to be careful where you put your energy. I choose to keep and use my energy here....at least for the time being.

Where am I now?

I'm still in Long Beach, working on publishing my first book. It's going to be titled, "The Art of Rick Frausto." I've also been working full time in my studio creating new works for about eight months now, since leaving the gig in Hollywood back in October of 2013. My hope is to someday create a large-scale, permanent monument to nature here in Long Beach. My vision is to build it on the Bluff at Bixby Park. An ode to the city that I love that captures the essence of our community. I almost moved away a few times but decided to stay. I am glad I did! I would have never met the love of my life, my beautiful wife Kim.


A message to the young artists out there

My advice to you is to be your own "art scene." Like minds always attract. When like minds attract, magic can happen. The key is to make space and give yourself time, be patient, and work hard. Find your voice and take care of your bodies. You need a strong body in order to sustain and create your art. I do Yoga and bike ride to stay healthy and balanced. Magic can happen within community too. "Community Magic" is when a group of like-minded, like-hearted individuals collaborate on a collective vision that strengthens, sustains and solidifies a movement. We are stronger in numbers. Seems like every person in Long Beach that I call a friend, has some kind of amazing gift that brings out the magic within the community. Find your friends, build your community, make great art.

SYLVIAFULLERBIOGRAPHY

“My Journey through Art”

"Making a difference starts at home...“ I started out with coloring books! So I pretty much have been drawing and painting as far back as I can remember, Including the walls I drew on. While in middle and highschool, I signed up for as many art classes that I was allowed to take. My father, a film editor for Disney, Paramount, and finally Universal, was a huge influence in my life! He instilled in us a love for classical music, opera, movies and the arts. My mother an artist herself also had a huge influence in my creative journey. She sewed, painted, embroidered, gardened, and so much more!

My sister and I spent many hours practicing our instruments. She played the clarinet and I played the flute. She worked with clay and I worked with other mediums to create paintings with. We always encouraged, admired, and pushed each other to keep up with our creative side. We were each others biggest fans!

All that I have mastered and learned as an artist has been through very hard work, study, and the many talented artists around me that showed me their way of creating! I am a big fan of workshops and have listed some that I have had the privilege of learning from.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

SUPPLICATION$1,200

Venetian Plaster painting

FLAMENCO

$1,600


POMENGRANATE$900


BIOGRAPHY cont…My sister introduced pottery to me and I introduced painting to her. I loved working with clay so much that I bought a potter's wheel, Kiln, and tools and got to work! The same with welding, a fellow artist/Great friend (Lou Blanchard) helped me with my steel stands and taught me how to weld and soon I was integrating this new found skill in my work.

I love to put together a multimedia art installation in the hopes to inspire the audience to have a more active role. If the audience is able to walk away with an emotional response, I feel a sense of satisfaction and connection with them.

I have had the privilege to be mentored in skills such as wheel throwing, glass blowing, welding, Raku, lime/marble based plasters, soy resins/recycled glass, and much more. I am currently working on paintings & Murals exclusively using aged slaked lime/marble based plasters.....and clay paints. This medium is allowing me to create amazing works of art on walls.

What inspires me? Nature, human experience, world events, books, movies, and much more. My last show focused on Africa and the sad affairs of that continent. I was inspired by the Afghan women and their endeavor to survive and stay strong. That show was titled "Desert Installation", location-Yucca Valley, CA. I incorporated reliefs (vanishing animals) on the vases I wheel threw and altered; A video installation titled "Baraka" written and directed by Ron Fricke was projected on a large screen to evoke awareness of what is happening to our earth; Two water installations ("Apathy Well" & "Nigerian Watering Well"); and Paintings, sculptures, and pottery were some of the works presented in that years art installation.

LANCEGREENBIOGRAPHY

Lance Green is a Colorist and an Expressionist, but more than that he is a Storyteller that conjures images that take the viewer beyond the mere skin and bone of the subject and into the secret soul that lies hidden beneath.

The greater part of his works are a self portrait of sorts but all are universal in their application, expressing the human paradox of grace and despair. There is an implicit secret optimism in the work that somehow speaks invocations for subject and viewer in the artist’s secret language that brings one to rest deeply in the sound perception of an ultimate redemption of all things.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

FOX IN A KIMONO$1,200

Acrylic on canvas

REFLECTIONS ON LONG BEACH ART

I moved to Downtown Long Beach in 1989 in hopes of being on the ground floor of the big “Art District” that was being touted by so many in the city, but it never really materialized in the way it was expected. There seemed to be very little actual support for artists at the time and finally I decided that if the city wasn’t going to do more to support the art community then I would, and I opened the Lance Green Arts Building in 1993 and it ran until 2003. We had very successful bi-monthly art exhibits featuring all local talent and many of the artists that showed there have gone on to successful careers as artists, teachers, etc., including myself. I now live in Colorado Springs where I have aLarge studio in my backyard under the shadow of Pikes Peak.

Regrettably Colorado as a whole doesn’t really offer much in the way of an art market, so I’ve gone out and joined up with galleries in Taos, Santa Fe, Park City, Scottsdale, and am constantly searching for new venues across the country and abroad. Over the years I’ve traveled back to Long Beach and to San Pedro to be in art shows, and for a number ofyears I had sold out shows, some selling out even the night before the receptions. Unfortunately the recession put an end to the overwhelming successes and I finally stopped coming to Long Beach in about 2011, assales dwindled and attendance at painting workshops that once filled to overflowing withered and it became time for me to move on to greener pastures.

All that being said, what amazes me about Long Beach is thevigorously thriving art community that exists--‐far beyond any I’ve seen in any other region with the possible exception of Santa Fe and New York, and mostly as a result of the dedication of a few grassroots, diehard veterans in the community that have fought tooth and nail andstruggled so tenaciously to see the our Original Vision become a reality. I can only hope that the powers that be will see the tremendous gift that They have in this art community and do all in their power to see it flourish, not only for the sake of the cultural Soul of Long Beach but also simply because it’s been proven beyond any doubt that the arts are an enormous asset to the economic health of any city but also simply because it’s been proven beyond any doubt that the arts are an enormous asset to the economic health of any city.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

KITSUNESUKIPOSSESSION)$500

Acrylic on canvas

FOX IN A KIMONO #3

$500

Acrylic on canvas

KITSUNEPORTRAIT

$500

Acrylic on canvas

AKINSANYAKAMBONBIOGRAPHY

Kambon – a.k.a. Mark Teemer (born in Sacramento, CA 1946). Akinsanya Kambon is a multimedia artist. He has a master’s degree in fine art. He is a prolific artist, and over his life has worked in all medias. Currently he is working in oil, watercolor, charcoal, pen and ink, pottery, ceramic, and bronze sculpting. Kambon’s artworks are influenced by his life experiences. This includes being stricken with polio at age three, military service - United States Marine Corps, political activist, college professor, public speaker, and extensive travels in Africa. Akinsanya Kambon is a revolutionary artist. His philosophy is “art is not for arts’ sake, but must be used to uplift humanity.”

Drafted to United States military service at age 19 to serve in the Vietnam War, Akinsanya Kambon returned to the U.S. in the height of the 60’s counterculture, the African-American Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Power Movement. He was then drafted into the Black Panther Party (BPP), and served as the Lieutenant of Culture for the Sacramento Chapter. In that position he served by interpreting and communicating the principles of revolutionary culture, and Black Panther ideology. His primary means of fulfilling this function was through promoting artistic expression, and socio-political education.

During this time Kambon (a.k.a. Mark Teemer) created the Black Panther Coloring Book, which portrays the police as pigs. He was then deplored by Vice-president Spiro Agnew, investigated by Senator McClellan’s Sub-committee on Un-American Activities, and placed in the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Security Index - #18 on the list of Subversive Individuals. As a result he lived many years of “life on the run”.

Cont…

WORK ONEXHIBIT

CHI-WARWA$2,500 each

Bronze Sculpture

GUARDIAN OF THE ELDERS$9,500

Bronze Sculpture

THE QUEEN$3,700

Bronze Sculpture

BIOGRAPHY Cont…

Working tirelessly in his community efforts, his message today is still “education”. In 1984 inspired by his BPP indoctrination to serve the community, Kambon founded the nonprofit organization, Pan African Art (PAA) in Long Beach, CA. Now celebrating 30 years PAA continues to provide free art, culture, and leadership programs to community youth. Kambon has traveled extensively in Africa since 1974. There he has lectured, held art exhibits, provided art/culture workshops to youth, met with top civic and military leaders, and studied under local artists.

The artworks of Akinsanya Kambon are thought provoking and captivating. He has unique mastery in use of color, form, and subject. His very impressive oeuvres are a beautiful tapestry of his knowledge, and life experiences enriching the lives of his viewers. The Kambonexhibition is a unique experience. As the contemporary cultural and political world changes, his works become a visual and artistic witnesses to humanity. They will become ever more valuable when viewed through this artist’s effort to chronicle aspects of a living, changing culture that he feels should be retained and preserved. In his words, “There is nothing more significant for me than using art to educate people on the African experience, history, and culture. Unapologetically he says, “It is o.k. for us to have artworks that are priceless – our experience is priceless”.

Akinsanya Kambon lives in Long Beach, CA. As a professor he taught for 26 years at California State University, Long Beach. He has now retired from teaching. Driven by his passion to create art he works daily in his private studio.

Guests are welcome.

2240 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 90806

(562) 212-2299

www.thegallerykambon.com

http://www.thegallerykambon.com/


Why have you continued to create your art here in Long Beach?

In 1984 I came to Southern California, at that time Long Beach had one of the largest outputs of gang violence in the United States. I believed my experience with the Black Panther Party would afford me the ability to make a difference within the community. I would accomplish this through art. Pan African Art was founded out of necessity and my desire to help heal the people of Long Beach.

After a trip from Africa in the early 80’s I gave an art exhibit, and slide show of the motherland to local youth. Shortly after that Pan African Art began offering free art classes to inner city youth. From that we developed Gangs for Positive Action, a program that helped disarm feuding gang factions, Young People’s Territory for discipline training, and Journey Home: Africa for travel abroad experience.

Believing that my being here was making a social difference for the community has kept me in Long Beach. This year celebrates 30 years. Even though my work has been recognized, and I have works commissioned by the City, I still don’t feel particularly connected to Long Beach as an artist.

Do you feel like the city of Long Beach supports Artists?

I don’t believe the City offers any real support for the arts community. The focus seems to be on arts/crafts. Other forms of art are more stimulating to develop the mind and spirit on a deeper level. The City of Long Beach needs to understand that art heals; it’s a form of therapy. Although we’ve been very successful working with youth; art crosses all lines of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, etc… Art allows people to express themselves. There’s a need for more fine art venues for education, and cultural enrichment. And there needs to be more appreciation, and support to artists who bring this special joy and experience to the city of Long Beach.

VICTORNUANEZBIOGRAPHY

I have been a long beach resident most of my life. My career has been in commercial fine art. During all that time, I have provided art work for various Art galleries and Art studios, in the Los Angeles basin, and in the San Fernando Valley. I am basically self-taught. While attending Art Center, Channard, and mentored by various well known artists I developed my present art skills.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

MILLIENot for sale

Acrylic on canvas

ENDEARING$443

Acrylic on canvas

MARTHA

Not for sale

Acrylic on canvas

GREGORYNAVARROPICKENSBIOGRPAHY

Greg was born in Houston, Texas in 1962, but spent 2nd through 12th grades living in Morristown, New Jersey. During High School, he attended weekly drawing classes offered at The Joe Kubert School of Cartooning as well as studied illustration at Morris County Vocational School his senior year.

He received a Bachelor’s degree in drawing from Kutztown University, Pa. in 1984 and a master’s degree in painting from the University of Texas, San Antonio in 1988. He has studied art abroad in Brazil, England, Italy and Mexico and holds a single subject secondary teaching credential in art.

Teaching positions include Westerly School, Orange County High School for the Arts and South East High School in South Gate, CA. Higher education positions include Fullerton College, Irvine Valley College and art education instructor for Cal State University Long Beach for the past 13 years.

Professional work experiences include the Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice, CA where he was production supervisor for

Cont…

WORK ONEXHIBIT

INDIGO ORCHIDS$1,200

Acrylic on canvas

GLOBULE

$425

Acrylic on canvas

JOSHUA TREENot for sale

Acrylic on canvas

SINGE$425

Acrylic on canvas

NESSY

$425

Acrylic on canvas

BIOGRPAHY cont..

Judy Baca’s World Wall mural project, which he installed in Finland and Gorky Park, U.S.S.R. in 1991. He also oversaw the restoration of the quarter-mile Great Wall of Los Angeles mural while at SPARC.

He is the co-founder of two Long Beach non-profit arts agencies –Artists Reaching Kids (ARK) and The Art Exchange where he is currently the Vice-Chair.

Public artworks include more than 150 murals and several large-scale sculptures. He was commissioned to create a mural for Disney’s unveiling of the “World of Color” show, which has been reproduced for sale at Disneyland. Greg has designed kids art activities for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards after-party for the past 12 years as well as provided art workshops and mural programs to more than 40 public schools in Long Beach.

There have been several gallery exhibitions of his studio work through out his career, however he had his first one-man show at the EXPO Art Center in Long Beach in 2012 opening on his 50th birthday.

He has been honored with many acknowledgements and awards including a State Senatorial Resolution, 2 Distinguished Artist of the Year Awards and voted “Best and Most” teacher at SEHS.


“Long Beach is a perfect town for me. I love people, urban environment, and cultural crossroads. To me photography is a perfect medium to reflect all the complexity of Long Beach. I am enjoying every moment of it”.


I moved to Long Beach in 1991 for a couple of reasons. I was granted my first competitive mural commission by the Long Beach Mural and Cultural Arts program where I did my first local mural at the Long Beach Day Nursery. I was also starting a new job at Orange County High School for the Arts and Long Beach was centrally located between L.A. and the O.C.

I began driving around LB looking for a studio. After a fortuitous knock on the door of a denture-making laboratory on 8th and Lime I found myself converting a 1000 square foot space into an artist live/work studio. My first of 4 studios here.

The two years prior to moving to Long Beach I lived in Venice working at my dream job at the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) under the direction of founder and muralist Judy Baca. This was my first job in a non-profit agency and I was hooked. In my time there I got to travel to Finland and Russia with Judy to install her “World Wall” mural project and witness its impact. I met dozens of professional artists and directed the restoration of “The Great Wall of L.A.”, a half-mile long mural by Judy. Her eye-popping color and use of glazes will always be a strong influence in my approach to painting. I also had the opportunity to analyze the condition of over 300 murals in L.A. County, which was an incredible journey into the history of Los Angeles through the eyes of its artists. I moved to Long Beach fully inspired and with a determination to make murals for a living.

I had learned that being an artist; especially a public artist was very much like being an entrepreneur; the skills of which I felt ill equipped to deal with through my MFA program. I was starting to see the real challenges of making a living as an artist and I was no Judy Baca. I had great respect and admiration for those artists who involved the community in their design and production processes and I began emulating some of their methods of engagement as I sought mural opportunities in Long Beach.

Cont…


I met my amazing friend, Stephanie Serna, in 1992 and was drawn to her vision of a children’s art center in the heart of Funky Fourth Street. Artists Reaching Kids (ARK) was born that year and provided the community a large venue to simply create. She was very generous with the use of her building and it gave a lot of artists an opportunity to show, make, teach and create artwork of all kinds. The local art community was very connected to the kids education programs and surrounding businesses supported the efforts. The neighborhood transformed around us as more creative and retro businesses moved in. I became immersed in helping run the place for many years and I believe having the facility in the middle of that neighborhood provided a necessary meeting place for artists and businesses to dream together. We enjoyed support from the local artist’s community, the City and the Public Corporation for the Arts, which had a staff of 9 at that time and had many ways to provide money, programs, training and support.

I continued to create murals but had now focused almost exclusively on working with schools and children to design and paint them. Schools had funding to use on art programs back then and myself and many other local artists were working in the schools making mosaics, sculptures and murals. I ended up working at over 40 schools in Long Beach, which cemented my passion for working with kids and art. I have always felt fortunate that I love teaching as it has provided me with a marketable skill that has been the financial backbone of my whole career.

We moved ARK to the Lafayette building downtown in 2000 within the borders of the newly conceived of arts district with the hopes of catching whatever wave of support might be targeted for this area. I closed ARK within 2 years and discovered that the wave could be a long time coming. I watched as developments in the arts district flourished and real estate prices rose dramatically. “Studios” were quickly filled by anyone able to afford this loft style living and it had appeared that the ship had sailed on artist’s being able to rent/buy into the “arts district” neighborhood.

Cont…


I had joined the board of the East Village Association in 2001 in hopes of understanding what was happening and participating in the change. I joined Steve Elicker and Phil Appleby on the ArtExchange task force as this was a concept identified as an essential catalyst by the East Village Guide for Development.

The Art Exchange Visual Art Center, Inc. officially became a non-profit in 2006 and we began to grow the board. It began to make its way through the many processes needed to create an art center in partnership with the City’s Redevelopment Agency. The project has had its share of challenges including the loss of all it’s funding. The newly elected Governor Brown had dissolved redevelopment agencies and many projects in Long Beach and across the state fell to the same fate. The current building holds the potential of the original vision.

I have found that Long Beach is a great town for starting your artistic career, but I’m not sure that as a City we provide opportunities for mid-career and professional level artists. There are lots of opportunities to show in coffee shops and businesses, but Long Beach still does not offer the next tier of galleries or art centers that allow visual artists the ability to make a living or garner attention from the art world. The Long Beach Mural and Cultural Arts program, which brought me here, has since become a mural conservancy program albeit still under the watchful eye of Heather Green. I’m afraid that many of the local programs like this one that used to support the arts are now non-existent.

The Long Beach communities of artists are self-starters. We open our own galleries, non-profits and creative businesses. We create festivals, fairs and fun and give Long Beach a large part of its cool edge. Yet somehow as a City, we still behave as if we are a thousand miles from L.A. – the only major city in the world whose primary industry is an art form.

Cont…


Many artists seem to start their careers here in the LBC, but I haven’t met many able to sustain their careers locally on their craft. I have had many artist friends move on or take their creative livelihood out of town every morning on the Blue Line.

The local artists community feels very fragmented now. There used to be a greater sense that local artists were helping define the city and really supportive of each other and the entire LBC art scene. Unfortunately I’ve witnessed a lot of divisive and negative behavior in the arts community over the past decade. It has a more territorial aspect to it that didn’t used to exist. We all used to play together in much nicer ways, but as the resources get smaller, tensions increase and we end up misrepresenting the greatest part of our artistic endeavors – that they are a truly universal language.

I have been providing free monthly art activities for the ARTX since we started our programs in 2010 in the Expo building in Bixby Knolls. My full time teaching job at Westerly School in Long Beach keeps me very busy, but this ARTX program has helped me stay connected to a project I love and feel Long Beach so desperately wants and needs.

During my early years at ARK, I met the most wonderful volunteer named Laura Navarro, whom I married in 1999. We are now raising our two girls, 7 and 10 years old in Lakewood, voted the #1 most boring city in So Cal. and that suits me just fine. Although we have a home in Lakewood, I feel like we definitely live in Long Beach.

SHELLEY RUGGBIOGRAPHY

Shelley Rugg grew up in a family of artists of one kind or another, and lived in Long Beach ever since she was 3. It was somewhat inevitable that she too would become an artist. Before she was in kindergarten her artwork graced the family Christmas cards. As a girl she studied dance, and she always liked to sing, joining her first choir in 6th grade. It was also in 6th grade that she skipped a whole day of school to stay home and work on a drawing. She had to come clean about ditching school in order to show her mom the drawing that clearly took so much time.

By the time she got to college, Shelley opted to pursue a study of the visual arts, specifically, drawing and painting. She threw a little performance art study with Rachel Rosenthal into the mix. Shelley graduated from CSULB in 1991 with her MFA in Drawing and Painting.

After college, Shelley would venture down many artistic paths. Her drawings and paintings, portraits of friends, family and strangers, garnered her much recognition. Meanwhile, it was her performance work that got her artistically excited, and she went on to receive a fellowship for her performance work from the Arts Council for Long Beach. Shelley also became a founding member of the artist group called FLOOD who produced the annual SoundWalk events in the Arts District of Long Beach (the 10th event held in 2013 became the final

cont…

BIOGRAPHY cont…

event). With FLOOD, she also had opportunities for performance and enjoyed it very much. Was it the Big Head Rolling Puppet Theatre that turned her career as an artist down a different path, or was it the 8 foot long double pointed knitting needles from her KNIT project that changed everything? The question really is, what’s next?

For this exhibition I have chosen to display images of some of my performance work, and some of my photography work, in which I documented the performance work of Long Beach artist, Toni Ivashkov.

ANITASINCLAIRBIOGRAPHY

I moved to Long Beach in the late 1980's. I love this town! Have no desire to move away. I attended graduate school in Orange County. Over the years, I have tried to stay involved in my local art scene as much as possible, but there have been more opportunities and more stability elsewhere. For 23 years, I have been running the community ceramics studio for Long Beach Parks, Recreation, and Marine in Bixby Park. Recently, I took over as the President of Long Beach Arts. We have a dynamic new board of directors. Together, we are focusing on community outreach, arts education, and pithy interesting exhibitions.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

Not for sale

Acrylic, Ink, and graphite

on panel

BROWN TORSONot for sale

Acrylic on paper

UNTITLED

REFLECTION ON LONG BEACH ARTS

The BFA program at CSULB brought me to Long Beach in the late 1980’s. Long Beach got under my skin. I fell in love with this beautiful old city, and decided to settle down here. It was a wonderful place to be an emerging artist. We had so many creative outlets available to us in coffee houses and restaurants, through art organizations, and individuals staging private/public events. This was a community of young artists. We connected. We nurtured each other. We competed. We cobbled together unconventional lives in spaces that were intended for industrial use. The city officials did not support us, but they did not get in our way, either. We made this city better, especially the downtown areas that were considered blighted. As re-gentrification kicked in, the artists were nudged out. There were numerous sets of plans, and many promises to prioritize the arts, to fund programs, to build creative spaces, to welcome us back. More often than not, those plans and promises fell flat.

Eventually, artist opportunities here waned. There were fewer venues for exhibitions, no more affordable live/work spaces, more regulation, less funding. The different factions of the Long Beach art scene changed from cooperating with each other to competing over the few crumbs of support that was available. The atmosphere completely changed. It became brutal, annoying. I started exhibiting and working in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Pomona, Santa Ana, etc. There were more and better options elsewhere. Even though my professional life took me away from my beloved city, I never gave up! I remained focused and involved in pushing for cultural programming at the community level.

Two life changing events happened in the early 1990’s. 1) My first “serious” art exhibition was in the Long Beach Arts Gallery. It was a juried exhibition, and I won a hefty cash prize. 2) I desperately wanted to see affordable cultural programming in this city, so I created a community ceramics studio through City of Long Beach-Parks, Recreation, and Marine.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

Not for sale

Acrylic, Ink, and graphite

on panel

YELLOW TORSONot for sale

Acrylic on paper

BULLE

REFLECTION ON LONG BEACH ARTS cont…

Flash forward to 2014: The little community ceramics studio that started in a tiny building designated Public Restroom # 24 in the middle of a city park, has become a true asset to the community. We have a large fully functioning ceramics studio in Bixby Park. We are working with city staff on park improvement projects. Every year, we have an exhibition in a local art venue. We have a dedicated group of ceramic artists.

I was recently elected to be the President of Long Beach Arts. I owe Long Beach Arts a very large debt of gratitude. Receiving an award from a juror that I deeply respected gave me the confidence to pursue my exhibition record, and ultimately lead me to earn an MFA. My hope is to lead LBA into a new phase of community outreach, with a strong emphasis on arts education, and cooperation with the other art organizations in this city.

I would like to see the Long Beach arts community regain some of the energy that it once had. With a considerable amount of effort, and if we all work together, we will be able to create a vibrant and sustainable arts community that will last well into the future.

ROSSSONNENBERGBIOGRAPHY

Art literally saved my life. Twenty four years ago I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and was on chemotherapy. While I was lying in bed I started to paint to express how I felt emotionally and physically at the time. Over the years I have experimented with many different art disciplines, always trying to learn something new. I've been fortunate to have had solo and group shows of my work. The pieces I have in this show are all camera less photographs (photograms) which I love to do because of the unpredictability of the outcome and are one-of-a-kind.


I am born, raised and live in this city. I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Over the years I've made many friends who are fellow artists and art aficionados that have become long lasting friends.

WORK ONEXHIBIT

UNIQUE PHONOGRAMS

3 Pieces

$600 each

Photography

That 90's Show

Documents

Transcript of That 90's Show