Mural for Long Beach Walls
@ Long Beach Renaissance High School For The Arts
As part of the Long Beach Walls mural festival, I painted my very first mural for Renaissance High School for the Arts at 235 E 8th St, Long Beach, CA!
Long Beach Walls is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, so the energy in the city was electric. A full week of painting, alongside 12 other amazing artists, while visitors watched our progress. This was definitely the highlight of my summer. What a great community of supporters, volunteers, and sponsors!
My mural spans over 20 feet long and features an amethyst gemstone held in gold prongs — a nod to Renaissance High School’s official colors, purple and gold. That detail made the piece feel even more personal and meaningful, especially knowing students would pass by it every day.
Painting this mural was a huge shift for me. I’m so used to working with tiny brushes for extra-fine details inside my studio, so trading those in for a big paint brush and a scissor lift was both terrifying and thrilling! I felt so supported by the Long Beach Walls team, the amazing crew at Renaissance High, and the folks who stopped by to cheer me on (and bring snacks!). I especially loved painting on a school campus — it felt meaningful to create something bright and joyful in a place where young artists are already dreaming big. I, too, attended an arts high school!
What made this experience even more special is that it happened during the same week as the opening of my first museum solo show, Garden of Eve, which is now on view at LBMA Downtown through September 27, 2025. I couldn't have dreamed up a better way to share my work with this community that truly embraces creativity in all its forms, from the walls of museums to the walls of public schools.
Long Beach has such a vibrant and welcoming art scene. Between the mural festival and Garden of Eve opening, I felt deeply connected to the city and its creative heartbeat. This community knows how to celebrate art, lift up artists (literally and figuratively!), and make space for meaningful conversations — and I’m so grateful to be a part of that.
If you’re in the area, please stop by and see the mural at 235 E 8th Street — and while you’re at it, wander over to LBMA Downtown and catch Garden of Eve before it closes on September 27. Thank you, Long Beach, for giving me this unforgettable summer!
With love and color,
Angie
