If you are a lover of both history and art, take some time to go over to Burbank Blvd. and…read moreColdwater Canyon in Van Nuys and walk the length of the Great Wall of Los Angeles. Told in a series of murals, the Great Wall of LA tours you through time. The Dust Bowl...The Zoot Suit Riots...World War II...Rosie the Riveter...the Japanese internment camps...the Baby Boomer era...the era of covered wagons...The Gold Rush... all are depicted in beauty and tragedy alike. There is so much history here told in art that I cannot write it all out. Go for yourself and see how much you know -- how much you learn.

The great wall of LA spans, many yards. I don't know how long distances really, but it goes on for…read morea long time and has a lot of different paintings murals in pitchers in the school to check out.

Summertime in the LBC. The weeklong public mural festival has been renamed Long Beach Walls and…read moreArt Renzei. Read all about it here: https://lbpost.com/hi-lo/pow-wow-is-now-long-beach-walls-heres-your-guide-to-the-colorful-mural-festival https://www.longbeachwalls.com/ https://www.artrenzei.com/ https://www.instagram.com/longbeach_walls/ There are events centered around this week. One past year, Sun Bum (sunscreen) was a sponsor and held an event at the beach that ended in a movie showing. Some year before that, KCRW held a party in collaboration. This last time, I joined in the free yoga session (with RSVP). Led by Pedal Movement, bike tours are held during this time to visit the murals. The run club I'm involved in throws a couple of the murals in the downtown area being worked on into the running route during this time. Volunteer opportunities are available (such as being on site with the artist making sure they have what they need.) Look out for it next summer!

"Pow! It's the impact that art has on a person. Wow! It's reaction that art has on a viewer."…read morePowWow - a gathering that celebrates culture, music and art. The weeklong event that originated in Hawaii has expanded out to other parts of the country and world, including its 5th year in Long Beach. I was a bit disappointed the first year or so because they brought in a lot of outside artists when there are so many talented ones here. It also seems as if there is little collaboration between the artists and the places they paint. Businesses offer their walls and artists are given the freedom to create whatever inspires them at the time. Sometimes, the pieces seem random, whereas, others perfectly reflect the feel of the establishments. This year, I was happy to see a lot more local artists represented in the community. Some of them even took the time to collaborate with either the business or Parks & Rec to design pieces that emulate the nature of the places. I live close to Drake Park and was happy to see 3 artists beautifying it by adding more color and character. By request from neighborhood folks, Crisselle Mendiola and Jason Keam added butterflies to match the playground while Bodeck Luna depicted young people shooting hoops along the wall facing the basketball court. Another highlight from Pow! Wow! Long Beach was the closing party in the Promenade. I absolutely loved that KCRW DJs Mathieu Shreyer and Anthony Valadez came and served us some eclectic dance music. I can't wait to see what's in store next year!

Beautiful work and you can talk to the actual artists and makers. Amazing venue...nothing like the…read morebeauty, weather and underlying excitement in the air here!

One of my favorite things to do in Santa Barbara! Lots of local vendors with unique pieces of artread more

Cool art work that I saw while driving down the street in LA. It is the Freedom Sculpture. I like…read morepublic art and I like to see all the things LA had to offer. Go check it out and see the wonderment.

The sculpture is an elegant reminder of an Empire the West has chosen to ignore. It pays homage to…read moreCyrus the Great. Arguably one of the most visionary leaders of all times and his human rights proclamation; the first of its kind.

This is awesome public art display of a special tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter that…read moreunfortunately passed away in a plane crash in 2020. There are plenty of murals dedicated to them throughout the United States that are popping up over the years. I thought this was a wonderful display that pays tribute to them

It isn't every day I drive by a set of huge pair of Nintendo Remote Controllers! Also, if you are…read morefacing the remotes, you will see a large Rubik's Cube to the right! Such a flashback of some fun days my husband and I shared back in the 1980's. The Nintendo Entertainment System was our first gaming system! There isn't much to write about, but if you want to see these, come take a quick drive by! It isn't in the best part of town, but driving by here shouldn't be a problem!

I had seen this spot on yelp. Being lucky enough to grow up with a Nintendo game console years ago…read morethis is something I had to see for myself. This place is right off the 110 freeway and right past the train tracks on a corner. You can miss it if you have never been. But who can miss these giant controllers. Only down side is the location. Parking is kind of tough in this area I was lucky enough to find some close by. The installation is a cool sight to see if your into gaming or just for nostalgia sake. Not much to do but to soak it in and take pictures if you like. There is also a Rubik's cube and a Tetris replica which is all graffitied out. Ever in the neighborhood or want to take a drive check it out. It's one of those hidden gems in LA which is free. 1up!

Randyland is the best! It's unique and beautiful on its own, but to make the experience extra…read morespecial, you'll want to reach out to schedule a visit with Randy in person. Depending on the season and the weather, he'll be able to tell you what time of day is optimal for the best light. In my case, he responded quickly and made it so easy. I'm drawn to quirky people who are compelled to do something, do it well, and keep trying out new ideas simply because they love it. That's Randy in a nutshell, and his enthusiasm and creativity are infectious! You'll leave feeling inspired to see the world a little differently and to make your OWN art more often. Enjoy!

OK, I have had this place on my list of things to do for years. I saw it on Atlas Obscura and then…read moreI saw a video about it on YouTube. It was definitely worth the wait! What an amazing experience! Went with my sister, mom and dad on a Sunday afternoon. Beautiful light in October...beautiful light sculptures and what an interesting interaction with the universe. Randy was just a lovely individual. Like a really interesting, eccentric artist who just is behind what he is proffering 100%. Great talk. GREAT art. Great day. I really recommend it 100%.

Sitting below The Long Beach Museum's charming café, one can view the elusive movable sculpture…read more"Puff of Wind". Here is its story as printed in the local news and on YouTube: https://www.gazettes.com/entertainment/arts/outdoor-art-sails-into-long-beach/article_95a56070-6448-11eb-a1bb-03404587afa9.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP0v6pDUWrk

Nice little walk downtown to look at art and have lunch nearby. The owner of Tio's Tacos is to…read morethank for the alley. They're a short walk away.

A literally breath of fresh air in the middle of the city. While in town this week I decided to…read morewalk the city instead of drive. Lucky for me I found not only this beautiful alley, but so much more. There are many photo ops here and if you have someone with you even more shots possible. The alley is clean and easily accessible. Smack dab in the middle of downtown surrounded by shops and restaurants. A great stop if you love street art, butterflies or looking for something free and fun to do!