![\"vv](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/vv_feature.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Images courtesy of POW! WOW! and the Long Beach Museum of Art.<\/em><\/p>\n If you thought Masterworks: Defining a New Narrative<\/a><\/em> was a bold step in a contemporary direction for the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA), think again. The ever-adapting institution will open its doors to the streets this month as it welcomes the work of artists embedded in the urban contemporary art scene, many of whom are experienced outdoor muralists.<\/p>\n Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape<\/em>, to open Friday, June 26 in conjunction with the museum\u2019s famed LBMA After Dark event from 7:00PM to 10:00PM, will exhibit \u201csite-specific ephemeral murals and multi-media installations\u201d by both well-established and up-and-coming artists who have a major thing for spray paint and urban beautification.<\/p>\n Mural by Meggs in Austin, Texas for POW! WOW! SXSW.<\/em><\/p>\n The exhibition will be one of several locations in Long Beach that will feature mural art involved with Pow! Wow! Long Beach 2015<\/a>, the city\u2019s first large-scale street art celebration, slated to run from June 21 to June 28.<\/p>\n To bring Vitality and Verve<\/em> to fruition, the LBMA partnered with Thinkspace Gallery<\/a>, one of Los Angeles\u2019 most well-known hubs for exceptional, young talent in the \u201cNew Contemporary\u201d art scene and Pow! Wow!. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be a very historic event,\u201d said Andrew Hosner, curator and co-owner of Thinkspace Gallery.<\/p>\n This will be Thinkspace\u2019s third time partnering with POW! WOW!, of which the first two times were in Honolulu with the Honolulu Museum of Art. When asked how the festival had affected its urban surroundings, for better or for worse, Hosner said that \u201conly good can come of more education, acceptance and support of public art, especially at a time where art is being regularly shut out of our children\u2019s lives by misguided politicians and budget cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth of those exhibitions brought a segment of the community into the museum that had never been before and also opened up the eyes of many older and more established members of the local community to the strength and appeal of public \/ urban arts,” Hosner added. <\/p>\n All 8,000 square feet of the museum, including both floors, will be painted over with the seemingly God-given talents of Aaron Horkey, Alex Yanes, Andrew Schoultz, Audrey Kawasaki, Brendan Monroe, Brandon Shigeta, Cryptik, Esao Andrews, Greg \u2018Craola\u2019 Simkins, Hot Tea, James Bullough, Jeff Soto, John S. Culqui, Low Bros, Meggs, Nosego, Nychos, Saber and Tristan Eaton.<\/p>\n Image of artist Meggs working on a past mural, courtesy of the LBMA.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe have 20 artists coming in from around the world over the course of two weeks,\u201d said Hosner. \u201c[The LBMA has] fully prepared the galleries for spray paint use and are just really letting artists do their thing, as they normally would under outside conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Each artist will bring their widely varying styles and color palettes to the museum\u2019s walls, but only temporarily. There will be no canvases or frames to be removed and stored for safekeeping. Once the exhibition ends on September 27, the walls will be repainted to make way for the next exhibit.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the works in this exhibition will be created on our gallery walls using both traditional and non-traditional art media resulting in an immediacy that extends well beyond the confines of a picture frame,\u201d said Ron Nelson, executive director of the LBMA, in an earlier press statement. \u201cOne of the goals behind Vitality and Verve<\/em> is to spotlight artists who are stepping out of their studios to paint on a grand scale using outdoor walls as their canvas as well as urban artists who are beginning to work in a traditional studio setting.\u201d<\/p>\n Mural by Aaron Horkey and Esao in Kaka\u2019ako for POW! WOW! Hawaii 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n Hosner said that both upcoming and established artists were chosen to be a part of this thought-provoking show to \u201chopefully\u201d change how museum goers view public art as a whole.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has never been an art movement in history that has grown so quickly and been accepted globally,\u201d he said. \u201cInstitutions the world over continue to open their doors to urban contemporary artists and the next 5 to 10 years will be a very exciting time in art history.\u201d<\/p>\n Hosner said that showing public art can also be used to draw in a younger generation of fans, ensuring the participating institution will have patrons for years to come.<\/p>\n \u201cThe simple fact that the LBMA have opened their doors to us and wholeheartedly put their trust in us means the world,\u201d he said. \u201cI am SO excited to see the final product and watch all revel in the beautiful juxtaposition of styles. Also very much looking forward to all the artists connecting again and seeing what new and exciting collaborations follow this exhibition\/installation process.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information about Vitality and Verve<\/em>, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"meggs-1277x848\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/meggs-1277x848.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"powwow\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/powwow.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"horkey](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/horkey_esao-1277x848.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"crytik-1-1277x848\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/crytik-1-1277x848.jpg\")
<\/p>\n