Downtown Long Beach will get up to seven new murals by 2028 as part of a program by the neighborhood’s business improvement association.
The first mural in the Neighborhood Map Mural Project, painted by local artist Robert Lebsack, was completed recently on the Planet Fitness near the intersection of Pine Avenue and Fourth Street. It depicts residents walking and biking along a grid of streets with the words “North Pine Long Beach.” Each letter in Long Beach depicts imagery along Pine Avenue.
The $9,000 mural was commissioned by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance using money it collects from downtown business owners as part of a business licensing fee.
Future murals are planned for the following neighborhoods: Pine & Promenade, West Gateway, the Waterfront, East Village Arts District, North East Village and Willmore.
The goal for each mural is “to tell a story about the people, culture, and landmarks that make each of Downtown’s unique neighborhoods distinct,” DTLB Alliance spokesperson Asia Morris wrote in an email.
Business owners interested in having a mural painted on their wall can reach out to DTLB Alliance for consideration.
The final budget for the program is still being decided, but each mural is expected to cost roughly the same as the North Pine mural, Morris wrote.
Designs for each mural will be decided “through artist proposals and community feedback,” Morris wrote.
“Neighborhood identity is central to how people connect to a place,” DTLB Alliance CEO Austin Metoyer said in a statement. “Through projects like this, we’re not only supporting local artists but also building a stronger sense of belonging and pride across Downtown.”
In a statement, Lebsack said he appreciated the opportunity “to create something that reflects the neighborhood’s energy and contributes to a larger effort to celebrate Downtown Long Beach through public art.”
DTLB Alliance will hold an official unveiling of the mural at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 at its Art & Design Walk.