The Downtown Long Beach Art + Design Walk returns on Saturday, February 8, giving you the perfect opportunity for a boots-on-the-ground look at the creativity and variety that DTLB is made of!
Nearly 40 Downtown venues will be hosting close to 80 artists during the first 2025 edition of this quarterly event, which will run from 2 to 7 PM. Be ready for a full afternoon of enrichment! Downtown shop owners, artists, photographers, musicians, dancers, craftspeople, and scholars are excited to welcome you. And of course a huge thank you to our organizing partners Studio One Eleven, Eric Oba Totton of Dreamz to Goals, DreamKreator Studio, Councilwoman Mary Zendejas and Mosaic!
During the Art + Design Walk you’ll have a chance to celebrate February’s Black History Month. Legacy & Unity, a FREE, wide-ranging Black history celebration organized by Eric Oba Totton in collaboration with City Council District One, will be happening on the Promenade at Mosaic (near Ross) from noon to 4 PM. This overlaps nicely with the Art + Design Walk, which runs from 2 to 7 PM.
Legacy & Unity offers cultural exhibits, wellness and educational resources, and main stage programming with live entertainment, keynote speakers, and an open mic for storytelling and poetry. There will be a vendor marketplace with a Culinary Corner that features African American cuisine. Also, you and the family can participate in scavenger hunts, storytelling sessions, and a drum circle! Don’t miss this unforgettable day to have fun, learn, and support the community. Sign up here.
Very close to the Legacy & Unity event will be “Light Streaks,” an exhibition at Loiter Galleries spotlighting husband/wife duo Ivaylo and Kati Angelov, who are exhibiting together for the first time. Ivaylo’s traditional abstract paintings and Kati’s on-the-edge projection mapping art combine for a show that really shocks the eye!
Studio One Eleven is one of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s organizing partners for the Art + Design Walk, along with the Downtown Long Beach Design District, a hub for creativity and design-focused activities that will be hosting a series of dynamic events, installations, and workshops to inspire locals and visitors alike.
Highlights of the DTLB Design District’s participation include “What Do You Make In Long Beach?”, a pop-up that transforms a parking lot at 4th Street between Long Beach Blvd. and Pine Avenue into a showcase for local artist, maker, and designers; Intertrend’s “Year of the Snake” celebration, which turns The Psychic Temple at 228 E Broadway into a giant interactive gaming surface; “Shifting Tides: The Evolution of Long Beach’s Waterfront,” an exhibition that explores our city’s historical, current, and future connections to the coastline; and “Rhizome or Die,” an installation at the Edison Theatre presented by Creative Class Collective that features artist b1n4ry. It’s a thought-provoking show which examines humanity’s impact on the environment while exploring innovative solutions to these challenges.
Dark Art Emporium
For a jolt of edgy art, venture into the Dark Art Emporium (DAE) to check out “Famine Moon,” a group show that will be open from 5 to 9 PM during the Art + Design Walk. FYI from DAE: “Famine Moon” is an old traditional name given to the month of February, a month at the end of winter in which nothing grows, game is scarce, and predators are particularly hungry!”
Another group show, “ALTAR’D VISIONS,” will be happening at Altar Society Brewing & Coffee Co. This one starts at 7 PM as the Art + Design Walk is wrapping up. Plan to top off your walking tour here, with vibrant art, an ice-cold beer brewed onsite, a cool ambiance, and some of the best pizza and brownies in the world!
You can anticipate a full day of multi-level nourishment at the Art + Design Walk! Bring your appetites for art, food, drink, and sightseeing, then spend the day enriching yourself in Downtown Long Beach. Make sure to bring this map so you won’t miss a thing!