Art for All

South Bay

Art and access do not always go hand in hand, particularly in our sprawling city that is often divided along socioeconomic lines. Though Long Beach is located in one of the wealthiest counties, 22.8% of its residents live at or below U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines. At Compound we are doing things differently. We are aware that culture is not neutral. Compound aims to mitigate structural inequalities by fostering free programs that can be experienced safely from a variety of locations. We believe that culture shifts consciousness. With the support of partners such as LA2050, Compound will use Art for All to bring renowned artists and educators into the public realm throughout all nine districts of Long Beach through portable arts education. Bringing arts education literally into the streets ensures direct engagement and impact between our artists and new audiences. In light of the hardships of this trying year, we have seen the transformative power of our programs on families.

Compound will take Art for All directly into the city, bringing portable programming pods to each district of Long Beach. Art for All invites artists to produce engaging and accessible artistic programs and workshops for families and has done so virtually during the pandemic, bridging contemporary art, wellness and social impact. Our collaborating artists have created projects in response to the concept of Radical Empathy over the course of the multiple phases of quarantine. This traveling version of Art for All will increase equitable access to recreational and creative space, and provide free opportunities for arts education and enrichment. Compound will collaborate with local artists, such as mentor and teacher Rudy Almazan, who founded Creativity Ascending. He has launched a youth-for-youth movement that teaches design and screen printing, with the mantra “For Youth From the Ground Up.” Almazan distributes art supplies to community children, and brings art to local youth through portable screen-printing at neighborhood parks in Long Beach. We will collaborate with Rudy and fund his efforts under the Compound Art for All umbrella. Our educational partner Slanguage, founded by Mario Ybarra Jr. and Karla Diaz, will run the lab to support the development of innovative ways of thinking about education, creative process, contemporary social issues and community through Slanguage programs “You Got to See It to Be it,” and Teen Council.

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

Our traveling arts education will remove barriers to recreational and creative space, such as geographic proximity and cultural familiarity, allowing communities to co-create new art and ideas in real time. Compound will bring arts education into our streets and into the city where audiences can directly engage and collaborate with artists. Art for All will empower populations who may not otherwise have access, to participate in innovative educational creative workshops outside of the context of school and traditional institutions. Our virtual programs have already proven their deep impact, providing space for recreation, reflection, and transformation: one child and one family at a time. Our community must heal from the psychological and social tolls of this year. Through our continued commitment to access and equity, Compound will go directly into the communities we want to serve. Art for All contributes to our cultural reset through hands-on arts education and community-building.

Long Beach has a mere 3.02 acres of recreational space per 1,000 residents, which is far less than Los Angeles, which boasts 8.10 acres per 1,000 people. In Long Beach, both municipal poverty rates and the lack of recreational and creative space underline the severely unmet need for free and open access to wellness-promoting activities such as Art for All. Art for All has launched virtually during the pandemic year, providing virtual space for recreation and reflection. We measure impact through the growing numbers of participants. Our ever-expanding audience and direct testimonials from children and families who have participated, define our success. We are humbled by participants who've shared that our virtual programs have changed their lives. At Compound, through arts education, breath-work, meditation, and culture forums unpacking the intersections of race, society, and representation, our participating children and families see their unique experiences affirmed and expanded.