As a diverse visual artist, my work bridges fine art and community practice, rooted in a desire to empower and uplift through collaboration. In 2016, becoming a father shifted my focus toward community building, leading to the creation of Roses for Rose Park in 2019—a mural project developed with neighbors and the Rose Park Neighborhood Association. Together, we transformed an alley in a Long Beach Historic District into a public artwork, gathering signatures, donations, and over 50 volunteers to paint the first approved mural on historic homes. This sparked a wave of community murals, collaborations, and the development of a simple, accessible stencil method that turns individual contributions into a collective creation. The process fostered deep connections and revealed the transformative power of shared art-making. What began as my mural quickly became our mural. The fulfillment I experienced marked a shift in my practice—from classically trained painter to public artist. My goal is to grow Roses for Rose Park into a program that brings beauty, identity, and unity to communities everywhere.
Follow the journey on Instagram: @rosesforrosepark.
Roses for Rose Park Alley Mural, 2,276 SQFT, spans alley (Theresa to 6th St adjacent to 2925 E. 6th St.)
"Roses for Rose Park" is a large scale community mural of an ensemble of multi-colored roses (meant to represent the area's diversity), located in Historic Rose Park between Orizaba street and Temple street. Painted in a contemporary stencil format in dialogue with the street art movement, the project's goal is to reinforce community identity and beautify the neighborhood.
The Rose Park Friendship Corner Mural, 2020, 5 x 150 foot, acrylic on cinder block wall, parking lot (7th street and Dawson.)
The Rose Park Friendship Corner Mural is a blend of acrylic painted roses and colorful vibrant mosaics that became a blooming community beautification project.
After a successful venture the Rose Park Neighborhood Association asked me to be part of a second mural with my rose design to help improve and beautify a vacant parking lot. This time the project was a collaboration with a local mosaic group Art Works LBC. Our biggest concern with this project was keeping the volunteers safe during the fall of 2020 in the middle of covid 19 pandemic. By creating a more structured format using the guidelines provided by the city, we were safe and produced another landmark in our neighborhood.
Heritage Rose Mural (process shot), 2021, 5 x 25 foot, acrylic paint on cinder block wall, (2032 E Seventh street.)
Heritage is a full service restaurant. Sandwiches for lunch, modern California cuisine at night. Zero waste kitchen, green certified business. Family owned and operated (brother sister team) who live in the neighborhood, are passionate about food and beverage and have always wanted a restaurant in Rose Park.
Phillip (Owner/Chef) and Lauren (Owner/Manager)- We love the community engagement aspect of this project. Roses for Rose Park makes us feel a part of the neighborhood. We are so excited to have such a beautiful mural on the wall.
St Mathews Rose Mural, 2022, 14 x 18 feet, acrylic on brick wall, (672 Temple Ave.)
The Long Beach Youth Chorus’ inaugural Long Beach Family Arts Festival, held on the grounds of St Mathew Church. During this festival I taught Long Beach youths how to paint a mural. This was a great way to introduce these budding artists to community painting.
Rivera’s Rose Mural, 2022, 15 x 25 feet, acrylic on stucco wall, (2901 E Seventh St.)
Rivera’s Mexican Restaurant was started by Chef Rivera with his wife and two sons by his side. After opening a successful location in Compton they soon opened their second restaurant in Rose Park Long Beach CA, in 2000. The Long Beach location has been a huge fruition with fine dining and catering events.
George Rivera- When you visit us, you are family. Try any of our savory Mexican dishes and you’ll see what authentic Mexican food is supposed to be. Our dinners have given great comments and people love the mural. Thank you Roses for Rose Park for your hard work.
Workshops are our way to connect with renters in apartments and local businesses. This interactive action allows increased and improved relationships among individual shop and business owners and the residents that live nearby. Neighbors paint a medallion for themselves or for their favorite local business. These medallions are 12” birch plywood circles primed white attached on a chain with a suction cup that can be hung in a window or hung on a screw/nail on a wall. To keep a consistent identity the same paint, stencil design and method is used. Depending on time and weather, classes would be held every other month in alleys, parking lots or driveways.
In remediating urban isolation, I offer a neighbor to neighbor cultural restoration to the community. Using the stencil again we paint the design on a walkway, driveway or step-out in front of the house. I bring the paint and the supplies we need. I coach them through the process, we layout the design, and together we paint the art. The main purpose is to meet neighbors and get to know their story. By the end of our time together we made connections and added a little more beauty to our neighborhood. We are changing the world, one art piece at a time.
