By The Arts Council for Long Beach launched a new grant program in early 2025, titled the “Public Art Maintenance Microgrant,” to support the restoration and preservation of existing public murals and utility box artworks.
Microgrants are available to the public on the 15th of every month, and applicants can request a maximum of $1,000 to cover the costs of materials for restoration.
The creation of the program comes at a time where modern architecture development has meant less opportunities for murals to be displayed across the city, according to the Art Council’s Director of Programs Lisa DeSmidt.
Through maintaining the public artworks, DeSmidt seeks to preserve the city’s diverse identity and help Long Beach remain vibrant for future generations.
“Public art is a defining culture for Long Beach, adding color, culture and creativity to our neighborhoods,” DeSmidt said. “Supporting artists from various backgrounds promotes cultural representation, inclusivity and a deeper community connection to the artworks.”
Applicants who previously won are eligible to re-apply in the future, and applicants can not use a business property to display an advertisement, as stated in their guidelines.
The reason that maintenance grants are on a monthly basis, DeSmidt said, is because defacement of murals and utility boxes happen quickly, so the council wanted to give out grants as fast as they can.
According to Arts Council Programs Associate Sergio Alan Díaz, the trend of public artworks defacement increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that once the artwork was fixed, however, it often does not get touched again.
The Public Arts Department works with the Long Beach Public Works Department, so they know which utility boxes can be used for artwork and which can not, since it could become a safety hazard.
Olivia Sawai, a former microgrant recipient, painted this utility box to represent her culture, family, and heritage as a “proud Cambodian.” Captured on April 27 in front of Khemara Buddhikarama Buddhist Temple on Willow Street, the artwork has now faced damage from possible public interference or natural elements. Photo credit: Francine Cordova
As far as funding the microgrants, DeSmidt said it is dependent on three factors: how much funding is available, how many applicants they get and what their scores are.
All applicants must pass the council’s qualifications and are graded through a scoring rubric, which can include criteria like damage level of the artworks looking to be restored, site accessibility, materials needed and visibility of the artwork.
Giving out grants is not a new concept to the Arts Council, as their grant program has been established since the organization was founded in 1976.
One grant program is Creative Corps, which was made to bring awareness to civic support and activism groups around the city, varying from LGBTQ+ to environmentalism communities. From there, the council pairs 35 artists individually to these non-profit communities for one year, with the goal to create art that supports the group’s target community and missions.
Amy Bauer, a recipient of the Creative Corps grant in 2023 and 2024, worked alongside the the Jewel Box Children’s Theater.
Originally from New Jersey and now residing in California for a decade, Bauer registered as an artist seven years ago and began to apply for grants in 2022.
Through the council’s microgrants, Bauer said she was able support her community art show, Fun-a-Day-LA, which allows people to design and showcase their own art project, such as a painting or a fashion piece.
To apply, support or learn more about the Arts Council of Long Beach, visit their website.
