Rose Park Neighborhood Association

The Rose Park Neighborhood Association protects and promote the interests of a population of 10,000 residents and local business owners. The focus of our work centers on health and wellness with art, street safety and the revitalization of neglected spaces.

Rose Park Neighborhood Association began ArtWorksLBC in 2017 as a community benefit project to engage individuals, youth and families, and partnering organizations in arts healing and wellness, neighborhood revitalization, and community connection.

ArtWorksLBC Director and Mosaic Artist Dawn Mendelson along with local artists and residents engage in art projects that focus on building community and the revitalization of neglected spaces, in order to work together to build better neighborhoods and connect communities.

Some of the ArtWorksLBC initiatives and programming in Rose Park Neighborhood include:

The "Friendship Corner," a 50 foot painted rose and mosaic wall project brought together residents, artists, business owners, nonprofit organizations and community volunteers to create, paint and mosaic a 50 foot wall in a neglected space on the corner of E7th Street and Dawson Avenue in Rose Park neighborhood. 

Hearts Across Long Beach began as a community wellness project for essential workers in response to COVID19. Participating organizations were provided a mosaic art kit to create a moment of beauty, healing, and self expression with these mosaic hearts. Organizations were asked to return their hearts to be arranged as part of a larger community exhibit. 

Art in Rose Park brings creative art projects to Rose Park every first Thursday of the month. Participants engage in painting, mosaic, drawing and themed-centered projects facilitated by ArtWorksLBC Director and Mosaic Artist Dawn Mendelson.

Burbank Elementary students, teachers and staff participated in the design of the 18 foot rainbow mosaic mural to beautify the north facing wall of the school in Rose Park Neighborhood.

"Meet us at Parking Lot" - Skate Jam and Art Session is a bi-monthly event that activates safe, healthy spaces for youth at Revive Church on 7th and Obispo. This initiative is a partnership with LB Skate, Revive Church, and Rose Park Neighborhood Association's ArtWorksLBC program (Photo credit: Abel Moreno)

Testimonials

Reflections from ArtWorksLBC Participants:

"My whole family has benefited from these community art workshops. There is great energy and a strong sense of community developed because of sharing an experience of creating art and knowing it will be shared within the community. The focus is on Making Art with no preconceived bias. You don't feel pressure. It is process over product and Dawn allows You to be You. Community is created around the work process."

"I am not creative, but what I love about the workshops is that they are extremely inclusive. They are simple in that anyone can come to the table and create art. What I like the most is the conversations that occur around the table with others. I have met new people every time."

"I don't have a green thumb for art, but I am appreciative of talent and feel art, especially community art, is part of a healthy neighborhood. It beautifies, uplifts, and starts conversations within the community."

"I am not good at art, and I'm not comfortable creating. The ArtWorksLBC events are welcoming and are a safe space to create."

"I experience the Idea because I'm part of that process. Expression comes through planning and process. It feels like everyone is scurrying around at the beginning, then there is a period of concentration, collective understanding and collaboration without explicit or implicit bias."

"A neighborhood is about how great people feel."

"I most appreciated the guerilla banner art project because we had only the inkling of a vision, but lots of voices to hear and collaborate with. There was spontaneous brainstorming, and everyone had something--a skill, an idea, a helping hand--to contribute. It was magical and the results were very pleasing!"