Sacred Roots Holistic Healing Center
2841 E Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90805
The Sacred Roots Holistic Healing Center is located on East Broadway, four blocks north of Junipero Beach. Beyond the beach lies the Pacific Ocean. Structures blocking the Sacred Roots from a view of the ocean are one- and two-story homes in Bluff Park and an apartment building.
The Galaxy Towers condo building was originally built in 1967, with a design revolutionary for its time. With four towers connected to a central structure, the building attempts to offer the best views of the ocean to as many of its residents as possible.
If visitors continue past Galaxy Towers to the park and the beach beyond, they can find another piece of public art, a statue titled “The Lone Sailor.” The 7-foot, 2-piece cast bronze sculpture was created by Stanley Bleifeld in 1984. It was intended as a tribute to Rear Admiral William Thompson’s attempt to create the Navy Memorial. The Navy Memorial was added to the sculpture in 2004 by the Fleet Reserve Associate Brank 43.
Written by Amelia Nixon
Sources: http://www.bcre.com/galaxy-towers-condos-long-beach-ca.php, http://www.publicartinpublicplaces.info/the-lone-sailor-1984-by-stanley-bleifeld
2018
Untitled by Ms. Yellow
An untitled mural by Nuria Ortiz (artist name Ms. Yellow) covers a wall barely four residential blocks from the ocean. Commissioned by POW! WOW! Long Beach for its 2018 summer festival, the colorful mural occupies the east wall of Sacred Roots Holistic Healing Center. Visitors will want to approach the mural travelling east on E Broadway and can appreciate it from the adjacent sidewalk. The mural is affectionately called “Psychedelic Forest” by the Center. Ortiz spoke with the Center when deciding upon the message for the mural.
When looking at the mural, visitors can see two deer sitting in an illuminated environment, surrounded by trees, grass, and flowers. Ortiz’s style appears to reference her longtime interest in Japanese art and culture. The eyes of the deer, for example, resemble a similar method of drawing the eyes of Japanese animation characters. Using 33 different vibrant colors, Oritz hopes to give “a sense of peace and curiosity to passersby.” She says,
“The main thing I hope my mural does is to want to make someone stop in front of it and lose themselves in it for a minute, completely forgetting any type of hardship or struggle they are facing. A moment of clarity if u will.”
Ortiz’s process starts with creating initial sketches. After that, she chooses and organizes her spray paint colors. She says for this mural, she covered a part of the wall in a sketch, then she would paint over that section, repeating the process until the entire wall was finished. Ortiz worked for long stretches of time on this mural, painting “as many hours as the sun allows each day.”
Written by Amelia Nixon
Source: https://lbpost.com/life/arts-culture/your-complete-guide-to-pow-wow-long-beach-2018/
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