As thousands of people make their way around the street circuit of this year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, they will be greeted by colorful artwork made by local artists that encapsulate the historic race and the city’s culture.
These murals put Long Beach’s creative spirit on full display.
Organizers of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach partnered with nonprofit Creative Class Collective to have eight local artists complete murals on three of the event’s pedestrian bridges along Shoreline Drive. This was an effort to beautify the racetrack ahead of race weekend, which will take place from Friday to Sunday, April 17-19.
The new public art initiative turns raceway infrastructure into vibrant canvases that feature iconic local landmarks, such as the World Famous VIP Records sign, the Queen Mary and the Pike’s roller coaster and Ferris wheel, as well as notable characters from racing video games and movies like “Super Mario,” “Speed Racer” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.”
Each mural showcases the artists’ signature style, talent and creativity.
Creative Class Collective, known for its work promoting accessible arts and culture, and for initiatives such as Long Beach Walls, curated the eight local artists for the project as part of its ongoing mission to elevate creators and foster community pride through public art. Over the past decade, the organization has helped transform more than 150 blank walls and public spaces throughout Long Beach into works of art, officials said.
“Public art has the power to transform spaces and bring communities together,” Blair Cohn, executive director of Creative Class Collective, said in a statement, “especially during high-octane events like the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“We tapped local Long Beach artists to create several dynamic murals on the pedestrian bridges, turning overlooked infrastructure into vibrant canvases that capture the spirit of the race and our city’s creative pulse,” Cohn said. “Seeing these works come to life amid the roar of racing engines reinforces what we are building toward every day in Long Beach: incredible artists whose work inspires cultural connection, celebration and pride in our spaces.”
The mural project was designed to celebrate Long Beach’s homegrown talent on one of Southern California’s biggest stages, creating a visual connection between the city’s thriving arts community and its signature international sporting event, according to a news release from the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.
The pedestrian bridges weren’t smooth canvases to work on, and some artists had to tackle the more than 200-foot bridges going across Shoreline – but they said this was a challenge they were ready to take on.
One of the bridges featured the work of Eric Michael Rauseo, a Venezuelan American painter and visual artist whose work explores color, form and cultural memory, and Roshi, whose work focuses on themes of transformation, illumination and personal narrative.
Although Rauseo has not been to the Grand Prix before, he was elated to participate in the project, knowing how significant the event is for many families and the energy it brings to Long Beach. His mural features local iconography, like the VIP Records sign, as well as several characters from racing video games.
“My overall inspiration for this design was to be able to bring forth that nostalgic and kid appeal,” Rauseo said. “It was a way for me to bridge the age gap, literally. It was one of the ways to showcase the old with the new because obviously with ‘Super Mario’ being prominent now with the new movies but those kids that are into ‘Super Mario’ may not play ‘Crash Bandicoot’ or may not know who ‘Speed Racer’ is.”
Into the mural, he also added a reimaged “Speed Racer” character that features his daughter and her puppy. This was one of his favorite parts of the mural, Rauseo said, as he was able to bring them “along for the ride.”
In addition to it being a challenge to work on the texture of the pedestrian bridges’ wall, Rauseo was also challenged with using a different art method than what he is used to. He said he usually works on his murals using a paint brush, but had to learn how to use spray paint to be able to get the art done on time, with help from other local artist friends as well.
“It’s one of those notches on your belt and feels like you’ve earned another badge,” Rauseo said about the project. “It’s an honor to be able to be part of such a huge event and be able to showcase the way my brain works and the creativity that I’m able to have.”
The four artists who took on the challenge of working on the 200-foot bridges were D. “Z” Brooks, Isidro “Sansone” Bermudez, Jamiene “DLUX” Andreozzi, and Jose “Dooms” Pedroza.
One of the most notable parts of Pedroza’s mural is a tribute to Jim Michaelian, Grand Prix of Long Beach’s longtime leader, who died last month. Without prior planning, Bermudez said he had started working on monarch butterflies – which symbolize hope, spiritual growth and the souls of deceased loved ones, particularly in Mexican culture – that are placed on the side of the bridge opposite Michaelian’s portrait.
“He’s the reason why we’re here in the first place,” Pedroza said. “It was his idea and that’s because he wanted these tunnels done.”
In Brooks’ mural, he also paid tribute to Michaelian, added other notable Long Beach landmarks and included his style that brings back ’70s-style graffiti art.
“Every year this thing gets transformed like this,” Brooks said. “I’ve been in Long Beach for almost 26 years, and this (art) transformation like this, it’s amazing and awesome.”
As the only female muralist to be part of the project, Andreozzi said it felt good to be part of an important project and it was not surprising that she was the only woman because the art form of spray paint murals is male-dominated. Her mural featured lots of bright colors and characters, such as dolphins, palm trees and even a female race car driver.
The third bridge was worked on by Steve Martinez, a muralist, fine artist and curator known for blending traditional painting techniques with contemporary architectural elements and cultural symbolism; and LaJon Miller, a muralist whose vibrant work celebrates color, culture, storytelling and resilience.
Miller’s bright colors and designs are immediately recognizable to Long Beach residents. Some of his works can be seen near the Billie Jean King Main Library and other places around the downtown area. His pedestrian bridge mural features the Lions Lighthouse, the Pike’s roller coaster and Ferris wheel, and his signature character with pink Afro-puffs.
“This is the first time this has ever been done, so now this is like historic, finding out that they’re going to keep these up and put them up every time it’s like ‘Oh, wow,’” Miller said. “It adds another aesthetic.
“Now as you’re walking,” he added, “there’s something beautiful and colorful to look at.”
Miller said he also added the word “pride” to his mural, as another important event that Long Beach hosts every year is the Pride Parade. He hopes that people can take the time to look for the colors that represent “pride” in his mural as a fun way for attendees to look at the details of his work.
By incorporating large-scale public art directly into the race circuit, the Grand Prix of Long Beach and Creative Class Collective are reimagining key pedestrian spaces as immersive landmarks that will welcome fans and showcase the city’s identity throughout the race weekend, organizers said.
“I’m grateful that I get to be a part of it because realizing that this started in 1975,” Miller said, “that’s a long time to have an event going on in this little city.
“Somebody told me that Long Beach is a small city pretending to be a big city but they do it really well,” Miller added. “It has all the vibes of big cities but it’s still a small city by the beach and we have the Grand Prix running through it. It feels really cool to be a part of something like that.”