This summer, Forever 21 is partnering with Art Bridges the Gap and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to create and paint a new series of murals designed to recognize that there’s a little LA in everyone. Starting with a mural at Sunset & Highland in Hollywood, which was completed last week, the collaboration will engage local Boys & Girls Clubs, extending to Korea Town, Venice and finishing with South LA in September.
“What makes these murals so special is that they are being designed and painted by kids and teens from local Boys & Girls Clubs. This is part of our commitment to giving our city’s youth a voice through immersive art projects,” Georgia van Cuylenburg, Executive Director, Art Bridges the Gap. “We are so grateful to Forever 21 for not only sponsoring but putting their hearts and hands into empowering youth and supporting us in creating more youth-driven art in our city.”
In the coming months, this project will bring together groups of local LA youth to participate in focused creative expression sessions where they will define the themes, content and vibe of their murals. Local LA artists will use these conversations to transform those ideas and visions into a finalized design, which will then be painted in key intersections of the city.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America believes that every young person deserves access to a robust arts education,” said Jim Clark, president & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Forever 21 recognizes the arts as an essential pathway for young people to discover their passions and express themselves within the local community, and we are grateful for this partnership as we continue our mission to help kids and teens reach their full potentials.”
Each mural will feature a QR code which will unlock a unique Forever LA page with information about the art, the activation partners, highlights from the painting events, and more details about Forever 21’s forward looking plans.
“Many thanks to Art Bridges the Gap, the LA-based artists, and our ongoing partners at Boys & Girls Club of America as they bring such amazing art and vibrancy to LA,” said Winnie Park, CEO, Forever 21. “We are so excited to be a part of the art scene in our hometown and highlight that there’s a little LA in all of us.”
Kicking off this month, the artists and teams have started prepping and painting the murals in LA. Below are the current locations (permits pending) and artists:
- Hollywood – On August 4, teams gathered at Sunset & Highland with LA-based artist Georgia van Cuylenburg, to paint the mural on the Sunset Blvd facing wall, on the site of the future CMNTY Culture Campus, which is under development.
- Korea Town – At the start of August/September, Annie Hong aka “HOOTNANNIE” (she/they) will lead a team at Yong Oak Kim Academy on 6th & Vermont to bring the second mural to life.
- Venice – Over in Venice, the wife and husband team of AQMNI (UH-kwe-min-EYE), will support the youth in bringing their artistic voice to life on a location still to be determined.
- South LA/Fairfax – South Park Recreation Center with Amani Holbert, and Ethel Zarinana (half of AQMNI)
To execute this artistic campaign, Forever 21 partnered with The Salon, Campbell Ewald’s cultural consultancy, which oversaw the project from conception and cultural partnerships to creative direction.
