LA County lifeguard towers gain summer color
Los Angeles County residents hit the beach this summer to discover the region’s 158 lifeguard towers have been transformed. Vivid colors and patterns have replaced the drab blue paint job the towers have been sporting for the past several decades. What may not be instantly obvious is that the colorful coastline towers were painted by a team of more than 6,000 children in schools, hospitals and social service programs from across the nation.
The project, known as “Summer of Color” is the brainchild of brothers Bernie and Ed Massey, founders of the Los Angeles based organization Portraits of Hope. The idea behind the project is to instill a sense of accomplishment and social awareness in children of all ages and backgrounds. Each child participates in group exercises that focus on relevant social issues which is then tied into the public art project. The overall message the brothers try to get across is that it requires a vast team of passionate individuals to execute a project of such scope.
Many of the young participants may not be able to get to the beach this summer to see the fruits of their labor. By bringing art materials into hospitals, and developing painting methods for people with physical disabilities, Portraits of Hope is enabling kids to participate whose circumstances might prevent them from otherwise doing so. According to Bernie, the project “gives pride to a lot of the youth that participate when they actually see their finished work in the public domain... Particularly because of the populations that we often work with here -- children in hospitals who often times can't get outdoors or kids from under-served communities... for them to be part of transforming something that millions of people will see is very powerful.”
Portraits of Hope has been engaging in similar public art projects for the past 15 years. The brothers have worked to add color to a NASCAR, a series of New York City taxicabs, and a blimp. This “Summer of Color” project holds special importance to the Masseys, not only because it is their largest endeavor, but because it takes place in Los Angeles, their hometown.
“In many respects its been one of the most rewarding if not the most rewarding project that we've worked on because it is the home base and, you can't get any better than the beaches to actually have public artwork at,” says Bernie.
At the end of October, the panels will come down and the lifeguard towers will most likely return to their original faded blue. The “Summer of Color” panels will then be donated to hospitals, civil service organizations and disaster areas for beautification purposes.
Venice City Beach
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