Downtown Santa Monica Square Transformed Into Art Destination

By Lookout Staff

July 18, 2017 -- A whimsical "teaser" popped up on a grassy triangle near the pier Monday to promote a new series of four temporary art works that will be rolled out in Downtown Santa Monica starting next month.

Created by LA-based artist Bumblebee, the piece titled "Looks Like Fun" aims to "evoke a sense of whimsy and playfulness and invites viewers to stop for a moment, take a break, and snap a photo," City and Downtown officials said.

The art work will remain for several weeks before "Triangle Square" becomes the venue for four large-scale temporary installations that will be coupled with "interventions and projections" along the Third Street Promenade over the next 18 months.

Bumblebee's "Looks Like Fun" (Image courtesy City of Santa Monica)

Bumblebee's "teaser" is meant to "encourage the public to re-imagine the use of this grassy, park-like space as an art destination," officials said.

"This programmatic partnership between the City of Santa Monica and Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. evolved through a mutual desire to infuse more art experiences in the downtown core," officials said.

"There was also a shared interest in activating public spaces with ephemeral work that would prompt people to traverse this active corridor."

Bumblebee, who was born and raised in the southeastern part of Los Angeles County, uses stenciling and mixed media to create works that tackle such issues as "child homelessness and the impact of modernity on nature," officials said.

"Despite the seriousness of his subject matter, his works are whimsical, playful and exude a sense of childish innocence, freedom and joy."

The artist's murals have been installed at Google headquarters in Venice Beach, on the KODAK building in Hollywood and Beach Day in Santa Monica.

City and Downtown officials soon will release a list of artists whose works will be showcased over the next 18 months.

For more information, visit www.smgov.net/arts