Branded Arts Festival

Curated and produced by BRANDED ARTS

Participating artists: Carlo Valentino, Christian Garcia Perez, DesiBoo Creations, Erica Friend aka Insomniart, Jesica Burlaza, Josh Everhorn, JP Murals, Kenny Scharf, Kristy Sandoval, Levi Ponce, MURO, Ozzie Juarez, Rah Azul, Shantell Martin, and Sofia Enriquez.

Contributors: BEHR Paint, Herc Rentals, Chop’Em Down Films, HiJinx Arts, Quixote Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Get Lit Words Ignite, 36 Chambers, The BLK LT$, THEGR818ERS, The WarmUp LA, Cal Grove Rentals, Kalpulli Temachtia Quetzalcoatl, Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural, 818 Art

Official Press Release:

Having facilitated over 700 mural projects in over 70 cities around the world, Branded Arts continues its 8-year-long partnership with LAUSD to bring murals and arts education to schools with their latest Branded Arts Festival at César E. Chávez Learning Academies. Working with the school and the surrounding community, Branded Arts presents an unparalleled opportunity for students to engage with established muralists, develop themes for the work itself, and participate in every aspect of the art process from gallery creation to painting.

Ever dedicated to building the best possible program for the individual community, Branded Arts met with the César E. Chávez Learning Academies community, leadership, and local artists to assemble a curated list of artists who could best contribute to and relate to the school.

The program highlights the importance of legacy and respect for art, creating permanent and easily accessible murals to demonstrate to children how art can be revered, valued, and maintained. In an effort to move arts and culture forward for generations to come, Branded Arts offers many kids an “aha” moment, not just explaining that a career in the creative economy is possible, but providing tangible examples. In bringing art and artists that are relevant to the community, Branded Arts builds an impressive network that spans well beyond this week of programming. The program solidifies a bond within the community and builds career connections by engaging and elevating local and established artists, serving as a base for future creative exploration and an example of collaborative power.

As Branded Arts President Warren Brand explains, “At the end of the day, this is about giving students a creative outlet, because having a creative outlet with help you throughout all of your life’s endeavors. We may not be able to tell every story, but we will be able to amplify a lot of voices and I love the unity through diversity that we’re going to be able to achieve.”

This initiative opens students’ eyes to a world of possibilities within the creative industries, which are essential to Los Angeles. In addition to the hands-on experience of creating the mural festival, Branded Arts has assembled a week of engaging arts programming, where students will be educated about the creative economy and immersed in arts symposium programming, further underlining the real-world application of art. Students will not only be involved with mural production, but also participate in an arts symposium field trip on May 23rd, which features a wide array of presentations including Will Coyner (Sony Animation Spider-Verse Visual Development Artist), Carlos Vasquez (Manager of Talent Acquisitions – Sony Animation), a presentation by Cecilia Lopez (Program Coordinator at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural), and spoken word poetry from Dharma Lemon of GetLit.org.

The Grand Reception, which culminates the week of programming, will be held Friday, May 24th from 4 pm to 8pm, featuring an opening ceremony by Kalpulli Temachtia Quetzalcoatl and performances by singer BLK LT$, The GR818ERS, and more special guests. This will include a gallery exhibition space featuring artwork from the muralists as well as the students.

About Branded Arts: Branded Arts is a Los Angeles-based organization that offers a full spectrum of artistic services for communities and corporate settings alike. Over the last 14 years, they have produced over 700 public and private mural projects around the world. This project is part of the company’s ongoing initiative to transform public schools into outdoor museum environments.