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In 2023 upon rigorous review process Alexey Steele was selected as first year member of the state of California new California Arts Council program California Creative Corps aimed to increase the impact of arts on California communities.
California Creative Corps is the new and visionary $60M State of California program by the California Arts Council with the goal to bring artists closer to communities in need, to support artists’ engagement and to increase the social impact of the arts in the updated version of the famed WPA.
Arts Council for Long Beach is one of the 15 selected administering organisations for the program covering Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The Arts Council for Long Beach has selected 35 organizations and 35 artists to participate in the California Creative Corps program.
The membership in the program comes with the special
project grant.
Innovative Sustainable Public Art Technology Prototype, Community Programming Pilot and Messaging Expansion Campaign
The project is based on Alexey Steele’s large-scale visually striking artistic depiction of a local community hero in combination with community mural and important programmatic messaging showcasing the developed by artist technologically innovative sustainable public art medium of ArtScreen PanelTM.
The project is the expansion of artists’ award-winning Love My Neighbor project centered on artistically significant portrayals of universally beloved neighbors as modern-day heroes. It brings artistic impact through technological innovation by deploying the newly developed by the artist and his team sustainable low community mural and ArtScreen Paneltm installation sketch maintenance technology with incomparable to all existing mural options durability to elements. Alexey Steele’s new public art medium is also an unprecedented vehicle for artistic impact, giving ability to deliver artistic effects of museum works to public and community life in equitable urban outdoor setting while retaining clean architectural
appearance.
The final product will be a durable long-term placemaking installation creating the new permanent local landmark, providing new inspirational role model to the community and conveying important, affirmative and unifying public message.
Acceptance into new California Creative Corps program involved a rigorous review process and is uniquely structured to bring together selected artists and nonprofits to collaborate and amplify each other’s work.
Alexey Steele was paired with Long Beach based Care Closet non-profit and decided to make its founder, local activist, artist’s studio neighbor and fellow artist Duke Givens the focus of his project with the goal to inspire others with his example as well as to to showcase the viable role model to local youth, including youth at risk.
“I am enormously happy to collaborate with my remarkable friend and the real-world next-door neighbor in my Long Beach studio, a deep artist and true community hero Duke Givens of Care Closet non-profit. He represents everything my Love My Neighbor project is all about and I am profoundly happy for Duke to be the artistic focus of my Creative Corps project.” Alexey Steele
California Creative Corps. Alexey Steele: Love My Neighbor Project, Inspiring Neighbors – Remarkable Stories took place at AACCLB February 2 to February 24, 2024.
Alexey Steele was invited with the special exhibition on the main theme of his California Creative Corps project by the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach as part of their special programs celebrating Black History month.
Many community members and leaders have visited the exhibition, including Mayor Richardson and Councilmembers.
The exhibition evoked remarkably warm and strong community response.
The Artists’ Hero
“As this program is uniquely structured to bring together artists and selected non-profits to collaborate and amplify each other’s work I am enormously happy to collaborate with my remarkable friend and real-world next-door neighbor in my Long Beach studio, a deep artist and true community hero Duke Givens of Care Closet non-profit.
He represents everything my Love My Neighbour project is all about and I am profoundly happy for Duke to be the hero of my Creative Corps project.
Called “Duke” in his childhood at the tough inner-city neighborhood, this real-world giant, an Air Force veteran of Desert Storm, an insightful photographer, who documented the strife, the suffering and the humanity of his community, he founded a Care Closet non-profit which is now bringing clothing, comfort, but even more so, the human dignity and hope to his unhoused neighbors.
Many other organisations in other cities can learn from what Duke and his amazing team are doing daily in the toughest alleys of Long Beach. The dedicated Care Closet crew have by now removed 2 MILLION POUNDS of trash right here in Long Beach.
We as artists have a tremendous power. We can decide for society who will define our age. We can give eternal portrayals of who we feel, think and believe to be the true heroes of our time. To me this is Duke and those all around us like him.” Alexey Steele
On February 24, 2024 Assemblymemeber 65 District Mike A. Gipson, Chair of the Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism Committee, have visited the exhibition and delivered his remarks to a group of creative community leaders.
At the event Alexey Steele thanked the state for the visionary Creative Corps program advocating the importance to keep the program funding and to expand the support for arts in the state to preserve Creative Viability of the State of California in the global Creative Economy race.
Remarks by Assemblymemeber 65 District Mike A. Gipson, Chair of the Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism Committee delivered on February 24, 2024 at exhibition California Creative Corps. Alexey Steele: Love My Neighbor Project, Inspiring Neighbors – Remarkable Stories in the Africa American Cultural Centre of Long Beach as part of special celebrations of Black History Month.
Remarks delivered by artist Alexey Steele advocating the continuation by the State of California of the California Creative Corpse program and for the expanded support for arts in the state to preserve Creative Viability of the State of California in the global Creative Economy race.
Because of strong community response Alexey Steele’s Love My Neighbour and Creative Corps projects was selected for participation in the special Black History Month City Hall video installation curated by African American Cultural Center of Long Beach.
The City Hall installation and the documented community response to Alexey Steele’s project at AACCLB exhibition have turned out to be a unique public test for the image that developed image and concept showing their effectiveness in their final public art scale and placement.
“Duke. Love My Neighbor. Long Beach” sepia on Fabriano soft-press paper, 29″ x 22″
The process begins with in depth life studying of the project’s hero. In his portrait work Alexey Steele believes that capturing the genetically determined skeletal structure honors his subject’s ancestors, the soft tissues of the face bare the personal life story and the momentary fleeting expression captures the personal moment in time. The communal experience with his hero during the life session is the critical part of Alexey Steele’s process.
Usually Alexey begins his studying process with the work on paper.
“Duke. Study” oil on linen over aluminum panel 12″ x 9″
Next stage is the palette development for the chromatic expression of the individual character and story
Duke. Love My Neighbor Long Beach
oil on linen panel 24” x 12”
sketch for the California Creative Corpse project
The in-depth studying of his hero results in the fully conceptualized compositionally and chromatically working sketch.
The work on the full size original painting begins with the development and spatial organization of main masses.
The exciting process of creating the original large scale painting capable to deliver the visual impact on the outdoor architectural scale while retaining the full psychological depth of an intimate work is the result of the focused multi-decade artistic pursuit.
The important part of Steele’s approach to color is the integration of color pallet developed through the extensive landscape work.
The overall chromatic and color experiential approach to “Duke” comes from artists’ multiple studies of the rare example of old California oak as well as numerous ocean studies.
Subscribe to our list to receive advanced notices about Alexey’s upcoming exhibitions, projects and initiatives as well as to receive event invitations.