A drab utility box becomes a canvas. A storm drain transforms into a work of art. A new mural appears on a once bare wall. If you haven’t already noticed, San Pedro’s public spaces have become a bit more colorful.

San Pedro has attracted artists of many disciplines for decades. From painters and sculptors to musicians and skateboarders, the port town has always been an affordable refuge for creatives of all stripes.

For a small town, San Pedro has an incredibly diverse artistic community. It has its own ballet company (San Pedro City Ballet), a vibrant cultural center (Angels Gate), and several art galleries in downtown that open their doors each month during the First Thursday ArtWalk.

There are numerous live music venues and a makers marketplace (CRAFTED), not to mention dozens of public art projects like murals and utility box paintings that can be seen all over town.

Arts United San Pedro, an umbrella group of several local arts organizations, seeks to keep the San Pedro arts community alive and thriving as the town goes through significant redevelopment.

With a mission to create a framework to combine efforts to promote San Pedro’s authentic cultures, galleries, entertainment venues, and artists, the group is working hard to bring San Pedro’s vibrant arts community into the public eye.

The group has been doing a lot more behind the scenes — about $671,000 more, to be exact. That’s the total amount of money they’re distributing to San Pedro’s local artists during the next three years, which came from a state grant in 2023 that members Amy Eriksen (Angels Gate Cultural Center), Linda Grimes (San Pedro Waterfront Arts District), Liz Johnson (Grand Vision Foundation), Elise Swanson (San Pedro Chamber of Commerce), and others secured.

Chris Stills with Lukas Nelson at the Grand Annex. (photo: Liz Johnson)

“For years, we’ve been saying San Pedro is the best kept secret,” says member Caroline Brady, executive director of Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, who helped author the grant proposal. “There’s nothing like $671,000 to help unlock that secret and spread the word as far as you possibly can.”

The funding has been a long time coming. The process started long before Arts United was even an organization when a few like-minded locals banded together to get San Pedro designated as one of the state’s 14 cultural districts.

The group contended that with a community of over 100 artists tracing its roots back to the 1940s, San Pedro was an excellent fit for the title. The state agreed. They were awarded an initial, modest grant, and in 2017, they formed the San Pedro Arts and Cultural District Coalition to ensure the money went directly to artists. Arts United San Pedro was formed last year to handle the organization’s growth.

“That work guided what we’re doing now,” reflects Linda Grimes, executive director of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District. “Now, we’re all committed to marching in the same direction.”

The group has given out $35,000 so far. One recipient is the San Pedro City Ballet, which was awarded $15,000 to revitalize the fading mural that adorns their building. Painted in 2015 by New York-based artist Kelcey “KFiSH” Fisher, the piece honors Misty Copeland, who studied at the school before becoming the first African-American woman promoted to the highest rank in the American Ballet Theatre.

Misty Copeland mural at San Pedro City Ballet. (photo: Joshua Stecker)

San Pedro City Ballet founder Cindy Bradley believes that refreshing the mural will continue to remind San Pedro of Copeland’s legacy. “She embodies what it means to work hard and fight for a chance to follow your passion,” says Bradley. “Misty was such a shy little girl until she found her talent. It’s a prime example of what arts can do for a child.”

Another recipient is the San Pedro Skatepark Association. At first glance, a skatepark may seem like an odd choice for an arts grant, but volunteer April Jones explains: “Skateboarding is a purely physical [art form], with every person developing their own style.” Arts United agreed, giving the group and collaborating organization, Calimucho Screen Printing, $4,250 for an upcoming Earth Day event on April 20.

Hosted at the iconic Channel Street Skatepark, the funds will go to a screen-printing station, live band, succulent planting activities, and much more. Jones hopes the event will bring the arts closer to those who need it most. “We’re trying to provide more access to creative endeavors,” she says. “Kids who might not come from healthy situations need a level of independence to find their own way, and skateboarding helps.”

Other recipients include Feed and Be Fed Farm, which will get $3,700 for an arts station at their Earth Day Eco Fair, and Freedom4U, which will use its $1,900 for music classes at Point Fermin Elementary School. Another beneficiary is artist Laurie Steelink, who will put her $10,000 towards a multimedia project honoring local Indigenous people at her gallery space, Cornelius Projects.

Changui Majadero at the Grand Annex. (photo: Michael Justice)

The variety of awardees illustrates the beauty of Arts United’s philosophy — they’re not too picky about who qualifies, provided the money is used for art. There are, of course, a few stipulations. For one, recipients must either work or reside in the Harbor Area and communities within LA County District 15. Their activities must also happen in the San Pedro Arts and Cultural District area, which encompasses the waterfront, the historic downtown core, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and Angels Gate Cultural Center.

Though a few more requirements exist, the organization has kept the guidelines fairly broad. Chair Amy Eriksen, executive director of Angels Gate Cultural Center, explains why. “It’s a big grant,” she says, “and we wanted to get the money directly to local artists.”

Arts United also cites additional reasons for the approach. One is rising operational costs, which has put a financial strain on small arts organizations and nonprofits. The other is Los Angeles’s rising cost of living. With everyday expenses skyrocketing at untenable rates, many artists find that they can only execute a project if it’s been pre-commissioned by a buyer, forcing them to choose between necessities and their passion.

“Imagine you’re an artist working in your studio, and you have a great idea,” says Brady, describing the crunch. “Could you imagine how frustrating it must be to think, ‘I have a vision, but how am I going to pay my bills?’”

‘La Pincoya en El Norte’ by Revival Murals. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

That’s why Arts United sees this grant as just one step in the right direction. Though they plan to keep applying for more funding, they’re also working to find long-term solutions to keep San Pedro affordable for the over 100 resident artists and arts organizations in town. They hope to continue facilitating the meaningful, culturally relevant creative activities that have brought artists here for decades.

“San Pedro has been a haven for artists, and I understand why people came here generations ago and never left,” says Brady. “Every day that we have artists interpreting San Pedro and feeding it back to us, we’re all better off for it.”

Any artists interested in applying for a portion of the grant should submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) by May 19. To access the form, visit qr.link/E3PCKI. spt