By LILY TINOCO | Reporter
Palisadian artist Ed Massey—known for his bold and colorful works—was featured in PBS’ latest “For The Arts” segment on Wednesday, July 20.
“For The Arts” is described as a multiplatform campaign, made to celebrate the resiliency of the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic shut down and reopening.
“The campaign features a variety of programming across broadcast and digital platforms to showcase the devastating impact of the pandemic to the arts industry,” according to PBS.
After covering artists in Philadelphia, Denver, Miami and beyond, the segment’s 17th episode highlights Massey’s efforts in Los Angeles as an artist, activist and co-founder of Portraits of Hope.
Portraits of Hope is a nonprofit program aimed at conceiving and developing “one-of-a-kind motivational art projects that merge the production of dynamic public art works with creative therapy for hospitalized children and civic education for students of all ages.”
“I was born and raised in LA, and I hope that I have an impact by adding some vibrancy and color to this incredible city,” Massey said in the episode. “Los Angeles really is a mosaic of everyone. I mean, it’s a global community within LA city.
“We have so many potential areas that can be brightened up, and in my field, where public art is taken front seat really, I just see opportunities there. With Portraits of Hope, the beauty is that the community does the artwork, we can all transform something that becomes very tangible and can be seen and appreciated by so many.”
The episode featured the 2019 art installation that adorned the top of the Los Angeles Convention Center, titled Shaping LA. Seen driving through the streets of LA in his NYC Taxi, Massey spoke about how iconic the structure is and its potential for an “amazing canvas.”
Massey also drove past MacArthur Park in remembrance of The Spheres, a project that featured thousands of floating, hand-painted colorful spheres in the park’s lake.
According to a 2015 Palisadian-Post article, children from all over LA—including about 40 Calvary Christian School third-graders—participated in the Spheres project.
“Hopefully my art makes people smile,” Massey said. “My art is something that I enjoy immensely, and it’s what I do and what I am. Hopefully, until the last day I’m here, I continue with a paintbrush in my hand.”
To watch the episode, visit gpb.org/television/show/pbs-for-the-arts/season/2021/off-the-wall-los-angeles.
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