Say hello to Long Beach's newest art scene

Long Beach has always been well-versed in the arts. Arts in the Plaza, concerts and many other events take place in the city year-round but a new one made its debut last Saturday.

That would be the Spring Bounty Art Exhibit at Temple Israel, hosted by Betzalel Art of Long Beach.

This initiative was a collaborative effort with local art groups and non-profits, including West End Arts and Long Beach Jewish Experience. By partnering with these organizations, Betzalel Art aimed to create a bridge between artists and the community, offering a platform for them to showcase their work and fostering connections with local centers like Temple Israel and its congregants.

“It really was like a grassroots initiative,” said Rabbi Isaac Attia, director of Long Beach Jewish Experience. “We really reached out to people and we made a call to artists and the word spread. It exceeded expectations.”

Attia said the expectation was about 75 people to show up to their inaugural event, but more than double actually did.

The event featured several local artists and allowed them to stand by and display their art proudly to their neighbors. The gallery allowed these artists to show their art through the timeless and inspiring lens of the Torah. They wanted to create a space where art and spirituality converge, and where the timeless wisdom of Torah intertwines with the profound creativity of the human spirit.

“The way I see it, is the Long Beach Jewish Experience was bringing the Jewish side of things and the West End Arts we’re bringing their expertise,” Attia said. “It was a really nice partnership and it was a great way to come together.”

Betzalel is a first-of-its-kind art initiative in Long Beach. Established in early 2023, Betzalel Art of Long Beach is an initiative founded with the vision of bringing artists together and fostering stronger bonds with the community through public showcases of their talents. The founder, Michelle Huttler-Silver, a photographer with over 25 years of experience, uses art as a means of communication and collaboration. Currently, she teaches others how to harness the power of the camera as a tool for creative expression.

“There are few things in life that exceed expectations where you could say ‘wow, this is better than I dreamed,’” said Huttler-Silver, who was also the visionary of the gallery.  “I’ve dreamed this dream for a very long time and this is one of those events that I could say surpassed my expectations.”

Huttler-Silver said there was so much positive energy throughout the gallery. She said she believes the city has an “incredible number of artists” and that the gallery acted as a way to showcase their talents alongside the city’s growing list of art shows.

“The city and the city manager have been building the infrastructure for the artists to be able to show and be able to engage with the community,” she said. “We’re using our best efforts to be part of that and just to give all this wonderful talent a spotlight."