Art
center opens in Long Beach
By
Porschia Baker
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
A
well-known non-profit and self-funded art
center is making small steps to create big
changes in the lives of young adults in
Long Beach.
Koo's,
which began in Santa Ana and will open in
early August in the East Village Arts District
in Long Beach, is geared toward young adults
who are between the high school and college
age range, but it is an all ages venue.
"The
struggle that I have had is finding other
organizations that will work with this age
group. It seems like non-profits in general
are terrified of working with that age group,
but for us it is an important age. It is
[when] people start finding themselves,"
said Dennis Lluy, the director and founder
of Koo's. "We see them being empowered
[by] finding themselves at an earlier age."
Koo's
originally began in August of 1994 on a
budget of $8,000. The name Koo's was originally
the name of a Chinese take-out restaurant
in Santa Ana that occupied the two-story
building in which the art center later opened
its doors. Because of the lack of funds,
a sign for the art center could not be purchased,
so, Lluy and the others who developed Koo's
decided to keep the restaurant's name.
Eventually
the Koo's in Santa Ana had to close because
the building was in bad shape and the outreach
programs required a larger space.
Some
of the programs that were offered at the
Koo's in Santa Ana were a Seventh Parallel
Break Dance Troop and a graffiti program,
in which Koo's had the only legal graffiti
wall. Another program that Koo's offered
in Santa Ana that will brought to Long Beach
is the Soapboxx Sessions, which will give
young women the opportunity to come together,
learn from each other and play music together.
In
addition to the programs that will be offered,
Koo's also has an art gallery where artists
can display their art. Shelley Rugg Thorp,
who received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. from
Cal State Long Beach, is a visual artist
who works with papier mache and creates
charcoal and oil paintings.
"Koo's
is about supporting each other as artists."
Rugg Thorp said. She added that the new
Koo's opening in Long Beach will bring in
much needed energy, art and music. Some
of Rugg Thorp's work will be on display
at Koo's.
Although
is it not Koo's goal to sell a great deal
of art, it is their goal to be a springboard
for artist Lluy said.
Another
goal of Koo's is to establish cedibility
in the artists' realm and bring in supporters
and buyers of art. Koo's teaches artists
sustainability, networking, and how to make
a profit.
Tom
Walker, who is a Long Beach artist and metal
sculptor has been in the art scene for nearly
eight years.
"Koo's is a gem in the rough."
Walker said. "A healthy city needs
culture."
The
new location of Koo's, 540 East Broadway,
is a "dream location because it has
so much potential and so much space,"
Lluy said. Unlike other businesses, Koo's
will be part of the community and as Lluy
put it, "we will try to speak in the
language where people will understand us."
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