Watch Your Step! Sidewalk Mural Created Outside Earth Arts

An ocean god was spotted on a Long Beach sidewalk late Monday.

That was after several teens put chalk to concrete to create an image of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, outside Earth Arts at 162 W. Park Avenue yesterday.

The artists — Asli Ozcan, Tony Rivas, Elizabeth Thomas, Jackie Balchi, Aqeel Malcolm, Rachel Salatino, Gina Tripodo and Amanda Marero — are students of Michelle Kelly, an art teacher at Baldwin High School for the past 15 years who also owns the arts shop with her husband, Tim.

“We do a sidewalk chalk festival every May with my class,” Kelly said. “This was sort of a sidewalk chalk reunion.”

They chose the image of Poseidon because Long Beach is, Michelle said, the city by the sea, “and we liked it,” she added.

The artists got started with white sidewalk chalk to build a foundation during the morning, and as the day progressed they gradually worked higher quality pastels into the sidewalk mural.

“Geographically, you have to work from the center outwards, but everyone chooses a place to progress,” Kelly said.

The finished touches were added around mid-afternoon., after which the artists posed for pictures with their masterpiece and pedestrians enjoyed a more colorful sidewalk.

“I am blessed that I have students who inspire me,” Kelly said, “as well as me inspiring them.”