The arts are thriving at the beach this season. In April 2026, massive murals reinvigorated an abandoned building on the boardwalk. Now, the humble boardwalk ticket booths have been transformed from unremarkable to unmistakable.
For the first time in 10 years, six beachfront booths have been given more than just a fresh coat of paint. The city partnered with the Long Beach Arts Council to recruit a squad of six local artists to turn the simple shacks into freestanding art pieces.
Amanda Diller, Michele Dodd, Liza Hertweck, Rob Rothman, Ali Rufrano-Ruffner and Justine Stefanelli answered the call to spend one paint-splattered day, last Saturday, working on ticket booths at Magnolia, National, Edwards, Riverside and Long Beach boulevards. Riverside will feature two booths, with one at each of the remaining locations.
Stefanelli, an accomplished photographer, joined the project to paint her first mural with the goal of dedicating it to her late mother, Mary Topps, who was a muralist. Stefanelli also included a small duck in her artwork in memory of David Quackenbush, a friend who recently died.
Dodd is a native Long Beach artist whose work recently appeared elsewhere on the boardwalk: She made a massive contribution in April to the water-themed murals at the former Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, adding a larger-than-life fish to the inner courtyard.
“Long Beach has been a highly receptive community for artists for a long time,” Dodd said. “Long Beach, as a community, is very proud and supportive of their artists. The nice thing about it is that it’s communitywide. It’s not like, ‘Oh, just the people who hug trees are into the arts.’ Everybody is involved and supportive of artists.”
Financial sponsorships from local businesses and organizations, up to $1,500 per booth, played a key role in the project. Booth sponsors included the Long Beach Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Belmont Park Village, Sol House of Healing, Hollywood Health Club, Sherry Blossom, Rob Rothman, the Long Beach Arts Council, Arts In The Plaza and Artists in Partnership. The sponsors’ names can be found discreetly incorporated into each booth’s design.
“Long Beach is the paradise we call home,” said City Council President Brendan Finn. “We are very excited to launch this program — turning our beach ticket booths into works of art. ‘Tickets to Paradise’ is the perfect way to describe this project, featuring the talent of local artists against the most beautiful backdrop there is — our pristine beaches. What a great way to kick off summer in Long Beach.”
With the booths now ready for the season, beach passes will go on sale on May 11, and Ocean Beach Park will officially open — for weekends only — on May 23, Memorial Day weekend. Full-time, seven-days-a-week beach access begins on June 19.