In a small neighborhood in Long Beach, tucked away between El Dorado Golf Course and El Dorado Park, a group of residents is opening up their homes and studios and welcoming visitors. Attendees can view art, watch artists engage in their craft and enjoy an afternoon of music, food and raffles, all while visiting unique homes.
The second annual Rancho Art Crawl is returning. Residents who live in the neighborhood had envisioned the event and put that plan into action. The Rancho Art Crawl came to life and in its first coming, organizers said it was a bigger draw than expected. An estimated 500 visitors walked through the neighborhood and experienced art of all kinds by an estimated 50 artists who opened their homes to share with guests.
“It’s essentially an open studio tour,” Realtor Ben Fisher, one of the organizers, said.
The homes in the neighborhood were designed by Building Designer Cliff May. May has been called the “father of the ranch house,” and designed many of the ranch-style homes in Southern California, from San Diego to Los Angeles, from the 1930s through the 1950s.
The sprawling one-story homes usually included an interior courtyard and connections to the outdoors. It was a design that attracted artists, who could set up a work studio in the home. The homes themselves have become a kind of collectors item. The Rancho neighborhood is one of the largest set of May homes and many well-known artists have settled there.
“They’ve bonded together and become sort of a creative community,” Fisher said.
This year’s event is expected to draw even more visitors. There will be food trucks and music acts at various locations along the streets. Artists who open their home will be sowing art and some will even be demonstrating their crafts
This year’s event will take place on May 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit ranchoartcrawl.com.