Legionnaires Paint A Brighter Future On Hollywood BLVD

Story Written By Michael Hjelmstad

In this time of extreme uncertainty, some community leaders have seized the opportunity to bring people together through the act of creating art on an otherwise dismal site.

When businesses were boarded up in Hollywood recently, the Hollywood Post 43 family, including Legionnaire Andrew Orillion and Auxiliary member Lauralee Gooch, joined local community members to support Arts Bridging the Gap in spreading messages of hope and beautifying a world-famous boulevard hit hard by the chaos of recent months.

Local artist Skye Sweet was among those invited by Arts Bridging the Gap to create peaceful, uplifting murals on the plywood covering many of the windows on Hollywood Boulevard.

“This mural is painted to give love and support,” she said. “I love community and I love that we get to make a difference and support our community in these tough times.”

Sweet brought her vision and inspiration to the project by creating outlines that were later filled in by volunteers, including local school children and members of the Post 43 Family.

“This is the coolest paint-by-number I’ve ever done,” said Gooch.

Arts Bridging the Gap has brought together artists and communities since 2014, offering educational programs that utilize the arts to provide resources and support for children in vulnerable areas to realize their full potential.

Georgia Van Cuylenburg, Founder and Executive Director of Arts Bridging the Gap, emphasized that even those with no artistic skills or experience can benefit from participating.

“We invite people that don’t think they can paint to come out and experience that moment of putting a paintbrush in their hand and giving it a go,” Van Cuylenburg said. “We’ve had a lot of veterans work with us, and they say that was so relaxing and so lovely, so we’re always inviting people to come out and volunteer.”

Arts Bridging the Gap usually creates more permanent art installations, but although the Hollywood plywood murals have all now been removed, their impact will continue. The organization is preserving them to raise funds for programs that serve underserved youth and to keep them as a permanent teaching exhibit.

Anyone in the Los Angeles area can volunteer with Arts Bridging the Gap, and those outside the LA area can go to artsbridgingthegap.org to learn more or donate.

Much like the Legion Family, these artists continue to bring the community together by using their talents to actively engage the whole community. During these uncertain times, we need that more than ever.

“The world needs a big hug for sure,” said Sweet. “We all do.”