Long Beach Creative Group Presents Rod Briggs: Retrospective

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Curated by:

SRW Virtual Gallery Services

The Long Beach Creative Group, with support from The Port of Long Beach via a Community Sponsorship Grant, presents Rod Briggs: Retrospective. The exhibition will be open for viewing, by appointment, on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm, from January 9 through February 6, 2021.

Briggs, who died in 2017, was a Long Beach Unified School District teacher for decades. When he wasn't teaching, he spent nights and weekends in his studio, which is now the LBCG/Rod Briggs Gallery. He was a highly skilled, prolific, and adventurous artist whose photo realistic paintings depicted familiar and surprising places throughout Long Beach. He also explored abstract expressionism, watercolor landscapes, and many other media and forms.

Cameron Briggs, the son of Rod, invited the Long Beach Creative Group to transform the studio into a gallery. He, along with Michael Daniel and Greg Fritsche, curated the retrospective. "I think it is really important that people see my father's work," Briggs said. "I don't think there are too many artists who could equal his skill and precision and, at the same time, convey the depth of emotion and feeling. When people come into this space and see his work, they will feel his energy and spirit."

Michael Stearns, who ran Gallery 33, an important fine art gallery, was immediately enthralled by both the quality and subject matter of Rod's work. "He would get buildings half torn down, in the process of their destruction. He captured the period when Long Beach was changing from 'Old Sleepy Navy Town' to what it is, now."

Marka Burns, President of the Long Beach Creative Group, has been sharing the space with many of Rod's paintings, brushes, paint tubes, and colorful work surfaces. "These things are a constant reminder of his presence in the gallery," Burns said. "It is as if he just left his studio and will be coming right back."

Briggs' work is included in the permanent collection of the Long Beach Museum of Art and, in 2019, was featured in "Collecting Long Beach: Seven Decades from the Permanent Collection," the inaugural exhibition at LBMA Downtown.

The LBCG is an established consortium of experienced artists, educators, and art enthusiasts engaged in creating exhibit space and opportunities for artists through curated exhibits and events. For the last 2 years, the LBCG/Rod Briggs Gallery has enabled the group to consistently and professionally present the depth and diversity of artistic expression in Long Beach and the surrounding communities.

The LBCG/Rod Briggs Gallery is located at 2221 East Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803. To make an appointment, please call 562-400-5166 and leave a message with your full name, complete phone number, and the day and time you wish to visit. Someone will call back to confirm your appointment More information about the group, the gallery, and the show can be found at LongBeachCreativeGroup.com, and at facebook.com/LongBeachCreativeGroup.