Candy Chang Spray Paints Annenberg Beachhouse

On Tuesday, May 10 from 6:00-8:00pm, all are welcome to the Beach House for an evening with artist Candy Chang. Inspired to visit Santa Monica by her interest in the psychology of place and the City's award-winning Wellbeing Project, Chang will share her past and present work and demystify the creative process.

In a twist on the traditional artist's talk, she'll also share tools for personal reflection and psychological exercises to cultivate personal mental health – while focusing on how this contributes to community wellbeing. Come early to explore the historic site, and stay after for a discussion and light reception with the artist. Reservations and information available at candychangatbeachculture.eventbrite.com.

All Beach=Culture events (annenbergbeachhouse.com/beachculture) are free and open to the public.

A small seed of an idea can be the source of dramatic innovation. In 2011, Candy Chang began her Before I Die project, when she stenciled the words "Before I die I want to _______" on a chalkboard wall on an abandoned house in New Orleans after losing someone she loved. The participatory project has since grown into a global phenomenon, and today there are over 2,000 Before I Die walls in over 70 countries.

She is currently creating a large-scale participatory mural in Philadelphia. Inspired by the I Ching, The Atlas of Tomorrow will be a device for philosophical reflection that includes 64 fable-like guides to help people contemplate their lives and destigmatize discussion around mental health.

Chang creates public spaces that spark conversation and reflect a sense of community identity-often using little more than chalk, stickers, and some creativity. -The Atlantic

Through participatory experiments in the public realm that examine the thresholds between isolation and community, the psychology of civic engagement, and how shared places can cultivate introspection, intimacy, and kinship, Chang provokes playful and profound visions for how we can nurture the health of our communities. She was named one of the Top 100 Leaders in Public Interest Design by Impact Design Hub and is a TED Senior Fellow, an Urban Innovation Fellow, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She lives in New Orleans. More information at candychang.com.