Artwork and Firm Selected to Design Long Beach COVID-19 Memorial

LONG BEACH — On Dec. 13, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved a contract with PAO Design to advance their submitted memorial concept design, “Twin Arches,” and conduct further technical studies for the development of Long Beach’s COVID-19 Memorial. The memorial will be built to honor the lives of those who were lost and those who remain forever impacted by the pandemic.

In late November 2022, the city released a Request For Qualifications or RFQ soliciting qualified artists to submit their recommended artwork for the COVID-19 Memorial. The COVID-19 Memorial advisory committee, composed of arts professionals, representatives from community-based organizations and local education and healthcare institutions, selected PAO Design, a Long Beach based design firm.

The selected design proposes the building of “Twin Arches,” to be integrated at either the Civic Center Plaza or Rainbow Harbor Lighthouse, to memorialize the lives lost, create an opportunity for interaction with the artwork itself and provide opportunity for social gathering and healing. PAO Design will begin collaborating with city staff and the advisory committee to advance the design concept.