SoundWalk is an annual art event produced by the Long Beach artist group, FLOOD, as a variation on the “ArtWalk” events that happen every 2nd Saturday in the Arts District of Long Beach. Artists and viewers alike passionately embraced SoundWalk2004, the inaugural event with 30 participating artists. Close to a thousand visitors joined us for the evening walking-tour. Many of the visitors had no prior encounter with sound-art installations and their responses to the event were overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

This year, we revisit this unique environmental experience with new and returning artists participating in the alteration of this familiar downtown Long Beach space. The outdoor sound installations add a layer to and perform in concert with the sounds of the city, thus altering and intermingling with the ambience of their locations. Unlikely combinations of the ordinary and the extraordinary become chance encounters for the attending public. Galleries and stores within the Arts District will accommodate a variety of indoor installations as well, creating uncommon intersections of art and commerce. The evening of sound installations is not only an exciting moment of transformed perception, but a chance to rethink our sensory engagement with the spaces in which we function. {+}