The Peninsula Beverly Hills Will Celebrate Its 30th Birthday With Artist Ashley Longshore In Residence

Mixed-media pop culture artist, Ashley Longshore will take up a month-long residency at The … [+]

The Peninsula Beverly HIlls

On the occasion of its upcoming 30th birthday, the landmark Los Angeles hotel, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, has opened its doors to the mixed-media artist Ashley Longshore to take up a months long residence at the iconic property to bring her pop-art version of celebration to the hotel’s milestone year.

The New Orleans based artist is known for energetic, brash, unapologetic, and colorful works and she has even been touted by some as this generation’s Andy Warhol. In her work, Longshore melds together fashion iconography, pop culture icons, historical figures and mass market brands (that are pop icons in their own right) to create commentary on themes such as feminism and American consumerism while also celebrating and satirizing contemporary pop culture.

Longshore’s work melds together beauty, controversy, familiarity and words to result in images that are eye-popping and thought-provoking, and overall, very fun. Imagine this: a hopeful-looking ruby slipper clad Dorothy painted in loose, watercolor strokes on a background of spread-out tulips and irises, an orange Birkin is slung over one arm instead of the basket we all know her to carry. Her dress is still the same silhouette and color we would expect, expect it’s stamped with large, colorful LV logos. At her feet is a miniature Jeff Koons toy balloon dog, and in her non-Birkin-clad arm is a picket sign that reads: PRIVATE JET NEEDS FUEL.

While Longshore’s art may come across as rather out-of-the-box for a hotel known for its exclusivity, tradition and glamour, the Hotel Manager and hospitality industry leader, Rebecca Goldberg, sees Longshore’s work as a perfect alignment to celebrate such a big occasion for the hotel.

The artist will create over 20 pieces of original art during her stay inspired by the hotel, which … [+]

The Peninsula Beverly Hills

“We are proud to celebrate a strong female artist and entrepreneur,” Goldberg says. “Through this collaboration, our voice becomes louder, our name is brighter and we are able to offer our guests a more colorful Peninsula Beverly Hills, especially as we gear up to celebrate our 30th anniversary.”

In a question and answer session done over email, Longshore responded to the queries posed to her with the sort of punctuation and excitement one would expect from an artist known for her over-the-top work.

“Optimism is my religion!!!” Longshore emotes. “It can happen anywhere, but the Peninsula Beverly Hills was LITERALLY built to make people happy. I am so happy! And so inspired!!!!”

Starting this month, Longshore will take this optimism and inspiration, direct it towards capturing the essence of the property, and imbue it into a series of paintings and curated experiences she will create during this residency, which will last into the fall.

Alongside the residency, the hotel has collaborated with Longshore on a few offerings into which she has imprinted herself, such as The Peninsula’s famed tea service which will receive the Longshore treatment to take it over the top with items such as napkins featuring her signature phrases, and hand painted petit fours and champagne bottles.

During the month of November, the hotel will offer the “In Bed with Ashley Longshore” leisure package which includes limited edition gifts and a welcome letter from Ashley herself. Rates for this package begin at $795 per night.

At the end of the partnership, The Peninsula Beverly Hills will feature all the pieces, upwards of 20 or more, created by Longshore during the residency around the hotel. The works will include everything from paintings and illustrations with themes of opulence and elegance to hotel champagne buckets dripping with pearls.

In addition to paintings incorporating the property, Longshore has created special items like … [+]

The Peninsula Beverly Hills

“I am creating a series of still life paintings using every inch of the property to tell a story of joy, the love of travel, fashion, and Beverly Hills glamour,” she says. “I want to meet the hotel guests during tea time and these inspirational elements to the artwork, capturing the most precious commodity, time, and our newfound freedom to celebrate and make memories with people we love.”

What is Longshore the most excited about?

“I am most excited to experience the joy that radiates from the guests at the hotel! It is such a luxurious property and the staff is so exceptional! It’s nice to see people smiling, excited and happy. I thrive on that!!!!”

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Originally published at https://www.forbes.com.