Huntington Beach celebrates new cultural hub on fifth block of Main Street

But city officials are hoping that residents and guests alike will come a few blocks up Main Street to experience some culture.

The city officially celebrated the opening of a newly designated cultural hub Wednesday afternoon at Triangle Park, while wishing a happy 75th birthday to the Main Street Branch Library.

Artist and muralist Melissa Murphy works on a colorful wave canvas to celebrate the 75th birthday of the Main Street Branch Library and official opening of the new cultural hub at Triangle Park in Huntington Beach on Wednesday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) With the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum now inside the library and the Huntington Beach Art Center across the street, the fifth block of Main Street serves as a destination for those who want to explore.

“The library, the art center and the surf museum each serve the community differently, but there’s a connection among them,” said Marisa Rodriguez, Huntington Beach’s library and cultural services manager. “There’s stories, art, history, culture and community identity. The cultural hub gives people an opportunity to experience those resources together, rather than as separate destinations … We’re just so excited to continue finding new ways to connect people with the incredible cultural resources that we have here in Huntington Beach.”

Huntington Beach Senior Cultural Arts Supervisor Dan Faltz makes remarks to guests during the 75th birthday of the Main Street Branch Library and official opening of the new cultural hub at Triangle Park in Huntington Beach on Wednesday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon called it a great moment in the city’s history.

At a city council meeting last month, the panel voted 5-2 to instruct the city manager to bring back a resolution establishing an art center advisory committee. The resolution, which is up for approval at Tuesday’s council meeting, creates a panel of seven to nine residents that would help with scheduling events and curating exhibitions with national and local artists to enhance the center and coordinate events with the surf museum.

“We want to compete with Newport Beach and Dana Point and Laguna Beach when they have their art festivals,” McKeon said. “There’s no reason why in Huntington Beach we can’t have the same kind of events here, at our art center, art exhibitions with local and national artists.

“We’re really hopeful that the community will support it, get involved and just put us on the map, which I believe we should have been for a long time, as a good arts city, Surf City USA. We celebrate our surfing history with the museum, and now with the art center really enhancing that, it’s going to be great. It’s really exciting.”

Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon and Mayor Pro Tem Butch Twining, center, cut the ribbon during the 75th birthday party of the Main Street Branch Library on Wednesday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Dan Faltz, the city’s senior cultural arts supervisor, said he looks forward to more block parties in the future. There will be quarterly events going forward in the area.

“With the cultural hub and the addition of the surf museum, we’re going to find new ways to collaborate and really engage our local economy, and also become a cultural tourist destination,” Faltz said.

A youngster paints a whale to help celebrate the 75th birthday of the Main Street Branch Library and official opening of the new cultural hub at Triangle Park in Huntington Beach on Wednesday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Those in attendance also heard from Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum executive director Peter “PT” Townend. There was a ribbon cutting for the cultural hub and a plaque unveiling for the 75th anniversary of the Main Street Library, which was dedicated on Sept. 30, 1951 and was the city’s main library until the Central Library opened in 1975.

Guests also enjoyed art demonstrations, music from the Ramsey Brothers Band and various other arts and library activities. A birthday cake and cupcakes were served courtesy of local business Two Birds Baking Company.

A 1947 Ford “Woody,” parked in front of the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum and Art Center across the street, helps celebrate the 75th birthday of the Main Street Branch Library and official opening of the new cultural hub on Wednesday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) NewsHuntington Beach Get our free TimesOC newsletter, sent twice a week, for the news that matters to your community.

Matt Szabo covers the city of Huntington Beach and sports for the Daily Pilot. A Southern California native and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, he has been working for L.A. Times Community News since 2006 and still loves talking to people about their hopes and dreams.