Gregory Navarro Pickens

Greg has BFA in drawing from Kutztown University and an MFA in painting from University of Texas, San Antonio and a CA secondary single subject teaching credential in art. He has been a Long Beach artist for the past 30 years. During that time he helped co-found 2 non-profit community art centers (ARK, Artists Reaching Kids and the Art Exchange).

Greg has also been an Art Educator for the past 3 decades, teaching at all levels from Pre-school to the University level at CSULB. Greg has also been a productive studio artist as well as a public artist with 150 murals to his credit here in Long Beach.

Greg has received 2 “Distinguished Arts Awards” from the LB Arts Council for community artist of the year and community arts leadership.

Professional affiliations include 13 years of providing art activities for the Kids Choice Awards After-party and a mural commission for Disney’s California Adventure, “World of Color” show. In 2019, Greg opened a public art studio business (StudioPIck, Arts Integration Center) in Bixby Knolls to put all his interests under one roof. The studio provides arts education programs, gallery space, teacher/artist training, team building events and a wide variety of walk-in DIY art projects to engage the community.

As an artist, I have never created a “style” of work. I have an ecclectic approach to art making and mix many materials and approaches together in hopes of finding new ways of visual expression. I enjoy a sense of experimentation in all that I make. Most of work reflects what I am currently experiencing in my life making it autobiographical in that sense.