Google expands Street Art project, holds party in L.A.

Google is trying to ramp up its street cred.

The tech giant is adding more than 5,000 images of public art to its Google Art Project searchable worldwide database, allowing people an easy way to see murals on the streets from Los Angeles to Berlin. The Google Street Art database, which launched in June 2014 with about 5,000 images, will have its expansion party Tuesday evening in the arts district of Los Angeles.

"By its nature, most street art is temporary and not really accessible," said Amit Sood, head of the Google Cultural Institute, which aims to preserve and promote culture through online exhibitions. The street art project, Sood said, is "about trying to integrate art into your daily life."

"We are launching digital exhibitions that actually put context to street art. ... It's making art and culture more accessible."

Visitors can click on locations on a Google map, browse art from around the globe and hear guided tours.

More than 80 organizations have partnered with Google on the project. Southern California institutions include the Wende Museum in Culver City, the Pasadena Museum of California Art, the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, the community revitalization group Coachella Walls and StreetArt Brokerage Firm.

The Google project will reach people who "would maybe not normally have access to this art or think about culture within our society," said Carmen Zella, the founder of L.A.-based Do Art Foundation, one of Google's partners.

Zella said the goals of her organization, which focuses on the promotion and creation of work visible in the public landscape, aligns with Google's vision.

Local Events Rental Los Angeles