It is in Long Beach, an art-centric city, teeming with murals and independent galleries, where you can find one of the few places that consistently showcases disability art. This fact was not lost on Kristen Olinger, activist and curator of Able ARTS Work’s 20th CORE exhibition.

“I decided to send out emails [after putting myself out in a public sense] because I was like, ‘Where do you show disability art?’ and I only found five places in the United States,” Olinger said at the CORE 2025 Opening Art Reception on Oct. 17. “[Able ARTS Work was] the only one that was even close by and you [Jennifer Morris, the moderator] was the person who responded to me and that meant everything to me because it’s giving me that encouragement to keep going.” 

In its 20th year, CORE is an annual exhibit Able ARTS Work hosts which features artists with disabilities as well as community member’s work. Director of Community Advancement Kristy Glass said that it’s one of their largest exhibits each year. 

“What’s so important about CORE is that it’s fully inclusive,” she said. “We have Braille, we have ASL interpreters, we have audio descriptions that people can use a QR code to reach.” 

Throughout Able ARTS Work’s CORE 2025 opening reception, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters translated speeches for audience members who are deaf or individuals who are hard-of-hearing on Oct. 17, 2025. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
Kristen Olinger and community participating artist Harmony Abarams pose together next to Abarams’ art during Able ARTS Work’s CORE 2025 opening reception on Oct. 17, 2025 in Long Beach. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)

Along with accessibly showcasing the work of disabled artists, Able ARTS Work helps create arts education and therapies for adults with developmental disabilities. 

Students who attend their day program take a six-month curriculum, which consists of art,  painting, music, podcast and theater classes to name a few. For students who are unable to attend a day program, the Mobile Arts Program (MAP) in Long Beach, Hawthorne and San Diego provides these services in-home. 

The day program works similar to college classes where students take a class, build their confidence and apply that knowledge, according to Glass.

Walking into the CORE opening reception on Oct. 17, anyone could see how supportive the community is and the genuine excitement artists felt when they spoke about their work on the walls.

“I feel like our gallery is a space that’s welcome to all and people truly feel that when they walk in,” Glass said. “Able ARTS Work’s motto is ‘Love before learning, learn before life.’ I think you can really feel that in our spaces or with any of our staff.”

Families, audience members and artists attend Able ARTS Work’s CORE 2025 opening reception in Long Beach on Oct. 17, 2025. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
With her friends and family, Harmony Abarams showed off her art at Able ARTS Work’s CORE 2025 Opening Reception in Long Beach on Oct. 17, 2025. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)

Jennifer Kumiyama, who is a disabilities activist and who was a panelist during the CORE reception, talked about her first time experiencing the exhibit.

“It’s so refreshing to see that [people with] disabilities are equally as creative in a visual sense as we are in everyday life,” Kumiyama said. “We can also create rad, beautiful art but it’s nice to see people’s passion, heart [and] soul.”

Olinger was one of 15 artists who had her artwork on the walls and shared how art has helped her get through tough times.

The “invisible illness” she contends with on a daily basis had already heavily impacted her family prior to her own diagnosis, with one of her nieces requiring a feeding tube since she was two months old. 

She created art as a coping mechanism, never expecting to show anyone. But after showing her second piece to one of her sisters, that all changed.

“I sent it to my sister and she showed it to my niece and my niece saw it and said that was me and something clicked with me,” Olinger said as she started to tear up. “I wanted to normalize her existence, not just for her but for everyone else to say, ‘Yes, there’s nothing wrong with that.’”

(From left to right) Moderator Jennifer Morris interviewed Jennifer Kumiyama and Kristen Olinger about their artistic journeys and creative processes during Able ARTS Work’s CORE 2025 Opening Reception in Long Beach on Oct. 17, 2025. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
Attendees, friends and family fill most of the seats during Able ARTS Work’s CORE 2025 Opening Reception in Long Beach on Oct. 17, 2025. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)

Her sister helped her get out of her comfort zone and advocate for change publicly.

“What I got instead [of doing it by myself] was so much support that I didn’t know I needed so badly from other people that I could lean on,” Olinger said, “It’s such a beautiful community.”

Able ARTS Work also allows artists an opportunity to spark their own self-discovery, broadening their thoughts of themselves and their potential. 

When Glass was doing a senior workshop for the Able ARTS program, she had a participant named Sheila, who worked in the fashion industry, come up and mention that she created art. Since then, Sheila has submitted work to the gallery and even sold some of her pieces.

“She’s like, ‘I never thought of myself as an artist.’ Here’s this incredible woman as a senior, just discovering how people connected with her work so much that they wanted to buy it, it’s really empowering and really validating her skill and creativity,” Glass said. 

“Come to our events, come meet our students, listen to our podcast, I guarantee you [that] you’re going to enjoy it,” Glass said. “It’s a very enjoyable experience and a benefit for them, their family members.[…] It’s fun to do together. Come visit, get involved, get to know us.”

The CORE exhibition will be open until Dec. 10 and can reserve time to visit the art work by reaching out to exhibits@ableartswork.org. Able ARTS Work will be holding its CORE Closing Reception as well as a Winter Market on Dec. 5 at 4321 Atlantic Ave.

For more information about future events, ways to give and to register for courses, check out their website.