Long Beach has grown to have a “creative economy,” which is largely supported by the Arts Council for Long Beach, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the physical, social and economic characteristics of the city’s neighborhoods by nurturing and enlivening the arts.
The nonprofit celebrated its 50th anniversary last month.
Over the past five decades, the Arts Council for Long Beach – also known as ArtsLB – has supported more than 1,300 local artists in mediums such as folk and traditional, literary, performance and visual arts, according to its website.
ArtsLB works to help create a thriving Long Beach community that benefits from universal participation in the arts. It has several programs, such as youth art education, public art projects and an artist registry. It also provides artists various resources – such as job and grant opportunities.
“I’ve been with the Arts Council for 11 years and I think the organization’s gone through, as many arts organizations do, a lot of periods of growth and expansion, and then as funding gets cut, the organization shrinks,” Lisa DeSmidt, executive director of ArtsLB, said in an interview. “I’ve really seen it build back up into a more robust organization with more staffing and really the ability to be in community more than we had ever been.
“With our youth programs, with our public art programs and with our advocacy work,” DeSmidt added, “we’ve really transformed over the last several years to be deeply embedded in community.”
ArtsLB was founded by Long Beach in 1976 as the public corporation for arts, and then became a nonprofit in 1982, according to its website. The nonprofit continued serving individuals, groups and organizations through advocacy, arts education, public art and grant-making within Long Beach.
Awardees at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Arts Council for Long Beach received a peace award from the United Nations at its annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Radical Hope Dance performed at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Peggy Preacely received the “Icite/Insight Award” at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Radical Hope Dance performed at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Radical Hope Dance performed at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Awardees at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
The Arts Council for Long Beach held its annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
The Arts Council for Long Beach held its annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
Down for Dance performed at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
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Awardees at the Arts Council for Long Beach’s annual State of the Arts event on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Caught in the Moment Photography, courtesy of the Arts Council for Long Beach)
ArtsLB celebrated its 50th anniversary during its annual State of the Arts event on Sept. 19 in downtown. Promenade Square Park became a dance floor as attendees enjoyed an evening of art, performances, music and more as ArtsLB partnered with the Downtown Long Beach Alliance during its DTLB Live! EZ Sip event.
The partnership resulted in an incredible turnout, DeSmidt said, with about 800 people, if not more, attending the event. The executive director also thanked the board and staff for making the event a success.
Long Beach has always been a legendary hub for creativity, nonprofit officials said, and this year’s State of the Arts became a moment to honor that rich heritage while looking forward to a bright, creative future.
The State of the Arts featured performances by Down for Dance, Radical Hope Dance, DJ Lavonda and Purple Generation, as well as an award ceremony. ArtsLB also received a peace award from the United Nations, DeSmidt said.
The nonprofit honored artists from each of the city’s Council Districts to recognize their impact and service to the community. Awardees were Dusty Stiggers and Jeremiah Rosborough from In Your City News (District 1); visual artist Lynn Azali (District 2); painter and muralist Elizabeth Munzon (District 3); visual artist Margie Darrow (District 4); painter and illustrator Liset Lopez (District 5); painter and muralist Karina Vazquez (District 6); muralist and tattoo artist Noah Frazier (District 7); spoken blues poet Tommy Domino (District 8); and visual artist Mer Young (District 9).
Additional awardees included the Junior League of Long Beach, which received the “James H. Ackerman Award”; the Port of Long Beach, which received the “Creative Economy Award”; Mayor Rex Richardson, who received the “State of the Arts Award”; and Peggy Preacely, who received the “Icite/Insight Award.”
The event also featured an exhibit of public art from the past 50 years.
But the State of the Arts was more than a party. It’s also one of ArtsLB’s largest annual fundraising events, organizers said. Donations go toward supporting public art projects that beautify neighborhoods and reflect diverse community stories; fellowships and grant for working artists, educators and youth; creative placemaking initiatives that promote safety, healing and belonging; and free events and programs that make the arts accessible citywide, according to the nonprofit’s website.
ArtsLB plans to continue supporting art in Long Beach in different ways, DeSmidt said. One of those ways is its Imagine28 grants that will celebrate the artistic vision of locals, and support public art projects that showcase and reflect Long Beach’s identity, history and culture in anticipation of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“I know how hard it is for artists to get funding for their work, but arts and culture are the heartbeat of the city, and without that, the vibrancy and the community gathering wouldn’t be as strong,” DeSmidt said. “In anything that you do, arts are always at the center of it. Whether it’s food or music or dance or visual arts, arts have the ability to bring people together, they have the ability to heal, they have the ability to do so many things.”
To support the Arts Council for Long Beach, visit artslb.org/donate.