Big News, Long Beach! The Creative Games Receives Knight Cities Challenge Grant
We’ve got something to celebrate! The Arts Council for Long Beach is one of 29 recipients selected from more than 3,000 applications to receive a Knight Cities Challenge grant.
The grant will support The Creative Games: Long Beach Artist Residency, a project that puts local artists at the heart of our city’s Olympic and Paralympic welcome—and helps build connections that last long after the Games.
More Support for Local Artists
Here’s an exciting part: this funding will provide $144,000 directly to artists through a grant program!
That investment complements the $135,000 the City of Long Beach has set aside for Imagine 28 grants for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Together, these commitments represent $279,000 in support for arts programming connected to the Games—helping put local creativity at the center of this major moment for our city.
Bringing People Together Through Art
The Creative Games focuses on “cultivating connection through arts, culture and the places that bring people together.”
For us, that starts with the incredible creative community right here in Long Beach. Our artists tell our stories, bring fresh perspectives, and create opportunities for neighbors to connect. As the Games bring thousands of local, national, and international visitors to our city, we want that creativity front and center.
The project will pair local artists with corporate partners for each Olympic event held in Long Beach, creating opportunities to celebrate our city while keeping local voices at the heart of the experience.
Long Beach Has Creativity Everywhere You Look
If you know Long Beach, you know our arts scene has a lot to offer. We’re home to two major art museums, a professional symphony orchestra, a world-renowned opera company, several dance companies, an art film theater, Equity theater companies, and galleries across the city.
We’re also home to the largest art school west of the Mississippi at California State University, Long Beach. And our Professional Artist Registry? It includes approximately 2,500 registrants!
That’s a lot of creativity to celebrate. Still, Long Beach hasn’t yet received the widespread recognition it deserves as an arts destination. The Creative Games is an opportunity to help change that.
Local Artists, Lasting Connections
This project is about more than welcoming visitors. It’s about making sure the people who help shape Long Beach every day have a voice in this exciting moment.
Our local artists are thought leaders, community organizers, and connectors. Their talents and relationships will help ensure that local voices are included at every level and that the project reflects the neighborhoods and experiences that make Long Beach special.
By bringing artists and corporate partners together, we hope to build relationships that keep growing well beyond the Games—opening doors for future collaborations and creating lasting benefits for our community.
Let’s Show the World Our Creative Side
We’re grateful to Knight Foundation for supporting The Creative Games and to the City of Long Beach for investing in our creative community through Imagine 28.
We can’t wait to celebrate our artists, make new connections, and share the creative spirit of Long Beach with the world.