Imagine28
Showcasing Long Beach to the World
The IMAGINE28 Grants celebrate the exemplary artistic vision of local artists in Long Beach. This program will support public art projects that showcase and reflect Long Beach identity, history, and culture in anticipation of the 2028 Summer Olympics, including, but not limited to, live music events, public performances, murals, and workshops.
Applications open April 15, 2026. Applications close June 12, 2026, at 5pm.
About Imagine28
The IMAGINE28 Grants aim to:
- Encourage innovative, creative, diverse, and unique programming
- Provide free arts programming
- Support arts, cultural, and historical projects that meet community needs and wants, identifying target audiences
- Support local artists who have a successful track record of delivering programs that are well-planned and managed effectively
- Bolster new and upcoming artists looking to showcase their ideas
- Foster and promote hyperlocal representation and neighborhood pride leading up and during the Olympics
FY 2026-2027 APPLICATION CYCLE TIMELINE
- Guidelines Available – April 1, 2026
- Technical Assistance Workshop – April 8, 2026
- Application Open – April 15, 2026
- Application Deadline – June 12, 2026 by 5PM
- Panel – July 7-9, 2026
- Grant Award Notification – July 2026
- Grant Award Disbursement – August 2026
- Program Implementation Period – August – December 2026
- Final Report Due – January 15, 2027
Eligible projects include:
- Visual Arts
- Costume Design
- Performing Arts
- Audio Arts
- Literary Arts
- Media Arts
- Multidisciplinary or Interdisciplinary Arts
- Culinary Arts
- Folk and Traditional Arts
- Folk and Traditional Arts are, ultimately, passed on from one generation to the next and express a collective wisdom, rather than a unique personal aesthetic.
About the Grant
IMAGINE28 looks to unite Long Beach’s community, civic, arts, and business leaders to deliver neighborhood-rooted multicultural arts activation zones during the Olympics, setting a model for future city-wide cultural planning. These projects may include, but are not limited to, live music events, public performances, murals, and workshops. Programming is expected to take place between August 2026 – December 2026.
Awardees are expected to participate in monthly cohort meetings that will aid in crafting the next iteration of this program in FY 2026-2027. A joint communications plan will also be developed for the implementation of this grant program.
Grant Award Amounts
- Public Art Projects: $10,000
- Neighborhood Grant: $12,500
- Measure B and Operating Recipient Grant: $20,000
Applicants may only apply for ONE (1) Arts Council for Long Beach IMAGINE28 grant category:
- Public Art Projects
- Neighborhood
- Measure B and Operating Recipient
Imagine28 Grant Application FAQs
Is application assistance available?
ArtsLB staff is available on a limited basis to offer guidance and clarification in preparing your proposal. Contact staff ahead of the deadline to ensure you can be accommodated at (562) 204-6104 or grants@artslb.org.
Will applicants be given feedback on their proposals?
Arts Council staff documents the comments of grant review panels for its records and to share with applicants, upon request. Comments are available to applicants following the announcement of grant awards. To receive panel comments contact: grants@artslb.org or (562) 204-6104.
What is the Conflict of Interest policy?
- No active member of the Arts Council for Long Beach Board of Directors or staff shall sign a grant application.
- No staff or board member of an applicant organization shall serve on the review panel for the category in which the organization submits an application.
- Any grant panel member who has a potential conflict of interest must disclose it to Arts Council for Long Beach (and the other review panel members) prior to the panel review by completing a conflict of interest form.
Is the application process confidential?
The Arts Council for Long Beach grant review process is an open and independent process. During the grant panel review and following approval processes, the merits of the proposals and the accomplishments of the artists and organizations are thoroughly discussed. Applications will be compared to other proposals within the same category as well as appraised within the context of the applicant’s arts or cultural discipline or field. Results will not be confidential.
Are the grant awards taxed?
Fellowships and grant awards may be subject to tax regulations. Arts Council for Long Beach cannot advise recipients about tax deductibility of all or any portion of a grant. Applicants should obtain counsel from a licensed tax consultant or a local Internal Revenue Service office.
How will the grant award payments be disbursed?
IMAGINE28 Public Art Projects payments are made in two installments. A payment schedule will be established in the contract of 70% disbursement upon signing contract and submitting financial documents with the last 30% upon completion of the final report.
What are the contract requirements?
Contracts are sent to grantees after the Arts Council receives its contract from the City of Long Beach. Contracts require grantees to:
- Acknowledge Arts Council for Long Beach and the City of Long Beach by using designated logos on published materials
- Meet all other requirements established in the contract, including deadline and reporting requirements.
How are submissions accepted?
All applications must be submitted online through the application form linked on this page.
- All submitted files must be named in the following format:
- Format: Applicant-Name_Document-Name
- Examples:
- ArtsLB_IMAGINE28-Project-Proposal-Documentation
- ArtsLB_Budget
- All artistic documentation must be submitted as one (1) PDF file with embedded links to videos and audio files. Please contact the Arts Council for Long Beach if you need assistance with this or other technical assistance at least two weeks before the application deadline. Other file formats will not be accepted.
What if my application is incomplete?
Any omission of a required component of the application may be grounds for disqualifying an application.
What if I miss the application deadline?
New or revised application information will NOT be accepted after the deadline.