In recognition that exhibition space is at a premium for Long Beach artists, WE Labs and the Arts Council for Long Beach are partnering on a new exhibition series just for Long Beach artists. Submission is open to all artists who are signed up on the Arts Council for Long Beach, Arts and Cultural Registry.

The Arts and Culture Registry is a free service designed to be a comprehensive and inclusive list of artists and arts organizations serving Long Beach, California. It improves visibility for Long Beach’s impressive talent pool and offers a vehicle for local exposure and networking. The Registry is open to any artist who lives, works, performs or exhibits in Long Beach, California.

WE Labs is Long Beach’s co-working and creative space located downtown at 325 East Broadway. Their large, inviting space also serves as a gallery and event location, making this a unique opportunity for Long Beach artists to expand their audience.To kick-off this new exhibition series, WE Labs is offering artists a special artist/gallery split. Commission on sales throughout the show is reduced to 15%.

Shows will exhibit on a quarterly basis and will be featured through monthly WE Hour gallery tours as well as WE Labs’ After Art Walk event, all beginning January, 2015. The opening reception for our first quarterly exhibition will be on December 17, 2014. Additionally, WE Labs and the Arts Council will partner with participating artists to actively promote the show.

Work Media: Most 2D media; limited space available for 3D work.
Work Size: 6’X6’, 80 LB. max.

Entry Requirements:

• Artist’s information on the Arts Council for Long Beach, Arts and Cultural Registry must be current and complete.
• Digital images (JPEG) of up to three works may be submitted either by email (using We Transfer) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on CD/DVD, mailed or delivered to: WE Labs, 235 E. Broadway, 8th Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802
• Artist Resume including biography, educational background, and exhibition record
• Artist Statement
• Sales price (if applicable)

Timeline: Opening Reception: December 17, 2014

Entries Due: November 19, 2014

Notification to artists: December 3, 201

Accepted Artwork: All 2D artwork must be installation-ready (wire or sawtooth hangers).

Delivery: Artwork to be delivered to WE Labs by December 10, artists will be notified of delivery days and times after selection process

Opening Reception: December 17, 2014, 7PM to 10PM

Exhibit or Event Ends: March 18, 2015

There are literally thousands of reasons why Long Beach is an amazing place to start or relocate a business. But we had to pick five (time constraints, you see).* Let’s get to it: 

Number 5 (yes, its a count down)
Long beach is walkable, bikeable, and generally just easy to get around. We are the 11th most walkable city and the 3rd most bikeable city in the US. In California, that ranking translates to 2nd and 2nd, right behind San Francisco in both cases. What makes for a better start to your work day than a non-traffic traumatised team? 

Number 4
Being part of a major metropolitan area is important to any business looking to grow and attract talent. In Long Beach, we are in LA County, but not in L.A. Don’t get us wrong, we love our big neighbor to the north, but as many metro residents will tell you, there is a big difference between living in L.A. and visiting L.A. In our opinion, we’ve got it just right. We live right next to the beach, have everything a big city has to offer and we have another big city just a train ride or short drive away. Did we mention its usually about 10-15 degrees cooler in Long Beach than it is in L.A.?

Number 3
Every good business leader knows that innovation, creativity and business outlook only improve in a diverse environment with a diverse team and LA Metro is one of the most diverse places on earth. In the United States, it is THE most diverse major metropolitan area. Awhile back, USA Today did a comparative study which broke down the stats and it turns out, Long Beach is a big reason why LA metro is number one on the diversity charts: Long Beach just happens to be the most diverse city in the US, contributing significantly to LA Metro’s ranking as the most diverse metro area. 

Number 2
Long Beach is probably the easiest city in the United States to get involved in civic and community affairs. We have a robust nonprofit community and our our community leaders, elected or not, are easier to talk to than a neighbor of ten years. Its like having a nearly 500k-person support network. We call it community. For startups and entrepreneurs, just about everywhere you turn there is someone, some organization or some institution, just waiting to help you get off the ground. For more information, see our previous post: Five Local Startup Resources You Might Not Know About.

Number 1
The number one reason Long Beach is such a great city to start or relocate your business is definitely WE Labs (forgive us for self-aggrandizing, but it's our blog and we can do what we want). WE are connected, innovative, supportive and hard working. WE are basically the best business thing to come along since the abacus. We are your ultimate resource and we like to share, just like this list you are currently reading. And this list.

Don’t want to take our word for it? Then drop us a line or, better, just swing by and check us out. You won’t be sorry.

*subject to change on whim, fancy, sound argument or for any other reason.

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Article by Lincoln Bauer, edited by Victoria McCoy