Palacio Podcast
Arts Council FOR Long Beach: Foster…Enliven…Enable.
Arts Council for Long Beach (ACLB) has a powerful mission: “foster creativity and culture, enliven communities and enable a thriving creative economy.” Their vision is equally powerful and ambitious: “…to help create a vibrant arts scene that makes Long Beach a premiere destination for residents, businesses, students and visitors.” Since my days on the Board of Directors for the Arts Council for Long Beach in the mid- to -late 2000s, I have witnessed an organization undergo sometimes contentious, sometimes cataclysmic, but always healthy transformation. The challenge for both the Board of Directors and the Executive Directors has been to ensure that the transformative process is inclusive, productive and positive.
Which brings us to the current Executive Director, Griselda Suarez. She’s been on the job three years now and Suarez has definitely left her mark in continuing the transformative process. Part of the mission to enliven communities is ensuring that the Arts Council for Long Beach connects and works in partnership with both Long Beach and other Los Angeles County organizations, institutions, and individuals.
“In the end, we know all these arts organizations, be they performing or museums, institutions or just artists, local organizations coming together, they [will] make a big impact on the local economy.”
PalacioMagazine.com sat down with the Arts Council for Long Beach Executive Director Griselda Suarez in front of a computer so we could talk about the organization’s programs and services as we looked over their website, www.artslb.org.
Coming Up
Ben Caldwell Keynote Speaker at Creative Long Beach Luncheon
Artist, educator, and KAOS Network founder and director, Ben Caldwell will give a keynote address at the first annual Creative Long Beach Internship Program fundraiser, “Interns in the Arts.” The event will take place at The Reef Restaurant in Long Beach on March 22, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
As founder of KAOS Network, Caldwell’s work demonstrates the tremendous impact a community arts center can have on a neighborhood. His work has empowered the youth of Leimert Park and beyond by offering training on digital arts, multi-media and performing arts. Professor Caldwell’s approach to arts and culture as a vehicle of transformation is aligned to the Arts Council’s vision “…helping students transform their careers, and lives, in order to foster creativity and culture.”
Find out more about the event HERE
About the Arts Council for Long Beach
Arts Council for Long Beach (ACLB) was founded by the City of Long Beach in 1976 as the Public Corporation for the Arts, becoming a 501(c)(3) organization in 1982. ACLB is a dynamic organization that receives and distributes public funds and also raises funds through private donations, foundations, corporations and contracts for services.
ACLB strives to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors of the City of Long Beach through the cultivation of the arts by:
- Promoting artists living in Long Beach
- Uplifting communities to engage in arts and culture
- Building connections between artists and audiences
- Leading discussions about the role of arts in the community
- Implementing outstanding arts education programs for students in the LBUSD
- Cultivating unique opportunities for art to be shown and appreciated
- Advocating for the arts sector in city, county, state and federal levels
- Rewarding excellence in the arts through our annual and monthly grant programs
- Transforming Long Beach through public art that showcases the city’s character
About Griselda Suarez, Executive Director
“Griselda Suarez is a writer, artist, cook, and a teacher. She was born in unincorporated East Los Angeles and walked Whittier Blvd and Brooklyn Ave in black and white saddle shoes. She grew up in a place where her thoughts did not easily find voice; instead, she found a pen and paper. Her hometown inspires her to investigate memories of a home space that continues to be bodiless. She believes that the arts are essential in empowering others to express their thoughts. Throughout her career, she has created programming and trainings dedicated to facilitating transformation and creating agency for her communities. In 2016, she became the Executive Director of the Arts Council for Long Beach. Most recently, Griselda was awarded “40 under 40” by the LB Post for her leadership in the arts and her resiliency in battling cancer. Suarez is dedicated to Long Beach and loves contributing to the city because she strongly believes in the impact of local impact arts has on residents’ lives.”
