Happy 2026! Winter Newsletter

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January 24, 2026 – April 19, 2026
Coulter Jacobs: This Side of the Truth

February 6, 2026 – May 31, 2026
Robert Williams: Fearless Depictions

March 15, 2026—May 10, 2026
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: LBUSD High School Exhibition

March 20, 2026—June 7, 2026
Holding Time: The Works of Elyse Pignolet and MyungJin Kim

The beginning of the year offers a natural moment to reflect on what matters most—your values, your community, and the impact you want to make. 

For many supporters of the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA), philanthropy is not just a year-end activity but an ongoing expression of commitment to the arts. By taking a strategic approach early in the year, you can deepen that impact while creating clarity and confidence in your giving. 

1. Revisit Your Personal Mission
Start by articulating what you hope to accomplish through your charitable giving in 2026. Many donors find it helpful to create a brief philanthropic mission statement that identifies the causes and institutions that matter most to them. 

If LBMA’s exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach continue to inspire you, this is a wonderful time to reaffirm that support.

2. Review Last Year’s Giving
Look back at the gifts you made in 2025. Which ones felt most meaningful? Did they align with your priorities? Understanding your past giving patterns can help you be more intentional in the year ahead—whether that means increasing your support to LBMA, establishing a recurring gift, or exploring new ways to give.

3. Create a Giving Budget for 2026
Setting a charitable giving budget early allows you to plan with purpose. Many donors choose to: 

• Make an early-year gift to provide immediate support 
• Schedule recurring contributions to sustain programs throughout the year
• Allocate funds for special projects or exhibitions that spark personal interest

4. Explore Strategic Giving Tools
The new year is also a good time to consider whether tools such as distributions from donor-advised funds, gifts of appreciated securities, or qualified charitable distributions from IRAs might help you maximize both your philanthropic and financial goals.

5. Put Your Plan into Action
Once your strategy is in place, take the first step—large or small. Early-year gifts help the Museum plan programming confidently and reach more visitors throughout Long Beach and beyond.

For questions or assistance, please contact: Iris Quiroz, Director of Institutional Advancement, at (562) 439-2119, ext. 336 or irisq@lbma.org.

A thoughtful giving strategy ensures that your generosity makes the strongest possible impact. As you plan for 2026, we invite you to continue partnering with LBMA in sharing art, education, and inspiration with our community. 

— Donita Joseph, CPA, MBT, LBMA Advisory Board 

I was a researcher before retiring and becoming a docent. I recently came across an article with data about museums and their impact. It got me thinking about our Long Beach Museum of Art and the role it fulfills in our community and personal lives. 

More people visit art museums, science centers, historic houses or sites, zoos, or aquariums than attend professional sporting events.¹ I am struck by the diversity of visitors at the LBMA during Art Chat tours. Ethnicities, genders, races, ages, home countries, and states are all well-represented. The diversity also extends to experiences with museums and the artists in the exhibitions. 

Museum volunteers contribute a million hours of service each week.² Well, you don’t have to tell me that! In October 2025, alone, LBMA docents conducted 77 tours and 30 workshops for 832 students. We also take part in community art-making events and support LBMA special events such as Sunsets at the Museum, helping bring exhibitions and programs to life for our visitors. 

The American public views museums as a more trustworthy source of historical information than books, teachers, or even personal accounts by relatives.³ The LBMA is more than just a pretty face — it’s a place where visitors actively engage with art, history, and shared cultural narratives. The descriptions of each piece and information about the broader exhibitions are irresistible. Visitors who accompany me on tours invariably ask about the historical and cultural context of the exhibitions. 

Enjoying original works of art in a gallery can relieve stress, reduce the risk of heart disease, and boost your immune system; art positively influences the immune, hormonal, and nervous systems simultaneously – something never previously recorded.⁴ 

As if we needed another reason to love the LBMA. After spending time at the LBMA, I feel calmer, less stressed, and a bit lighter. Now I know why. Research shows that viewing art can trigger the release of endorphins and other neurochemicals like dopamine, reduce stress hormones like cortisol, and even lead to calming physiological responses in the body. 

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Long Beach Museum of Art honors everything it offers us now and has provided over the past seven decades. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

— Jordan Horowitz, Docent Council 

¹ Broader population sampling conducted on behalf of American Alliance of Museums (AAM) by Wilkening Consulting, 2018 and 2023 

² Museum Financial Information 2009, AAM 

³ The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life, Roy Rosenzweig and David Thelen, 2000 

⁴ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/oct/28/picture-of-health-going-to-art-galleries-can-improve-wellbeing 

Over past few months, Phoenix members have hit the ground running following the hugely successful LBMA 75th Anniversary Gala and Art Auction. Plans are already underway to capitalize on the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with a new fundraiser titled, "Let the Games Begin." This novel idea is the brainchild of Phoenix members Janice Paiement and Adrienne White. New Phoenix member Katy Strong has agreed to co-chair the 2026 event which will raise money for the Museum's KidsVision education and exhibition programs.

With the recent Louvre heist in the news, the Phoenix Art Education Committee is busy putting together a Zoom and in-person program on "Stolen Art." Available to Phoenix members and friends of the Museum, "Stolen Art" promises to entertain and intrigue. Stay tuned for date and time.

— Elena Marty, Phoenix Council President

Be a part of the LBMA community and support our exhibitions and education programs. Members enjoy year-round access to LBMA Ocean and Downtown gallery exhibitions, exclusive previews and events, special discounts, and more — all while staying connected through our monthly e-newsletter.

Join today at Ibma.org or contact: Karen Steffani, Manager of Membership & Visitor Services (562) 439-2119 ext. 239 or via email karens@lbma.orgLBMA Membership not only reached but exceeded its 2025 year-end goal. THANK YOU for your incredible support!

This timeline highlights selected milestones that reflect LBMA's growth, impact, and evolving role in the community over the past 75 years.

1950
City of Long Beach purchased property for a municipal art center
 

1957
Municipal Art Center renamed Long Beach Museum of Art
Arts of Southern California I: Architecture, June 1957

1958
Paintings by Karl Benjamin: Abstract Classicism, December 7, 1958 - January 4, 1959
Arts of Southern California II: Painting, January 5 - February 2, 1958
Arts of Southern California III: Art in Film, May 11 - June 1, 1958
Arts of Southern California IV: Prehistoric & Indigenous, September 14 - October 21, 1958

1959
Arts of Southern California V: Prints, February 8 - March 4, 1959
Arts of Southern California VI: Ceramics, February 7-29, 1959

1960
Arts of Southern California VII: Photography, April 3-24, 1960
Arts of Southern California VIII: Drawing, October 9-30, 1960

1961
Arts of Southern California IX: Interior Design, February 4-25, 1961
Arts of Southern California X: Collage, October 1-29, 1961

1962
Arts of Southern California XI: Designer Crafts: February 4-25, 1962
Arts of Southern California XII: Sculpture, October 1962
The region's only juried exhibition:
First Annual Southern California Exhibition, March 1962

1963
Arts of Southern California XIII: Painting, June 2-30, 1963
Arts of Southern California XIV: Early Moderns, December 1-29, 1963
The region's only juried exhibition:
Second Annual Southern California Exhibition, March 3-31, 1963

1965
Arts of Southern California XVI: Prints, November 7-23, 1965
The region's only juried exhibition:
Third Annual Southern California Exhibition, April 7-25, 1965

1966
Arts of Southern California XVII: Painting, April 3-24, 1966
Arts of Southern California XVIII: Watercolor, June 5-26, 1966
Arts of Southern California XIX: Drawing, August 7-28, 1966
The region's only juried exhibition:
Fourth Annual Southern California Exhibition, March 6-27, 1966

1967
The region's only juried exhibition:
Fifth Annual Southern California Exhibition, March 5 - April 2, 1967

1968
Sculpture Garden inaugurated with Point as Set #16, (1965) by Claire Falkenstein 
The region's only juried exhibition:
Sixth Annual Southern California Exhibition, March 1968

1969
The region's only juried exhibition:
Seventh Annual Southern California Exhibition, March 16 - April 20, 1969

1970
Calder Gouaches: The Art of Alexander Calder 
The region's only juried exhibition:
Eighth Annual Southern California Exhibition April 19-May 17, 1970
 
1971
Reflections on Glass featuring Dale Chihuly 
The region's only juried exhibition:
Ninth Annual Southern California Exhibition, April 25 - May 30, 1971

1972
LBMA’s first accreditation by the American Association of Museums
Claire Falkenstein’s Structure and Flow, (1971) fountain donated to the Museum 
The region's only juried exhibition:
Tenth Annual Southern California Exhibition, May 7 - June 4, 1972

1979
Docent Council was established

1984
Video: A Retrospective 1974–1984, March 25 - May 13, 1984

1985
Museum management transfers from the City to the LBMA Foundation 

1986
VIDKIDCO production program for youth (1986–1998) 

1989
Department of Education was established 

1999
Miller Foundation gift establishes KidsVisions Arts Education program 

2000
50th anniversary of the Museum
Opening of new building Carriage House designated as the Miller Education Center 

2005
Claire’s at the Museum opened as on-site restaurant 

2013
Architecture for Dogs, June 20 – September 1, 2013

2014
Exhibition pavilion named in honor of Dr. Ronald and Mrs. Sylvia Hartman

2015
POW! WOW! Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape, June 26 – October 25, 2015

2018
Merger with Long Beach Art Exchange established LBMA Downtown

2019
Grand Opening of LBMA Downtown
Women artists catalogue online project Illuminating Decades of Women Artists (supported by IMLS)

2020
70th anniversary of the Museum 

2023
Brilliant Earth: The Ceramic Sculpture of Tony Marsh, October 21, 2022- March 19, 2023

2025
75th anniversary of the Museum
Reaccredited by The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) – validity is usually for 10 years, but LBMA was given a one-time reaccreditation for 15 years.