Check out these amazing, larger than life clay jewelry pieces made by Able ARTS Work artist Alma Velasco!
Each piece was meticulously hand crafted using various types of clay, mark making tools, acrylic paint, and specially sourced beads and represents Alma’s love of fashion and accessorizing!
Alma works out of Inglewood and is a prolific artist who has made many pieces using various 2D media over the years. In 2026 she has expanded her artistic horizons into the three dimensional by developing her sculptural practice.
We can’t get enough of these pieces! Come check them out yourself by stopping by the Able ARTS Work Gallery and see all the amazing work currently on display in SPOTLIGHT!
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A large, handmade decorative chain made of thick blue, pink, purple, and gold links hangs on a white wall. Multiple charms are attached via silver rings including colorful discs with letters and four stylized human figures painted in bright blue, dark blue, gold, and green.
Image 2: A long, colorful necklace made of various colorful beads hangs on a white wall. Three large charms are attached at the bottom, two flower charms with pink, blue, gold, purple, and green petals are on the left and right sides and a green butterfly charm with white polka dots is in the center.
Image 3: Five oversized, handmade rings are displayed on clear and white acrylic stands. The rings have thick gold bands with large, circular and heart shaped fronts in the colors green, pink, red, and blue. Each ring has various patterns and details including, dots, line, glitter, and sequins.
Image 4: A woman with dark hair pulled back sits at a table, smiling while using a paintbrush on a watercolor palette. She is wearing a white vest over a pink hoodie and is outlined with a thick purple boarder. In front of her is a sketchbook with a painting of two figures. The background is bright green with graphics of various shaped gemstones and glittery stickers.
Check out these amazing ceramic pieces created by our Long Beach artists! 👀🏺The creativity muscles have been really flexing with these one of a kind functional and artistic creations!
Love something you see here? Well the you’re in luck! 🌟 All of these pieces are available at our gallery for sale! Get yourself or the art lover in your life something that’s bound to brighten up any space.
The Able ARTS Work Gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 AM to 4 PM or by appointment so plan your trip to check out our newest exhibition and pick up some amazing ceramics!
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A ceramic mug and plate are outlined in a thick orange line with a purple background featuring a partial image of a jacaranda tree. The mug has vertical glaze stripes in orange, brown, and and teal with a dark interior. The plate is brown with a central blue circle containing a large star and dots design.
Image 2: Two ceramic sculptures are outlined in a thick yellow line with a green background featuring a shimmering water design. On the left is a small flower with red and blue petals on a dark brown stem and base. On the right is a green frog vessel with large eyes and a bright red tongue sticking out.
Image 3: Two ceramic pieces are outlined in a thick pink line with a blue background featuring an image of clouds. The top piece is a green and blue stripped hot air balloon with orange accents. Below it is a wide, flower shaped vessel glazed with the colors orange, teal, white, and green.
There’s still time to submit to the Able ARTS Work self portrait CALL FOR ART 📢✨
For our self portrait call for art want to see through your eyes. How do you see yourself? Create your version of a self portrait and submit it to be considered for our upcoming exhibition at the Able ARTS Work Gallery in Long Beach.
Use the QR code above or visit our link in bio and head to our upcoming events pages to submit your work. All mediums accepted. We can’t wait to see your creations! ✨
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A flyer for a "Self-Portrait Call for Art" featuring a painting of a man pointing with various creatures and frogs featured in the center. White text lists submission details including a deadline of Friday, June 12, 2026, exhibition dates from August to October, as well as an address. A QR code, website, Able ARTS Work logo, and artwork credit are at the bottom.
Join us Saturday, May 16 from 10 AM - 3 PM for the Long Beach Adaptive Sports Fair! ⛳️🏀🎳⚾️🏓🏅
Get ready for an unforgettable day of sports, play, and community! This event welcomes individuals of all ages and abilities to experience the excitement and empowerment of adaptive sports!
Get hands-on experience with a variety of adaptive sports, including basketball, baseball, boccia, dance, and SO more! Expert coaches and volunteers will be there to guide you, ensuring a fun and supportive environment for all participants.
Able ARTS Work will be tabling this event sharing resources with the community and joining in on all the fun!
Get your FREE tickets using the QR code above or check out the link in our bio and head to our upcoming events page to get your tickets. You won’t want to miss it, we’ll see you there!
When: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Time: 10 AM - 3 PM
Where: 3932 Faculty Ave, Long Beach
Image Description: A colorful flyer for the Long Beach Adaptive Sports Fair. In the center is an illustration of diverse people of various ages and physical abilities playing sports like basketball, baseball, and soccer. White and black text throughout shares the events details including the date, time, and location. The text also lists numerous featured adaptive sports for participants to try. There are QR codes at the bottom for volunteer opportunities and to get free tickets.
Our San Diego artists took a trip to @malashockdance and participated in a special creative movement dance class! They got creative with some super cool moves and had a great time exploring dance in their beautiful studio space. Thanks Malashock for the welcoming vibes and an awesome class!
In this exclusive Able ARTS Work interview @artbeatradio cohost Doug talks with Long Beach Able ARTS Work artist Alfred @spideybot30 all about his artistic practice, love of Disney, reptiles, Starbucks, and shares more than a few laughs! Check out “Crazy Guys Who Like to Have Fun - Nothing Wrong With That!” only here on instagram!
If you find yourself needing some more interesting conversation, jokes, and artistic vibes head over to @artbeatradio and see what else they have to offer! You can listen on YouTube or any platform you stream your podcasts!
THERE’S STILL TIME TO APPLY 📢‼️ Applications are being accepted through May 26 for our Able ARTS Work Community Engagement Intern position!
During this PAID opportunity you’ll be getting hands on experience working in a dynamic environment supporting our gallery, workshops program, and social media. If you are someone who is passionate about the arts, wants to share creative arts resources, and wants to connect with diverse communities around Long Beach and Los Angeles this is the internship for you!
The internship is open to currently enrolled collage students. Applicants will need to have 15 - 20 hours of availability per week and be able work some evenings and weekends during special events. This internship runs through November 2026.
Don’t miss your chance to join the Able ARTS Work community engagement team! Email us at [email protected] to get your application TODAY!
#AbleARTSWork #internship
Image Description: A bright yellow flier with "WE'RE HIRING" in large pink letters at the top. It features an illustration of five diverse hands stacked together. Green and blue flower shapes have bold white text in them that read, ”Community Engagement Intern" and “open to college students.” A red starburst has more white text that reads "Apply by May 26." Dark blue text at the bottom provides a description of the internship and where to get an application.
Our Hawthorne artists Jesus and Carlos took a special trip to the @vpam_arts to see the Ofelia Esparza retrospective and the Form and Function in the Ancient Americas exhibition!
They had the privilege of receiving a guided tour and learning all about Ofelia Esparza’s work as a Chicana artist, altarista, and educator and exploring the art from ancient civilizations from Central and South America.
SO many amazing sights and pieces of art were seen leaving Jesus and Carlos feeling inspired and excited to take what they saw back to the studio to share with their friends and use in their art ✨
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A man wearing a red t-shirt with short dark hair, glasses, and a mustache smiles. He is sitting in front of a museum display case containing eight ancient clay figurines of varying sizes and poses. The figurines are arranged on tiered white platforms against a neutral background.
Image 2: A man in a maroon athletic shirt stands next to an art installation. The piece features a tall central pole emerging from a base of large agave leaves all in green. Six black and white portraits are hung from horizontal sections at the top, each topped with a yellow flowers. More of the museum is visible in the background.
Image 3: A vibrant, multi layered ofrenda. It features an arch of orange and pink flowers framing a green textured background. Black and white portraits of people are mounted on blue arches with text descriptions below. The altar is decorated with white lilies, orange marigolds, paper butterflies, and a central circular drawing of a tree.
This past weekend we celebrated Textiles Day! This is a day the world recognizes the importance, beauty, and versatility of fabrics in our daily lives. We thought what better way to celebrate than featuring our newest exhibition SPOTLIGHT featured artist Renee Morneau!
Renee is an Able ARTS Work artist working out of our San Diego location. She is a versatile artist whose artistic focus lies in textiles. She has a masterful way of combining texture, shape, and color and hand sews each piece with intricate details.
We’re so excited to feature Renee in SPOTLIGHT! You won’t want to miss her amazing artwork so come by the Able ARTS Work Gallery and check it out. We’re open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 AM - 4 PM or by appointment.
#AbleArtsWork #fiberart #textileart #artgallery #artistfeature
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A collage of various square and rectangular fabric swatches against a white background. The patches include different textures, colors, and patterns, such as orange grid lines, red solids, floral prints, and geometric shapes. Visible stitching and frayed edges connect the pieces.
Image 2: A triangular collage of various fabric scraps. The central pieces are a sheer pink fabric with an ornate pattern below, surrounded by textured gold, brown, and snakeskin-print materials. The edges are uneven and hand sewn stitching is holding the layers together.
Image 3: A textile art piece shaped like a short sleeved shirt using patchwork fabrics. It is made from various earth toned fabrics with floral and geometric patterns. A central fabric piece features a blue and white painted owl. The edges are raw and frayed, with visible stitching throughout the design.
Image 4: A portrait of a woman with long hair, giving a big smile, and wearing a black mesh top. The background is solid purple with multicolored animated, flickering stars scattered around her head and shoulders.
Taste of Able ARTS Work is just ONE WEEK AWAY! Join us Saturday, May 9 from 1 PM - 3 PM for an afternoon full of creative FUN!
Discover all that Able ARTS Work has to offer by exploring creative art and music actives, enjoying refreshments, picking up some limited edition merch, and participating in giveaway opportunity drawings! 🎨🎶✨
This is a FREE event and great for all ages and abilities. We’ll see you there!
#AbleARTSWork #LongBeach #communityevents #freeevents
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A colorful illustrated flier for “TASTE OF AAW.” The top features a sun, clouds, and musical notes. A cartoonish illustration shows a building with “Able ARTS Work” written on it in colorful letters on a city street with palm trees. Event details are listed below in red and blue text. The Port of Long Beach and Able ARTS Work logos are at the bottom.
Image 2: A blue promotional flier with a subtle confetti and star pattern. Large white text at the top reads, ”TASTE OF ABLE ARTS WORK.” More white and black text provides the event details. The Able ARTS Work logo is at the bottom.
Shop the Able ARTS Work Gallery during May’s First Friday for the perfect Mother’s Day gift! 💝💐
THIS FRIDAY, May 1 from 6 PM to 9 PM browse our selection of one of a kind and limited edition art works and merchandise all created by our Able ARTS Work resident artists!
You’re bound to find an unforgettable gift mom will love! And each sale goes directly to supporting our artists and accessible arts programs. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! ✨
#AbleARTSWork #shoplocal #LongBeach
Image Descriptions:
Image 1: A purple graphic with white central text that reads, “Mother’s Day Gift Guide” featuring the Able ARTS Work logo. The image features various items such as patterned socks, a beaded necklace, two mosaic flower shaped trays, and four small zippered pouches with vibrant, abstract designs.
Image 2: A pink graphic with white text that reads, “For the mom who loves TRINKETS.” It shows four handmade items: a small red bowl with yellow hearts, two mosaic flower-shaped trays in blue and pink tones, and a larger, multi-colored tray shaped like a stylized flower with orange, blue, and green sections. Various white doodles are in the background.
Image 3: A yellow graphic with white text that reads, ”For the SPORTY mom.” It features three pairs of socks each with a colorful print. One pair has a large orange floral design, another has a dense pattern of small everyday objects, and the third features an abstract blue and pink landscape. Various white doodles are in the background.
Image 4: A light blue graphic with white text that reads, “For the mom who JOURNALS.” It displays two spiral bound notebooks with colorful covers. Below the journals are four small zippered pouches featuring abstract, colorful art works. Various white doodles are in the background.
Image 5: A green graphic with white text that reads, “For the mom on the GO.” It features a large tote bag with a bold, multi-colored abstract print. Layered on top are coordinating accessories including a small patterned zipper pouch, floral scrunchies, and a travel tumbler with a collage design.
Our newest exhibition SPOTLIGHT opens THIS FRIDAY May 1! Join us that evening at the Able ARTS Work Gallery from 6 PM - 9 PM.
SPOTLIGHT brings together four resident artists at Able ARTS Work from across our Southern California programs, spanning from Los Angeles to San Diego, to explore and celebrate their personal creative practices.
Stick around and get creative with us and participate in our FREE community art activity we’ll be hosting in the gallery that evening during the opening reception.
This is an accessible event for all and will have audio descriptions, braille, and ASL interpreters available. We can’t wait to see you!
SPOTLIGHT Opening Reception
🧑🎨 When: Friday, May 1, 2026
💡 Time: 6 PM - 9 PM
🖼️ Where: 4321 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach
#AbleArtsWork #artgallery #artshow #art
Image Description:
Image 1: A handmade beaded necklace on a plain white background. The necklace features a variety of colorful beads in different shapes and sizes. Three large, hand painted clay charms hang from the bottom, two flower shapes in bright pink, blue, purple, gold, and green, and a central green butterfly charm with white polka dots and a small smiling face. Art by Alma Velasco.
Image 2: An abstract painting featuring textured brushstrokes in various colors. Red and orange a prominent on the right side and center, while smaller strokes of bright blue, light blue, and white swirl on the left. Dark grey and black art at the bottom of the piece. Art by Michael Hinckley.
Image 3: A textile art piece shaped like a short sleeved shirt, created using patchwork fabrics. It is made from various earth toned fabrics with floral and geometric patterns. A central fabric piece features a blue and white painted owl. The edges are raw and frayed, with visible white and orange stitching throughout the design. Art by Renee Morneau.
Image 4: A colorful painting featuring a large rainbow in the center under a pink sky. To the left is a yellow and red butterfly, and to the right is a smiling yellow sun and a red ladybug. Art by Amber Nething.
