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Discover Long Beach Island’s vibrant art scene

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In addition to its gorgeous beaches, fun amusement parks, scenic outdoor venues, and wide array of family-friendly destinations, Long Beach Island also boasts a vibrant art scene that complements the area’s natural surroundings.

Whether you’re into performing arts, music, film, art exhibits, or workshops, you’ll be able to find a plethora of activities and destinations that inspire and showcase the creativity of artists of all ages.

If you’re looking for fun things to do in Long Beach Island, here’s some information on destinations and events for you to check out:

Long Beach Island Foundation

The Long Beach Island Foundation or LBIF plays a key role in attracting visitors and promoting artists and their works. Since 1948, the LBIF has helped the local community by organizing events, workshops, and other opportunities for artists to enhance their skills and showcase their creations in front of a wider audience. A seasonal project in its early days, the LBIF is now a year-round forum for artistic expression and appreciation.

Since it was established, the LBIF has now offered thousands of art exhibits, workshops, educational programs, and classes enriching artists and art lovers in the community.

Annual Foundation Arts Festival

One of the biggest art events in Long Beach Island, the Foundation Arts Festival is an annual event attracting thousands of art lovers, collectors, and patrons from all over the country.

Organized by the LBIF, the festival aims to highlight the works of talented artists and promote the community’s vibrant art scene. The Foundation Arts Festival is usually scheduled during the month of July. For updates, visit the LBIF’s official event page here.

Plein-Air Plus Island Life Exhibition

One of LBIF’s keystone events is the Plein-Air Plus Island Life Exhibition, one of the most popular beachfront art exhibitions in the region. Every summer, the open-air event invites over 30 artists to create masterpieces using Long Beach Island life as an inspiration.

Just the sight of painters hard at work with their brushes and easels throughout the island during the competition is already an attraction itself. After the event, judges then select paintings that best depict the beauty of Long Beach Island, all of which are available for purchase directly from the individual artists that created them.

Lighthouse International Film Festival

The Lighthouse International Film Festival is a three-day event created for film enthusiasts, showcasing a variety of feature films, short films, family films, and documentaries, along with panel discussions with some of the top film industry professionals today.

Created in honor of Long Beach Island’s Barnegat Lighthouse, the festival was founded by a group of passionate filmmakers, industry professionals, and film critics, with the goal of presenting exciting and challenging films for a wider audience.

For schedules, updates, and more information about the Lighthouse International Film Festival, visit their website here.

SwellColors Glass Studio & Gallery

SwellColors Glass Studio & Gallery specializes in handcrafted stained glass windows inspired by nature.

The studio offers walk-in workshops that are suitable for all ages several times a year. Each class takes about 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the stained-glass work. They also offer custom sizes that can accommodate any design need, as long as you provide advanced notice.

Classes at SwellColors are also available for parties, fundraisers, and other events. Some of the workshops they offer include:

  • Mosaic Shapes
  • Happy Hour Mosaic Mirrors
  • Mosaic Signs & Designs
  • Mosaic Mirrors
  • Mosaic Garden Bricks
  • Fused Glass Night Lights
  • Fused Glass Holiday Ornaments
  • Sea Glass Drilling Class
  • Metal Stamping Class
  • Stained Glass Ornaments
  • Stained Glass Windows

You can find their schedule of classes and other information here.

M.T. Burton Gallery

Established in 2000, the M.T. Burton Gallery exhibits a variety of artworks including paintings, sculptures, photography, pottery, and more. The gallery also offers pottery workshops in their studio.

Located in Surf City, the gallery features a large collection of handmade, wheel-thrown pottery pieces in addition to an extensive collection of porcelain, stoneware, majolica ware, and pit and wood-fired works of art. Ceramic works for sale at the gallery are created by over two dozen artists.

The M.T. Burton Gallery also offers open studio tours of local artists’ studios and galleries at select venues throughout Long Beach Island. Visit the gallery’s website for class schedules and more information.

There’s a lot more fun things to do in Long Beach Island! If you’re looking for the perfect home in the area, call Craig and Sharon Stefanoni of Berkshire Hathaway Zack Shore Realtors today! Get in touch with the team at 609.432.1104, or send an email to CStefanoni(at)ZackShore(dotted)com.