Families and students gathered around to see the Artistic Couple exhibition which featured works of art, including some poem accented wooden creations and porcelain crafted sculptures at Long Beach City College.
The reception took place in the art gallery inside the K building, at the LAC campus on Valentine’s Day night.
This exhibit titled Artist Couples features works either collaborated or created independently by partners that happened to both be artists.
Most of the pieces were different from one another, based on looks, mediums, and also meanings.
Some of many pieces focused but weren’t limited to love, politics, and also tributes to artists like the Beatles and Prince.
Although the artworks were different they shared the common similarity of being selected for this particular exhibit.
The exhibition composed by Trevor Norris, the LBCC gallery director, was inspired by personally known artistic duos and watching the artists react when working together.
Norris’s main objective is for people to just enjoy the show, even if they only like one particular piece.
“Stay together, When all is set and done when you go into an exhibition and it could be not an interesting concept but you see a couple pieces you like… it’s about I really love that painting… feeling connected to it all,” Norris said.
Lots of different people attended the show including a first year student Andres Malvarado.
Malvarado who is passionate about art, and wanted to attend the reception in the efforts to get a better feel of the school.
After taking a second to admire an art piece titled “No Apples in Eden” by Tom and Lisa Dowling, Malvarado said in Spanish, “I wonder how a person can put so many emotions into words, sometimes that’s more hard.”
“No Apple in Eden” appears as what could be described as a wooden book held together with industrial styled laches, and on the inner areas there’s a white painted panels where a poem lays.
Tom Dowling, one of the artists behind the piece, was also at the exhibit.
Dowling explained how “No Apples in Eden” was part of a larger collection worked on with his wife, Lisa Dowling, titled Reconcilable Differences.
Although they both worked together to create this piece, Dowling explained how his wife does all of the literature while he focuses on the objects themselves.
“I try to make objects equal to the power of my wife’s words,” Dowling said.
Dowling also took the time to explain how his artwork is inspired by the love and the lifestyle his family all share together.
The rest of the night ended with a Jazz band playing inside the K building which added to the romance of the night.
After a long afternoons work, Norris said, “I’m really happy with the work, I’m really happy with the turnout, and I’m really happy with the response.”
The artwork will be on display until March 7th in the art gallery at the LAC.
Intrigued student analyzing art pieces displayed in the LBCC art gallery. 
People admiring the artwork during the LBCC Art gallery Artist Couples Exhibition. 
Buoys: A Couple by McCarren/Fine on diplayed at the Artist Couples Exhibition. 
Visitors seeing an art piece inside the LBCC art gallery. 
Creative work by Tom and Lisa Dowling displayed inside the LBCC art gallery for the Artist Couples Exhibition. 
Gallery goers taking a look at a collection of work on displayed at the Artist Couples exhibition at the LBCC art gallery.