Santa Monica is uniquely suited to be one of the first cities in the United States to produce an all-night cultural event.

Perched on magnificent palisades overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica has an international identity as a cosmopolitan beach community. The city is home to perhaps the largest concentration of creative employment in the United States, with 43% of the adult population making a living in arts-related fields. Among the many internationally renowned artists who have lived in Santa Monica, is long-time resident John Baldessari, who has lent his image, "The Intersection Series: Two Persons Dancing/Beach Scene" as part of Glow's identity. With its use and reference to pop culture, and its sly tweaking of imagery and expectation, the image well represents the sense of intelligence, play and engagement as the foundation for Glow's spirit and programs. The merger of artistic invention and beach culture is quintessentially Santa Monica. With over 70 galleries, several museums, more than a dozen theaters and performance spaces and award winning architecture, Santa Monica is a forward-thinking city. Where better to host an adventurous festival to promote progressive artistic vision than within the socially and environmentally rich context of Santa Monica, at the heart of the region's astonishingly abundant and innovative community of artists.