November 24, 2006
By Hamp Simmons
Special to the Daily Press
I hope everyone had a terrific Turkey or Tofu Day! As we all know, the three days after Thanksgiving are the busiest shopping days of the entire year. You probably don’t want to, but inevitably, someone is going to drag you shopping with them this weekend. But don’t despair! If you can manage to keep them in Santa Monica, there are quite a few quiet respites available to calm your nerves and help you refrain from strangling that person at the cash register who has just had two credit cards declined and is searching for a third while loudly discussing intimate family secrets with their Aunt Agnes on a cell phone.
Oh, and by the way, why would you be shopping anywhere but Santa Monica?
GRACIE — Shop Artistically at Bergamot
GRACIE: Shop/Storage/Installation
Bergamot Station, G1
2525 Michigan Avenue
(310) 586-6488
The best way to deal with holiday shopping stress is to do all your shopping this year at the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s GRACIE. This terrific museum boutique is the perfect place to find vintage style T-shirts and sweaters designed by artist Raymond Pettibon, one-of-a-kind gold and silver necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry, hard-to-find art books and catalogs, artist-designed chocolates, and much more. GRACIE is Santa Monica Museum of Art’s multifunctional exhibition, bookshop, storage, and reception area conceived by Rome Prize-winning artist and architect Allan Wexler.
I found this terrific flocked-red skull piggy-bank for my grandson there that will convince him that Santa Claus is as crazy as his grandfather.
And best of all, if you go there this weekend, once you’re done shopping, you can visit the amazing exhibitions of work by Miriam Wosk, Mark Dutcher in the Project Rooms and the Philip Guston and Giorgio de Chirico exhibit in the Main Gallery. The last day the exhibits will be up is on the 25th, so be sure and swing by.
Art Along the Promenade
Arthouse Gallery
416 Broadway
(310) 393-0901
One of Santa Monica’s newest galleries, The Arthouse, mixes art, culture and commerce to create a unique space that manages to be a gallery, a film/video venue and a high-end electronics store all in one. This weekend, there’s a group show featuring 10 artists including Gary Frederick Brown, Dafne Gilboa and Mary McGill. It’s just far enough from the promenade to be off the beaten path, but definitely close enough for an easy stroll.
PUPPETOLIO!
Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
1255 Second St.
(310) 656-0483
All Seats: $7.50
If you’re towing a youngster around with you while shopping the promenade, give him or her a break at Puppetolio. Suggested for children ages 3 and up, this is a great place to give the kids a chance to laugh and shout at the antics of Fred, the ventriloquist dummy and his friends.
Ten Women on Main Street
Ten Women Gallery
2651 Main Street
(310) 314-9152
The original Ten Women Gallery was formed following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. With their studios in disarray, a group of 10 women embarked on an endeavor that would provide both an outlet for their art and help them develop their skills as businesswomen. The gallery offers jewelry, painting, photography, and ceramics, but despite the name, it now shows the work of 11 artists. And it’s full of really cool stuff that you’ll never find at a mall.
Check Into The Victorian Hotel
The Powerhouse Theatre Company
3116 Second Street
(310) 396-3680
Pay what you can, Nov. 25, 2 p.m.
General admission $25
And if you’re out and about on Saturday, there’s a Pay-What-You-Can matinee showing at the Powerhouse of The Victorian Hotel, an over-the-top comedy thriller not suitable for children, but perfect for adults looking for creepy, naughty, campy fun — a welcome break from filling shopping bags! It’ll also be playing at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
In conducting research for Creative Capital, our new cultural plan, we learned that Santa Monicans are huge arts consumers. Did you know that 82 percent of our population attends concerts, 83 percent visit art galleries, 61 percent go to museums, 69 percent attend theatre and another 69 percent participate in festivals? These are numbers far greater than those of the average American citizen — we’re a pretty smart and sophisticated bunch of people! So, if anyone needs something to be thankful for this year, I think we can all be thankful we live in such a terrific community!
Hamp Simmons is the cultural affairs coordinator for the City of Santa Monica. Send comments or suggestions for the Palette to artpalette.mailbox@smgov.net.