Welcome to the Santa Monica Art Palette for the weekend of May 19. The goal of the Art Palette, created by City Hall’s cultural affairs division, is to showcase the many eclectic arts and cultural opportunities available in Santa Monica every week, highlighting one or more of the many happenings within our borders.
We’ve all recovered from the Santa Monica Festival last weekend and should be ready to hit the pavement this weekend with a full palette. Santa Monica has visual art, performance art, film, music, and much more going on this weekend. You can see work by one of our most accomplished artists, Ed Moses, or you can visit Santa Monica High School and view the work of our next generation of artists. Tim Miller brings his provocative and always daring work to Highways; Judy Baca’s work is on view at the Patricia Correia Gallery; there’s jazz on the pier; the sun is in the heavens and all is right with the world, well, at least in our little corner. So enjoy the spring weather and get out there and support the arts.
The Santa Monica High School art department will be showcasing the work of the school’s senior students tonight at the Roberts Art Gallery, which just happens to be the longest running gallery on Los Angeles’ Westside. Many of the promising young artists exhibited their work at last weekend’s Santa Monica Festival to the delight of thousands. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the results of Santa Monica High School’s terrific art programs. If you miss the opening, stop by any time during school hours 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the collection.
Be sure to visit Bergamot Station this weekend for exhibitions of some important local artists along with a brilliant new show at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. An homage to the ephemeral, the overlooked and the undervalued, Epiphanies examines the obsessive collecting and arranging of objects, and the mindset that justifies and support the habit. Ken Brecher is a lifelong hoarder who cherishes his acquisitions for their meaning, not market value. As an inveterate collector of odd objects myself, this is a show I certainly won’t miss!
The Bobbie Greenfield Gallery is currently exhibiting works by Santa Monica icon Ed Moses, one of the most important artists of contemporary art since the ’60s.
The Patricia Correia gallery has works by Judy Baca, the well-known muralist and founder of Social Public Art Resource Center (SPARC).
Stroll the pier on Saturday and check out the two young jazz bands presented by the Gregory Alper Music School from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. While you’re there, gaze out to sea while contemplating the fact that 68 years ago this month the infamous gambling ship Rex opened for business at a legal location 3.1 miles offshore. Operated by mobster Tony Cornero, the ship offered slot machines as well as craps and roulette tables, all of which were rumored to be rigged. The Rex serviced its customers via a water taxi departing directly from the Santa Monica Pier. The Rex is depicted in one of the enchanting Santa Monica Pier Banners by artists Michael McMillan and Steve Garvey.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 19, 2006. Read the original PDF.