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# Success was a snap
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/success-was-a-snap/
- Published: 2006-10-17T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:40:47.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Pier, #archive-import

*Ashes hoopla spawns plans near Pier*

PCH — It seems the nomadic photography exhibit Ashes & Snow was a boon for Santa Monica in more ways than one.

Not only did artist Gregory Colbert’s 100 large-scale photographic works capturing extraordinary interactions between humans and animals attract more than 400,000 visitors from Jan. 14 to May 14, 2006 — raising Santa Monica’s status as a haven for innovative and creative artists — it also generated an estimated $1.2 million in sales at the Santa Monica Pier.

The temporary exhibit helped business owners at the city’s most famous landmark earn some cash during the typically “off-season” months of November through March.

That’s according to a recent economic impact survey released by business interests along the pier and City Hall, who have joined forces to keep the pier active 365 days a year.

“Your gut instincts tell you that (the exhibit) was very positive, but it’s always nice to have the facts to back it up and help drive the discussions we’ve been having about making the beach experience the best it can be,” said Misti Kerns, president of the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), which paid a little under $5,000 for the survey The Santa Monica Pier Lessees Association, the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. (PRC) and City Hall also paid equal portions for the study, which cost close to $20,000.

“What this information does is allow everyone to consider what type of events add to the experience at the beach, without taking over the beach,” Kerns said. “In the past, some pier businesses complained that events near the pier had a negative impact on them, so we are looking to strike a balance.

“Anything that is worthwhile never comes easy.”

The survey of 616 adult patrons — 312 of which were interviewed at Ashes & Snow and 304 at the pier — showed the exhibit contributed positively to the area, and specifically the pier, with the average group spending $68.61 amid their stop to The Nomadic Museum. Of that, 57 percent was spent on food and beverages at the pier, 28 percent on amusements and the other 14 percent on retail and other items.

City Hall also benefited from the five-month show, taking in an estimated $7,200 in related sales tax, plus $450,000 in rental revenue from the event’s producers, the survey showed. The exhibit also appears to have attracted a different demographic than is typical for the pier — higher income, slightly older individuals with fewer children, and residing in other parts of California and the U.S.

Two years ago, City Hall approved a plan to use the city-owned parking lot at 1500 Pacific Coast Highway to stage long-term events, such as Ashes & Snow, as a means to make better use of the lot during the winter months, when there are less visitors. The plan was also enacted to attract more visitors overall to the pier and downtown.

Other long-term events that have been held at the lot have included the critically-acclaimed Cirque du Soleil and the equestrian ballet Cavalia. It was following Cirque’s success that the City Council decided to adopt the plan for use of the beach lot.

“This survey is great because it shows us that there are events that can be held that work in tandem with the pier to offer visitors the best possible beach-going experience,” said Barbara Stinchfield, director of the department of community and cultural services at City Hall.

Not every event is going to have the same synergistic effect as Ashes & Snow, which made only one other stop in the U.S. — on the opposite end of the country, in New York City. Some of the unique features of Ashes & Snow were its extended hours of operation and the freedom provided, allowing visitors to spend as much time as they liked wandering the spacious Nomadic Museum, a series of recycled box-car trailers stacked atop one another to render a mobile exhibition space. No food or beverages were sold at the exhibit, creating a greater demand at the pier.

“We were extremely fortunate to have an event of that caliber, and the way it was set up really allowed for people to explore the area without having to be concerned with a schedule,” said Ben Franz-Knight, director of the PRC, which manages the pier.“We have a delicate operation on the pier and it’s a challenge to find events that can co-exist. It just so happens that Ashes & Snow fit the parameters.”

The CVB is currently engaged in a branding process to help visitors better identify with Santa Monica. As part of that process, business leader and city officials have been working with residents to enhance the beach-going experience. A suggestion often heard is to increase the number of events held at the beach and pier during winter months.

With the success of Ashes & Snow, Kerns sees potential, however, “it is too premature to say what events we’ll host next.”

The survey recommends that when considering future events, those in charge would be wise to consider the event type, its duration, publicity, space utilized, event structure, staging, pricing and the potential audience it might draw. Those surveyed also recommended various enhancements to the pier to keep patrons coming back, such as more upscale restaurants, more nightclubs, cheaper parking and some minor improvements to the pier’s aesthetics.

Stinchfield said city staff will be returning to the council soon with recommendations regarding extended performances in the beach lot.

The process is already underway to include different attractions at the pier, with the council approving in August a plan to restore commercial boating. There is also the possibility of adding two new restaurants and a series of eclectic shops that will mirror other seaside shopping centers, such as Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and Pike Street in Seattle. In addition, there is talk of bringing in an old-fashioned soda fountain to serve root-bear floats to kids riding the classic carousel, a fresh fish market and a performing arts venue.

The speed in which any of the aforemen-tioned plans occur depends largely on the construction of a new pier bridge, which could occur as early as next fall, city officials said. However, there needs to be discussion regarding the replacement of the California Incline, and whether or not that project will take precedent over the pier bridge or if the two can be done simultaneously.

“The council and the public are really going to have to engage in several discussions before we will have an answer on that,” said Craig Perkins, director of environmental and public works management for City Hall.

In the meantime, pier lessees can take comfort in knowing that even when a hot event likes Ashes & Snow comes to town, people will still have a fondness for the classics.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/101706-01_01.jpg)

TUNNEL VISION: Ashes & Snow was exhibited to big crowds for five months. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 17, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/101706.pdf?ref=smdp.com)