Santa Monica Cultural Affairs

08/04/2024

We are back for a second Saturday at Santa Monica’s Tongva Park! 🌿☀️🎵 Endless Summer C.A.M.P. (Community • Art • Music • Picnic) 🤝🧺 returns next Saturday, August 10th from 11am-2pm. 🎡 Presented by the City of Santa Monica, produced by @ cars.la

🇵🇭 Sayaw! Means Dance! Kayamanan Ng Lahi presents the richness and diversity of the Philippine culture through dance, music and song.

💃🏽 Enjoy a performance of traditional Mexican dances by Academia de Danza Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo.

🍃 Bring home a bit of nature and learn about native plants with artist Eros Cortes by creating your own terrarium, complete with plants and an animal figurine! 🦔 See you there!

Visit santamonica.gov for more info.

📷 Kayamana Ng Lahi

07/29/2024

Spend your Saturdays this Summer at Tongva Park! Pack a picnic and join us at Endless Summer C.A.M.P (Community • Art • Music • Picnic) 🌿☀️🎵 for an amazing lineup of music, dance, youth performances and workshops, starting next Saturday, August 3rd from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 🌻Presented by the City of Santa Monica, produced by .la

💧 Get ready for a bubble-tastic time with Bubblemania and Company as their professional Bubblologists facilitate a fun, “hands-on” bubble making experience.

💃🏾 Dance along to the foot-tapping beats of India with LA’s premiere Bollywood Dance Company, Joya Kazi Entertainment!

🔔 Put a little jingle in your step by creating your own musical anklet or bracelet with an assortment of beads and bells at this fun, hands-on workshop.

Visit santamonica.gov for more info.


📷 Joya Kazi Entertainment

04/26/2024

Have you thought about water sustainability today? City Yards Artist in Residence Debra Scacco brings together Bob Ramirez (Kuruvungna Village Springs) and Sunny Wang (City of Santa Monica, Water Resources Division), to discuss how Indigenous water knowledge contrasts and intersects with municipal approaches to water stewardship, and possible points of collaboration and understanding. More info at https://santamonica.gov/events/4v343g79r9g1jscsfj1s1wtk5q/202405011800

04/04/2024

Spring into Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month! Santa Monica is absolutely teeming with arts happenings throughout the month of April, including concerts, exhibits, film screenings, comedy performances, and business specials that you can learn more about on Santa Monica Travel & Tourism's dedicated Arts Month page at Visit Santa Monica
Kicking things off in week 1 are Bergamot Stations' Crow Comedy Festival The Crow Comedy Festival, running from April 1-6, and The Other Art Fair at The Barker Hangar, located conveniently at the Santa Monica Airport, combining affordable and original artworks from 140 independent artists with immersive installations, DJ’s and surprise performances. This event runs April 4th-7th. You won’t want to miss it!
Arts Month is also a perfect time to explore the city’s robust public art program in Santa Monica’s public spaces. Public art locations, artworks and details along with rotating Art Bank collections can be viewed at publicartarchive.org/santamonica.

12/08/2023

CURRENT CALLS FOR ARTISTS


Deadline: 12/12/23
Santa Monica Cultural Affairs seeks proposals from visual, digital and performing artists living in LA County for a 14-week studio residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab. The City presents this opportunity to artists who need both a place to practice and create, and seeks artists who are deeply invested in sharing their work for the public’s benefit through instruction.
https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12592


Deadline: 12/18/23
Santa Monica residents aged 18 years or older are invited to apply for this two-year honorary position. The City of Santa Monica has launched this program to highlight the City through the literary arts, support the creation of literary works that commemorate the diversity and vibrancy of Santa Monica, and promote arts education.
https://smpl.org/Programs_and_Events/Santa_Monica_Poet_Laureate.aspx

12/04/2023

CALL FOR ARTISTS
2024 Studio Residencies at the Camera Obscura Art Lab
Deadline: Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Santa Monica Cultural Affairs seeks proposals from visual, digital and performing artists living in Los Angeles County for a fourteen-week studio residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab in Palisades Park, Santa Monica. The City presents this opportunity to artists who need both a place to practice and create, and seeks artists who are deeply invested in sharing their work for the public’s benefit through instruction.

The Studio Residency Program offers artists a glass-walled studio with a spectacular ocean view in an iconic midcentury park building overlooking the Santa Monica Pier, four blocks from the terminus of the Expo line. All disciplines and mediums will be considered.

This Studio Residency spans 14-weeks and three terms are available; Feb 1- May 9, 2024; May 16- August 22, 2024; and August 29 - December 12, 2024. The terms are approximate and may be adjusted slightly to accommodate developing schedules.

For more information and to apply, visit:

Read more about 2024 Camera Obscura Art Lab Studio Residency on CaFE

12/01/2023

CALL FOR ARTISTS: Studio Residencies at the Camera Obscura Art Lab
Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 12, 2023, by 10:59 PM PDT

Santa Monica Cultural Affairs seeks proposals from visual, digital and performing artists living in Los Angeles County for a fourteen-week studio residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab in Palisades Park, Santa Monica. The City presents this opportunity to artists who need both a place to practice and create, and seeks artists who are deeply invested in sharing their work for the public’s benefit through instruction.

The Studio Residency Program offers artists a glass-walled studio with a spectacular ocean view in an iconic midcentury park building overlooking the Santa Monica Pier, four blocks from the terminus of the Expo line. All disciplines and mediums will be considered.

This Studio Residency spans 14-weeks and three terms are available; Feb 1- May 9, 2024; May 16- August 22, 2024; and August 29 - December 12, 2024. The terms are approximate and may be adjusted slightly to accommodate developing schedules.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12592.

Read more about 2024 Camera Obscura Art Lab Studio Residency on CaFE

11/18/2023

Santa Monica Rep presents their 5th Annual Playreading Festival starting Friday evening, November 17, through Sunday, November 19. The festival features a world premiere of a new play, a moderated panel discussion, playwriting and storytelling workshops and a special showing of stories told by people who live and work in Santa Monica. Presented in association with Highways Performance Space & Gallery. More info at: https://www.santamonicarep.org/smrtevents.

10/27/2023

The new portrait exhibit, Our Pico, is now on view through Dec. 30. The portraits, taken by renowned photographer Sam Comen, highlight hands-on work, family entrepreneurship, artisan craft and gig economy jobs. The exhibit celebrates the workers who invest their lives in the Pico neighborhood’s economy and reveal the humanity behind the area’s storefronts.

On view at the Pico Culture House Gallery, 3018 Pico Blvd., and in the windows and doors of 12 select businesses along Pico Corridor. For more information visit www.ourpico.com. Presented in partnership with the Pico Improvement Organization and supported by the City’s Art of Recovery initiative.

📷 Doug Whitney and Michael Hawelu, instrument repair craftsmen McCabe's Guitar Shop
Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica

10/12/2023

Join us for The Women's Empowerment Project Opening Reception, Thursday, October 12, from 3 – 4:30pm.

This exhibit is a collaboration between artist Maiwenn Raoult and six women who were in transitional housing. Raoult spent eight weeks in dialogue with the participants and explored their experience of homelessness, their strengths and goals, and the best advice they’ve received. Raoult took portraits and provided the participants with disposable cameras to document what brought them joy and empowerment throughout their day.

On view in the Santa Monica Main Library’s central courtyard from Oct. 12 through Nov. 13 during library hours. https://ow.ly/f9Pe50PWbyK

09/28/2023

Are you ready for an artful Saturday?

The annual Montana Avenue Art Walk (1-7pm )will feature 150 visual artists, live music, a kids painting station, and a wine garden. Montana Avenue will be closed to traffic between 9th to 17th Streets, a first for this event. https://ow.ly/jGyy50PQSnl

18th Street Art Center’s Art at the Airport Fall Open Studios & Gallery Opening (5-9pm) presents a wide range of artistic styles, techniques and latest works in the studios of local artists. Gain insight into the artists inspiration and creative processes. https://ow.ly/VgrC50PQSoj

Artistic exploration awaits!

📷 Jonathan Youssef Artist: Alexandra Dillon.

09/25/2023

Take the stage and be heard at Downbeat 720! LA's premier open-mic for high school students provides a safe and supportive space to express yourself. Join this Tuesday's session, September 26. www.instagram.com/downbeat720/