This weekend marks the 9th annual Open Studios event at the Santa Monica Art Studios. I had the chance to speak with one of the founders, Yossi Govrin, who conceived and designed the Santa Monica Art Studios (SMAS). In addition to being an artist, Yossi is the director of SMAS along with co-founder Sherry Frumkin.
“Multifarious Architecture” will be opening concurrently in Arena 1, which is part of the Santa Monica Art Studios. The group exhibition, curated by Yossi Govrin and Krista Augius, will feature the work of architects, sculptors, and both video and installation artists.
“We selected the artists for the show as they all have an underlying playful and imaginative approach to art,” explains co-curator Krista Augius. “‘Multifarious Architecture’ is a show that Yossi and I created with the hopes of offering the viewer an opportunity to exit from their usual boundaries of structured space and enter into a dimension where fanciful notions of sculptural elements and art can be explored.” Artists included are: Robin Hill, Tanja Rector, Berenika Boberska, Oona Gardner, William Ransom, Jeff Garrett and Krista Augius.
Back in 1994, with the help of the Santa Monica City Council, Govrin and Frumkin created the arts complex.
“We built the studios to be a focal point for artistic exchange,” said Govrin. “SMAS is one of the largest art centers of its kind in California. It contains 36 artists’ studios and two main galleries, Arena 1 and Hangar Gallery.”
Govrin is a painter and sculptor and is represented by Timothy Yarger Gallery in Beverly Hills.
For the Open Studio tour, he will be featuring his “Nightwatch Series” which consists of 40 seven to eight feet sculptures accompanied by large-scale oil paintings.
The work of special guest artist and renowned photographer J.J. L’Heureux will also be on view.
Her work can be seen in museums all across the world. L’Heureux’s series entitled “Bags of Bones” was first inspired by one of her annual expeditions to the Antarctica.
She visited a whaling station in South Georgia Island.
It was here that she first saw a bone meal bag…a solemn reminder that these noble mammals gave their lives for oil.
“I started this project as my symbolic casket if we do not find ways to moderate our stripping of the earth indiscriminately,” said L’Heureux.
The opening reception for “Multifarious Architecture” will take place on Saturday, Oct.12 from 6-9 pm along with the 9th annual Open Studios at Santa Monica Art Studios. Both events continue through the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 13, from 1-5 pm. The exhibition will remain on view through Nov. 23.
SMAS is located at 3026 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica.
For more information, call 310.397.7449 or visit santamonicaartstudios.com, yossigovrin.com, and kristaaugius.com.
