By Michael Ray
On Saturday July 22, art enthusiasts traveled by foot, by bicycle, by train, and by car, to the Bergamont Station Arts Complex for a day of food trucks, live music, dance performances, yoga, art exhibitions, documentary screenings, a beer garden, and most importantly art – lots of it. The Bergamon Station’s Summer Celebration brought together both local and international artists for a day-long event, Santa Monica Style.
Outside, as people navigated bicycle, and vehicle parking, others attendees migrated from gallery to gallery on the campus-like complex as live music from People’s Park could be heard and aromas from the food trucks filled the air.
Throughout the numerous galleries, art patrons, gallery curators, artists and exhibitionists gathered for workshops, lectures, performances and live painting. Within the Lois Lambert Gallery, dancers Seda Aybay and Clinton Kyles of the Kybele Dance Theater performed a choreographed dance for an entranced audience. Ayaby, born and raised in Istanbul Turkey, founded the Kybele Dance Theater in 2003 and is currently an adjunct professor at Santa Monica College.
Across the walkway inside of Building G, Art Director Brittany Davis of the Beyond the Lines Gallery hosted a workshop titled “How To Succeed As An Artist” in which she spoke about issues that emerging and veteran artists encounter; meanwhile, Amber Goldhammer held an open studio in which she invited guests to paint messages of love with her; all the while, throughout building G additional studios such as the bG Gallery, IKON Ltd, and FIG welcomed art enthusiasts to solo and group exhibitions.
The Santa Monica City Council recently voted to retain the art galleries at the Bergamont Station art complex, affirming that they are a part of Santa Monica’s past, present and now future. With more than two dozen artist galleries and an eclectic array of artists, using a wide-range of mediums and styles, the Bergamont Station’s Summer Celebration was an opportunity for both residents and artists to celebrate this ongoing legacy of art, culture and community.
A good time was had by all at the Bergamon Station’s Summer Celebration.
