There’s a new Art Block brewing.
By Henry K. Long
Santa Monica’s Ocean Park Boulevard has attracted several galleries with more to come. Celebrating its nine-year anniversary on September 8th, bG Gallery first moved to Ocean Park back in April.
“We’re excited to be part of a new art neighborhood,” said Om Bleicher, owner of bG Gallery. “The Ocean Park Art Block will be open fully in 2019, but on Saturday, September 8 we celebrate the kick-off with our anniversary, with 144 Space, Gestalt Projects, and dnj’s grand opening. We’re looking forward to teaming up with other galleries to make the neighborhood a destination for art.”
Located between 30th and 31st Street on Ocean Park Boulevard, the plan is for all the galleries on the block to coordinate openings and events which will be posted on the Ocean Park Art Block website.
At bG Gallery, the “Tiny Elephant Giant Mouse” show features all types of media, including paintings, photography and sculptures, which experiments with scale.
“We chose the widest variety of artists we could find to explore the theme from different angles,” said Bleicher.
Artist Walter Impert, has an artwork in the show. Bleicher said “Walter’s work is highly representational and abstracted at the same time juxtoposing sea creatures with creatures of the sky and using color play to show contrasts, a very unique play with scale not in a surrealist way but in a proportional way where the actuality of the objects cause us to compare them in interesting ways.”
Impert said he thought new location had a “happening” quality, due to all the upcoming businesses in the area. Another artist, Bibi Davidson whose work is also on exhibit, said she loves bG’s new location. “It is a friendly artistic little village with galleries and coffee shops, (and wine). It’s going to be a busy attraction location for people to hang out.”
“Bibi’s work plays with scale in a more surreal psychological way and the Tiny Elephant She Created was perfect with the show’s title,” said Bleicher.
Title: By Air and By Sea
Medium: oil on canvas
Size: 36×30″
“Inter Portrait,” a group show is featured in the 144 Space and Gestalt Projects. The exhibition consists of self-portraits with collage (the self-portrait were broken apart and collaged together).
Owner of dnj Gallery Pam Schoenberg said “My friend in the neighborhood behind us is very excited about the emergence of art galleries in the area. Exposure to culture is necessary for all ages.” dnj Gallery presents “What’s New?” featuring photographs by the dnj Gallery artists: Sia Aryai, Catherine Asanov, Ellen Cantor, Darryl Curran, Corey Grayhorse, Suda House, Gil Kofman, and many more.
“We will also exhibit all the dnj Gallery artists’ photographic project individually in our back-space for a two-week period, beginning with Annie Seaton, and her series “Hauoli,” said Schoenberg.
Celebrate the beginning of the new Art Block on Saturday, September 8th, bG Gallery, Gestalt Projects, 144 Space and dnj Gallery between 30th and 31st Street on Ocean Park Boulevard will have receptions from 5-8pm. Find out more on the Art Block website. https://oceanparkartblock.com/; http://bgartgalleries.com; https://www.facebook.com/gestaltprojects/; https://www.dnjgallery.net/
