Events & Cultural Programs
NEW! Objects of Wonder and Fascination: Unusual, wonderful, bizarre, or beautiful... there will be more than meets the eye in our upcoming Wonder Cabinet exhibit in the Beach House Gallery. And we need your help. We're looking for your storied objects and mementos to put on display in a community curio cabinet that will convey the diverse perspectives we bring to this shared existence. Submissions will be considered throughout the summer. Entry Form >
Beach=Culture Series
Beach=Culture is an ongoing series of free concerts, lectures, readings and exhibits. Most summer Beach=Culture events take place Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, with the Marion Davies Guest House open beginning at 5:15 pm.
Events >
July 21 - 23, 28 - 30: Merchant of Venice, a Shakespeare Santa Monica production
The Merchant of Venice will star Southern California stage favorite Apollo Dukakis as Shylock and Emmy-Award winning actress Jennifer Landon as Portia. Directed by Shakespeare Santa Monica Artistic Director John Farmanesh-Bocca. Since 2004 Shakespeare Santa Monica has been presenting the Bard's works in indoor and outdoor productions every summer. Uniting aspiring student artists and professional actors, Shakespeare Santa Monica is commited to enriching the cultural life of Santa Monica through performances of classic drama. Performed outside the Marion Davies Guest House, the play runs 100 minutes without intermission.
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August 3: Poetry by Chris Abani, Francisco Aragon, and Jenny Factor
Beach=Culture and the Red Hen Poetry Series present a celebration of contemporary poetry in a seaside setting; the second of three readings this summer. Three poets will read from their acclaimed works: Chris Abani, recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Francisco Aragon, award-winning editor and poet, and Jenny Factor, recipient of the Hayden Carruth Award.
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August 10: Screening of "Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies "
Film historian Elaina Archer, producer/editor/writer of Captured on Film, The True Story of Marion Davies (dir. Hugh Munro Nealy, B/W & Color, 58 min, 2001), returns to introduce her documentary and screen rare home movies of Davies and Hearst at San Simeon with guests that include Irving Thalberg and John Gilbert.
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August 17: "This is Not Here", a site-specific dance by Holly Rothschild
Back by popular demand for one more performance, Beach=Culture presents Holly Rothschild’s This is Not Here, the culminating project of her 10-week Artist Residency at the Beach House. From February through May, 2010, Rothschild worked with seven dancers throughout the site, drawing on history and architecture as well as the echoes of people present and past to create an original dance performance. Using dance, gesture, and narrative, Rothschild presents the Beach House in a new light!
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Event House Gallery
Paris Women & Bicycles - Photographs by Gil Garcetti
June 17 - July 18, 2010.
Opening reception: Thursday, June 17, 2010 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Open daily starting June 19, 10am - 4pm
For about four years, Gil Garcetti photographed women riding bicycles in Paris. Women of all ages, smartly dressed, use bicycles to get to work, visit friends, go shopping, go to the movies or the opera, even to go to funerals! The weather is never an impediment — these women ride in the snow, the rain and the heat — and with their Parisian flair and beauty they catch the eye. They ride their bicycles because they have an environment that is safe and encourages the use of bicycles whenever possible. Garcetti is working with the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition to help urban areas of Southern California encourage bicycle use and thereby reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and fight the growing epidemic of obesity in America.
Docent Tours
Learn about the rich history of the Beach House from a Santa Monica Conservancy docent. Tours are free, last approximately 30 minutes, and no reservations are required.
NOTE: Group tours larger than 15 people are not available at this time.
The Marion Davies Guest House will be open the following hours:
June 19 - September 6, 10am - 4pm (Free tours at 11am, Noon, and 2pm)
Closed on Wednesdays.
*The Guest House will be closed on July 15, 2010.