Cultural Programs, Events & Tours

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
BEACH=CULTURE

GALLERY
MARION DAVIES GUEST HOUSE

MARION DAVIES GUEST HOUSE & DOCENT TOURS

Marion Davies Guest House 2017

Discover the rich history of the Beach House with Santa Monica Conservancy docents.

There's no charge to visit, and reservations are never required.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday from 11am-2pm

Drop-in between 11am - 2pm when docents are available to share history, answer questions and provide brief tours.

Scheduled tours are available at 11am, 12pm and 1pm.

Tours are free, last approximately 30 minutes, and accommodate up to 15 people.

Please note: During fall, winter and spring, hours are subject to change with short notice.

Please check the website calendar or call 310-458-4904 to confirm hours.

BEACH=CULTURE - For all cultural event RSVP's click here.

Reading from 'Mother of the Row' with Luis Alfaro

Tuesday 5/8 - 6:30pm

A work in progress reading with playwright and recent Beach House Writer-in-Residence Luis Alfaro, who is working on a trilogy of plays that explore California’s Central Valley through religion, politics and identity, and a new play adaptation commissioned by Center Theatre Group.

Please click here to RSVP

Opening Reception: ‘Latinidad in focus: Sin fronteras’

Thursday 5/10 - 6pm

Join artists Marilyn Montufar, Enio Hernandez and Vanessa Briones at the opening reception of 'Latinidad in focus: Sin fronteras'. The exhibition will be on view from May 10 through September 6. Light refreshments will be served and a DJ will entertain.

Please click here to RSVP

Critical Surf Studies; a discussion

Sunday 6/3 - 3:00pm

Surfing culture not only comprises the fun, athletic, celebrated California beach activity of the privileged affluent coast, but includes overlooked cultural and historical complexity; beyond the joys of riding waves and playing in the surf is a history and practice arising from diverse peoples.

As a part of the sixth annual Nick Gabaldón Day celebration, join us for a thoughtful discussion that honors a pioneering surfer of African- and Mexican-American descent. A panel of contributors to The Critical Surf Studies Reader (2017), including Dexter Zavalza Hough-Snee, Krista Comer and Kevin Dawson and “La Maestra (The Teacher)” filmmaker Elizabeth Pepin Sliva, with moderator and historian Alison Rose Jefferson, will embark on a public conversation on their investigations into the global history of surfing, surfing as a social act, and conclusions that challenge notions of white bourgeois surf culture. Panelists illuminate the current and historical experiences of people of color, indigenous peoples, female surfers, and how their stories are informed by issues of access and socio-economic context.

Please click here to RSVP

GALLERY

"Four Million Angels" on view through April 30

4 million

Four Million Angels examines the people who fill the streets of Santa Monica on a sunny day. Whether visiting the Pier, the 3rd Street Promenade, Angels’ Attic, Bergamot Station, McCabe’s Guitar Shop or Santa Monica State Beach, a diverse cross section of Angelenos will be in the crowd. Given the dramatic presence of the ocean, the four million people that live in Los Angeles find Santa Monica to be one of our greatest magnets. The artists’ work reflects a passionate interest in the people of Los Angeles and speaks of our universal experiences. Four Million Angels investigates the City’s history, environment, lifestyle, psychological range, architecture, and geography. We hope to trigger a dialogue about the essence of our unique population and elicit a better understanding of who is beside us at Pacific Park.

Coming to the Gallery: ‘Latinidad in focus: Sin fronteras’ May 10 - September 6

DOS HERMANOS

The exhibition hopes to further the dialogue about immigration and immigrant culture through
the presentation of communities, stories, and individuals’ backgrounds, both in Los Angeles
and abroad.

Reflecting on the current political climate as well as on their experiences as first-generation
Americans, these photographers document Latino communities both in the United States and
Latin America, exploring identities forged in a multinational context.

In Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala, Enio Hernandez captures the natural landscape and
individuals’ relationship to their environment in their homelands. Marilyn Montufar
photographs acquaintances and friends, currently focusing on communities in Los Angeles
and Mexico. Her intention is to give a voice and a face to people marginalized by society –
individuals on the social, economic and racial peripheries. Vanessa Briones captures beauty
in the banal, utilizing subject matter and color palettes that blur the boundaries of traditional
and contemporary modes of Latino representation. Briones says of her work, “I like to create
a dreamlike quality and sense of nostalgia in my photographs that transport the viewer to
another time period.”

Gallery Open Daily 9am - 4pm

Please note: During fall, winter and spring, hours are subject to change with short notice.

Please check the website calendar or call 310-458-4904 to confirm hours.

About the Gallery:

As part of the City’s ongoing commitment to provide cultural programming, a rotating exhibition program has been created to showcase the work of local artists, artist groups, photographers and curators—both emerging and established. Exhibitions are programmed a year in advance through an open call for group exhibitions issued each year in early summer. For information about this and other artist opportunities, check here and join the "Artist Opportunities" email list. For more information about the gallery, please contact Laura Becker at laura.becker@smgov.net or (310) 458-8350.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

About Artist Residency Program:

In celebration of Marion Davies’ support of artists, and to further the work of artists in all disciplines, the City of Santa Monica created the Annenberg Community Beach House Artist Residency program. Several times a year a local artist works out of an office at the Marion Davies Guest House, sharing their progress with the public both in person and online. Check out the Artist in Residence blog at http://beachhouseair.blogspot.com.

For questions about the Residency, please contact Naomi Okuyama, Cultural Affairs Supervisor at naomi.okuyama@smgov.net or call (310) 458-2257. Current calls can be viewed here. Join the "Artist Opportunities" email list for future notices.

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Cultural Programs, Events & Tours

MARION DAVIES GUEST HOUSE & DOCENT TOURS

BEACH=CULTURE - For all cultural event RSVP's click here.

GALLERY

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

The Beach House

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