Sunday, June 8th, SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS Thirty Year Anniversay Event!

SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS hosts its thirtieth anniversary auction on Sunday, June 8th at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. It was created in 1984 and offers exceptional deals on works by mid-career and established artists featuring mediums, such as painting, photography sculpture, multiples and prints. 

This is the first outdoor auction since it was forced to re-locate due to the MTA convergence on Santa Monica. The much-anticipated auction starts at noon and runs through the afternoon. It will be held in an outdoor setting just in front of its new home and gallery space (A-5) at the popular arts complex.

Robert Longo
Untitled, 1991
Mixed media wall sculpture
From an edition of 9 red versions apart from an edition of 9 purple versions; Edition not completed
Signed, numbered and dated in pencil on verso
Size: 39 x 77 x 3.25 inches installed
Estimated Gallery Price: $14,000/$18,000 

In the past, art auctions have had the reputation of being primarily attended by an older, wealthier crowd, but these days, young people are showing up, interested in learning more about the business of art. SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS offers works starting as low as $500, which is a great way for a young person to start collecting art. Owner & Auctioneer Robert Berman explains, “I believe smart young people are interested in the value of finding art.”

SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS has earned the trust of many consigners, with a vast array of work available to auction. As with any success story, attendees return to each auction poised and ready to buy over and over again.

This year’s auction is set to feature a 21-foot, 6 panel graffiti wall by renowned street artist Barry McGee as well as works by Marc Chagall, Carlos Almaraz, David Hockney, Roger Herman, Jim Dine, Ed Moses, Larry Bell, DeWain Valentine and lots more.

 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
May Milton, 1895
Hand-pulled stone lithograph
Signed and dated in the plate
Image: 31.5 x 22.5 inches; Framed: 40 x 32.5 inches
Estimated Gallery Price: $8,000/$12,000

Sunday, June 8^th, SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS presents its 30-year anniversary auction from noon to 5pm in front of the A5 gallery at Bergamot Station Arts Center (2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica). If you are unable to attend, online and phone live bidding will be available. Be sure to arrive early, as these events are very popular. Enjoy refreshments while having the chance to sit beside avid collectors and learn first hand the true value of collecting art. SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS has allowed all art lovers, and collectors...both novice and professionals to come together in one inclusive event.

The SANTA MONICA AUCTIONS Gallery will be open everyday from 11-6pm, then Friday and Saturday June 6th and 7th until 8pm. Stop by, ask questions, and take some time to look at the iconic works that you may have a chance to go home with. Visit the website to see the ever changing catalog. 

Whether you are new to art or an avid collector, Santa Monica Auctions has something for you. This is an event NOT to be MISSED. www.smauctions.com   

 By guest writer Libby Lancaster

This Saturday, May 24th “Three-Winged Chrysalis” Opens at bG Gallery at Bergamot Station!

This Saturday, May 24^th bG Gallery hosts a grand opening exhibition entitled “Three-Winged Chrysalis” featuring an eclectic mix of artists. 

Curated by Om Bleicher the group show with include various mediums.  Bleicher talks about the exhibition…“This show includes most of our gallery artists that we have been working with for years, some new artists that made a splash during our Bergamot preview shows before the space became permanent as well as a few artists like Burton Gray that we sought out specifically because their work delves deep into metamorphic subject matter.”  

See image:  Hadiya Finley, After Han Yan Ling, papier mache, wood, Chinese paper, 24” x 9” x 6”

Sculptor Hadiya Finley has worked with Bleicher before and is excited to show her work once again. She recently created a sculpture for a public space in China. It was for a residential/business complex in Guangzhou, which kept her in China for a while.  This was a happy excuse to stay as the artist frequently spends time there to visit her son and his family. She enjoys interacting with the locals and has found that bronze casting is financially very reasonable to do in China. She will be here in LA for opening of “Three-Winged Chrysalis” then will return to China. “I have a show scheduled for 2015 in a gallery in Guangzhou, China.” She has also been accepted for a temporary project with LA Airports.

Stephanie Visser is another accomplished artist who is happy to be included in the upcoming exhibit. “I have been drawing and painting since I was a child but took my first actual class as a senior in high school,” recalls Visser. She continued to pursue her dream and attended an art school at age eighteen.  

 

See image: Stephanie Visser, water color on paper, plein air in Kauai…inspired by the water, the light, the color and the surroundings.   

Visser spent a week in Kauai...She recalls the inspiration for her painting (left)..."Watching whales breeching and chickens crowing and flowers blooming. I wuld go to the beach during the day and spent my evenings on the patio painting...lovely moments."

She is an active painter, working on her art almost everyday. Her studio is located in Venice and has recently participated in the Venice Art Block. She has big goals for her art and professes, “As grandiose as this might sound, I want to be viewed as one of American's best painters…and have that happen in my lifetime….not after I die.” The work of Stephanie Visser will be on view at FABstudio, as part of a group show in June. For more info on Stephanie Visser’s art, see her website at http://stephanievisser.com/

Another participating artist, Gay Summer Rick has been working with gallerist Om Bleicher for the past five years. “Om is a thoughtful and creative curator. I think that he inspires and engages visitors to his galleries with his selection and placement of diverse works of art, and his ability to communicate about each piece, whether it is regarding emotional or conceptual interpretation, or from a purely technical perspective.”

See image: by Gay Summer Rick, Moon Ahead, 12"x12", palette knife painting, Oil on Canvas

“As a painter of iconic LA and the urban coast,” explains Gay, “I find endless beauty on my frequent travels along the Santa Monica Bay. I paint the images that stay with me - images that make an impression as I pull over along PCH to take it all in - in night and day, fog and sun.” http://gaysummerrick.com/

A couple of works by Airom, aka Om Bleicher (curator), will also be on view. Originally from Australia, he relocated to Los Angeles nine years ago.

See image:  Airom, Fruits  36 x 48in

Airom has been painting since he was young and works in several mediums…oil, ink, installation, sound works and sculptural elements as well. 

For more info about his art, visit his website http://www.airomworks.com/

This Saturday, May 24, enjoy an opening reception from 6:30pm-10pm, for “Three-Winged Chrysalis” at bG Gallery, Bergamot Station, G-8A 2525 Michigan Ave SM, 90404. On view through June 16. (310) 906 4211; http://www.bGartGalleries.com