Beach=Culture Open House: Elemental Forms Dress Rehearsal, Reception for Artbank, Selections from the City of Santa Monica’s Art Collection, and a Vintage Jazz Dance Hall with Nick Ariondo & Friends

New to the Beach House? Stop by the Beach=Culture Open House for a taste of various cultural offerings from our ongoing series. At 4pm check out the dress rehearsal of Choreographer-in-Residence Rebecca Bruno’s new site-specific dance workElemental Forms, and stay for a reception at 6pm celebrating the opening of the Artbank show in the Beach House Gallery. At 6:30pm: a short ballroom dance lesson with James & Cynthia, followed by a mini-Dance Hall featuring the vintage jazz of Nick Ariondo & Friends. Bring a partner or dance with a new friend, all levels welcome.
The City of Santa Monica’s Art Bank program was established by the Santa Monica Arts Commission in 1984, with the aim of bringing art into the environment and life of the City’s municipal spaces. The collection contains over 70 works of art–including sculpture, painting, photography and works on paper, by such notable artists as Red Grooms, Charles Gaines, Alexis Smith, Richard Wyatt and other artists active in southern California. Normally dispersed throughout the City in municipal spaces, this exhibit offers visitors a rare opportunity to see work from the collection in one place.
Accordionist and composer Nick Ariondo has worked with music icons from Paul McCartney to Plácido Domingo. A double Grammy Award winner with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, Ariondo has received 26 consecutive awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for his compositions and performances. Equally proficient in musical styles ranging from the great classics to modern contemporary, ethnic and jazz, Ariondo and his versatile trio bring the sounds of vintage jazz to life. nickariondo.com