Category: Arts & Events

Art installations on Third Street Promenade celebrate Black History Month By Bridgette M. Redman Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) had to get creative this year to build on what they had started last year. They were committed to amplifying Black voices and the Black experience for Black History Month. COVID-19 restrictions meant they couldn’t continue the celebration they held on the Promenade in 2020. So instead, they tapped into the Art of Recovery grants and selected three artists whose work was installed in storefronts on Third Street Promenade. The art work will be display until March 15. These public art...

Westchester resident wins big on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ By Kamala Kirk Anjali Chopra has been a fan of “Wheel of Fortune” since she was 4 years old and grew up watching the show with her mom and grandma. Recently, the Westchester resident attended a Wheelmobile event at Loyola Marymount University and was selected to be a contestant on her favorite show. “Seeing the Wheelmobile come to my alma mater was surreal,” said Chopra, who works as a university recruiter. “I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to audition.” Chopra spun the Wheel and solved puzzles to win once-in-a-lifetime...

Rooftop Cinema Club’s Drive-In at Santa Monica Airport Comes to an End By Kamala Kirk Drive-in movies have experienced an unexpected revival during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of its two-month operation that ended in early February, Rooftop Cinema Club’s hit Drive-In at the Santa Monica Airport welcomed more than 24,000 guests that came from all over to enjoy the rooftop experience on the runway. Since the Drive-In’s debut at the airport, guests enjoyed movies under the stars during these times of social distancing. A wide variety of films have been shown, ranging from 1980s classics like “The...

Jim Brickman finds intimacy in Zoom performances By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Pianist-songwriter Jim Brickman has captured the essence of livestreamed shows. After 50 performances over Christmas, Brickman is playing Cupid this Valentine’s Day weekend with shows that benefit U.S. theaters, including the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University. “Share the Love Live” will livestream Friday, Feb. 12, to Sunday, Feb. 14. “It’s funny what we all get used to after a while,” he said. “I kind of like this. In some ways, it’s even more intimate. I can actually see people. When I play in a...

City Garage Theatre hosts political talk shows with Steven Leigh Morris By Bridgette M. Redman City Garage Theatre has never shied away from politics and it’s not about to stop due to the pandemic. Like most arts organizations, City Garage Theatre searched for a way to pivot last year, looking for a way that would stay true to its 35 years of offbeat, European-style theater in Santa Monica. Their answer was two-fold. First, they began to release videos of past performances, letting their audience re-experience or catch up on ones they’ve missed. “I’ve been doing theater for 35 years,”...