Beato and the Bergamot Station-ARTlocal LA

A thriving ART car at SMMOA

This weekend, I had the delightful experience of seeing "Beato" Beatrice Woods exhibition at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. There was a great collection of her work that is part of the grand LA art history event called the Pacific Standard Time  which is beginning in October. ( I am still trying to understand and figure out what it is all about). 

I have to say I love and have an affinity with the long living, Mother of Dada, Beato.  Why? well I was a sculpture and ceramics major in undergrad-- and I love saree's--I have also taken great inspiration from j krishnamurti writings, to me Beatrice Woods is a wise and very cool elder. Someone I would have loved to meet. In the exhibition there was a great documentary playing with an interview of Beato. She was an amazing artist who worked hard her whole life until she was in her 100's. She is a real inspiration to me as an artist and as a humble goddess. I left in soft tears, it was almost like she is saying through her essence and her ART just get REAL. 


As in most things in life it seems there is a flip side of the coin...

The Santa Monica Museum of Art is located in Bergamot Station, which is an urban warehouse upscale gallery district in Santa Monica. As you walk into each gallery, they is surprisingly aloof and unwelcoming feel. Most of the gallery attendants (not art sales consultants )never even acknowledged anyone walking through the door. They all were just sitting behind there desks looking at their computers or chatting with there peers? Having worked as a fine art consultant for years I was really stunned firstly at the crappy atmosphere of aloofness of each gallery. And secondly, I was also wondering how do these galleries make it? If they are not even acknowledging or developing walk in traffic to become a potential buyers. First rule of art sales never judge a book by its cover and always greet the guests that enters  your gallery. The only person that spoke to us was a curator from the Frostig Center collection, which was a great idea of raising money for the center through the acquisition of well known LA artists. 


Over all the art was decent in Bergamot--a little overpriced as prices ranged $600.00-39K.  I left the galleries kind of dumbfounded --really disliked the elitist attitude. And I wondered if that ever lightens up or is it just part of the Santa Monica art scene.  
That was my ART Local experience this last Saturday in LA, la land-- one was an inspiration, a humble true artist, and the other was the aloof illusionary world of the gallery.  If you can go see the Beatrice Woods exhibition at the Santa Monica Museum of Art it is free and alive!