General Information
NFT Map:19
Address:2525 Michigan Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Bergamot Website: www.bergamotstation.com
Hours: Tues-Fri: 10 am—6pm, Sat: 11 am—5:30 pm,
Closed Sun & Mon
Admission: Free
Overview
Though one of the older fixtures of contemporary art in Los Angeles, Bergamot Station is still its own little “art walk” offering an interesting one-stop artistic experience. Originally a stop on the now nonexistent Red Car trolley system in the early twentieth century. Bergamot Station spent most of the last fifty years in a variety of incarnations from celery-packing facility to ice-making plant. After it was abandoned, the City of Santa Monica wisely saw the area’s potential and asked developer Wayne Black to find an artistic use for the property. Boy, did he. By 1994, Bergamot Station was up and running as the largest art gallery complex and cultural center in Southern California. It now stands as eight acres of ideas, hopes, inspiration, and gratis wine and cheese (when you pop in for one of the many openings, that is).
What to See
Bergamot Station is home to almost forty galleries, each with its own personality. Rose Gallery deals in photographs and has shown a diverse line-up of artists from Manuel Alvarez Bravo to Wim Wenders. Patrick Painter, who shows Bas Jan Ader, is known for posthumously creating “new” works by deceased artists for profit’s sake (undeniably unethical, but money does run the art-world). Track 16 focuses on modern and contemporary art and has featured artists like Karen Finley and Man Ray. The Gallery of Functional Art definitely shows art—but art that often doubles as furniture or lighting. Suzanne Felsen’s unique jewelry is art by any definition of the word. One of the first Bergamot Galleries, the Shoshana Wayne Gallery, showcases artists such as Yoko Ono and Philip Argent. There is an eclectic variety to be seen at Bergamot Station and our advice is to use the complex as it was intended—park and stroll from one gallery to the next. If you keep a brisk pace, you can get through everything in an hour or two, but to get the most out of Bergamot Station, we would suggest spending an entire afternoon.
In addition to the galleries, Bergamot Station has several other tenants of note, including the Santa Monica Museum of Art. This non-collecting museum always features truly unique exhibits. Santa Monica Auctions features live art auctions of works by major artists. Hiromi Paper International is a retail shop that sells just one thing—paper. Hiromi’s papers range from offbeat to exquisite, and most are so gorgeous that it would be a shame to write on them.
Where to Eat
Bergamot Café remains the complex’s only option for breakfast or lunch. It’s open Monday from 9 am until 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday from 9 am until 5 pm, and on Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm. They mainly serve sandwiches and salads. www.bergamotcafe.com. There are also some excellent restaurants in the area for a more leisurely lunch or a post-gallery dinner.
• Il Moro, 11400 W Olympic Blvd, 310-575-3530.
Delicious pastas and Italian entrees.
• LA Farm, 3000 W Olympic Blvd, 310-449-4000.
California-style cuisine in a beautiful patio setting.
• Hop Li, 11901 Santa Monica Blvd, 310-268-2463.
Your favorite Chinese dishes, with an emphasis on fish and seafood.
How to Get There—Driving
Located on Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica, just east of Cloverfield Boulevard, Bergamot Station is easily accessed from the 10 by exiting at Cloverfield/26th Street. Turn right at the first traffic light, Michigan Avenue, and stay on Michigan until it dead ends. The entrance to Bergamot Station will be on your left.
If you’re taking surface streets, Olympic Boulevard is usually the best bet. Take Olympic to Cloverfield and turn left, then turn left again on Michigan Avenue. Bergamot Station is at the end of the street on the left-hand side.