Thousands of people pack in to Santa Monica Place during their Grand Opening Celebration  on Friday, August 6, 2010.

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Santa Monica Close-up on Facebook

Local artists, designers, fashion industry leaders and community members art work is featured in 'The Mannequin Collective' art exhibit at Santa Monica Place during  Opening Day on Friday, August 6, 2010.

 

The Mannequin Collective art exhibit encompasses one hundred original expressions of art created by the hands of the LA arts community.

 

The grand design winner, as chosen by a panel of community leaders and local artists, will have a $10,000 scholarship donated in his or her name to Otis College of Art and Design. This donation will help support scholarship opportunities for continuing education in the arts.

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Singer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones  performs at the Santa Monica Pier during the 26th Annual Twilight Dance Series on Thursday, August 5,  2010.

Rickie Lee Jones is one of the most singular artists in today’s music world. A clue to defining her iconoclasm comes from her own family description as "lower-middle-class-hillbilly-hipster." From her emergence on the national scene in 1979, Rickie Lee has become one of the most acclaimed and talented singer-songwriters of our time spanning many genres: folk, rock, jazz, soul, spoken word and pop.

Her first self-titled album launched her career and received five Grammy nominations. Her nominations included Best Song, for "Last Chance Texaco," Best Album, Best Pop Vocal and Best Rock Vocal. As it happened, she won Best New Artist, and her career was launched. Just four months after her debut, Rickie Lee graced the cover of Rolling Stone, and again only 18 months later.

Her most recent releases are THE SERMON ON EXPOSITION BOULEVARD (2007), on which Rickie Lee and her collaborators have put Christ's words into a modern-day context, portraying those words in a way that anyone can understand and her newest Balm in Gilead.

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A man eats lunch while leaning against a giant gift box filled with beach balls at Santa Monica Place on Thursday, August 5, 2010. Santa Monica Place will open to the public tomorrow, Friday, August 6. The  1980 design by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, has been radically repositioned with a green renovation by  Dallas, Texas-based architecture firm Omniplan.

Executive architect Omniplan revamped the mall in association with Jerde Partnership; the formerly enclosed structure is now an open-air retail building that is integrated into the surrounding urban environment. The 500,000-square-foot, three-story shopping and dining destination features upscale retail more suited to the neighborhood than the previous tenant mix, as well as new amenities such as a third-floor Dining Deck with views of the Pacific Ocean. Removing the roof and adding environmentally friendly features has also allowed developer Macerich, which acquired the property in 1999, to target LEED Silver certification. "Our goal with Santa Monica Place was to connect it to its surroundings," said Tipton Housewright, FAIA, LEED AP, Omniplan Principal. "The new structure is open to the neighborhood on all sides and the public areas remain accessible 24-7. We're thrilled to be part of creating this exciting new retail destination in Santa Monica."

Santa Monica Place is located two blocks from Santa Monica Beach along the popular pedestrian Third Street Promenade, one of Los Angeles County's premier retail destinations. The Gehry-designed mall, which underwent basic renovations in 1991 and 1996, reflected the completely enclosed retail style of its time. Because it interrupted the natural flow of pedestrian traffic, it became increasingly out of sync with Santa Monica's lively outdoor culture.

Enclosed malls have fallen out of favor, with open-air malls becoming the preferred standard for communities, particularly as retail moves back to urban centers. Just two enclosed regional malls are currently under construction in the United States. The redevelopment of Santa Monica Place took into account the community's concerns in its openness, adaptation of the original mall structure, and environmental friendliness. The redesign reflects the wishes of Santa Monica residents and transforms the facility into a true, green regional asset.

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(top) Shandong University of Arts Design School President Yuquan Liu (right) discusses his painting entitled "Fruit 2" with Santa Monica College President Dr. Chui L. Tsang during the closing reception of Paintings from Shandong University of Arts at the SMC Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery, on Friday, July 30, 2010. (above) Chuck Hendrickson admires  Shandong University of Arts President Zhimin Zhang's ink painting entitled 'Single Act Theatre, New Edition' (5 Scrolls) during the closing reception

 

The exhibition included works from Shandong University President Zhimin Zhang, whose traditional Chinese ink paintings are world renowned, and who was invited in 2009 to participate in an international art show at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

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(1) Santa Monica Police Sergeant Greg Smiley supervises as Emerson Ciegoflores, 12, handles  a 37 Millimeter less lethal rifle during the 27th Anniversary of National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 03, 2010. (2) Santa Monica Harbor Patrol Officer Dan Buchanan put a a gas mask on Selah Gregory. (3) Jenni Kessock, 13, and Justin Vecera, 12, play on a 16 ft. Zocdiac. (4)  Rabbi Eli Levitansky makes kosher cotton candy. (5) Santa Monica Police Captain Dan Salerno cooks hotdogs  during the 27th Anniversary of National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 03, 2010.

 

National Night Out  involved 37 million people in 15,449 communities from all 50 states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide. The goal of the Santa Monica Police Department is to build upon the good relationship our police and community share along with celebrating that partnership which makes the city of Santa Monica such a safe place to live, work, and visit. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime efforts and strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

Santa Monica Close-up on Facebook

Santa Monica Close-up on Facebook