1450 Ocean - Camera Obscura Santa Monica

Visit Palisades Park and get crafty...1450 Ocean is a place to learn to tango, make a birdhouse, felt a cellphone cover, tile a mosaic table and more!

1450 Ocean is a place to learn to tango, enhance your blogging skills, design a font, mix a perfume, construct a birdhouse, felt a cellphone cover, solder a circuitboard or tile a mosaic table, among many other possibilities! It all happens at 1450 Ocean Avenue in Palisades Park, steps from the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier. This midcentury building houses the iconic Camera Obscura mechanism and offers lovely views of the ocean as well as a multitude of activities, as well as access to great restaurants and easy parking around the corner at Santa Monica Place ($1 for 2.5 hours). You might even take a turn on the ferris wheel down on the boardwalk after a class! All arts, crafts and movement classes are for adults, at prices from free to three figures and ranging from two hour events to multiweek workshops.
Move, Groove and Get Crafty at 1450 Ocean!

Register for classes at smgov.net/reserve
Visit us at http://smgov.net/1450ocean & 1450 Ocean Avenue
Contact communityclasses@smgov.net or 310-458-2239
Join our email list at http://ow.ly/l2aMM
Improve us at http://surveymonkey.com/s/33JZ8YB
and of course, Like us at here on Facebook!

As a place for reflection, cultural appreciation and inquiry, themes at 1450 Ocean include the arts of vision and perspective, the California Midcentury Modern movement in art and design, sustainability in materials and design, and participatory culture. 1450 Ocean also celebrates the Camera Obscura as a part of the history of amusement, leisure and scientific inquiry in the area.

1450 Ocean Ave sits on the former site of the North Beach Station of the Pacific Electric railway, now Palisades Park, between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd. Philanthropist Marcellus L. Joslyn gifted the building in 1955 to the city of Santa Monica in memory of his wife. Designed by architect Weldon J. Fulton, it sports exterior walls clad in chunky Palos Verdes stone, glass walls, sloping roofs, and projecting canopies and rafter beams, to create a distinctively midcentury appearance. Fulton also created the swooping font spelling out “Camera Obscura” and camera on tripod logo on the front. Similar features are found at the Montana and Fairview branch libraries and at the Zucky’s building on Wilshire Blvd., also designed by Fulton. The Camera Obscura itself is quite a bit older – it was built by Robert F. Jones, nephew of Santa Monica city founder Senator John P. Jones, in 1898 and was moved up from the Beach.

Location/Hours: 1450 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica CA 90401 in Palisades Park between Broadway & Santa Monica Blvd. Camera Obscura open Mon - Fri 9am – 3pm & Sat 11am – 4pm; check in at office to access. Class registrations accepted through 5pm M-F and Saturday 11am-4pm. Classes held at various times.
Registration – Online: create an account, view and purchase classes at smgov.net/reserve Sort by location to view “1450 Ocean”. Bring cash to cover material fees on the first day of class. In Person: For cash or check, advance registration accepted 1450 Ocean between 9am-5pm M-F & 11am-4pm Saturday. Bring cash to cover material fees on the first day of class. Day-of: Call 310-458-2239 to confirm availability by the Tuesday before class starts; arrive at least 15 min. before the start of class. Drop-ins are accepted with notice for many classes.
Refunds/Transfers: For all multisession classes, refunds/transfers will be issued only if requested within one business day after the first class meeting. A $15.00 processing fee applies for each activity session refunded. Any material fees are nonrefundable. All single-session classes are nonrefundable. Requests must be made in person, by mail or email to communityclasses@smgov.net.
Parking and Transport: Parking is $1 for first 2.5 hours in Parking Structure 7 (off Broadway west of 4th) or 8 (off 2nd St. north of Colorado) adjacent to the Santa Monica Place Mall. Every 30 min. thereafter is $1.50 to a maximum of $14. There are also meters on Ocean Avenue; $2/hr maximum 2 hours. Buses that serve 1450 Ocean include Routes 1, 7 and Rapid 7, 10. Visit bigbluebus.com for more information.