Happy 25th, Bergamot Station Arts Center

What's happening in art?

You can probably get a good sense by roaming around online, or by asking a pal who paints or sculpts, or by attempting to grok to the zeitgeist by reading the lamp banners around town, the signs that trumpet major exhibits soon to open.

But you can also be with art, you yourself, in a real, invigorating, and immediate way, if you can find your way to one of Southern California's liveliest hubs for inventive and imaginative art-makery.

And Bergamot Station Arts Center has now been such a hub for a quarter century, which is quite the badge to wear in the ever-changing, invigorating, bristling, and growing world of art enjoyment, selling, and gallerying.

The free-to-visit Santa Monica destination, which includes over 20 gallery exhibits, has long served those people seeking to have a fresh, idea-rich, visually exciting experience, an experience that doesn't require a fee or advance ticket.

Bergamot Station, in short, is a true gem, and, in honor of its 25th anniversary, the 2019 holiday open house, which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 14, will do double duty: It's both a seasonal shindig and the center's big birthday, too.

Look for a line-up of food trucks, and live music, too, and a host of artist talks. Spirit-raising happenings will abound.

If you know your Bergamot Station, you know the location has some transportation history, serving as a stop for long-ago railroads of the area. There is, however, a way to get there by rail today: The Expo Line's 26th Street/Bergamot Station stop is nearby.

Since parking within the complex will surely be in short supply at this celebratory event, arriving by rail feels like the wise, and historically thematic, thing to do.

Happy 25, Bergamot Station!