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Santa Monica Civic Auditorium 1958 - 1855 Main St - looking east.jpeg

About Us

Misson Statement
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We are a group of Santa Monica residents who have come together to save our historic Civic Auditorium as a music, performing arts and cultural center.

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As you may know, our City Council recently engaged in closed-door meetings to discuss selling, or committing to a long-term lease for this treasured landmark.

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After an outpouring of resident protest, the Council rejected one suitor. They will vote in September on whether to move forward with the other, the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District, which apparently intends to use the space primarily as a gym.  

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We think selling off publicly owned spaces, without public input, is undemocratic, short-sighted and unacceptable. A progressive city should not shut its residents out of discussions deciding the fate of public land, especially an important, beloved, historic landmark like our Civic Auditorium.

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Santa Monica residents have put together a Steering Committee to:

 

  • a) Stop the City Council from liquidating something that belongs to ALL OF US, and

  • b) Look for an entity with whom the City can partner to restore The Civic to its intended purpose as a venue for the performing arts, music, and other community events.

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The school district has prepared a study to determine the feasibility of its buying or leasing the Civic to be used primarily as an additional gym. This study is now public. We have analyzed it and found it woefully incomplete. (Check our Blog for the study and our analysis)

 

We hope you’ll join us in stopping our current council from making an irreparable mistake. Together we can find a path forward that will benefit all Santa Monica and Los Angeles County for generations to come.

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Thank you,

Victor Fresco

Diana Gordon

Sherrill Kushner

Lori Nafshun

Bea Nemlaha

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Save the Civic Steering Committee

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Advisors:

 

Welton David Becket Family

Civic Auditorium Architect

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Paul Cummins 

Educator and Founder of Crossroads, New Roads schools

 

John Densmore

Drummer, The Doors

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1993

 

Laddie John Dill

Artist

 

Jane Jelenko

Founding President–Center Dance Arts at the Music Center

 

Nathan Masters

Historian & Host of PBS Lost L.A.

 

Benjamin Millepied

Artistic Director LA Dance Project

 

Ted Miller 

Creative Artists Agency, Partner

 

Paul Sand

Tony Award-winning Actor & Comedian

 

Ann Thornycroft 

Artist

 

Brian Wilson

The Beach Boys, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1988, Songwriter, Record Producer

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WANT TO CONNECT?

Email us at: 

infosavethecivic.org

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