By Michael Ray
Building Bridges Art Exchange (BBAX) at Bergamot Station hosted members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) for an afternoon “meet and mingle” on Saturday March 3. The guest of honor was the newly-named music director designate, Jaime Martín. In addition to members of the LACO family – a dapper ensemble of musicians and executives – the reception brought together artists, art enthusiasts, and chamber music supporters.
Guest of honor, Jaime Martín, the principal flutist for the London Philharmonic, will not begin his role as director designate of LACO until 2019, but he is already excited about the new position.
He shared that he has visited Santa Monica in the past and that on his last trip to the west coast in September, the first thing he did was take the Metro from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica via the Expo Line; at the end of the line he walked from Santa Monica down to Venice. “This walk was one of the best things I’ve done in my life. I enjoyed it so much that the following day I did it again,” Martín stated.
Also in attendance was Gallery Director/Curator Marisa Caichiolo, who spoke about the collaborative nature of BBAX. “We strive to bring interesting events into the community and for the community,” she stated. As a non-profit organization, she and others work within the community to build bridges between artists, institutions, groups as well as international collectors and museums.
Meanwhile, artist Petra Eiko discussed her installation, The-Green-Heart, which is currently on display at BBAX. Her artistic project is the sum of 17 years and 7,732 contributions, all based on responses to the question, “what is in your heart?” According to Eiko, people have written about “what they wish for, what their challenges have been and some have really poured their heart out.”
As the reception drew to a close, the musicians, artists, and LACO supporters said their good-byes to Jaime Martín. In response, he delightfully invited guests to come say “hello” again when he starts his new role in 2019.
