How the City of Santa Monica lost two cultural centers

How the City of Santa Monica lost its striving cultural center and with it, its soul and public trust

Throughout the history of mankind, it is known that cities are celebrated by their unique cultural aspects, as well as their cultural establishment.
The city of Santa Monica, a city that took great pride in its cultural habitats, found itself stripped from the cultural edge to nearby cities like Culver City, El Segundo, and Torrance.
Two case studies and who is responsible
Two entrepreneurial projects were established by two visionary entrepreneurs who invested substantial private funding, both on city property, were taken over by the city, creating total devastation to the galleries, artists, and art lovers.
Bergamot Station was established by Shoshana and Wayne Blank and over time became an internationally renowned complex of galleries, hosting approximately 70,000 visitors per year. They enhanced the city’s cultural aspect and reputation throughout the world and also contributed to the city budget.

Santa Monica Art Studios was established by visionary artist Yossi Govrin and over time became known for its exceptional cooperation with 22 countries and accommodating 10,000 visitors per year.Govrin developed and cultivated his vision of an art center to support and promote multidisciplinary artists with the inclusion of the Santa Monica community and Los Angeles, raising art awareness, providing opportunities, and conducting cutting-edge exhibitions that included the best academies of art as well as artists from around the world.

What happened and who bears responsibility

What was a mecca of artists and art with flourishing galleries, established artists, the joy of the community, a place for visitors of all ages, overnight turned into a ghost town.
The person responsible for this devastation is council member Kevin McKeown, twice mayor of Santa Monica. Mr.McKeown with no formal art education or experience in arts, worked his way through the corridors of the city by providing false and misleading information about the two art establishments, claiming that they received subsidies and that they were taking money that belonged to the city, but failed to provide any proof.

In 2013, Kevin McKeown provided a motion at the City Hall to take over Bergamot station, to be developed by Worth Group who proposed to build a hotel with 120 rooms and additional offices.
Kevin Mckeown provided the management of Bergamot station to the Cultural Affairs manager and the buildup to the Worth Group against the will of both citizens and the economic-development of Santa Monica. The established galleries of Bergamot Station left the city one by one and taking with them the established artists. Bergamot station turned into a ghost town. Shannon Daut simply failed to understand what is at stake, the importance of maintaining the center and providing for it.

The galleries remaining at Bergamot station are claiming that the only beneficiary of this transaction is Kevin Mckeown himself, as he may have shares in the hotel to be built, as he did the same by limiting the number of the scooters in the city as he also has shares in the bicycle company operating in the city.

In 2018, Kevin McKeown staged the process along with the Cultural Affairs manager, Shannon Daut who presented the RFP-190 for the management of the Airpot studios. The plan was to take Santa Monica Art Studios, a private art entity in good standing, and provide it to Jan Williamson of 18th Street Art Center, a long-standing associate of Kevin McKeown.
McKeown shared on his website that he was a consultant, advisor, and contributor to 18th Street Art Center for the past 20 years. McKeown recently removed this paragraph from his website, most likely to cover up his misconduct and association with18 Street Art Center.
Shanon Daut, SM Cultural Affairs Manager, staged the process in the RFP-190 by selecting 5 panelists to interview the 3 organizations who applied. The 5 panelists were all associated professionally and personally with Jan Williamson, director of 18th Street Art Center, causing a deliberate failure to Yossi Govrin and his initiative, Maxima Art initiative, and providing the management of the airport studios to Jan Williamson of 18 Street Art Center.

• Shannon Daut disregarded the motion 6/1 by the Art commissioners on behalf of Yossi Govrin and his initiative,
• Disregarded petition by 31 out of 35 studio artists to maintain Yossi Govrin’s position as the management of the studios.
• A petition in support of Yossi Govrin, signed by 2750 people in the arts community was ignored as well.
• Two out of the three competing organizations were removed by the Cultural Affairs manager and she purposefully provided only 18th Street Art Center as the only option, along with the ultimatum — “Vote for Jan Williamson, 18th Street Art Center, or the entire 2-year process will have to start over from scratch.”

At Santa Monica City Hall on December 18th, 2018, council member McKeown stated “this is not a popularity contest, in front of us there is only one name to choose from”. Mckeown proceeded to provide the motion to select Jan Williamson of 18th Street, his friend, and associate, to manage Santa Monica Art Studios.
Once again what used to be a flourishing art center with 100s of events, turned into a ghost town overnight.

There is no doubt that councilman McKeown did not act in good faith and through his process succeeded to bring devastation to the establishment that provided so immensely for artists, the community, and the city.
Councilman McKeown did not care that his actions were damaging the city financially, he didn’t care about gallery owners and artists being devastated, or the community he swore to provide for.
Please be aware that all this happened before the coronavirus and has been increasingly getting worse over time.

It is regrettable to see that Jan Williamson of 18th Street Art Center, the new management has been failing to provide for artists and the community, providing beautifully presented brochures but lacking the ability to provide leadership and programs for their airport artists, bringing devastation to the artists economically and culturally.
With a budget of $1million yearly, made up of city, state, and federal grants, as well as grants from 25 different organizations, the 18th Street Art Centers website, claims that they are a non-profit organization and that the money raised will go towards providing programs and to directly benefit the artists. If this is true, one should question how 18th Street has accumulated $15 million in the bank. (sources: Jan Williamson )

The legal zoom

A lawsuit has been filed against Santa Monica City, identifying councilman Kevin McKeowns well as Cultural Affairs manager Shannon Daut. The lawsuit was filed in the superior court of the state of California, County of Los Angeles.
In the claim, among other things:
1) Theft of trade secrets and breach of contract implied in fact
2) Defamation
3) Intentional interference with prospective economic advantage
4) Conversion
5) Fraud and Deceit
6) Violation of public Records

The city attorney has refused to provide any documentation relating to Kevin McKeown, Shannon Daut, and Jan Williamson, claiming attorney/client privilege or private privilege. It is also claiming that city officials can not be charged for corruption.

Suggestions

With the newly established and selected city council member the city gained back some public trust. Mayor Sue Himmelrich provided heart-warming speeches yet there were no single mention of the city's cultural aspect and not surprising. The city has none.

• The city may choose to establish an oversight committee questioning the morality and legality of the two city official’s conduct.
• The two city officials should be held accountable for the destruction they caused.
• Audit nonprofit organizations that scam the city and public of funding
• Bring into an open discussion the future management of the airport studios.
• Providing additional years of management to 18th Street will further damage the carriers of the airport artists.
• It’s time for council member McKeown to resign for creating devastation and for conducting the city business so shamefully.
• It’s time for the city to fire Cultural Affairs Manager, Shannon Daut, who engaged in corruption and scandals.
• Bring back entrepreneurial projects that have the will and the vision to build and provide cultural centers to benefit artists and the city.

In the old-time, the mafia would buy judges and lawyers as protective measures to cover their crime. In modern society, there is no need to do that, city officials are protected by city attorneys and funded by the taxpayer's money, this is wrong. This entire scenario has not only devastated artists and gallerists, the community that loved to participate, but certainly the city budget who now has to carry two failing art centers.

Sincerely,
Yossi Govrin
Artist & Executive Director
www.maximaartintitiative.com