Two Local Women Artists Create Surfboard Installation for Bayside Hotel in Celebration of Frieze LA 2024

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Thrilling the Santa Monica art scene, renowned Angeleno artists Sarah Robarts and Kenyan Armitage unveil their latest collaboration: a vibrant installation of reclaimed, multi-media surfboards adorning the exterior walls of the Bayside Hotel. In celebration of Frieze LA, this dynamic art shines on the hotel’s mid-century architecture, its coastal proximity igniting the artistic vision.

Robarts draws deep inspiration from Hawaiian surfboards, their rich history, and the stories of the journeys that both the boards and surfers carry. “They are our totems here in LA and Southern California, we see them everywhere,” Robarts said. “I find their shapes deeply symbolic and powerful in their scale.” Robarts and Armitage exclusively use reclaimed surfboards for their art, seeking out abandoned, broken boards, with a particular fondness for vintage longboards.

Set against the backdrop of Santa Monica’s Bayside Hotel, the art installations transcend traditional boundaries, merging the dynamic allure of surfing with the captivating language of abstract painting. “We’ve reimagined the surfboards as vibrant conduits of abstract expression,” states Armitage. “Each brushstroke tells a story of motion and emotion, echoing the rhythm of the waves and the energy of coastal living. Together, we invite viewers to embark on a visual voyage, where the convergence of art and environment sparks moments of introspection and wonder.”

A painter for 40 years, Sarah Robarts was born in Uganda, raised in Kenya, and has lived and painted in Israel, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom before moving to the United States. In 2000, Robarts landed in Palm Springs, where she renovated a hotel that quickly became a gathering place for creatives, connectors, and the glamorous jet set. Connecting artists and tastemakers brought Robarts further West, and Ballantines PR grew organically into an award-winning global business with influence across hospitality, art, design, entertainment, and philanthropy. Robarts’ work is painterly, often layered using mixed media, and painted to canvas and other surfaces. Her palette is often a combination of the vibrant colors of Kenya and the distinct hues of Californian sunlight; and her draughtsman-like marks often connote architectural drawings.

Kenyan Armitage is an LA born and raised artist. Her inspiration is always evolving, her imagery differs from project to project, but the constant is her use and love of electric color. Painting murals for Kenyan allows her to extend her work beyond a gallery space where it is accessible to audiences from all walks of life. She is heavily motivated in her desire to bring more public art to the world, always searching to beautify or bring in a new element to a space. She believes in the importance and impact of public art – in its ability to evoke joy, wonder, thoughtfulness, or even sadness. It connects people to a space, and to each other. It’s impactful whether it’s a momentary or lasting feeling or response.

Additional images of the project are HERE.

Media Contact:
Austin Ruth
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SOURCE Bayside Hotel