Ocean Park in Focus: A Community Photo Exhibition by Martin Makaryan

​Ocean Park in Focus explores the history and character of one of Santa Monica’s most storied neighborhoods through a series of portraits and street scenes. Once a seaside resort and amusement district, Ocean Park has evolved into a vibrant, inclusive community that embodies the city’s coastal soul, where craftsman cottages, local shops, and generations of residents coexist against the rhythm of the Pacific. Each photograph captures a fragment of this story, inviting viewers to see the neighborhood as both timeless and ever-changing.

​Martin Makaryan, a rising photographer and new resident of Ocean Park since August 2025, turns his lens toward his own community to uncover its everyday poetry: the light, the people, and the places that define its sense of belonging. His work blends documentary detail with an eye for intimacy, seeking to put in focus what makes this corner of Santa Monica so uniquely alive.

​The exhibition is open to the public from 11:30 AM to 5 PM, with an artist talk at 4 PM featuring Martin and several community members who will share reflections on Ocean Park’s past and present. Limited-edition prints will be available for purchase.

This project was made possible in part with 150th Anniversary Microgrant support from the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs.