Santa Monica Pier Aquarium volunteers Caitlin McClure, 17, in an octopus costume and Pheobe Staff, 16, in a lobster costume, walk on the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Characters from Cirque du Soleil’s  OVO pose for a photos at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium during a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012.

 Cirque du Soleil and Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium announced a community education partnership that will allow free admission to the Aquarium every Sunday in February. Cirque du Soleil will sponsor five field trip education programs to the Aquarium. 



TAX TIME: Marilyn, AKA Ms. Liberty, promotes Liberty Tax Service on Monday, January 30, 2012, on the corner of Pico Blvd. and 11th Street.Liberty Tax Service is located at 817 Pico Boulevard..

Desmond Bedlow plays Smooth by Santana on the steel drum at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

Live chess players reenact a 1929 match played between artist  Marcel Duchamp and Belgian chess champion Georges Koltanowski during the Otis Portable Parks IV Project art opening at Santa Monica Place on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

Luis Juarez, 58, and Jesus Martinez, 19, clean a grand prix coin operated game at Playland Arcade at the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

John West sings, "Love You Tonight" at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Sunday, January 29, 2012. Nathan Bauman is on the percussion. West recently signed a major label record contract with Mercury / Island Def.

Activists from Homestretch Greyhound Rescue and Adoption and owners with their “Retired” racing greyhounds protest in front of Skechers at the Third Street Promenade on Saturday, January 28, 2012. They are protesting the Skechers super bowl commercial which featured greyhounds at Tucson Greyhound Park. According to the activists, the Tucson track is one of the worst tracks in the country for its illegal and abusive treatment of greyhound dogs. Over 150,000 people have signed the GREY2K USA petition asking Skechers to not air the ad.

UCLA volunteers LeeAnn Patrick (left) and Isabella Europa paint Janet Wallace’s ocean themed mural at the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

Artists install the Otis Portable Parks IV Project at Santa Monica Place on Friday, January 27, 20112.

The Portable Parks IV will temporarily transform the Center Plaza into a garden setting; raising awareness of environmental sustainability and unveiling different aspects of consumer culture to the diverse visitors to Santa Monica Place. 

The art project Is a collaborative partnership between Otis College of Art and Design, The Getty Foundation’s Research Institute and PST’s Public Art and Performance Festival.

The opening event is on Saturday January 28, from 11 am – 2 pm and will include a welcome and lecture by artist Bonnie Sherk, Green Tours, chess tournaments, and other performances to be announced.