Press Releases
Commissioned by Casa Romantica | Donated by William and Eunice Schafer
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, unveils a striking addition to the institution tomorrow morning. A bronze and acrylic outdoor sculpture has been installed in Casa Romantica’s Richard and Donna O’Neill Native Garden, and will become part of the art collection for the institution and historic landmark.
The sculpture, called The Beauty of the Butterfly, was commissioned by Casa Romantica for creation by Omaha-based, internationally-recognized contemporary artist Matthew Placzek. Placzek’s art forms are both meticulous and free-flowing in design. “I give viewers an invitation to explore my work.”
“As part of our mission to provide a welcoming place for our community to learn and grow through history and culture, we strive to advocate the value of our local flora and fauna. The Beauty of the Butterfly aligns with Casa Romantica’s goals to create innovative artistic experiences for our community, and also to honor the legacy and beauty of our coastal environment for future generations,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika Schmitz.
Mr. Placzek’s work is in the permanent private collections of such collectors as the Presidential Collection of President Ronald Reagan, the Presidential Palace in Vienna, the U.S. Embassy in Prague,the Nebraskahaus in Germany, the Presidential Residence in Taiwan, the State Capital Building of Lincoln, NE, and the Hastings College Collection. His works are also in the corporate collections of Guinness Brewing, the BMW Corporation, Standard Corporation, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The Beauty of the Butterfly is made possible by the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. William and Eunice Schafer, whose donation of $15,000 made it possible for Casa Romantica to commission this work. Longtime supporters of Casa Romantica, the Schafers have volunteered actively at Casa Romantica for over a decade, and wished for their legacy to gift the public with art and nature in Casa Romantica’s welcoming environment. The subject of the sculpture is a perfect fit for the Schafers, who helped transform a Casa Romantica garden into a registered Monarch Butterfly Waystation.
William Schafer is known locally as “Butterfly Bill.” During school tours and weekly story time events, he teaches children about the life cycle of Monarch butterflies and brings living examples from his home and the Casa gardens. Bill’s interest in the Monarch butterfly began when a young family member enlisted his help to research specimens for a school project over fifteen years ago.
During his research, Bill was dismayed to discover that habitat loss and the preference for non-native flowers was drastically diminishing the population of Monarch butterflies in southern California. He began planting, gifting, and selling bushes of California milkweed, a primary food source for the local species, to the San Clemente community. Today, the Schafer’s efforts have aided the return of the butterflies to San Clemente. “Their presence here is a measure of a healthy ecosystem,” says Bill.
The sculpture was physically installed thanks to the generosity of board member Dave Peter. The dedication took place on Saturday, February 25 at 11:00 AM at Casa Romantica. Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika Schmitz and Board members David Westendorf, Anthony Iorio, Gordon Olson, Bonnie Koch, and Maggie Chang were present for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and champagne reception.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center. https://www.casaromantica.org
