Press Releases
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, will celebrate arts and culture this summer 2018 from Baja California. As California’s coastal neighbor to the south, Baja California has a rich tradition of art and storytelling inspired by the peninsula’s lush bi-coastal geography and culturally diverse inhabitants. The Casa Coastal summer program, which includes lectures, concerts and activities, will be headlined by an exhibition featuring three renowned Baja-based artists. Through their two-and-three-dimensional works, the artists explore, with the ‘magic realism’ popularized by contemporary Mexican art and literature, the lifestyle and folklore of this inimitable locale.
Southern California embarked on an ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art through the Getty Institute’s Pacific Standard Time initiative this past autumn, but there was little representation by Baja artists or of the sensibilities that they embody.
“Baja California is a completely unique coastal region, from its environment to the lifestyle of the people who live there,” says Executive Director Berenika Schmitz, who is curating the exhibition. “Through the lens of our annual Casa Coastal programming, which illuminates coastal cultures in and surrounding California, Casa Romantica is eager to expose the public to Baja California’s rich artistic traditions.”
Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California is underwritten by Mrs. Ruth DeNault.
Cornerstone exhibition: The Art of Baja California (on view June 15, 2018 – August 25, 2018)
Opening reception: Friday, June 15 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM; complimentary admission to exhibition and reception party
The Art of Baja California will explore the lush landscapes, folk tales, and magical symbolism that characterize the outlook of the people of Baja California. These ideas are explored in paintings, illustrations, and sculptures by three of the region’s leading artists.
Juan Angel Castillo (b. Zacatejas, MX) – Plein Air Painter
Juan Angel Castillo has been praised by art critics from México and the United States as one of the most important Mexican landscape artists. Over his four-decade career, he has created both paintings and large murals, including the famous “Tierra Prometida” at the Tijuana Cultural Center which depicts a view of the coastline from Rosarito to Point Loma. The self-taught artist began painting at age 6 when his family moved to Baja California, seeking to capture the breathtaking seascapes and pastoral views of the region’s untamed lands. He has exhibited in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions in Mexico and the United States, and has been published in Art and Antiques, the Los Angeles Times, Latin American Art Magazine, and the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC Online). He was also invited by the Getty Museum and the University of California, Northridge to lead participate in a seminar series about art and horticulture. Castillo’s work has been collected by several international celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Ringo Starr, and Russell Crowe, among others.
Esau Andrade Valencia (b. Nayarit, MX.) – Illustrator
Esau Andrade Valencia is a celebrated artist and illustrator whose paintings, heavily influenced by folk art, convey innocence and a sense of wonder in the world. Educated in art at the University of Guadalajara, the Tijuana-based artist depicts whimsical scenes of people engaging with Baja California’s unique landscapes and cultural traditions. He exhibits with numerous galleries in Los Angeles, New York City, and in the American Southwest, and his work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Latin American Art and the Downey Museum of Art, along with several corporate collections. In addition to his fine art practice, Andrade Valencia is the illustrator of two highly popular bilingual children’s books, A Perfect Season for Dreaming / Un tiempo perfecto para sonar (2008) and Don’t Say A Word, Mama / No digas nada, mama (2013).
Benito Ortega Vargas (b. Mexico City) – Sculptor
Benito Ortega Vargas’s work is unique within the canon of Mexican sculpture. His native wood, stone and bronze sculptures blend Greco-Latin and indigenous mythologies, overflowing with poetry and symbolism. The classically-trained sculptor has practiced for over three decades, and has also been active in promoting Mexico’s artistic merits. He is a co-founder of the Taller de Grafica Libre de Oaxaca, a printmaking center; and of the Institute of Visual Arts (Oaxaca). He moved to Todos Santos (Baja California) in 2008, inspired by the creative culture which led the Mexican government to declare the town an official Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) two years earlier. Ortega Vargas exhibits his sculptures, which range from table-top works to larger-than-life-size pieces, throughout Mexico and the western United States.
The opening reception on Friday, June 15 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM will include street food-style cuisine and beverages from Baja-based chefs, regional music, and a performance by a Ballet Folklórico group. Admission to the event is free.
Support for this exhibition and related events will be provided in part by the Consulado de México in Santa Ana.
Supporting Casa Coastal events (confirmed)
Sunday, July 1 at 12:00 PM during D. Yoder Family Sundays | Free admission
Join storytellers and families for a bilingual reading of Don’t Say A Word, Mama / No digas nada, mama, written by Joe Hayes and illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia.
Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 7:00 PM | $10-12
Learn about the history of Baja California and its curious geography in a talk by author Greg Niemann, the author of numerous books and periodicals about Baja California. This event is also part of Casa Romantica’s Casa Up Close lecture series.
Casa Romantica gallery program
Casa Romantica’s gallery program, shared between the Open Casa and Casa Coastal programs, shares outstanding contemporary and historic art from around the world within its unique gallery space. Most recently, the gallery presented a large selection of historic California Impressionist works from the prominent private collection of Peter and Gail Ochs. Other recent exhibitions include the work of Michael Childers, famous celebrity photographer, a commissioned installation of hanging flora by Rebecca Louise Law which received national press; the work of Italian National Geographic photographer Sandro Santioli, the work of award-winning celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland, and a three year commitment to the private collection of E. Gene Crain, with oil and watercolor paintings by the California Scene Painters of the 1910s-1960s.
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages. Under the leadership of Executive Director Berenika Schmitz, Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), The Beauty of the Butterfly (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Carrie Lee Riggins (2016; contemporary dance), Casa Drama: Slings & Arrows (2015; theater), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2017-18 Casa Captivating season includes a new jazz series, visual and performing arts commissions, and an enhanced wellness program.
“Casa Romantica strives to be the epicenter for innovative artistic experiences in our southern California community,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika Schmitz.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s annual Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy has received critical praise for its comprehensive two-week music studies program in cello, piano, viola, and violin. Casa Romantica also offers a Summer Dance Workshop, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 2,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: 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.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 11 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
