Press Releases
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, is proud to announce that its seventh annual Mary Colby Tea & Fashion Show fundraiser will be headlined for the second consecutive year by major fashion label St. John and that the Honorary Chairperson for the event is Mrs. Madeline Martin Swinden, a well-known Orange County philanthropist. In 2018, Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika D. Palys curated an exhibition of California Impressionist paintings fom The Irvine Collection for Casa Romantica’s gallery and the south Orange County community.
The fundraiser, which is named in honor of late San Clemente resident and philanthropist Mary Colby, secures critical support for childrens’ arts education programs at Casa Romantica.
All funds raised through ticket sales and via sales at the event’s silent auction directly underwrite the costs of providing the Music Academy, Dance Workshop, Spring Break Arts Week program, a San Clemente High School student art exhibition, several arts education workshops, and structured field trips serving all of Capistrano Unified School District for free, with free tuition, free supplies, and no administration fees.
“We could not become the award-winning arts organization that we are today without the support and generosity of the women at the Mary Colby Tea, exemplified by people like Honorary Chairperson Madeline Martin Swinden,” says Executive Director Berenika Schmitz. “In addition, we are honored by the participation of Official Fashion Partner St. John, as well as by the numerous local businesses that donate silent auction items, to help us accomplish our important mission and make a positive impact on young people’s lives.”
Event overview
The Mary Colby Tea & Fashion Show is held annually in May and hosts approximately 90 attendees. Attendees will be greeted by champagne cocktails in the historic Casa Courtyard upon arrival and will proceed to the Main Salon, where the event takes place. For the second year in a row, Casa Romantica is offering Hostess-designed tables; reserved tables of 8 people which are decorated by a designated Hostess for the competitive opportunity to win a prize.
The walls of the Main Salon will be lined with tables displaying over 60 silent auction packages donated by local business owners. Last year, sales from the auction items and tickets netted $10,000 toward Casa Kids programs. Some of last year’s item highlights were a private brunch and fashion presentation at Escada South Coast Plaza, theater tickets, jewelry, yoga and wellness memberships, and fine wine.
Tea service begins at 3:15 PM with traditional English cream teas, canapes, scones with clotted cream, fresh fruit and miniature fruit tarts, catered by an exclusive British vendor. Wine is also served at the table.
The fashion show presentation begins at 4:10 PM. St. John will send models down Casa Romantica’s European Salon-style runway (models are at ground level and walk a path that follows the Main Salon’s iconic archways through the audience in a large square) with a selection of looks from their Pre-Fall 2019 collection, evolving from trim daytime looks to stunning nighttime outfits as the show progresses.
Honorary Chairperson Madeline Martin Swinden
Madeline Martin Swinden is a strong presence in the Orange County philanthropic community. For more than three decades, she has been a unique leader whose vision, creativity and devoted volunteerism has benefitted numerous organizations.
A native Californian, Madeline graduated from the University of Southern California as well as the Gemological Institute of America. She is an expert in fine gems and adores designing jewelry. Her jewelry career has spanned some forty years, many of those at Tiffany & Co., and now continues her passion with family and friends.
Madeline is a longtime supporter of the Mission San Juan Capistrano. She co-founded the Friends of the Mission in 1997 and was the founding chair of the Annual Mission Gala “Romance of the Bells” which last year celebrated its Twentieth Anniversary. She sits on the Mission Preservation Foundation Board and has been a long-time advocate of Crystal Cove Alliance in Laguna Beach. She is also the Vice President of Community Affairs for The Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation.
For more than two decades, Madeline has championed numerous causes at the University of California, Irvine. She is President Emeritus and Board Member of Research Associates and has chaired various significant events for UCI Medical School working with such entities as Reeve-Irvine Institute, the schools of Ophthalmology and Nursing, and the Van Den Noort Dutch Treat for Multiple Sclerosis. Over the past three years, she has been actively supporting and facilitating the new integration of The Irvine Museum with the University of California, Irvine, Institute and Museum for California Art. In addition, Harbor Day School, Sage Hill School, and Kidworks in Santa Ana are among a number of educational philanthropic causes she has promoted.
Madeline and James Irvine Swinden, her husband of twenty-nine years, love living in Laguna Beach and enjoy family time and traveling together. While she is proud of their collaboration and teamwork, their greatest joy is their son Jase who is twenty-seven old and is a lead mechanical design engineer for a nationally ranked roller coaster company on the east coast.
Madeline has dedicated herself to the legacy of the Irvine family and the health and educational organizations which the family foundation supports in our community. Indeed, Madeline in a volunteer extraordinaire!
The Legacy of Mary Colby
Mary Elizabeth Colby (1914-2008) was the first woman buyer for the Robinson’s department stores. She founded “Ports of Call” stores in Pasadena and in Beverly Hills, and settled permanently in San Clemente. Her San Clemente-based Mary Colby Antiques stores were some of the largest antique galleries on the West Coast. Mary hosted an annual Tea each year for the community, and bequeathed her private china collection to Casa Romantica to educate young people in the beauty and value of their heritage. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is proud to honor her tradition, her contributions, and her goals.
Tickets and general information: https://www.go.casaromantica.org/marycolbytea
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 D. Palys, Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California (2018; visual art), Casa Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018; theater), Casa Kinetic: Celebrating Tap Dance Legends (2018; dance), 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 2018-19 Casa Captivating season includes more music, 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 D. Palys.
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 4,000 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
