Press Releases
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, will host its preeminent annual fundraiser gala on Saturday, September 18, 2021. Toast to the Casa provides major support for all of the institution’s cultural and educational programs throughout the season. The gala also secures much-needed funds to preserve the nonprofit’s historic landmark (the former home of city founder Ole Hanson) and maintenance for its botanical gardens.
Mr. and Mrs. Jean and Linda Stern, icons in the California art community, have been appointed as Honorary Chairs for the 2021 gala. “We take great pride in being the Honorary Chairs of this year’s Toast to the Casa Gala at Casa Romantica,” says a statement from the Sterns. “We have always enjoyed visiting this magical place and truly appreciate its historical significance to the City of San Clemente. We celebrate the Casa’s mission of providing critical community services and educational opportunities to children and adults alike, in art, music, dance, theater, horticulture and so many other cultural arenas. For us, the Casa, with its stunning views and enchanting gardens, will always be a lovely sanctuary of beauty and contemplation.”
Toast to the Casa’s 2021 theme, Adventure Awaits!, celebrates the organization’s bright future by inviting guests to adventure around the world, visiting exotic destinations featuring cuisine, exhibitions, and performances experienced through the glamorous lens of mid-century air travel. The era-appropriate destinations include London, Rio De Janeiro, Waikiki, and Bombay.
During the evening, guests greeted through Casa Romantica’s iconic keyhole door at the gala by Pan-Am flight attendants will be treated to a Bossa Nova band led by singer Caro Pierotto on the Main Stage in the Historic Courtyard. From there, guests can wander to the various destinations including The Flight Lounge in the Art Gallery featuring a specialty Nolet spirits bar or Baggage Claim where they can try their hand picking the right luggage to win a bottle of wine. From there they can explore London on the West Terrace filled with food vendors, go-go girls, and an iconic telephone booth, dance in the Rio De Janeiro Amphitheatre with DJ Nomis, relax in Bombay in the Main salon with Sitar player Ronobir Lahiri and take in the ocean views on our Waikiki Ocean Terrace featuring Hawaiian music and dancers.
After destination-hopping, guests will be invited back into the courtyard to participate in the passport game and the live auction that features luxury packages and trips. This year, to start the celebrations early, Casa Romantica is opening its online silent auction two weeks before the event so guests from all over can enjoy the excitement of bidding even if they cannot attend.
“After 2020, everyone has pent-up desire to get out and explore; to reclaim the thrill of adventure and the joy of experiencing cultural traditions together again,” says Executive Director Amy Behrens. “The theme of Casa Romantica’s gala is a reflection of our community’s hopes for the future: moving in a direction where many different people and places are celebrated, valued, and revisited.”
Casa Romantica is South Orange County’s premier cultural destination and early 20th century historic site. More than 40,000 individuals each year benefit from Casa Romantica’s community-directed programming of exhibitions, concerts, performances, and arts and wellness classes. In addition, Casa Romantica welcomes over 6,000 local students each year through free programs including school tours, weekly storytime, art education, as well as a Classical Music Festival and Academy and a Summer Dance Workshop. In 2017, the institution was awarded “Outstanding Arts Organization of the Year” by Arts Orange County, the county’s official arts agency.
About the Honorary Chairs: Mr. and Mrs. Jean and Linda Stern
Jean and Linda Stern are icons in the California art community. A nationally recognized authority on California Impressionism, Mr. Stern has extensive experience as an author, curator, lecturer, and teacher and was the founding and sole director of The Irvine Museum. In his career, he has presented over 250 lectures and judged and juried more than 125 art competitions worldwide. He has authored, edited or contributed to over 30 books on California art and has toured museums internationally.
The Sterns also share a passion for philanthropy and have a long history of community service in Orange County. Jean currently serves on the board of the California Art Club, founded in 1909, while Linda (an active member of the California Art Club) volunteers with Heritage Pointe Senior Center, is a past Director and Board member of the Jewish Community Foundation and serves on the Historical Collections Council of California, a non-profit organization that distributes grants for worthy art education and restoration projects to museums throughout the state.
In 2017, Mr. Stern received the prestigious Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture. He has also been presented with three Lifetime Achievement Awards: by the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association in 2013; by the Plein Air Painters of America in 2014; and by Plein Air Magazine in 2014. In 2011, he and his wife Linda Weingarten Stern were honored with the Samuel Gendel Community Service Award, presented by the American Jewish Committee of Orange County.
Individual tickets to Toast to the Casa: Adventure Awaits! are $175 per person through August 31, and $200 beginning September 1.
Tickets and sponsorships are available for purchase online at ToastToTheCasa.com, by calling (949) 498-2139, or by visiting the institution at 415 Avenida Granada in San Clemente.
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. Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Classic: Opera Through the Seasons (2021; site-specific commission), Casa Kinetic: Tango Romantica (2021; dance), Open Casa: Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? (2020; visual art), Casa Coastal: Murals of Levi Ponce (2019; visual art), Casa Theater: The Odd-Essy (2019; theater), Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock LA Hip Hop (2019; dance); 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), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2020-21 Casa Captivating season includes an expanded dance (Casa Kinetic), theater (Casa Theater), and concert series (Casa Vibes), visual and performing arts commissions, and an expanded Casa Kids education program.
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 6,000 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 nonprofit 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 10 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members, active military with ID, and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
