Press Releases
Summary: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a historic home and cultural center in south Orange County, welcomes world-renowned art duo CHIAOZZA for a garden-themed art installation in summer 2022, accompanied by theater, film, and classes.
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, announces new program Art in the Gardens, a series of events and classes in May, June, and July 2022 that highlight the beauty of Casa Romantica’s lush seaside gardens.
Headlining Art in the Gardens is an art installation by world-renowned artist duo CHIAOZZA. New York-based CHIAOZZA (rhymes with “wowza” or “yowza”) creates large-scale artworks that explore play and craft across a range of media, including painted sculpture, installation, collage, photography, design, and public art. Southern Californians may recognize their work from Coachella Music Festival 2019, where they created massive sculptures on the festival grounds.
“Casa Romantica is a truly unique place where we can use the beauty of our coastal gardens as the direct inspiration for these events,” says Amy Behrens, Executive Director of Casa Romantica.
Full Event Lineup (chronological)
Casa Arts Education: Summer Garden Classes
Every Tuesday for four weeks from May 3 -24, 2022 @ 10 AM | General $100; Casa Romantica Members $80 (all four weeks)
Description: Learn tips and tricks from horticulturist Stephanie Knight on how to best maintain your garden in the summer months with the picturesque setting of Casa Romantica’s seaside gardens.
Casa Kids: Alice in Wonderland with the LA Troupe
Saturday, May 14, 2022 @ 12 PM | General $5; children under 13, Casa Romantica members, and active duty military free
Description: The L.A. Troupe is a classical theatre company touring sites throughout Southern California with assembly-style productions, residencies, and workshops with an emphasis on theatre-in-education. Join them for the family-friendly performance of Alice in Wonderland in our coastal Redmond Amphitheater.
Casa Arts Education: Sketch and Watercolor Classes
Every Friday for four weeks from June 10-July 1, 2022 @ 10 AM | General $120; Casa Romantica Members $100 (all four weeks)
Description: Use the gardens at Casa Romantica as your muse and learn to turn your sketches into colorful watercolors in this class. This class series is taught by local art educator Kelly Gallaher and takes place outdoors in Casa Romantica’s gardens.
Open Casa: Shape & Structure by CHIAOZZA
Opening Reception with Artists: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 @ 6 PM | Reception is free and open to the public
On view June 10-September 4, 2022
Description: CHIAOZZA is an award-winning American artist duo whose work explores play and craft across a range of media. They have created art installations and collections for Hermès, Google, Nike, and IKEA. Their installation will feature abstract plant sculptures, made to capture imaginations of all ages.
Casa Theater: Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets with the Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild
Thursday-Friday, June 23-24, 2022 @ 7 PM | General $55; Casa Romantica Members $50
Description: Travel through the gardens at Casa Romantica and embark on a journey to experience scenes and sonnets from Shakespeare’s works. Enjoy floral drink pairings at each stop!
Casa Kids: Alice in Wonderland (1951) Film Screening
Sunday, July 10, 2022 @ 8 PM | Free with RSVP
Description: Watch the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland in Casa Romantica’s Courtyard under the stars! Families must bring their own picnic blankets and chairs to this event.
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 Open Casa: icy drip fresh petals by Petra Cortright (2022; visual art), 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), 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 2021-22 Casa Captivating season includes the brand new Connections thematic program series, an expanded Casa Jazz program, and expanded arts and wellness class series.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s critically-acclaimed annual Summer Music Academies includes the Music Academy, Classical Music Workshop, and Summer Dance Academy, 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 10 AM — 2 PM; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members, active duty military with ID, and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
