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Meet Berenika Schmitz of Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Berenika Schmitz.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Berenika. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started singing Stevie Wonder for my family when I was 2 years old to entertain my family. I had heard it on the radio, and I guess my love of the arts and music started then. My parents put me in piano lessons at age 3 because I had older sisters who played and I wanted to be like them. At 9 years old I performed as a soloist with symphony orchestra and then moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School at 12. Harvard for College followed, and Oxford for my master’s degree. I toured Pacific Asia, South America, many parts of Europe and Canada, the US and Mexico – met the Queen, Steven Speilberg and performed Philip Glass to honor him at the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement awards. Following my piano career, at age 29 I go the DeVos Fellowship in Executive Arts Management at the Kennedy Center, and shifted gears in founding the Dana Point Symphony and being appointed Chairman of the Arts and Culture Commission of Dana Point. I always knew, though, that I wanted to program and be involved in all genres of the arts. Becoming the Executive Director of Casa Romantica was a turning point, and has made me more of who I wanted to be. I now commission dance and theater, I curate art exhibitions. It was here that I could found a Music Academy for children. This building is also a living art-work of historical significance itself. It is a place where I can finally use all of my talents – in business, curation, management, and all that goes with it.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely been a road with twists and turns. The struggles are what many arts leaders face and that is always being cutting edge, relevant and accessible. The Casa wants to be available for people of all background and all ages, and this is what I come to work every morning trying to accomplish with my incredible team.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is an award-winning culture center that provides artistic and education programs for people of all ages. We are also a publicly accessible historic landmark: the Spanish Colonial Revival home and botanical gardens that first belonged to the founder of the city of San Clemente, Ole Hanson. Our institution, which is open to the public six days a week, maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature. We strive to be the epicenter for innovative artistic experiences in our southern California community.

During my tenure, we have commissioned several new works in visual arts, theater, and dance that has received critical acclaim. Most recently, our commissioned art installation Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law received nationwide editorial recognition from Sunset magazine, Westways, and C magazine, as well as regional press.

Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. Our annual Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy received critical praise from the Orange County Business Journal, and we also produce a Summer Dance Workshop, a Spring Break Arts Week, and various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12. Over 2,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District visit each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.

As we become more visible to our southern California community, our institution has developed a reputation for the strength of our programs and the unique way that we integrate them with our historic property. We were named “Outstanding Arts Organization of 2017” by Arts Orange County (the county’s official arts agency), “Best Place to Explore in 2017” by Orange Coast magazine, and “Best Place To See Site-Specific Art in 2017” by OC Weekly.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our seasons are planned 2-3 years in advance, and although I can’t reveal specific names at this time, I can tell you that we will maintain our plan of bringing more and more international talent to San Clemente. Our next few years will include a mixture of historic art from prominent California collections, internationally-recognized installation art and performing arts, and site-specific theater and music commissions.

In 2018, we look forward a major summer exhibition exploring the art and culture of Baja California in accordance with the movement to celebrate the impact of Latin American cultures in Southern California. We are also eager to complete renovations of our seafront amphitheater in time for our second annual Casa Jazz Club, a weekend-long festival held in September.

Pricing:

  • General admission to the historic campus and gardens: $5.00
  • Ticket prices to Casa Captivating events (excluding fundraisers): $10.00-75.00 per person

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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