Santa Monica Mosaic: Safe Haven
Sunday, April 10 at 5 p.m.
Live Virtual Event
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Lion & Marta Feuchtwanger (left) and Villa Aurora (right). Photos: Villa Aurora
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Join the Conservancy for Santa Monica Mosaic: Safe Haven, which will air live via Zoom on Sunday, April 10 at 5 p.m. Author and Hollywood historian Donna Rifkind will give an illustrated presentation about the exiled Jewish artists who settled in and around Santa Monica Canyon during World War II.
Discover the journey of screenwriter Salka Viertel, who was born in Sambor, which is known today as part of western Ukraine. A close friend and collaborator of Greta Garbo, Viertel hosted numerous Sunday afternoon salons at her cozy home on Mabery Road, creating an artistic refuge for literary and Hollywood figures like Thomas Mann and Charlie Chaplin.
On the other side of the canyon, German-Jewish author Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta hosted fellow emigres at stimulating social gatherings at their residence, Villa Aurora. Today, Villa Aurora is an artists residence and “stands as a memorial to all the artists and intellectuals who found refuge from Nazi persecution and had tremendous impact on the cultural life of the United States’ West Coast.”
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Donna Rifkind, a Santa Monica native, is the author of The Sun and Her Stars: Salka Viertel and Hitler’s Exiles in the Golden Age of Hollywood, which was nominated for a 2020 National Jewish Book Award. She also wrote the afterword for the re-issue of Salka Viertel’s 1969 memoir, The Kindness of Strangers, in a new edition published by NYRB Classics in 2019. Donna’s book reviews and essays appear frequently in Commentary, The American Scholar, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Book Review, The Times Literary Supplement, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and many other publications. She was a finalist for the 2006 Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle and served as a panel moderator at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival for many years.
Santa Monica Mosaic: Safe Haven is free for members and $10 for the general public. Donate $45 or more and you'll receive a one-year membership and free admission to this and future Mosaic lectures.
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Photo: FormLA Landscaping |
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Come visit us and explore the last intact shotgun house in Santa Monica, which now serves as an award-winning Preservation Resource Center for our community.
Built in 1897, the little house features three original rooms where you can explore Santa Monica history and learn about preservation. Look behind the walls and the floor to reveal vintage materials, and see if you can find the one original window.
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Young guests will also enjoy the miniature model house decorated with Victorian-era furnishings that were popular when our little house was first built!
Our friendly and knowledgeable docents will share information about what life was like in the early 1900s, how the house was saved and rehabilitated, and answer any questions you may have.
Free guided tours of our Preservation Resource Center are open to all ages. Please wear a mask. Walk-ups are welcome and reservations are not required.
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"There are so many wonderful opportunities to meet like-minded people, make new friends and have one heck of a good time as a Conservancy volunteer. Membership supports the incredible and important work of the Conservancy and its mission to preserve Santa Monica history through education and advocacy." – Phillis Dudick, Founding member of the Docent Council, Annenberg Community Beach House Docent and Conservancy Program Committee Volunteer |
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Friend, your generosity sustains the Santa Monica Conservancy! Join, renew or become a monthly donor and receive the benefits of membership. Your gift helps protect historic places in Santa Monica and enables us to develop new and exciting programs for our community. Thank you! |
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Your Membership expiration: n/a |
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Free Guided Tours
Fri.-Sun., Mar. 25-27
Open from 12-2 p.m.
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Once the site of a grand 110-room mansion designed by Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst and silent film actress Marion Davies, the property was a “hot spot” on Santa Monica’s Gold Coast where Hollywood celebrities came to enjoy the sun, the sea and fabulous parties. Join Conservancy docents to learn about the rich history of the Annenberg Community Beach House site from the 1920s into present day. Tours are approximately 20 minutes and available on a walk-up basis. |
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Sat., Mar. 26
Tours start at 10 a.m.
1436 2nd Street
Members Free / $10 General Public
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Discover the architectural gems and rich history of Downtown Santa Monica on our highly-rated guided tour. Begin your journey at the City's first landmark, the Rapp Saloon, a beer hall that served briefly as City Hall. Visit the British pub where Jim Morrison played his first show, see Santa Monica’s best example of a Queen Anne Victorian residence, tour a lavish Art Deco hotel that housed a speakeasy during Prohibition and much more! Tours are approximately 2 hours and cover 6 blocks. Reservations suggested.
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Brochures & Booklets
Self-guided Tours
Free & Donations Welcome
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Explore Santa Monica with our nine detailed and illustrated brochures and booklets. Take a self-guided tour of Adelaide Drive, home to creatives like Frank Gehry, where residences were built in the early 20th century by wealthy pioneer families. Or enjoy a self-guided tour of Santa Monica's first historic district neighborhood, six historic locations built by master architect John Byers, 36 select murals in our city, and more! |
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Exploring Their Historic
and Cultural Contexts
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With issues of racial inequity and social justice at the forefront of our national consciousness, Santa Monica City Hall’s historic murals have come under criticism for not reflecting our contemporary values. Join our three outstanding speakers to explore the cultural and historic contexts of the City Hall murals, created in 1938 and 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration program by artist Stanton MacDonald-Wright.
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Santa Monica Conservancy
310-496-3146
Stay connected!
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