Fascinating Lecture by Thomas Callaway: “Gone West…From East Coast to West, My 80 Year Pursuit of an Artistic Life”

The Friends were delighted to host celebrated interior designer Thomas Callaway for a talk on October 3rd at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. This lecture was the fourth installment of the 2025 Architectural Lecture Series curated by Superintendent Diane Sipos. Thomas began his presentation by recounting his early childhood influences and sharing some of his very early childhood works as a budding artist. He left for Paris to study art as a young adult, an experience which would prove to be life-changing. This period of exploration and travel in Europe eventually led him to New York where he discovered an art school in Harlem that took him in as a student. He shared some of his earlier artworks that were exhibited in a show from this period. 

Eleanor Schrader Lectures on the Glamour of Old Hollywood: Architecture of the Stars

Guests arrived at the Pool Pavilion at The Virginia Robinson Gardens on June 14, 2025, buzzing to hear from award-winning educator, lecturer, and author Eleanor Schrader.  An expert in her field, Eleanor wears many hats including serving as an instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture and decorative arts, and Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She also did graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. Eleanor enjoys a large following from her years teaching and leading architectural tours; guests came as far as from the Bay Area to hear her lecture.   

Timothy Corrigan and His Enthralling Lecture on His Book, “At Home in France: Inspiration and Style in Town and Country”

“Fantastic!” “Spectacular!” “One of the best lectures I have ever heard!” were some of the excited comments after the superlative lecture by famed interior designer Timothy Corrigan on April 29, 2025, at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. Timothy mesmerized his audience with his exuberance, humor, warmth, and fascinating tales (and travails) based on his book At Home in France: Inspiration and Style in Town and Country. Supremely talented and knowledgeable, Timothy showed how he repurposed and decorated rooms in the Chateau de La Chevallerie, the beauty of which took one’s breath away.

A Compendium on Architect Timothy Barber’s Lecture on the Robinsons’ Italianate Revival Pool Pavilion in Beverly Hills, California

Photo by Josh Johnston

Architecture is an expression of the human condition. In one sense it’s an intellectual pursuit with an emphasis on functionality and tastes relative to the client.  The design process is without limitation, except for perhaps the limitation of the materials and mathematical formulas that allow the intangible idea to become a physical expression on the land.

Tim Barber

Mr. Barber, the founder of Tim Barber Architects and the founder and former President of the Southern California Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), examined the process and design intent of the Robinsons’ Italian … Read More

A Lecture by Architects Raun Thorp and Brian Tichenor on Their Book “Outside In”

Left to right: Brian Tichenor and Raun Thorp

On March 20, 2025, at The Virginia Robinson Gardens, architects and landscape designers Raun Thorp and Brian Tichenor presented an engaging talk to the Fellows based on their book Outside In: The Gardens and Houses of Tichenor and Thorp, sharing their approach to integrating architecture and landscape into a unified whole. Their guiding philosophy of creating outstanding residences is simple but powerful: “start with the garden.”

In Southern California, where large homes are often built on small lots, outdoor space is at a premium. Raun and Brian begin every project by identifying … Read More

Fascinating Talk on Architect Julia Morgan at VRG by Victoria Kastner

What a joy it was to hear the eloquent and vivacious author and noted historian Victoria Kastner speak about her latest book, Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect on October 1, 2024, at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. Victoria highlighted the interesting similarities between Julia Morgan’s garden designs for San Simeon and the garden themes and plantings at Robinson Gardens: two elaborate Mediterranean gardens, created only eight years apart. 

Architectural Historian Steven Keylon Enchants Guests at FRG Membership Event

President of the Friends Lynn Whitaker and Archive Chair Patty Elias organized a magical and brilliant membership celebration at The Virginia Robinson Gardens on October 17, 2024. Spectacular autumnal arrangements by florist extraordinaire George Martinez of George’s Garden greeted the distinguished guests as they entered the Robinson estate in the late afternoon. The fall-themed arrangements decorated the cocktail tables and other areas on the Great Lawn, enhancing the Gardens’ beauty everywhere you looked.

Garden Designer Nancy Goslee Power Speaks at VRG

The word went out on our website that the famed garden designer Nancy Goslee Power was speaking at The Virginia Robinson Gardens on April 18, 2024! Her talk would focus on La Foce, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwest Tuscany and Susan Rheinstein’s final garden in Montecito Garden which she lovingly designed. The famed California historian Kevin Starr once remarked, “Nancy Goslee Power is to landscape what Frank Gehry is to architecture.” The event sold out immediately! Her talk began with the background of the fabled property of La Foce, which extends over the hills overlooking the Val d’Orcia, an enchanting and miraculously unspoiled valley in southern Tuscany, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Summary of Marc Appleton and Bret Parsons’ Presentation on Architect Paul Williams

For an intimately sized audience seated in the Billiard Room of the Virginia Robinsons’ Pool Pavilion on March 21, 2024, Marc Appleton and Bret Parsons presented a retrospective talk on the career of noted architect Paul R. Williams (1894-1980). They provided great depth and insight into the man and his astonishing career as an architect. Williams was the first black man accepted into the American Institute of Architecture. And who some 20 years into his career, obtained the pristine status as a “Fellow” in this organization.

A Passion for Cars: “Tales From the Garage” by Rodney Kemerer

Rodney Kemerer’s personality lit up the entire room as he spoke with eloquence and humor about his new book, Tales From the Garage, at The Virginia Robinson Gardens on February 22, 2024. A car buff and avid reader of car magazines, Rodney was excited when he discerned that he had the desire and the ability to successfully write about his favorite topic…cars! His first articles were
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