Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (Pasadena, CA)Click map for a full size active view.
An all-volunteer organization, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) is a non-profit California Corporation whose members donate their time and talents to produce the annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design. Founded in 1948, and formerly known as The Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee, they adopted the Pasadena Showcase House of Design as their annual benefit in 1965. It is one of the oldest, largest and most successful house and garden tours in the nation.
The proceeds from the Pasadena Showcase House of Design and the donations we receive allow us to fund three annual music programs, plus award gifts and grants to other nonprofit organizations that provide music programs including music therapy, music education, scholarships and the underwriting of concerts.
A Los Angeles Times article, dated October 14, 1948, reads: "A Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee has been formed. Composed of prominent members of the younger set, this organization came into being at a meeting and tea on October 8, in the home of Mrs. John B. Callery, Jr., who has been named president."
The committee was formed to raise money for the Continuance Fund (later the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association) to help pay for the Pasadena series of concerts of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The original 18 founding members met their early donation goals with traditional affairs - a shipwreck party, a casino night, an assortment of bridge tournaments and a television party where guests dressed up like their favorite TV stars, when television was a relatively new phenomenon. In those early days, between $3,000 and $5,000 was raised annually.
The idea of a Pasadena Showcase House of Design was suggested in 1965 and the destiny of The Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee, now known as Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, was uniquely changed. With creativity and hard work from the committee, community support and enthusiasm - more than $11,000 was raised the first year. Admission to the first Showcase House was $1.50, which included coffee and cookies, and approximately 7,500 visitors attended. Parking was in the neighborhood and, in some cases, on neighbors' lawns. Today, tickets range from $35 - $65 and approximately 30,000 visitors are shuttled from a nearby location.
“Art Sales” was added in 1970, beginning with two or three artists. Today, about 25 vendors participate in the Shops at Showcase. Refreshments evolved from complimentary coffee and cookies, to lunches prepared by members, to a cafeteria with light fare to a full service restaurant with an additional Gourmet-to-Go station and al fresco dining and sometimes a pub.
Due to the profound dedication of the members of PSHA who volunteer their time, the talent and financial commitment of the designers, and the many others who donate their services, products and money - the Pasadena Showcase House of Design is now one of the oldest, largest and most successful house and garden tours in the United States.
Each year, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA) awards gifts and grants to a diverse list of non-profit organizations to support their efforts in the community. Concerts are underwritten to ensure that the joy of live music is available to a broad range of audiences. Support of choirs, musical theater, school marching bands, dance programs, opera, jazz bands and orchestras enriches the community and provides opportunities for a variety of groups, from students to seniors, to learn, enjoy and grow from their experiences in these programs. Over the years, gifts and grants have included music education at all levels, music therapy for at-risk children, the underwriting of concerts, the purchase of instruments and uniforms, as well as other art programs.
There are a multitude of outstanding and vibrant programs that struggle financially and PSHA endeavors to offer as much aid as possible each year to assist them in the good work that they do and to be part of the cultural legacy they provide for us all.
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| Cycle Name | Applications Open | Applications Close |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle | October 1 | November 16 |
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