April/May 2017 51 estate in Ireland, once owned by the Bourn family and the inspiration for the American house, has been sold out since winter. The celebrations come to peak with a lavish gala planned in August. Event designer and HGTV star Robert Fountain, who has staged uniquely theatrical events for countless social soirees, has recently joined the Filoli board, so expect a stylishly imaginative and dramatic evening to unfold. And what has been the biggest challenge since Newport took over? “Not stopping,” she says with a smile. “Not having a breather!” But, she adds, that’s okay. “I’m not used to working in an institution that closes for a period of time each year and then reopens. A lot of the work is compressed into a short time instead of doing it on a rolling basis. But what I’ve learned is to make a whole bunch of decisions in a very short time, because everything for the whole next year has to be ready to kick off when you open.” Changes to Come Newport is already thinking further into the future. Of particular interest to her is the idea of telling compelling stories of the lives people lived at Filoli. “This office that I’m in, this is the chauffeur’s house,” she says, gesturing around the cozy room. “This was the living room—how great would it be to have that as part of a visitor’s experience Executive Director Kara Newport enjoys a sunny spring day outdoors at Filoli. too? There are more stories to be told that are tucked in the closets and that we need to let out. We want to tell the whole story, not just the front of house story.” Indeed, stories emerged from the closets of Bourn and Roth family members during “Fashionable Filoli,” which featured elegant original period gowns and clothing, which were donated to the center especially for the exhibit. Newport notes that family members remain closely involved with Filoli. The Roth’s daughter Lurline Roth Coonan, who grew up at Filoli with her twin sister Bernice and brother William, continues to attend events and luncheons at the estate and her own daughter served on the governing board. With Newport’s arrival, a renewed sense of energy permeates the air at Filoli. She is eager to increase her visitors’ knowledge and enjoyment. To that end she has set forth a vison for the estate that includes expanded hours, access to the second floor of the house, more tours and hikes through the seven miles of nature-preserve trails on the property. That would be a rewarding culmination of ideas and work the staff has been doing for years. One of her goals is to increase the number of visitors, as she did so effectively at Daniel Stowe. Filoli has traditionally been closed from October through February, opening for only a few weeks in December for its highly popular Holiday Traditions fundraiser, during which the house is decorated in dazzling, opulent style. Newport wants to expand the season, and make Filoli more accessible throughout the year. Creating greater access has also meant revamping some other classic Filoli events like the annual Flower Show. In the past, the grand display of sumptuous colorful flower arrangements by amateurs and pros has taken place on Mother’s Day, with tickets in hot demand. This year the two events will be decoupled: families can bring mom for brunch in the cafe, just as on any other Sunday, while the Flower Show will celebrate the estate gardens on June 1-4. “We’re looking at ways to be more guest-friendly,” Newport says. “We’re planning more evening and weekend events, focusing on families and really trying to bring in that next generation so that they can have this experience, because it’s truly unique and you can’t find it in many other places.” For a complete 2017 calendar of events, programs and exhibitions, visit filoli.org/calendar. n WITH NEWPORT’S ARRIVAL, A RENEWED SENSE OF ENERGY PERMEATES THE AIR AT FILOLI. RACHAEL OLMSTEAD; MAKEUP BY DANIELLE PIRSLIN; OPPOSITE: JULIE BLY DEVERE
South Bay Accent - Apr/May 2017
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