Professional development

The Foundation recognizes the real need for professionals to gather in an esthetic environment for renewal and intellectual stimulation. As this need aligns perfectly with the original design intent of the spaces at AVV, the experience for professionals has proven to be very successful.
AVVF works to provide:

· Workshops and retreats
· Lectures designed for specific groups
· Sponsorship and participation in professional conventions, such as the California Preservation Foundation's Annual Conference in 2004
· Sponsorship and organization of symposium style encounters for selected professionals, such as the Charles Birnbaum Symposium

Preservation and maintenance of the historic cultural landscape

The Foundation seeks to maintain and preserve the entire fabric of the historic cultural landscape which makes up the site known as "Val Verde". Currently, in order to accomplish this mandate there are several programs in place:

· Conducting an intensive plant inventory for the plants that remain from what was the "largest collection of rare and exotic trees in the western hemisphere" in 1900.
· Propagating plants from the original specimen plants for future use in maintaining and preserving the original planting designs

· Archiving all materials related to the landscape architect, Lockwood de Forest, Jr. including the drawn plans, correspondence, landscape paintings and photographs
· Archiving all materials related to the architect, Bertram Goodhue
· Archiving all materials related to the patrons of Val Verde, Wright S. Ludington, Dr. Warren R. Austin and Mrs. Austin
· Archiving and documenting all materials related to the social history of Val Verde
· Archiving and collecting all materials related to the work history and the significant individuals employed at Val Verde over time

 

Preservation and maintenance of the decorative arts history

The Foundation seeks to maintain the very important 20th Century decorative arts designs in the interior rooms which were executed by significant theater arts set designers:

· Identification stabilization and restoration of all Bertram Goodhue designs including original furniture and draperies
· Identification, stabilization and restoration of all Oliver Messel designs including original furniture and draperies
· Identification, stabilization and restoration of all Eugene Berman designs including original furniture and draperies
· Identification, stabilization and restoration of all Don Remekle designs including original furniture and window coverings
· Identification, stabilization, and restoration of all Princess San de Faustino designs, including original furniture and window coverings
· Identification, stabilization and restoration of all iconic decorative arts items that were installed at Austin Val Verde over time (such as the original light fixtures from the movie, Pajama Game)

 

Education

The Foundation developed long term, working relationships with educational institutions with the emphasis upon hands-on, everyday learning projects. These include but are not limited to:

· Workshops and retreats for classroom teachers
· Workshops and retreats for the National Writing Project
· Informal Science Learning Workshops for 4th-12th grade students and their families
· Informal Design Learning
· Walking lectures and workshops for university students from undergraduate to postgraduate
· Walking lectures for technologically related groups, such as horticultural societies and garden clubs