Garden Party at the Schindler’s Rodriquez House

homeLA’s Garden Party

May 10, 2025
11a-2p
Rodriguez House
Glendale, CA

homeLA celebrated its 12th year with a benefit on May 10th, 2025 at R.M Schindler’s historic Rodriguez House.  

For the last twelve years, homeLA has partnered with hosts to provide opportunities for dancers and performance, sound and media artists to produce one-of-a-kind work that responds to the architecture, history, and ethos of a dwelling in Southern California.   Its programming has captured the imagination of thousands of Angelinos over the years, providing memorable, intimate, unique art experiences that expanded the notions of home and the possibilities for performance and gathering in Los Angeles.

R.M Schindler’s Rodriguez House. Image by Jürgen Beck, 2024

homeLA’s Garden Party unfolded at the historic Rodriguez House, designed in 1941 by pioneering architect Rudolph M. Schindler — known for reshaping not just how Los Angeles looked, but how it lived. Nestled in the lush hills of Glendale, the Rodriguez House is a marvel of structural creativity. With its angled roofline, exposed wooden beams, open indoor-outdoor flow, and signature Schindler flair, this landmarked home has long been a gathering space for artists, musicians, and thinkers.  Originally built for Guatemalan-born composer and music critic Jose Rodriguez and his wife June, the home has hosted chamber music salons, artist receptions, and creative dialogue for generations. Now, homeLA steps into this legacy — bringing movement and art into its garden once again.

VIP Ticket holders received an exclusive architectural tour of R.M. Schindler’s historic Rodriguez House by Schindler aficionado, Andrew Romano.  

The Garden Party Host Committee included Betsy Greenberg, Amelia Lang, Kelly Loudenberg and Carson Mell, Alex Sloane, and Christian Stayner and Jason Goldman.

homeLA’s Garden Party was a splendid spring afternoon featuring bunchy-menu-vibes served up by artist Emily Marchand on a tablescape of her hand-crafted linens and ceramics, sparkling wine sponsored by J Winery, performances by Genna Moroni and Susan Barbour, music by Joe Berry, an installation by Kelly Loudenberg, and film sketches by Christina Burchard for an upcoming homeLA dance film, plus a limited-edition home fragrance by artist and perfumer Susan Barbour was available to purchase.

Artist work

Genna Moroni and Joe Berry, Hidden in sound, 2025, Dance and Sound

This collaboration between Genna Moroni and Joe Berry uses sound and movement to highlight the architecture in and around the Rodriguez home, invoking the audience to follow their intuition and trust their senses.

ARTIST BIOS

Emily Marchand envelops ceramics, cooking, and community organizing in her art practice. Inspired by the native and manufactured landscapes of Los Angeles, she makes colorful forms embedded with vegetables, fruits, eggs, flora, and fauna. Her sculptures, wall works, and vessels consider tenderness and care as strategies to access a range of emotions with a timely focus on both joy and grief. What began as an investigation and exploration into Big Agriculture, seed banks, and food scarcity has inspired a closer look into her own relationship to her community through food, cooking, gardening, and feeding friends and unhoused neighbors. Adjacent to her art practice, she cooks for a living as a food stylist and as a volunteer for local non-profit organizations feeding the unhoused community including Brown Bag Lady, Downtown Women’s Center, and MEND Poverty. Emily Marchand (b. 1982 Sacramento, CA) earned an MFA from California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA and a BA from University of California in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has been exhibited at venues including The Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum in Long Beach, CA; OCHI, The Pit, Hashimoto Contemporary, Nowspace, and La Loma Projects in Los Angeles, CA; and Setareh Gallery in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 2023, Marchand was awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship from the California Arts Council and in 2019 she participated in CURRENT:LA FOOD, a public art triennial based in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured and reviewed in publications including Architectural Digest, New York Times, Hyperallergic, PBS SoCal’s Artbound, and Time-Out. Marchand lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. 

Genna Moroni is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and LA native whose approach to dance is rooted in authenticity and purpose. She was a founding member of Ate9 Dance Company where she performed at renowned venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, White Bird Dance, CAP UCLA and The Joyce Theater. Since 2009 Genna has worked alongside Barak Marshall as his choreographic assistant/rehearsal director in building new works. Over the last few years, Genna has been working more fluidly within commercial dance. Her specialty has been movement coaching and artist development. In 2020 Genna launched her collective Gorgeous Ugly Movement (G.U.M. Co) as a place where movement artists explore their ability to tell stories through physicality. In 2022, she joined DanceFilmmaking.com as creative producer to foster awareness and accessibility to dance filmmaking. Genna was honored to be listed in Dance Magazine's “25 to watch” and is excited to see where the next few years will lead her. https://www.gennamoroni.com/

Susan Barbour is a poet-scholar, artist, and perfumer whose multi-sensory work explores the subtle languages of human connection—both with one another and with our natural environments. After obtaining a BA in English Literature at Dartmouth College, an MFA in Poetry at Johns Hopkins, and DPhil in English Literature at Oxford University, she obtained a Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits, which ignited her interest in olfaction—a journey she details in her TEDx talk “I Smell Human.” Susan’s poetry and essays have been published widely in journals including The Paris Review, Oxford Poetry, and Five Dials, and her visual and performance artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums in LA, NYC, and Europe. She is the Founder of AMIATA, a poetically inspired perfume brand that launches in fall 2025. @susanbarbourartist 

Christina Burchard is a documentary filmmaker, illuminating stories about artists, athletes, complicated heroes, and inspired minds. She directed Season 2 of The Confession Tapes, which explored the culpability of the criminal justice system, and two seasons of the Emmy-nominated series Why We Fight, about a charismatic boxer battling opioid addiction. In 2023, Christina premiered her documentary-hybrid film, Miss Brown, at the Tribeca Film Festival. Before pivoting to directing full-time, Christina began her career as a feature editor and worked with the team on the Academy Award winning film Citizenfour. Driven by her passion for dance, she pursued collaborations with performers and musicians, culminating in the 2018 premiere of Lorelei, featuring principal dancers from The Joffrey Ballet. The film score was written by Jessica Rose Weiss and performed by the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra in a showcase that highlighted the contributions of female film composers. Through an ongoing collaboration with Pakistani-American composer Qasim Naqvi, Christina has continued to explore the possibilities of dance on film. She is excited to embark on a new project with choreographer, Genna Moroni, this summer. Over the year, Christina has developed projects supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, and The Harnisch Foundation, as well as HBO, Showtime, Netflix, A24, ESPN, PBS, VICE, the International Venice Film Festival, IDFA Amsterdam, NYFF, Sundance, Tribeca and Toronto Film Festival.

Joe Berry is a multifaceted musician, composer, educator and puppeteer best known as a member of M83. With a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Music, Joe has honed his craft over two decades, captivating audiences around the globe with his dynamic performances. Born and raised in Northern California, Joe's musical journey began at a young age, fueled by a deep passion for creativity and expression. His talent and dedication led him to join M83, where he has contributed his skills as a musician to the band's renowned sound. Beyond his work with M83, Joe has made significant contributions to the music world as an educator, sharing his knowledge and expertise with aspiring musicians. He has taught music, composed, and performed across diverse genres, showcasing his versatility and innovation. In addition to his musical pursuits, Joe is the visionary behind the sound wellness project, Deap Sleap. Through this endeavor, he explores the transformative power of sound, creating immersive experiences that promote relaxation and wellness. Outside of music, Joe's creativity extends to the realm of puppetry, where he brings characters to life with his skillful performances. His unique blend of art forms reflects his boundless imagination and commitment to artistic exploration. With a career spanning decades, Joe Berry continues to inspire audiences with his talent, innovation, and passion for creativity. Whether on stage with M83, guiding students in the classroom, composing for film or crafting enchanting puppetry performances, he remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.

Kelly Loudenberg is a filmmaker, writer, and visual artist whose work traces the hidden systems that shape American life—legal, architectural, psychological. Her Netflix series The Confession Tapes and Exhibit A explored the fragile boundaries between truth and belief in the criminal justice system, examining the role of false confessions and forensic mythologies. Her work has appeared in The Atavist, Slate, and The Atlantic, and her award-winning profile “The Caregivers” was honored by the American Society of Journalists and Authors in 2023. Loudenberg’s visual work has been featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Center for Land Use Interpretation, and Monte Vista Projects. She is currently based in Los Angeles, where she continues to interrogate the themes of money, perception, and power. Her forthcoming nonfiction book Hollywood Vampires will be published by HarperCollins in June 2025.

Sam Widaman (b. Riverside, CA 1983) is an ongoing contributor to homeLA. He splits his time between art department in the TV/Film industry and experimenting with various musical projects.

Acknowledgments

Heartfelt gratitude to~

Garden Party Host Committee: Betsy Greenberg, Amelia Lang, Kelly Loudenberg and Carson Mell, Alex Sloane, and Christian Stayner and Jason Goldman.

homeLA Advisory Board: Bernard Brown, Rebecca Bruno, Melanie Rios Glaser, Jia Yi Gu, Jenny Landers, Mara McCarthy, Kimberli Meyers, Nicole Robinson, taisha paggett, and  Samuel Vasquez. 

Participating Artists: Susan Barbour, Joe Berry, Christina Burchard, Kelly Loudenberg,  Emily Marchand, and Genna Moroni.

Our sponsors: J Winery + YOLA Mezcal

Those who provided homeLA with their generous donations and time: Susan Barbour, Meka Burnett, Christian Stayner, Francis Lefevere, Matt Lipps, Emily Marchand, Sam Widaman, Tim Lefevre, REDCAT, LA Dance Project, CAP UCLA, Heath Ceramics, MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Legier Jewelry, Nao Bustamante, Megan Maguire, Bruna, Rachel Widaman, Astrelle Johnquest, Vidiots, Descanso Gardens, Jibz Cameron, Kinship Yoga, Litia Perta, J Winery, YOLA Mezcal, James Leng, Natasha Sadikin, Katie Gibbs, Kevin Widaman, Rosebowl Aquatic, Block Shop, Wavy Wines, Litia Perta, Jess Arndt, Neutra VDL House.