Great Scott! It’s Bellosguardo
Bellosguardo, the 27-room former home of the late copper heiress Huguette Clark who died in 2011, aged 104, is ready for its close-up!
But access to the 9-bedroom, 10-bathroom, 22,000-sq.-ft. 1933 home on 24 acres with 1,000 feet of ocean frontage overlooking East Beach will cost you.
The Bellosguardo Foundation is hosting the first celebration on the impressive property in more than 60 years with a Great Gatsby-themed blast, which showcases the estate’s history and potential, with the hope it becomes a focal point for art and culture in generations to come.
Montecito event planner extraordinaire Merryl Brown is designing the super sunset soirée, which takes place on October 13 under co-chairs Sandi Nicholson and Josh Conviser, with tickets at a number of levels, including $50,000 for 20 guests, $25,000 for 14 and VIP tickets for two guests at $1,500. Individual tickets will also be on sale “pending availability.”
Former mayor Helene Schneider, who put together the foundation’s board which is chaired by mega TV producer Dick Wolf, describes it as “the beginning of a new adventure to create a community resource for all to enjoy.”
“The Huguette Clark story is a strange, sad, and peculiar one, filled with mystery… Now, finally, our community can celebrate this amazing space as a place to foster and promote the arts. This is a new chapter in this fascinating story.”
Author Josh adds: “Guests will have the opportunity to see many of the gorgeous rooms and experience the magic of the grounds overlooking the Pacific.
“Beyond food, drinks, and dancing under the stars, the event will also include a highly curated auction of unique experiences to be held at Bellosguardo in the future.”
Sponsors already lined up include Leslie Ridley-Tree, Michael Hammer, Kim and Andy Busch, Sharon Bradford, Richard and Lucille Janssen, Gary and Susanne Tobey, and Bill and Sandi Nicholson.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote the 1925 novel on the Roaring Twenties on which the bash is based, will be mortified he’s missing it, particularly because the event is now sold out after a feeding frenzy at the weekend.
