Villa Aurora Reopens to the Public

A year and a half after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, Villa Aurora resumes operations. This fall, the artists’ residence will once again open its doors to fellows and the public, marking a new beginning and reaffirming its commitment to bringing people together.

Following the January 2025 fires, which severely affected the area surrounding Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, the residence is now ready for reopening. Over the past months, extensive restoration and recommissioning measures have been carried out with generous support from the German Federal Foreign Office. These included the comprehensive removal of smoke damage from the interiors, numerous toxicological and geotechnical assessments, detailed inspections of the building structure, and the extensive restoration of the garden following the fire damage. Additional work on the grounds, including long-term fire prevention measures, will continue while the residence resumes operations.

From the end of August 2026, Villa Aurora will once again welcome fellows and visitors and continue its cultural programming. The reopening will kick off with an Open House on August 30, warmly welcoming neighbors, friends, supporters, partners of the house, and the general public.

Claudia Gordon, Director of Villa Aurora:

“The extraordinary support and solidarity we experienced in both Germany and the United States carried us through the difficult months following the fires. We are excited to reopen the house to the public and to fully resume our work as a transatlantic cultural institution centered around the fellowship program.”

The reopening also marks the return of major cultural objects to the residence, including a portrait of Marta Feuchtwanger and an 18th-century Hebrew scroll of the Book of Esther. During the closure, these works were safely housed at the Wende Museum in Los Angeles.

More than a year after the fires, many people in and around Los Angeles continue to feel their impact. Villa Aurora is therefore returning at a time when solidarity, dialogue, and mutual support within the community are of particular importance. In this context, the reopening of Villa Aurora is intended as a sign of coming together during a period of rebuilding.

Jakob Scherer, Executive Director of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e. V.

“Villa Aurora stands as a symbol for refuge, exile, and democracy. It makes the value of freedom — in both art and politics — tangible and deeply human. Reopening the house is of immeasurable significance to us and would not have been possible without the generous support of our partners and supporters.”

The Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House association extends its sincere gratitude to the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Goethe-Institut, and the German Consulate General in Los Angeles for their close collaboration and support throughout the past months and years.
Special thanks go to the Wende Museum for safeguarding Villa Aurora’s cultural artefacts and assets during and after the fires.

With the support of partner organizations, it was also possible to continue part of the fellowship program through an off-campus model. We particularly thank the Wende Museum, the Galka Scheyer House (Blue Heights Arts and Culture), and the 18th Street Arts Center for hosting fellows during the closure period.

The association also extends its gratitude to the institutions that support partnership fellowships at Villa Aurora: Initiative Musik, KunstSalon Köln, Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Musicboard Berlin, Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Community, and Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes.

Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e. V. is an independent and nonpartisan intermediary organization of the Federal Republic of Germany that seeks to promote the intellectual and cultural exchange between Germany and the United States of America.

The nonprofit association awards grants and fellowships at its two residencies, Villa Aurora and the Thomas Mann House in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, and organizes cultural programs in both the United States and Germany. It keeps alive the memory of European exile history in California, conveys a contemporary and diverse image of Germany, and facilitates joint reflection on social, cultural, and political challenges.

Villa Aurora und Thomas Mann House e. V. is funded by the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media; the Thomas Mann House is additionally supported by the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung, the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, and the Goethe-Institut.