Goodkin

Wallis Annenberg, L.A.'s Angel

When you think of family dynasties that have been around for a couple of generations, you may think old school with stuffy East Coast sensibilities. There are the Astors, the Rockefellers and the Melons. Their histories are sealed in a golden envelope, and while many of the family members are still active in their philanthropy, there is a bit of a disconnect between the family and the name that it has become. 

This is not the case with the Annenberg family. Wallis Annenberg, the delightful, opinionated, matriarchal head of the Annenberg clan has taken the City of Angels under her wing. As Vanity Fair said in last year's story about her by Bob Colacello, "Annenberg seems to be single-handedly funding L.A. with all the community projects, art centers and medical buildings that bear her name."

It's true. Her projects range from huge to huger, and although it would be hard to rate them on any kind of scale, The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts may be the most ambitious to date. What was once a sprawling, gorgeous, pre-depression-era post office designed ala Italian Renaissance Revival, will be converted into a performing arts center. The building will be restored and adapted, and the spaces that were once used for mail sorting and postage purchases will be redesigned to become a theater school, a flexible studio theater, sculpture garden, café, gift shop and more. Complementing the historic building will be the 500-seat contemporary Goldsmith Theater. 


Like The Annenberg Community Beach House, which opened in 2009 and has a storied history as the home of film actress Marion Davies and William Randolf Hearst, the Performing Arts center looks to reinvent a historic piece of Los Angeles real-estate and architecture and give it new value for a new generation. In this way, Ms. Annenberg is helping Los Angeles' bad reputation of having no respect for its history and its architecture. Thank you, Wallis! 

2009 also saw the grand opening of The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, an at once intimate and extremely modern-feeling building that has already housed some incredible exhibits. "Water: Our Thirsty World," which closed last month, was a visually moving and emotional exhibit examining the precarious state of the world’s fresh water. Currently at The Annenberg Space for Photography, "The Year"—a collection of the best documentary photography of 2009, recognized by Pictures of the Year International (POYi), the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism competition in the world. 

Goodkin wanted to speak to Ms. Annenberg for all the reasons stated above, but also because she reinforces an idea of family philanthropy in a way that is exemplary and on a scale that is enormous. "And it's not just on a grand scale," says old friend Aloma Ichinose, "it's on a personal scale, too. Wallis loves to be there for people she loves. In a way, her friends are like an extended family to her."

It began with her father, Walter Annenberg, who, with his fortune from print and media businesses, donated to organizations as diverse as public television, The United Negro Fund and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is quoted as saying, "Education holds civilization together."

Wallis' children are all members of the board of The Annenberg Foundation and key players in all of the decision making. She has great pride at being able to pass on this family legacy to the next generation of her family. 


GK: You come from a family that has a history of giving. Was being philanthropic a trait that was important for your father to see in you? Or was that something you learned from him?
WA: I learned quite a bit about philanthropy from my father including the importance of public service and giving back to the community in an authentic way. 

GK: Much has been written about your family’s tragic and difficult past. Sometimes those things can make a family closer. Is that the case for you? 
WA: My children and I serve as the only members of the Annenberg Foundation’s Board of Directors. Our service to the community through the Foundation has brought us together in many wonderful ways. We work well together and have great respect for each others’ work as philanthropists.

GK: Has photography always been an interest to you? Do you collect? Who is your favorite?
WA: Yes, I’ve always loved photography. I do collect personally but I don’t have one favorite. I like what I like when I see it.

GK: How do you choose the shows for the museum? They have all been so different in theme and tone, but all profoundly moving in their own way. Is it your personal taste or outside forces that influence you?
WA: Both outside forces and my personal taste determines the shows. I hear about unique opportunities for exhibits and then explore what might be possible for our space.

GK: The community Beach House is a big hit. How did turning what was once an exclusive beach club into a community beach club come about?
WA: I read about the City of Santa Monica’s efforts to revitalize the property in the newspaper and called them to see if we could partner on a project that would serve the community.

GK: The Annenberg Foundation gifted $1 million to The Elder Housing project (which reassures elder gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with lower incomes that they will not be forgotten). How did that come about?

WA: I believe it is important for gays and lesbians to have a place to be themselves regardless of age. Imagine being 75 and staying in the closet? It is important for gays and lesbians to have the freedom to be themselves at any age. 

GK: Tell us about the new project—the evolution of domestic animals—that you are working on in Palos Verdes. It sounds fascinating.
WA: We are trying to create something in Palos Verdes that has never been done. It is an education destination that will inform visitors about the importance of the human, natural life and the animal bond. We will have dog and cat adoption services there as well. The project is still under consideration by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. 

There's no question that this project has a personal appeal. Wallis is the proud "mama" of five dogs, who she treats with the utmost respect and love!

[Photos: Robin Layton, Aloma Icinose]