As an attempt at healing the confusion and turmoil of the disastrous Vietnam War and a painful personal divorce, the Sculpture Gardens Venice was conceived.  With the land purchased in 1968, the Scupture Gardens was modeled after my shop Casa Verde (Brentwood) as a marriage between the Horticultural Arts, the Fine Arts, and Crafts.  

    An interracial partnership of socially involved friends was created and a non-profit fine arts school was formed to provide classes for neighborhood children.   There were three galleries and 10 – 15 sculptors and artists studios housed and working on the property that was called the Venice Place Arts Center.  Most significant in the restoration, construction, and creative evolution during the initial phase were Bernard Clendenin painter, Charles Jaeger sculptor, and Wim Knipe, Don Siegal, and Martin Kanter.  Construction workers were chosen from the minority residents but included visitors from Canada, Arizona, and special helper Mburro from Kenya.  The initiation and ascendancy of the culinary arts started in the early eighties with Chez Helene (Country French), A Votre Sante (Middle Eastern Health), Sculpture Gardens Restaurant (Continental), La Grange Aux Crepe (French), Moon of Tunis (North African), Rochenwagner (Continental), and Mobay (Jamaican)   followed by the current establishments; Joe’s (American), Lillie’s (Country French), Primitivo (Mediterranean), and Meditrina Cafe (Country Continental).   

    Sometime in the1980′s a street name change was proposed by me from Washington to Abbot Kinney, the founder and builder of Venice and its canals.  About 1983 the name change proposal from City Council member Pat Russell was finalized.  Meanwhile the garden shop, formerly called Casa Verde when founded in the 1970′s on Barrington Way in Brentwood, was moved from a store front space to the rear garden and renamed Sculpture Gardens, which included both a cactus and a tropical section.

    The Sculpture Gardens was conceived and designed by Dr. Jerry and implemented primarily by him, Charles Jaeger, his older son David, and to a lesser degree Jerry’s son Doug and daughter Janine.  The construction of the waterfall pond and the planting of the Blue Cedar Cedrus Atlantica Glauca and the Meleluca Nessophila was accomplished in the early 1970′s.  At that time there were two gardens, a sun garden at 1029 1/2 Abbot Kinney and a shade garden at 1031 1/2, hence the name Sculpture Gardens is plural.   Completion of the pathway, the greenhouse, and the pond bridge took place in the late 1990′s.

    Sculptors who have participated with us included:  Roslyn Delighle, who’s porcelain ceramic work has exhibited in museums and fine art galleries internationally,  Charles Jaeger, mix media sculptor who designed the double-eagle cast iron entry gate that welcomes visitors to the gardens as well as Nino Russo, who’s bronze two headed eagle is located at the top of the facade of the 1027-1029 building. Current exhibition include Carol Bardin’s ceramic figurative sculptures, Robert Toll’s strap wire figurative sculptures, Martin Sturmam’s Wrought iron and stainless steel welded sculptures and Dr. Jerry Rowitch’s mix media wood-stone living plant sculptures.

    The Sculpture Gardens is a California licensed plant nursery which propagates over 50% of its plants from all over the world and specializes in flowering bushes and small trees suitable for decks, patios, and small gardens.  In addition we have small flowering interior plants and foliage plants.   We also carry an extremely diverse array of rare cactus and succulents that are perfect for the even the most absent minded of plant lovers.   We offer a nice selection of citrus tree, dwarf and full sized, ranging from $80 in an 7 gal. container to $120 in 15 gal. containers.  Of course we also carry our specialty tree, the citrus salad tree, with 5 varieties of citrus grafted on a single trunk.  Great for decks, patios or yards with limited space.

    Dr. Jerry’s personal speciality is the Abutilon Megabotamica.   Sometime call false maple or Chinese hanging lantern, these trees have been cross-pollinated for 35 years by Doctor Jerry to give us some of the most unique, one of a kind color variations found in this species.  The colors of our abutilon flowers range from whites, cream, yellows, pinks,  oranges, reds, to purples.  A shade or filtered sun plant, the abutilon can be seen in bloom during 8 to 10 months of the year.

Bernard Clendenin

store hours are 10 am  to 4 pm,   tuesday – sunday. 

we are located at 1029 & 1/2 abbot kinney blvd. in venice between meditrina café & lilly’s restuarant.

tel. 310.399.0321

www. sculpture-gardens.com