Dotty Ewing Named Benefit Chair For 2024 Pasadena Showcase House Of Design

Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts announced the appointment of Dotty Ewing as Benefit Chair for the 2024 Pasadena Showcase House of Design, one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most successful home and garden tours. This crucial volunteer position is responsible for this year’s Showcase House while raising funds to help support the organization’s mission of providing music and art programs to children and adults through the Greater Los Angeles area.

Ewing joined the all-volunteer organization in 2017 after a long and successful career in marketing, mainly for cable television networks, and was named “Woman of the Year” by the Southern California Chapter of Women in Cable and Telecommunications. Since joining Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts seven years ago, she has taken on several positions within the organization, including serving as Membership Chair as well as working on the Public Relations/Marketing Committee.  As a seasoned volunteer and philanthropist, Ewing has served on the Board of Directors for UNICEF and continues to be an active member with the Shakespeare Club of Pasadena serving as its current vice president.

“The Pasadena Showcase House of Design is our organization’s only fundraiser,” said Ewing. It’s an immense role where we need to blend the talents of our designers, the dedication of our members and the desires of our homeowner and that brings new challenges every day.” But she says, she feels incredibly supported by those members that have done the job before and all of the members that have stepped up to take on various responsibilities. “I have always been impressed with the teamwork of our organization and how members work together to make this all happen.”

This year’s Showcase House, the Potter Daniels Manor, is an English Tudor Revival Style Mansion erected in 1902 for Gertrude Potter Daniels. Ewing and her team recently selected 27 professional designers, many returning “veterans” and several new to the process, to transform the estate into a stunning showpiece. Plans call to refresh the Tudor style design by adding contemporary elements that include light, texture and pattern.  The Potter Daniels Manor was first featured as a Pasadena Showcase House of Design in 1975 and then again in 1996. Ginny Cushman and Fran Biles respectively were the Benefit Chairs and are still current members of the organization. Many of the other members fondly remember their own participation in those years. This year, Ewing has invited members that were no longer actively participating to take on significant roles as advisors, sharing their institutional knowledge, resulting in generations of members all working side by side.

“Our army of designers are well versed on the current design trends and standards,” added Ewing. “I’m excited that guests will have an opportunity to tour our Showcase House which will highlight various perspectives on decorative treatment and themes.”

The Potter Daniels Manor offers a historic experience and glimpse into what life was like in Pasadena at the start of the 20^th century. The home is both elegant and enchanting with a main house, gate house and carriage house and has had several storied owners throughout the decades. The estate has been granted landmark status by the City of Pasadena, providing a heightened interest to history and architectural buffs. In addition, several descendants and heirs of the Potter Daniels family remain in the Pasadena area and plan to tour the home once it’s finished.

The Doheny Eye Institute is a Community Partner this year supporting the Showcase House and has provided the use of their parking facilities for some of the key events helping to offset expenses which allows for more funds to be given to art and music programs. Last year’s Pasadena Showcase House of Design welcomed more than 25,000 visitors and raised significant funding for the organization’s Gifts & Grants program as well as their own three music programs, Music Mobile™, Youth Concert and Instrumental Competition. “We are delighted that our visitors are so enthused about design and come back year after year to tour the house, enjoy a meal, sip cocktails and shop at our “Shops at Showcase,” says Ewing. “All of this helps in our goal to enrich the community by providing essential financing for local music and arts programs at a time when many nonprofits have seen their funding diminished.” Last year Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts distributed $900,000 to 75 nonprofit organizations and to date they have donated more than $25 million.

A resident of Pasadena for many years, Ewing says she is fortunate to be living in such an exceptional city. “Pasadena seems to have a special aura about it, it’s unique but has a strong sense of community, great values and is steeped in tradition.” She lives with her husband of 51 years and their two kittens and relishes spending time with her family which includes a son, daughter-in-law and three granddaughters all living nearby. When time permits, she enjoys cooking, entertaining and traveling, and likes to visit family in Sorrento, Italy and Slovakia.

The 59^th Pasadena Showcase House of Design will be open on April 21 and continue through May 19, 2024. Golden tickets are on sale now and timed entry tickets go on sale February 1, 2024. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pasadenashowcase.org or call 626.606.1600.