teardown status was more about math.

"It was twice the amount of money I wanted to pay and five tim. the amount of work I wanted to do," he says. "But M that neighborhood, houses that were half the size . were way more expensive: At the tim e, the 47-yearold construct. firm owner - who for the last two decad. has spent the better part of his work week as an artist, reversepain.g rebuses on a,lic panels - found it only mildly inter..g that the house had belonged to Nelibertina "Nelbert" Chouinard, founder of one of the earli.t and most Festigious professional . schools in Southern California Only when he mentioned the name to his father did he learn

DISPLAY: A paint.g by the late Chouinard instructor Emerson Woelffer ha, over a Tonne cabinet. Tourgs ceramics sit on thc mantel.

that his aunt had been a Chouidosed . 1972, three years after nard studeni Chouinard's death. He reached After talking with that aunt, out to former teachers and stuTourje felt the Chouinard lega- de. such as painter Ed Ruscy begin to resonate with.. cha, minimalist sculptor Lany walls. The story it told - of the Bell and Ojai potter Ono Heicharismatic Minnesota-born no. By 1999,a year after moving painter who started her own in and completing the first Los Angel. art uhool in 1921 round of renovations, Tourje - sugg.tal how the Monterey had become a pardian of ChColonial farmhouse might live ouinards history, the house his on for a new generation. In its chief artifact. heyday, the home had served as 1 was surprised to learn a salon for local artists, a place that something so important where Chouinard faculty, stu- had existed in a city that I condents, graduates and their artist ceived of having no history, he friends could exchange ideas says. "I wanted to make sure it . and admire one another's work was remembered: Tonne's goal was to restore that Toune joined forces with it r ea r C i Z i n :d l s t a lo n = Robert Penne, a fonner student and historian of the uhool, to own way create the nonprofit Chouinard " The pr im , r eason the Foundation and revive .terest house was nom inated as a . the institution and its illuslandmark in 2000 is cultural, trious graduates, who .dude not archit.urar says Glenn costume and fashion designers Duncan, president of the South Edith Head and B. Mackie, Pasadena Pr.ervation FounEcho Park ceramist Peter Shire, dation. The property was sigsurf and rock graphic artist nificant because it played a critJohn Van Harnersveld, Warner ical role in "fostering a collegial Bros. cartoonist Chu, atmosphere for local artists and and a host of Disney's original for students,' crew of animators. LisiCEearcahescdhotTourje reMany of these former stu, de. donated worlc to the tvhhui:hpo.p.keTd,trrbellacAr.foundation, which, after resurore d recting the sch.I from 2002 to

WIDE OPEN SPACES: The TourjEs home, origMally built on 20 acres of citrus groves, evokes the spirit of a Southern country house with its second-story terrace and large front yard. 2006 in South Pasadena, now runs dasses in conjunction with I-Al recreation department at the Exposition Parlc Intergenerational Community Center. The foundation also runs a program allied with the arts group KAOS Network in Leimert Park These recent efforts have stayed true to Chouinards sion, says Charles Swenson, a 1963 graduate of the school's animation program and former creative producer on the TV cartoon "Rugrats." "She believed that art was for everybody and education

BELTS OF STEEL: A steel conveyor belt chair made by Tourje.