Modernism 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About Modernism But Were Afraid to Ask!

From Bauhaus to Our House presented by Joan Gand and Mimi Fisher

How did the Coachella Valley become a living museum of desert modern architecture? What makes a building midcentury modern? Who are the architects that created the unique collection of desert modernism here in our valley? The Palm Springs Modern Committee (PS ModCom) will present an informative and entertaining look at the principles of design that rocked the world of architecture in post-war America. The philosophy of modernism encompasses architecture, art, interior design, cars, even fashion. The three-part lecture series will cover all of this and more!

Joan Gand and Mimi Fisher have developed BEAM (Building Educational Architectural Models) - a curriculum for the Palm Springs Unified School District to teach about midcentury modern architecture to local students. As leaders of the Palm Springs Modern Committee (PS ModCom) education committee, they have created this new programming for adults. Both Joan and Mimi are dedicated architecture preservationists from the Midwest. Joan served on the board of the Chicago Architecture Center, and is the co-author of the book: Julius Shulman, Chicago Mid-Century Modernism. She chairs the Palm Springs Modern Committee’s education program and has recently completed the restoration of two midcentury homes in California. She also performs as the keyboardist in the Gand Band. Mimi has always had an interest in architecture and swears that she would have been an architect if that career had been more open to women in the late ‘60s. Graphic design and jewelry making are just a few of her talents. She has served on the board of the PS Art Museum’s Architecture & Design Council and is a member of the PS ModCom Education Committee.

The program is in the Learning Center.