Modernism Week opens this week in Palm Springs, California. While some of the 350 events being offered during the 11-day festival are sold out, attendees may still purchase tickets for an exciting range of tours, talks, parties, and more. The annual festival that highlights midcentury modern architecture, art, interior and landscape design, and vintage culture in the Palm Springs area of Southern California, runs February 15-25. Tickets and information may be found at modernismweek.com. Tickets may be purchased at modernismweek.com, and a portion of ticket proceeds benefit Modernism Week (a non-profit organization) and other local preservation, neighborhood, and community groups. Highlighted events that have ticket availability include:

Tours:

·       A Signature Home Tour: Friday Edition–Meet the Design Team (2/23, $50) An exclusive one home Signature Home Tour showcasing the talents of Lance O’Donnell, AIA and the interior design team of Capurro + Davis Design in the hillside neighborhood of Little Tuscany.

·       Beyond the Gates Tour of Seven Lakes Golf and Country Club Walking Tour (2/19, $110) Christened “The Gem of the Desert,” Seven Lakes Golf and Country Club is revered for its distinctive midcentury designed homes, iconic Clubhouse, and 18-hole golf course. 

·       Celebrating Charles Du Bois: Sipping on that 70s Vibe (2/18, $40 and $125) This gracious dwelling provides the ideal setting for living and working the resort lifestyle, while at the same time exuding a party vibe and restful retreat. 

·       Desert Lanai 4: A Charles Du Bois Desert Community (2/18, $55) Come tour Desert Lanai 4, an intimate condominium community designed by famed midcentury architect Charles Du Bois featuring his famous A-frame roofline.

·       Inside, Outside, Poolside: Living the Sandcliff Lifestyle (2/18, $75) Immerse yourself in the quintessential midcentury lifestyle of this 40-unit condominium community as you tour six specially selected homes with spectacular views and vistas.

·       Joshua Tree Retreat Center: Lloyd Wright Historical Walking Tour (2/18 and 2/19, $70) Discover the historical Institute of this Mentalphysics property, featuring the largest collection of Lloyd Wright buildings in the world, following the principles of organic architecture.

·       Mesquite Canyon Estates: A Late Midcentury Enclave (2/24, $60) Mesquite Canyon Estates is a Palm Springs gem comprised of 40 homes on 17 landscaped acres, representing late midcentury modern architecture based on Palmer-Krisel designs.

·       Steve Chase Designed Home Tour (2/23, $40) Experience an interior design-focused tour at a distinguished private home in Rancho Mirage celebrating the 1980s luxury interiors by designer Steve Chase.

Special Events:

·       Modernism Week Opening Night Party: Disco in the Desert(2/15, $350) The most anticipated bash of the year returns with an Opening Night Fever dance party to blow your platforms off! Live band, lavish libations and all-night party bites to fuel your disco inferno!

·       Preview Party for Palm Springs Modernism Show(2/16, $125) Join us for the best modernist design event of the season! Beat the crowds and enjoy a festive cocktail reception and early-buying opportunity at the Modernism Show.

  • A Conversation of Wit, Wisdom, and a Whisper of Gossip with Edith Head(2/23, $45, and $60) Back by popular demand, don’t miss the chance to see this fully staged theater production with the legendary Hollywood costume designer, Edith Head, recipient of 8 Oscars! A tour de force performance with Susan Claassen. 
  • ·       Curated Vintage Event (2/24, $15 and $25) Retailers and private dealers showcase their finest vintage apparel, luxury items, textiles, jewelry, and accessories. If fashion is your passion, this event is not to be missed.

·       MOD With a TWIST (2/17 – 20, and 2/22 and 2/23, $45) After a few years hiatus, the ever-popular Mod With a TWIST is back. Spend an hour taking in rollicking, irreverent, witty and surprising presentations about unexpected topics from the midcentury. 

·       Pasta Making Cooking Class and Lunch at Trio Palm Springs (2/22 and 2/24, $125Join Trio Palm Springs’ Executive Chef, Jeremy Loomis, to learn the art of pasta-making and enjoy a delicious lunch in one of the Uptown Design District’s historic buildings.

·       Poolside Fashion at The Shag House: The Style of Candice Held (2/22, $95) Mix and mingle with other modernists during this afternoon soirée at The Shag House. Celebrate the fashion of Candice Held and enjoy a poolside reception.

·       Poolside Fashion at The Shag House: The Style of Trina Turk (2/20, $95) Mix and mingle with other modernists during this afternoon soiree at The Shag House. Meet the stylists from Trina Turk and Mr. Turk while enjoying swank tunes, sparkling beverages and gourmet canapés.

·       Shine & Show Lambretta & Vespa Vintage Scooter Show (2/18, $25) Welcome all “scooterists” to the first vintage Vespa and Lambretta scooter show! Soulside Productions of LA is pleased to feature a collection of custom and classic scooters through the decades.

Talks:

·       Stories Untold: Honoring Diverse Voices, Illuminating Untold Stories and Forging Connections with the Past Through Architecture and Landscape Design(2/19, free, but ticket required) This year Stories Untold celebrates recently constructed buildings and venues designed to illuminate untold stories, honor diverse voices, and foster meaningful connections with the past.

·       Bakelite, Bone & Bamboo: The Mystical Chinese Game of Mahjong(2/18, $15)The parlor game mahjong, a Chinese export, arrived in the United States in the 1920s and captivated America. The panel of presenters, all avid mahjong players and vintage mahjong set collectors, will introduce the basics of how to play the game, describe what fueled the game’s popularity initially and at midcentury, as well as how its aesthetics impacted our living spaces. 

·       Francisco Artigas at Midcentury: Modern Houses of the Mexican Miracle(2/21, $18)

This talk is about Francisco Artigas, renowned architect of the 1950/60s, who designed elegant modern homes for the elite of Mexico City and beyond and left behind a lasting legacy of sophistication and timeless style.  

·       Land and Legacy: The Obama Presidential Center (2/21, $18) With their founding philosophy “We want to leave good marks upon this earth,” Founding Partner Tod Williams, FAIA, will show how the Obama Presidential Center, now in construction, will do just that.

·       Meet the Architects Who Saved the 1931 Aluminaire House(2/21, $15) Michael Schwarting and Frances Campani saved the 1931 Aluminaire House from the scrap heap, guarded its existence for decades, and gifted the architectural icon of modernist design to Palm Springs. 

·       Meeting the Standards: Hon. Sara Bronin on Protecting Modern Sites (2/23, $18) A conversation with Sara Bronin, the Presidential and Congressional appointed Chair to the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation about historic preservation policy for modern sites

·       OUCH! Preservation is Difficult: Why Should We Do This? The Case for the Eliot Noyes House (2/18, $18) How does one decide whether to take on the chore of preservation? Frederick Noyes, FAIA on his family home, the Eliot Noyes House, in New Canaan, CT.

·       Unveiling the Legacy: Exploring the Donald Judd Foundation (2/16, $18) Robert C. Beyer, Treasurer of the Judd Foundation, opens the doors to Donald Judd’s living and working places at 101 Spring Street in New York City and in Marfa, Texas. 

·       Palm Springs Fashion, Then & Now: Trina Turk and Nelda Linsk in Conversation(2/22, $35) This is a very special event featuring style icon Nelda Linsk and fashion designer Trina Turk discussing ‘Palm Springs Fashion’ and the influence the Slim Aarons photo “Poolside Gossip” has had on fashion today.

Engaging Films

In addition to the wide array of talks, Modernism Week will also present a series of engaging films.  These include:

·       FILM: World Premiere of “New England Modernism–Revolutionary Architecture in the 20th Century”(2/19, $20) Emmy® award winning documentary filmmaker Jake Gorst premieres his feature-length documentary on Modern Architecture in New England 1930-1975, and its influence on contemporary architectural design.

·       FILM: “Back to the House of Tomorrow”(2/21, $15) Back by popular demand, this film showcases the story of a house important for its role in Palm Springs and Hollywood history and for its personal themes of family and community, tragedy, and renewal.

Two Albert Frey Documentaries–Part I and Part II (2/25, $15 for one, $20 for both)

FILM: “Albert Frey: The Architectural Envoy – Part I”– Swiss-born architect Albert Frey introduced Corbusian-influenced modernism to the United States and developed an extraordinary design style, blending industrial techniques and a love of nature.

FILM: “Albert Frey: The Architectural Interpreter – Part II”– In 1939, Swiss-born architect Albert Frey embarked on a decades-long journey of discovery. His world travels and love of nature would lead him to a new style of modernism in Palm Springs, California.

Modernism Week top sponsors include Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Brizo, Dunn-Edwards Paints, JennAir, Flor, Natural Retreats, and Willis. The City of Palm Springs is the Civic Presenting Sponsor. To receive Modernism Week updates, visit modernismweek.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).