Modernism Week will return February 12–22, 2026 with more than 80 educational programs, films, and presentations celebrating midcentury modern architecture, art, design, and culture. The annual 11-day festival will feature distinguished speakers, panel discussions, and screenings at venues including the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Palm Springs Cultural Center, and CAMP at the downtown Hyatt Palm Springs.
Highlights include:
- Keynote Presentation by Elizabeth Diller (Feb. 14) — Architect and Princeton professor Elizabeth Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) will headline the festival. A VIP reception follows in the Elrod Sculpture Garden. Sponsored by Sunset Magazine and the Chris and Jim Scott Family Foundation.
- Modernism and the Future of Housing Symposium (Feb. 21) — Hosted by Palm Springs Art Museum and Palm Springs Architectural Alliance, this event explores early modernist housing principles and their relevance today, with an optional home tour.
- World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize Ceremony (Feb. 18) — For the first time outside New York City, the biennial prize will honor outstanding conservation projects of modernist buildings.
Modernism Week continues its Stories Untold series with free talks on overlooked architects and designers:
- Rebuilding Futures: Japanese American Designers in the Wake of Internment (Feb. 16) led by Bridget Bartal.
- Exiled in L.A.: The Untold Story of Leopold Fischer (Feb. 16) presented by Professor Volker M. Welter.
Events include Saving Fallingwater (Feb. 18), Endangered Modernism: 35 Years of Protecting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architecture (Feb. 19), and The Elrod House: A Deep Dive (Feb. 15).
Retro pop culture expert Charles Phoenix returns with slide-show travelogues, while film premieres include Curating Modernism (Feb. 13), GOOGIE (Feb. 14), and Arthur Elrod: Desert Cool (Feb. 15). Encore screenings and documentaries highlight icons such as Richard Neutra’s Maslon House and the Aluminaire House.
Talks span international modernism—from Brazil and Uruguay to Australia—while local programs spotlight Palm Springs and Coachella Valley landmarks, including Canyon Country Club and Landscapes for Leisure.
Tickets are available at modernismweek.com, with proceeds benefiting Modernism Week and local preservation groups. A full schedule of films and lectures can be viewed at modernismweek.com/2026/films-lectures.
Modernism Week is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting scholarships for Palm Springs students in architecture and design, and grants for preservation efforts across California.