Modernism Week’s signature February festival will take place February 16 – 26, 2023, highlighting midcentury modern architecture, art, interior and landscape design, and vintage culture in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. The popular annual 11-day festival will feature hundreds of events including the Palm Springs Modernism Show, tours of iconic homes in more than 24 neighborhoods, walking tours, and nightly parties. Also offered are architectural double-decker bus tours, fashion-related events, tours of the historic Annenberg Estate at Sunnylands, a classic car show, landscape talks and garden tours, walking and biking tours, and a series of compelling and informative talks with world-class speakers, including the Keynote Presentation by premiere architect Thom Mayne. All events are open to the public and tickets go on sale November 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. PST at modernismweek.com. The event schedule may be previewed on the website in advance starting October 25. A portion of ticket proceeds benefit Modernism Week (a non-profit organization) and other local preservation, neighborhood, and community groups. As additional events are finalized, they will be added to the website on the first of each month. Some events sell out quickly due to limited capacity.
“We are thrilled that Modernism Week is returning for its 18th year in Palm Springs,” said Lisa Vossler Smith, Modernism Week CEO. “We are particularly excited about the compelling new tours we have added to the schedule and we are honored to have world-renown architect Thom Mayne from Morphosis as our Keynote presenter. We have a wide range of architectural tours, parties and educational programs, as well as vintage fashion, classic cars and great music, food and drinks at CAMP inside the Hyatt Palm Springs. We invite the public to join us for eleven amazing days of festivities.”
2023 HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
Keynote Presentation: Thom Mayne, FAIA (2/18, $45/$65/$125)
Modernism Week’s 2023 keynote speaker will be Thom Mayne, FAIA. Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where he is a trustee and the coordinator of the Design of Cities postgraduate program. Since then he has held teaching positions at SCI-Arc, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is principal of Morphosis Architects, an architectural firm based in Culver City, California and New York City, New York. Mayne received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in March 2005. A book signing follows the presentation and an elegant reception with limited ticket availability will follow the signing in the sculpture garden of the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Featured Home Tours
This year, Modernism Week will present three Featured Home Tours.
Modernism Week Featured Home: The Shag House
2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/24, 2/25, and 2/26, $35
The artist Shag has reimagined a cherished midcentury modern pool home in the Little Beverly Hills neighborhood of Palm Springs to create a fully immersive tour experience that will make visitors feel as though they have climbed into a life-size Shag painting. Shag has drawn upon his architectural studies and the aesthetic of his artwork to reimagine this classic 1958 home, originally designed for the Alexander Construction Company. For the core of the house, Shag preserved much of the original Palmer & Krisel layout of this classic Alexander design, but created an entirely new front exterior, expanded the front entry, and converted the original breezeway into a swank party lounge. Modernism Week sponsors Brizo, California Closets, Dunn-Edwards Paints, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting, JennAir, and Willis generously contributed to this project.
Modernism Week Featured Home: Yoasis
2/17, 2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/24, 2/25, and 2/26, $35
The aptly named “Yoasis” (the home’s location – Yosemite Drive + Oasis) is Grace Home Furnishings’ latest desert project. Envisioning a vacation home that would be hip and unique, the owners turned this vision over to Michael Ostrow of Grace Home Furnishings to make it a reality. Boasting five bedrooms and six bathrooms, this 1965 home features 4,774 square feet of updated mid-century design that has been completely transformed with an unusual blend of both Bohemian and Hollywood Regency style. Vibrant fabrics and wallpaper adorn the interiors, balanced by vintage touches that contribute to a seamless blend of old and new. Modernism Week sponsors Bang & Olufsen, Brizo, California Closets, Dunn-Edwards, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Flor, JennAir, Modern Twig, and Willis generously contributed to this project.
Modernism Week Featured Home Tour: Hi-Sun
2/17, 2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/24, 2/25, and 2/26, $35
Enjoy the drama of a panoramic stone and mountain backdrop while touring Modernism Week’s latest Featured Home, Hi-Sun. Designed by Charles Du Bois and built by the Alexander Construction Company in 1963 as the model home for the Las Palmas neighborhood’s Summit Estates development, this home is the personal residence of Kevin Kemper and Howard Hawkes of H3K Home+Design. The home’s Hawaiian flair and other original midcentury modern features, such as the living room’s stone fireplace, were retained as the house was remodeled to reflect the designers’ signature style. All new surfaces and exciting refreshes of both interior and exterior areas will be on view throughout the four bedroom, three bath home and resort-like poolside area, complete with outdoor kitchen. Modernism Week sponsors Bang & Olufsen, Brizo, California Closets, Dunn-Edwards, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Flor, JennAir, and Willis generously contributed to this project.
CAMP Extended Days at the Hyatt Hotel in Downtown Palm Springs
Modernism Week’s CAMP (“Community And Meeting Place”) will provide a central activity hub that is free and open to the public every day during Modernism Week from February 16 – 26 at the Hyatt Hotel on Palm Canyon in downtown Palm Springs. CAMP will include convenient, fast and fresh food options and libations by Cheeky’s To Go, an information desk, the Modernism Week store by Destination PSP, a lecture theater, fun photo opportunities, musical entertainment, and free daily Professional Color Consultation by Dunn-Edwards. Modernism Week sponsors including Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Brizo, Dunn-Edwards Paints, and JennAir will have engaging displays. CAMP will be open daily inside the Hyatt from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free entry. Free parking is available in the nearby underground parking structure.
Rare Tour and Talk about Southridge
Several stunning residences in the exclusive Palm Springs community of Southridge will be showcased in the Southridge Signature Home Tour (2/25, $225, includes shuttle). Southridge is known for its concentration of architectural excellence and the ultimate in seclusion and privacy. Well-known architects designed dramatic homes for equally well-known clients, on lots created to maximize the panoramic views from a soaring elevation far above the valley floor. The residences on the tour are a curated collection of stunning classic mid-century homes and contemporary masterpieces. In addition to the tour, Modernism Week will also offer a compelling talk about the area called Southridge – Beyond the Gates (2/24, $15), an insider’s overview of the majestic homes hidden behind Southridge’s famous guarded gate.
Signature Home Tour
Palm Springs has always been a haven for architects and residents who have been attracted to the unique qualities of the desert landscape and lifestyle. Each year, Modernism Week curates a tour of some of the area’s most significant residences in the self-driven Signature Home Tour (2/19 and 2/26, $150). Held on two Sundays and offered in morning or afternoon segments, this popular tour takes visitors inside a myriad of iconic architectural homes by some of the area’s most noted architects and explores different neighborhoods and architectural styles. A keepsake tour program and map is included.
FEATURED TALKS
Each year Modernism Week offers a series of engaging and compelling talks. This year, some of the featured talks include:
· Retro Style on Film: Designing the Costume and Sets for ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
2/25, $20 for talk, $125 for talk and reception
Palm Springs sets the stylish scene of the Warner Brothers psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling. In this engaging talk, the film’s Oscar and Emmy nominated designers will offer a behind-the-scenes look on two of the more glamorous and essential parts of Hollywood filmmaking, costume and set design. Immediately following the talk an elegant wine and hors d’oeuvres reception will be held in the Palm Springs Art Museum’s sculpture garden, catered by Eight4Nine (requires purchase of a limited availability ticket).
· Donald Judd’s Architecture – in Context of 2023 (2/20, $15)
Urs Peter Flueckigerwill examines why the architectural ideas of Judd are still significant and why the context, as seen in Marfa TX, is fundamental for the desert climate of the American southwest.
· Gio Ponti’s Denver Art Museum: The Evolution of an Architectural Icon (2/19, $15)
Gio Ponti’s design of a new building for the Denver Art Museum was completed in 1971, and recently restored. Darrin Alfred shares his insights on the inception and design of this masterpiece.
· Saving Modernism in the Hamptons (2/21, $15)
Timothy Godbold, an interior designer based in Southampton, became a Hamptons preservationist, and founded Hamptons 20th Century Modern after learning so many modernist houses have been destroyed.
· The Architecture of Suspense: Built World in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock (2/20, $15)
Christine Madrid French’s cross-over exploration of film and architecture is the first to look at buildings as a character in Hitchcock’s most popular movies and the director as an architect himself.
PARTIES
What Modernism Week experience would be complete without ending the day with a spectacular cocktail party at an architecturally significant location? This year, Modernism Week will offer several very enticing receptions.
Don’t miss the Modernism Week Opening Night Party – Studio 74 (2/16, $250). This is the most epic party of the year! Guests will enjoy a legendary nightclub atmosphere during a seventies disco explosion with a spectacular band, flowing libations and all-night dining and dancing. This rocking party will take place at Indian Canyons Golf Resort clubhouse, one of the most iconic midcentury modern buildings in Palm Springs designed in 1961 by Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison. Tickets include a full night of entertainment, dining and festivities.
Modernism Week will host the festive Preview Party for Palm Springs Modernism Show (2/17, $110) at the 22nd Annual Modernism Show at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The party is the prime opportunity for participants to shop direct from dealers before the show opens to the public on Saturday. Ticket price includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, and daily re-entry to the show. The popular Show showcases 125 premier national and international exhibitors from across the U.S. and Europe featuring vintage furniture and decorative and fine arts reflecting all design movements of the 20th century with a heavy emphasis on mid-century modern and compelling 21st century original designs for modern living.
On Friday, February 17 Modernism Week attendees will have two exciting chances to be the first to tour the Modernism Week Featured Home: The Shag House. At 4 PM, Shag attendees may participate in the Shag House Exclusive First Look (2/17, $200), where they will have an exclusive first look and meet Shag while enjoying stylish delightful poolside hors d’oeuvres and handcrafted cocktails. That night, Modernism Week is sponsoring the Big Reveal Party at The Shag House (2/17, $175) that promises to be a house party like no other! The custom, Shag-designed interior decor reflects the ultimate throwback to the vintage Palm Springs lifestyle. Shag will serve as Grand Master of Ceremonies as guests mix and mingle while enjoying splendid hors d’oeuvres and groovy cocktails provided by F10.
The festive Hi-Sun After Dark Cocktail Party (2/18, $150) takes place at the Modernism Week Featured Home Hi-Sun in an exclusive, dramatic setting at the foot of Mt. San Jacinto designed in 1963 by Charles Du Bois. This swinging Saturday night poolside cocktail party will feature classic cocktails under the stars or inside by the vintage stone fireplace.
Each year, Modernism Week sponsors two exciting receptions at Frank Sinatra’s legendry Twin Palms estate in Palm Springs. Sunday Night at the Sinatra Estate (2/19, $175) offers attendees the unique opportunity to step into the past and relive the festive days of when Sinatra would hold court with his celebrity pals and music and cocktails flowed as freely as the desert breeze.
The following Saturday, the estate will be the setting for A Night to Remember (2/25, $200) at Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate, a special twilight reception will be inspired by the music of Frank Sinatra and his friends, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland and others. Modernism Week has partnered with Nickerson-Rossi Dance to create a magical evening of dance and revelry that attendees won’t soon forget.
Several other significant parties will be offered as well, including:
Retro Martini Party (2/24, $250): This annual fundraiser for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation will take place at the Leon & Thea Koerner Residence (1955, E. Stewart Williams) in Deepwell Estates. This historic venue checks all the boxes: great architecture, sophisticated ambiance, and magnificent mountain views. This is the first opportunity to see this spectacular midcentury residence since an extensive restoration of the home was recently completed.
After Dark, the Palm Springs Modern Committee Gala Benefit (2/18, $225), will offer a sensuous desert evening with a nod to the hip swinging parties of the desert’s glamorous past. While swaying to the hypnotic jazz of the Martini Kings, guests will explore the acclaimed 1957 Kenaston Estate, designed by E. Stewart Williams, and now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
FIRST-TIME MODERNISM WEEK TOURS
· Frank Sinatra’s “Villa Maggio” (2/18, $95) has previously never been open to the public. Tours of this 7.5-acre retreat include the main and guest houses, pool and tennis courts, helipad, and the expansive outdoor entertainment area. The 6,428 square foot interiors have been lovingly preserved and reflect Sinatra’s style and preferences, with few changes to the original design. The surrounding 360-degree sunrise -sunset mountain-valley views provide a timeless, surreal backdrop. A poolside cocktail party (2/27, $250) will be held the day before the tour.
· The Ocotillo Lodge (2/18, $95) was opened in 1957 to bring architectural innovation and the luxury hotel experience to South Palm Springs. This is a rare opportunity to explore Palmer and Krisel’s magnificent hotel turned private community, in this first ever, exclusive community tour which will showcase eight uniquely designed units (including one with William Krisel’s signature on the original cupboards), and offer a tour of the Club House, previously the site of the famed 1960s Candlewood Room restaurant where the Rat Pack wined and dined.
· Joshua Tree Retreat Center – Lloyd Wright Historical Walking Tour (2/19 and 2/20, $65) will showcase the historical Institute of Mentalphysics property in the nearby High Desert. This secluded enclave, rarely open to the public, features the largest collection of Lloyd Wright buildings in the world.
· Desert Lanai 4 (2/19, $50), is an intimate condominium community designed by famed midcentury architect Charles Du Bois that features his famous “Swiss Miss” roofline. Each home on the tour has been lovingly restored and showcases unique décor.
· Villa Alejo, (2/18, $70), New to Modernism Week, this stunning condominium complex in Downtown Palm Springs is an imposing site and features an impressive concrete brise soleil exterior.
RETURNING FAVORITES
Modernism Week aficionados will be pleased to see that “fan favorite” events will return this year. Highlights include the Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tours (including a Twilight Architectural Bus Tour and special tours led by Charles Phoenix, and Bella da Ball), the Modernism Show on the first weekend, the Vintage Travel Trailer Show on the second weekend, tours of Sunnylands, Frey House II, and tours of iconic homes in the Coachella Valley (including residences formerly owned by Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, and William Holden). Also included are the Modern Garden Tour, Annenberg Theater lecture series, Palm Springs Historical Society Walking Tours, neighborhood tours, tours of the exclusive Lautner Compound, dinner parties with entertainment by PS Underground, a vintage fashion show and other fashion-related events, and tours of the historic Temple Isaiah.
Modernism Week top sponsors include Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Brizo, Dunn-Edwards Paints, JennAir, Azure Sky, Flor, and Willis. The City of Palm Springs is the Civic Presenting Sponsor. Many Modernism Week programs qualify for AIA Continuing Education credits.
The Hyatt Palm Springs, Modernism Week’s official host hotel for lodging and CAMP, is offering special room rates starting at $249+ for a limited time only. Use Hyatt group code: G-10MO at hyatt.com. To receive Modernism Week updates, visit modernismweek.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.