Modernism Week Fall Preview Show & Sale Preview Party
A line of mid-century modern enthusiasts serpentined eagerly around the Palm Springs Convention Center.
Modernism Week Fall Preview Show & Sale Preview Party A line of mid-century modern enthusiasts serpentined eagerly around the Palm Springs Convention Center. Check out this story on desertsun.com: http://desert.sn/2lnUGKK
Marge Dodge, Special to The Desert Sun Published 10:00 a.m. PT Oct. 29, 2017 | Updated 4:26 p.m. PT Nov. 1, 2017
Back row: L-R Anne Rowe, Mark Davis, Wyndel Chapital, William Kopelk, Russ Schneff, Michelle Boudreau Front row: L-R Gary Johns, Maureen Erbe, Lise Baadh, Regina Basterrechea(Photo: David A. Lee/Special to The Desert Sun)
A line of mid-century modern enthusiasts waiting for the opening of Modernism Week Fall Preview Show & Sale Preview Party serpentined eagerly around the Palm Springs Convention Center. Hard-core modernism collectors waited for their opportunity to be the first to view and buy the one or two items they didn't already own. Searchlights, like exclamation points in the sky, added to the feeling of excitement.
Modernism Week is a charitable organization providing annual renewable four-year scholarships to local students pursuing college educations in the fields of architecture and design, as well as giving grants to local and state organizations for the efforts to preserve modernist architecture in California.
L-R Ashley Rosenow, Eric Rosenow, Charles Phoenix (Photo: David A. Lee/Special to The Desert Sun)
THE WORD IS 'COLORFUL'
As party-goers lined-up Brian Wanzek handed out event schedules and answered questions. Wanzek was festooned in a suit patterned with blue skies, billowing clouds, swaying palm trees and pink flamingos. His green shirt, pink bow tie and matching loafers perfectly completed the ensemble.
Once inside, attendees were treated to over 40 premier national and international dealers of decorative and fine arts. Booths artfully displayed mid-century modern furniture, light fixtures, clocks, rugs, fine art, silver, antiques, vintage jewelry, and even mid-century modern handcrafted dog furniture. Style mavens roamed the aisles of dealers with a glass of wine in hand as trays of hors d'oeuvres were passed. Several devotees were dressed in vintage attire, with one gal sporting a lovely vintage pill box hat. DJ Baz was spinning vinyl from the 50s and 60s.
Barbara and Ron Marshall (Photo: David A. Lee/Special to The Desert Sun)
Show & Sale sponsors included Incollect.com, California Home+Design, California Homes, Modern, Atomic Ranch and Palm Springs Life. Dunn-Edwards Paints was the generous underwriter of the event.
Executive director of Modernism Week Lisa Vossler Smith said, "The Fall Preview is a wonderful opportunity for attendees to get a taste of what our 11-day festival in February will offer. The 4-day Fall Preview offers tours, lectures, iconic architecture and parties similar to upcoming 2018 festival."
Tours of Frey House II, Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estate, Golden Era Hollywood Homes, West Elm House, and more were offered. Presented for the first time was the Cul-de-Sac Experience, a tour of six homes designed by William Krisel in a quaint cul-de-sac with vintage autos displayed in the driveway of each home. Bike tours, walking tours, a double-decker bus tour, and self-guided driving tours allowed participants many options.
L-R Chris Mobley, Lisa Vossler Smith, Rosemary Krieger, William Kopelk (Photo: David A. Lee/Special to The Desert Sun)
There were lectures for the curious and the serious on "Lost, Saved & Endangered Modernist Architecture," on "Albert Frey and Lina Bo Bardi," on "Mid-Century Modern Meets Spanish Revival" and several more. Cocktail parties and champagne brunches in architecturally significant homes including the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway home highlighted the weekend for many modernists. Some neighborhoods that produced the tours will use proceeds to fund various community improvement projects, such as restoration, landscaping improvements, new signage and more.
Modernism Week also helps various local organizations raise funds to further support their efforts to preserve and promote modernist architecture. Participating organizations include Friends of the Palm Springs Library, Palm Springs Art Museum's Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs Modern Committee, Palm Springs Historical Society, The Aluminaire Foundation, Volunteer Palm Springs, and Mizell Senior Center.
L-R David Zippel Donna MacMillan Susan Stein (Photo: David A. Lee/Special to The Desert Sun)
Chairman of the Board William Kopelk said, "Fall Preview is a great way to celebrate and foster appreciation of mid-century architecture and design. It's exciting that tickets sales this year have increased over the past three Fall Previews."
Modernism Week will be held February 15-25, 2018 and have 28 home tours, 60 walking tours, 70 lectures, panel discussions, book signings and films, across Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells. In 2017 97,000 people attended Modernism Week and the event had an economic impact of $35.5 million for area hotels, shops, restaurants and other local businesses.
L-R Tim Watts and Andy Allegaert (Photo: David A. Lee/Special to The Desert Sun)
Kicking off Modernism Week will be the Opening Night After Dark Party, a swanky, red carpet, retro-affair of high style and glamour at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort. The resort is a legend in its own right designed in 1962 by famed modernist architects Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison. Guests are invited to channel their inner Marilyn, Sammy, or Hefner for a night of entertainment, high style and glamour.
Tickets for Modernism Week go on sale November 1 at 12 pm. For more information on Modernism Week visit modernismweek.com
CORRECTION: The dates listed for Modernism Week 2018 in the original version of this story were incorrect. The correct dates are February 15 – 25, 2018. We have updated the story.
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