Palm Springs: Modernism Week Fall Preview 2016

The city of Palm Springs has announced the schedule for the Modernism Week Fall Preview 2016, which will take place from 21 – 23 October. The weekend provides a taste of what visitors to Palm Springs can expect during the 11-day Modernism Week festival in February 2017, and offers lovers of art, architecture and culture the opportunity to celebrate the city’s unique Modernist history.

Visitors to Palm Springs for the Modernism Week Fall Preview have a number of exclusive opportunities to experience the city’s stunning Mid-Century Modern architecture, including a guided tour of the Annenberg Estate and Visitors Center, tours of Frank Sinatra’s ‘Twin Palms’ Estate and the iconic Frey House II residence, as well as tours of other significant properties in Palm Springs.

One highlight of the Fall Preview weekend is the chance to visit US businessman Christopher Kennedy’s ‘Palm Springs Pad’, where public tours will be held on both the Saturday and Sunday, in addition to a preview party on the Friday evening. This beautiful home is one which has been widely credited for launching ‘A New Generation of Desert Modern’, giving it particular significance in a city which continues to pay homage to its Modernist roots with its present day design.
 

Modernism Week has long championed educational enrichment, and the Fall Preview includes an exceptional series of talks and film screenings. The ever popular ‘Modernism with a Twist’ lectures return for 2016 and the Palm Springs Women’s Club will host a series of presentations including ‘Lost, Saved & Endangered’, from architectural expert Gary Johns, which looks at the preservation of important buildings; and ‘Palm Springs to Los Angeles and Back’ from author, historian and speaker Steven M. Price. Visitors can also experience some Mid-Century Modern history at a screening of ‘Desert Maverick – The Singular Architecture of William F. Cody’ at the Palm Springs library.

On the Saturday, the public is invited to attend a special dedication on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars for Robert Imber, a treasured local historian and founder of Palm Springs Modern Tours. Later on that evening, a cocktail reception will be held honouring famed Palm Springs architect E. Stewart Williams, where funds will be raised to nominate several of the prominent homes and buildings he designed for inclusion in the National register of Historic Places.

As well as celebrating Mid-Century Modern architecture and design, and promoting the future of Desert Modern design, Modernism Week is also a charitable organisation which provides scholarships to local students, as well as giving grants to organisations, both in Palm Springs and more widely in California, to ensure the preservation of modernist architecture.