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Our Recommendations for a Modernism Week to Remember
By Ken MacIntyre
January 15, 2024 – Every year when Modernism Week rolls around, newbies to the annual celebration of all things MCM invariably ask me to recommend “the best” events. I usually rattle off my personal favorites; classic events and tours I’ve returned to time and time again since beginning my yearly pilgrimage to Modernism Week 15 years ago.
Just one short month from now, between February 15 – 25, Palm Springs and other Coachella Valley communities will host over 350 separate public events including home and neighborhood tours, cocktail parties, design shows, lectures, panel discussions, book signings, films and more. Modernist architecture, design, art, fashion and culture will collide over 11 glorious days in the sun.
Charles Phoenix; New York Cityland
With so many events to choose from you’d be forgiven if it all seems a bit overwhelming, especially for those who’ve never attended before. Tickets to many of the events were sold out online within hours of going on sale back in November, but there’s still plenty to choose from if you don’t delay.
With this in mind, here are five of the best “classic” Modernism Week events (in my humble opinion) for the novice modernista. Tickets are currently still available.
Charles Phoenix: New York Cityland and the 1964 New York World’s Fair – Saturday, February 17 at the Annenberg Theatre (Palm Springs Art Museum). Known for his live comedy vintage slide show performances, Charles Phoenix is a great way to kick off Modernism Week. This year Charles celebrates the marvels of midcentury Manhattan and the futuristic 1964 New York World’s Fair. Not to be missed!
Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tours – Daily. If you’re interested in Palm Springs architecture, this unique open air experience offers a 2.5 hour overview of the city’s most significant midcentury buildings and residences led by very knowledgeable guides. If you’ve never done Modernism Week before, this is a must. Tickets won’t last much longer.
Palm Springs Modernism Show – February 17-19 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. This annual offering features over 100 national and international top notch dealers showcasing the best of the best in midcentury modern antiques and collectibles, as well as compelling 21st Century art and design. Tickets are available at ModernismWeek.com and at the door.
Wexler ’54 Featured Home, image courtesy H3K Home+Design
Modernism Week Featured Home Tours – Various days and times. Each year Modernism Week presents a selection of homes that have been through recent renovations, restorations, and designer makeovers. This year the homes include the SHAG House, a 1958 Palmer & Krisel home reimagined by the artist SHAG (Josh Agle) as a one-of-a-kind Palm Springs getaway; and Wexler ’54, a recently restored and renovated post & beam home designed by Donald Wexler and brought back to life by architect Susan Secoy Jensen and H3K Home+Design.
Frey House II – Daily. Depart from the Palm Springs Art Museum. A shuttle will whisk you up the mountain behind the museum to the perfectly preserved 1964 residence of modernist architect, Albert Frey. There, you’ll gain insight into his architectural sensibility and perhaps learn why he built his home around a giant boulder. The house is both modest and breathtaking. Your ticket also includes admission to the Palm Springs Art Museum and its satellite building, the Architecture & Design Center, where an extensive large-scale retrospective on Albert Frey is currently on view.
Frey’s groundbreaking Aluminaire House (1931) is also being reconstructed in the Palm Springs Art Museum’s south parking lot as a permanent exhibit and will be on view. Additionally, architect Leo Marmol will give a talk on the impact this structure had on American modern design (Annenberg Theater, Feb. 18); an Albert Frey symposium will
Albert Frey’s Aluminaire House, image courtesy Design Onscreen
be held at the Annenberg Theater on February 24; and two documentary films on Albert Frey will play at the CAMP theater on February 25th.
For more information and to purchase tickets to these and other great events, visit ModernsimWeek.com.
Modtraveler will also be a PS Mod Squad representative this year, so don’t forget to follow our Instagram Account for daily coverage beginning February 15, 2024!