The Agenda: Palm Springs Modernism Week Edition
Author:Lindsey ShookIn honor of this year’s event, we’re dedicating today’s events roundup to Palm Springs Modernism Week. Whether you’re a veteran or first timer to the affair, it’s hard to decide how to split your time. The Show House, aka Christopher Kennedy Compound, in which 10 top tastemakers do up the rooms of a sprawling estate, is a must; as is the annual show and sale (Feb. 13–15) at the convention center. Cheesy as it may sound, a timed Double Decker bus tour, many of which are already sold out, is a great way to take in all the midcentury madness—especially if you’ve never been before. More seasoned festival goers will want in on Hollywood Glam in Palm Springs (Feb. 14), a cocktail party at a secret Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and director’s house. You’ll find out the location once you receive your ticket. And this is just the beginning. So we scoured Modernism Week’s event schedule to suss out a handful of other events to put on your radar.
Exhibit
If you’re looking to take home a piece of the action, get your ticket to the fifth annual art fair featuring 60 global galleries and more than 300 post-war and contemporary artists. Lia Skidmore of Skidmore Contemporary Art in Santa Monica goes so far as to say that, “the best L.A. art fair is in Palm Springs.” Sold.
When: 2/11–2/14
Where: Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros
Panel Discussion
Get Modern: Mixing Midcentury Style with 21st Century Tech
There’s no doubt about the confluence of tech and design in today’s world. California Home + Design’s very own Lindsey Shook will moderate this timely conversation about how to integrate energy-saving technology into design and architecture with panelists Andrew Urman (Nest), Carley Knobloch (HGTV), Lance O’Donnell (o2 Architecture), and Emily Tanczyn (Haiku Home by Big Ass Solutions).
When: 6 – 9 p.m., Sat. 2/13
Where: Location is printed on ticket
Mad Men set design
Behind the Scenes
Get a dose of real-life Hollywood right in the heart of Palm Springs. Anyone obsessed with this stylish series will be wise to snag tickets to the special event, a three-part series with the show’s creative team. Go behind the scenes with set designers and stage your own imaginary cameo before meeting up with Mad Men’s Jessica Paré (aka Megan Draper) and fashion designer Trina Turk to talk costume design for the show. Cap off the star-struck day with a chat about the making of the show with creator Matthew Weiner.
When: 3 – 7 p.m., Sat. 2/6
Where: Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N. Museum Way
Tour + Lunch
This special event takes place farther afield. To start, a private coach will whisk you away to Alta Loma, about an hour’s drive west of Palm Springs for a personal tour of California modernist Sam Maloof’s historic property. Guests will enjoy learning about the organic architecture of the home, designed and built by Sam himself, in addition to seeing the designer’s most iconic pieces of furniture, many of which are original prototypes. Following the tour, you’ll be treated to a Lebanese-style tapas lunch on the private deck of wife Beverly Maloof’s residence and be among the first to view the new exhibit “Sam Maloof: Life, Art, Legacy.”
When: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Wed. 2/17
Where: 333 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
William F. Cody’s Glass House
Tour
1967 Glass House by William F. Cody
Take advantage of this rare opportunity to set foot inside William F. Cody’s iconic Palm Springs Glass House in the prestigious Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. A fine specimen of modern minimalism, the 40-by-25-foot central pavilion features glass walls on all four sides. You’ll also get to browse the home’s long central gallery, living room, kitchen, dining area, library, master wing, and guest quarters.
When: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Sat. 2/20
Where: 755 Camino Norte
Panel Discussion
Cuba’s Modern Movement Architecture: Before + After the Revolution
Like many media outlets and world travelers, we’ve got Cuba on the brain (check out our design story on where to stay when you go). Author of The Havana Guide: Modern Architecture 1925–1965, Eduardo Luis Rodriguez will school you in the evolution of Cuba’s Modern Movement before and after the revolution. You’ll see it in all its splendor and then learn about how preservationists are working to protect the country’s valuable architectural heritage, much of it in disrepair today.
When: 1 – 2 p.m., Sat. 2/13
Where: Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N. Museum Way
Desert Eichler
Modernism HQ
CAMP Events
CAMP, short for Community and Meeting Place, is Modernism Week’s central nucleus and will play host to many of its own not-to-be-missed programming. Stop here throughout the day to take a break from the action and buy tickets to intriguing talks, like Midcentury Living on Millionaire’s Row in Pasadena (Feb. 16); Traditional by Week, Midcentury by Weekend: Celebrity Real Estate in Los Angeles (Feb. 12); and Eichler Day (Feb. Feb. 13), which even includes a tour of the newly completed Desert Eichlers.
When: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Thurs. 2/11–Sun. 2/21
Where: 333 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
