seven lakes golf and country club palm springs

Tee-Off at Modernism Week 2022

A golf tournament is among the new additions to the midcentury modern marvel as ticket sales start Nov. 1.

Staff Report Attractions, Current Digital, Modernism

seven lakes golf and country club palm springs

Modernism Week 2022 participants can play in a golf tournament at the Seven Lakes Golf & Country Club in Palm Springs.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY MODERNISM WEEK

An 18-hole golf scramble, a keynote speaker whose work has broken the glass ceiling for female architects, a never-been-seen tour of Bobby Berk’s Palm Desert estate, and programming that celebrates Black History month are just some of the newbies joining a jam-packed Modernism Week schedule when the full 11-day version returns Feb. 17-27 in Palm Springs.

Modernism Week 2020 was the last major event to take place in Greater Palm Springs before the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to events in March 2020. For the next 18 months with the exception of a few tours in April 2021, a majority of Modernism Week offerings were online.

The Modernism Week Fall Preview earlier this month was the icebreaker to returning to a full in-person set of events.

Tickets for the February 2022 edition go on sale Nov. 1 at noon (PST) on modernismweek.com, but the event schedule will be available to view starting Oct. 22 at noon (PST). 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 to be able to present Modernism Week in February with all of the fanfare and celebration typically associated with our events,” says Lisa Vossler Smith, Modernism Week executive director. “We have exciting new tours and events planned and, of course, we will be bringing back traditional favorites.”

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Part of the Black History programming includes a panel discussion on the role architect Paul R. Williams played in inspiring other Black designers.
What's New in 2022

Feb. 19: Keynote Presentation — Jeanne Gang, FAIA, 'Making Architecture


The founding principal of Studio Gang, an international architecture and urban design practice based in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Paris, Gang’s firm has matured into a global powerhouse. Formed in 1997, Studio Gang has projects around the world including Chicago’s Aqua Tower, which earned her worldwide recognition. Her 101-story St. Regis tower in Chicago (2021) is the world’s tallest building designed by a woman. A book signing and an elegant reception with limited ticket availability will follow at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Feb. 18-21, 24-27: Modernism Week Showcase Home Tour: Casa Tierra



Bobby Berk, interior designer, TV host, and author will open his latest project, an idyllic desert modern escape, for the first-time  during Modernism Week. This hidden gem of an estate in Palm Desert offers the perfect oasis to get away from it all, and yet is just minutes away from Palm Springs. With more than 5,000 square feet of living space, this unique Spanish-style property has been transformed into a world-class destination, with modern touches and an emphasis of Bobby Berk’s unique design style throughout. The design scheme reflects the colors and textures of the desert landscape, and seamlessly integrates with the outdoors and breathtaking hillside setting. Home Tour guests will be shuttled to the property from a nearby location due to private roads.

Feb. 18-27: CAMP 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 during Modernism Week at the Hyatt Hotel on Palm Canyon in downtown Palm Springs. This new location for CAMP will include an information desk, box office, the Modernism Week merchandise store by Destination PSP, a theater, and activations by Modernism Week sponsors Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Brizo, Dunn-Edwards Paints, JennAir and Willis. CAMP will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with free entry. Free parking is available in the nearby underground parking structure.

Feb. 21: Celebrate Black History Month with “Stories Untold: Black Modernists in Southern California” 

Black designers, builders and developers helped shape Palm Springs and Southern California for more than a century. This year, Modernism Week will honor these trailblazers during a three-part symposium on their legacy. In Part One, “Black History of Palm Springs,” panel participants Tyrone Beason (reporter for the Los Angeles Times), and Jarvis Crawford and Dieter Crawford (leaders of Palm Springs Black History Committee) will share stories about historic Palm Springs landmarks. In Part Two, “Circle of Paul R. Williams,” Gail Kennard (daughter of Robert Kennard) will discuss the role Paul R. Williams played in inspiring other Black designers (including Kennard, James Garrott, Ralph Vaughn, and Arthur Silvers) to launch careers in Los Angeles. In Part Three, “Destination Crenshaw,” Drake Dillard of Perkins & Will will present a proposed 1.3-mile open air art gallery and park that will run alongside the light rail line in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw District.

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Alen Hess talks about how the desert southwest has contributed to modern architectural trends, like Taliesan West in Scottsdale, Arizona.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALAN HESS

FEATURED TALKS

Feb. 20: MAD Architects in the U.S.

Founded in Beijing by Ma Yansong in 2004, MAD Architects is a global firm exploring a type of ‘dream architecture’ that opens up a dialogue with nature. It is committed to creating a vision for our future cities that is based on the spiritual and emotional needs of its inhabitants.



Feb. 19: Fabulous Florida in the ‘50s


Midcentury style/design expert Charles Phoenix will celebrate Florida in the 1950s and 60s in this engaging and entertaining talk.

Feb. 21: MAD Architects: Global Works


Dixon Lu, Head of Operations for MAD’s Beijing office and overseeing MAD’s Los Angeles office and overall strategy in North and South America will discuss the wide range of extraordinary projects MAD has designed across the world and demonstrate how their philosophy of “Shansui City” drives MAD’s approach in architecture.

Feb. 24: Vera - The Art and Life of an Icon, with Susan Seid and Trina Turk


Vera Neumann, the innovator of cross-licensing, was the most successful female entrepreneur of her time and created the first true lifestyle brand. Susan Seid has been involved with the Vera brand since 2003. Seid will discuss Vera’s impact on the design world and follow the presentation with a lively conversation with fashion designer Trina Turk. An elegant sunset cocktail reception for a limited number of guests at Trina Turk’s historic Palm Springs home will be held that same evening. The reception requires a separately purchased ticket.

Feb. 22: As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling


Rod Serling is best known for The Twilight Zone, but the life-lessons he taught his daughters are no less profound. Anne Serling provides new context for her father’s work, enabling attendees to view it with fresh eyes.

Feb. 20: A Very Cool Shag Experience with Josh Agle


For the first time during Modernism Week there is a rare opportunity to get to know artist Josh Agle (Shag) better and hear how he developed his inimitable style recognized worldwide. A gift will be provided for all in attendance.

Feb. 26: Mojave Modern, Sonoran Style with Alan Hess


Architect and historian Alan Hess will tell the story of Mojave and Sonoran desert architecture and how America’s desert southwest has contributed to modern architectural trends and major innovations.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MOOD CREATIVE
The Abernathy Residence, designed by William Cody, will host The Jet Set party.

PARTIES



Feb. 17: Modernism Week Opening Night Party - Love, Modernism Style

Guests will enjoy dancing and partying throughout the night at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort clubhouse, one of the most iconic midcentury modern clubhouses in Palm Springs designed in 1961 by Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison. Tickets include a full night of entertainment by Casino Royale and DJ Mod Girl and elegantly presented hors d’oeuvres and full-service dinner stations by Lulu California Bistro, hosted bars and signature cocktails, and other surprises.


Feb. 18: Preview Party for the Modernism Show & Sale

The party is the prime opportunity for participants to shop direct from dealers before the show opens to the public on Saturday at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Ticket price includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, entertainment and daily re-entry to the show. The popular Show & Sale, which offers important 20th and 21st century objects, furniture, art and textiles from more than 90 premier national and international decorative and fine arts dealers, and the related Modern Design Expo, which will feature 45+ exhibitors showcasing cutting edge modern home design and items inspired by midcentury modern design, runs Saturday through Monday. Hours for both shows are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $30 and allows entry to both shows and return entry all weekend.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PATRICIA KELLY
The Twin Palms estate will also be the setting for a special engagement called A Party at Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate Celebrating Gene Kelly Through Dance on Feb. 26.

Two parties will take place at the Twin Palms Estate, the famous former residence of Frank Sinatra in the heart of Palm Springs. Guests may participate in Saturday Night at the Sinatra Estate on Feb. 19 and enjoy an elegant cocktail party at the beautiful estate designed in 1947 by Desert Modernist architect E. Stewart Williams.

The estate will also be the setting for a special engagement called A Party at Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate "Celebrating Gene Kelly Through Dance" on Feb. 26. This special twilight reception produced in partnership with Nickerson-Rossi Dance and Palm Springs International Dance Festival will pay tribute to the dance legacy of the legendary Gene Kelly, a dear friend of Sinatra. The event will feature special guest Patricia Kelly.

Several other significant parties will be offered as well, including:

Retro Martini Party on Feb. 25. This annual fundraiser for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation will take place at the stunning Ware Estate designed by modernist architect Don Boss.

The 8,060 square-foot estate is sited on a prominent one-and-a-half-acre lot in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood in Palm Springs and features spectacular mountain views and seven infinity-edge pools around the expansive property

The Jet Set – Palm Springs Modern Committee Gala Benefit on Feb. 19 will allow attendees to experience the golden age of Jet Setter glamour at the Abernathy Residence, William Cody’s masterpiece Class 1 historic site designed in 1962 for millionaire socialite James Logan Abernathy. This beautiful modernist estate features a soaring pavilion-style home that takes full advantage of the outdoors and the beautiful desert evenings.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM RICHE
Take a tour of midcentiry homes in Rancho Mirage.

FIRST-TIME MODERNISM WEEK TOURS

Feb. 24-25: The Mystique of Shadow Mountain: A Palm Desert Walking Tour. Experience the golden age of midcentury architecture on a docent-led walk of Palm Desert’s Shadow Mountain area featuring homes by Frey, Krisel, and White, ending with refreshments at Shadow Mountain Resort.
Calypso Palms (2/25, $45): This classic 1960s midcentury boutique community is being offered as a Modernism Week tour for the very first time.

Feb. 19: Where Rancho Mirage Began: A Self-Guided Tour of Eclectic Midcentury Homes in Magnesia Falls Cove. This self-guided driving tour features an intriguing array of homes from the 1940s-1960s in the city's original locale, Magnesia Falls Cove.

Feb. 18: Behind Those Gateways and Getaways: Hidden Gems of Indian Wells. This one-of-a-kind tour provides special access to six private country clubs in Indian Wells highlighting distinguished architectural clubhouses and picturesque residential properties.

Feb. 23: Crank-Garland House, an Indian Wells Landmark Designed by William F. Cody. Known as “The Lost Cody” this home was originally designed for Filmore Crank and actress Beverly Garland by William F. Cody in the early 1960s and has been fully restored.

WilliamHoldenEstatePalmSprings

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LEWIS MARSHALL
Take a tour of the William Holden estate in Palm Springs.

RETURNING FAVORITES

Modernism Week aficionados will be pleased to see that “audience favorite” events will return this year. These include the Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tours (including a Twilight Architectural Bus Tour and special tours led by Charles Phoenix), the Modernism Show & Sale on the first weekend, the Vintage Travel Trailer Show on the second weekend, tours of Sunnylands, tours of Frey House II, tours of iconic homes in the Coachella Valley (including residences formerly owned by Frank Sinatra, William Holden, Kirk Douglas, and Magda Gabor).

In addition, check out the Modern Garden Tour, Palm Springs Historical Society Walking Tours, neighborhood tours, tours of the exclusive Lautner Compound, nightly entertainment by PS Underground, fashion-related events including a Studio 54 Fashion Show, and tours of the historic Temple Isaiah.

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