Category: Palm Springs Modernism Events

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Movies Make Palm Springs The Place to Be & Places to Stay

The Palm Springs International ShortFest, June 19-25, once again draws film buffs, stars, directors, and filmmakers to Palm Springs during what is known as the “shoulder season.”

This means lower hotel rates and great restaurant deals are in effect, so it’s the perfect time to explore Palm Springs without the huge crowds and high costs.

It’s also a great time to submerge in the Modernism experience by staying at one of the Mid-Century Modern boutique hotels, taking a city tour of the many Desert Modern public buildings and neighborhoods, exploring on foot the treasures of the Uptown Design District, and dining in hip retro restaurants with an ultra-modern vibe. Continue reading “Movies Make Palm Springs The Place to Be & Places to Stay”

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Get a Taste of Modernism During Restaurant Week, June 1-10

Come to the desert during Restaurant Week, June 1-10, and get a taste of Modernism.

Many of Palm Springs hippest restaurants offer both cuisine and vibe that brings back America’s post-war era of optimism and creativity, reinterpreted to today’s trends.

Submerge yourself in the whole retro experience by taking a tour of Mid-Century homes and public buildings, scouring for the perfect chair along Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District, and then dining at some of Palm Springs ultra-chic, revamped spots.

Here are a few cool retro places in Palm Springs: Continue reading “Get a Taste of Modernism During Restaurant Week, June 1-10”

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Wexler’s Steel Development House No. 2 Now Listed on National Register of Historic Places

Architect Donald Wexler’s Steel Development House No. 2 — located on North Sunny View Drive —  is the first midcentury structure in Palm Springs to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house received national distinction March 30, 2012 after current homeowner, Brian McGuire, a member of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, applied to the California Office of Historic Preservation, providing many qualified letters in support.  The nomination was unanimously recommended, and the director of the National Park Service accepted the nomination. Continue reading “Wexler’s Steel Development House No. 2 Now Listed on National Register of Historic Places”

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What’s After Modernism Week in Palm Springs? Plenty!

While Modernism Week just ended, there are plenty of great events that highlight the desert’s modern lifestyle.

For fashionistas and foodies, it’s Fashion Week El Paseo 2012, March 16-24 and the companion Food+Wine Festival Palm Desert, March 23-26, all in the big white tent on Larkspur between El Paseo and Shadow Mountain in the heart of Palm Desert.

Fashion Week showcases the newest collections of top designers and fresh ideas by emerging designers from Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.  The event is produced by Palm Springs Life Magazine and has grown to be one of the most popular fashion events.

Guests enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the “ultra lounge” before each night’s runway show. Pre-parties, after-parties, trunk shows, in-store and charity events add up to a whirlwind week of breathtaking fashions and innovative programs. Continue reading “What’s After Modernism Week in Palm Springs? Plenty!”

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Palm Springs Modernism Week Events at Forefront in February

Palm Springs Modernism Week is one of the country’s most popular annual events for architects, modernism art and design fans, and mid century modern culture buffs.
The seventh annual Modernism Week, February 16-26, 2012 brings thousands to Palm Springs for 11 days of double-decker bus tours, lectures, films, exhibits, a vintage fashion show, and parties that celebrate the architecture and culture of the 1950-60s era. Modernism Week offers more than 75 events including some firsts for the Coachella Valley. Continue reading “Palm Springs Modernism Week Events at Forefront in February”

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Backyard Oasis Opens Saturday, January 21 at the Palm Springs Art Museum

Herb Ritts, Richard Gere – Poolside, 1982, C-type print, Courtesy of the Herb Ritts Foundation, Los Angeles © Herb Ritts Foundation

Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982  opens January 21 in the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Wing.  www.psmuseum.org

Beyond some of the obvious glamorous shots of Marilyn Monroe, Ann Miller, Rock Hudson, Liberace, and other stars, the exhibit explores more deeply how photography emerged during as an important medium of fine art, according to Palm Springs Life editor Steven Biller in his art feature this month, breaking the surface. Continue reading “Backyard Oasis Opens Saturday, January 21 at the Palm Springs Art Museum”

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See The Marilyn Monroe Photo Exhibit During the Palm Springs International Film Festival

The Palm Springs International Film Festival  opens this week with hundreds of filmgoers, movie makers, directors, actors and celebrities expected to attend the annual gala on Saturday, Jan. 7 and more than 100 films during the 11 day festival.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place Jan 5-16.  Visit www.psfilmfest.org for tickets, information or to search for movies and screening times.

Besides the incredible array of films, galas and parties, one of the non-film highlights is an exhibition of Marilyn Monroe photographs that will be on display in stores and restaurants throughout Palm Springs Uptown Design District all during the festival. Continue reading “See The Marilyn Monroe Photo Exhibit During the Palm Springs International Film Festival”

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Palm Springs Art Museum Exhibits Capture Mid Century Art, Life

Blast from the Past: 60s and 70s Geometric Abstraction, now on exhibit in the Annenberg Wing at the Palm Springs Art Museum through December 23, is a vivid, powerful collection of geometric abstract paintings, sculpture and prints from the 1960s and 70s, a period known for its purity of style.

www.psmuseum.org

Some 100 artworks represent a variety of ideas in optical art (Op Art), kinetic art, minimalism, hard-edge and color field. Many of the works have rarely been or are on view for the first time in this impressive exhibit.

Purely abstract forms – square, rectangle, triangle, circle and geometric volumes such as the cube and cone — suggest architecture and geometry, while the artists’ use of primary colors, lines and compositional devices present a sensual experience, illustrating alternative ideas about art and principles of reality.

Op Art, a trend that uses optical illusions to simulate motion and other perceptual shifts, is seen in the experiments of Victor Vasarely, Carlos Cruz-Diez and Yascov Agam.  Bright primary colors finely interspersed with complementary hues, creates visual interactions between the colors that seem to give off light and vibrations.

In Jesus Rafael Soto’s classic work, the sensation of constant flux transforms color, space, line into a new perceptual experience. Continue reading “Palm Springs Art Museum Exhibits Capture Mid Century Art, Life”

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A Swingin’ Affair Benefit December 11 Celebrates Frank Sinatra’s Birthday At Two Mid Century Modern Landmarks

Frank Sinatra’s former Twin Palms estate, designed by E. Stewart Williams,

A Swinging’ Affair on December 11, a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, celebrates Frank Sinatra’s birthday and promises gala-goers a taste of Sinatra’s swingin’ lifestyle at two of his favorite Mid-Century  hangouts.

From a cocktail party at Sinatra’s former Twin Palms estate to a grand gala at the Riviera Resort and Spa and late-night after party in the Riviera’s Starlite Lounge, guests experience the Rat Pack lifestyle for an evening .  At the Riviera, glitzy talent includes Frank Sinatra, Jr. with his 20 piece orchestra, singer Lainie Kazan with Matt Dusk and Daniel Joseph Baker from America’s Got Talent.  Actress Pamela Anderson is host of the Grand Gala.

The evening offers a rare opportunity to hang out and enjoy cocktails at listen to the live music of Buddy Greco Jr. Trio with Matt Dusk crooning at Sinatra’s former home, a modernism landmark  by noted architect E. Stewart Williams. Continue reading “A Swingin’ Affair Benefit December 11 Celebrates Frank Sinatra’s Birthday At Two Mid Century Modern Landmarks”

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Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Atop the Tram on Dec. 4

A monumental Mid-Century landmark, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway continues to play an important part in the Coachella Valley’s tourism industry as major attraction and a visible beacon from the mountain signaling seasonal events to residents below.

The official Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be on Sunday, December 4.  Actor and comedian Ronnie Schell will be the Celebrity Tree Lighter and  festivities begin at the Mountain Station at 5:30pm with the Palm Springs High School Choir singing a selection of holiday songs.  When the tree is lit, it can be seen throughout the Coachella Valley.   Both the Valley Station and Mountain Station will be festively decorated. Continue reading “Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Atop the Tram on Dec. 4”