Live Talks, Films, and Lectures


Modernism Week 2025

Still frame from the documentary Return to the House of Tomorrow with a midcentury modern interior and a man and woman on a sofa

Illuminating Live Presentations, Historic Films, and Experts in Engaging Conversation

Join historians and experts revealing the stories behind the art and archicture of modernism through live talks, presentations, and movies. Learn about the beginnings and legacy of modernism and how it continues its influence today with in-depth explorations of a wide variety of topics. Hear talks discussing the international connections with American architecture and the German Bauhaus arts movement, or today's artists carrying modernism into the future. Take a moment out of the sun at the Annenberg Theater, or a detour to Joshua Tree to explore the historic Joshua Tree Retreat Center featuring the largest collection of Lloyd Wright's work.

Hear the voices and stories that live on today through the places and sights presented by Modernism Week.

2025 Films, Talks, and Lectures Spotlight

All 2025 Films, Talks, and Lectures

  • Survival Through Restoration: Neutra’s Legacy in Palm Springs

    Alan Hess in conversation with Beth Edwards Harris on restoring Kaufmann Residence and Catherine Meyler on restoring Grace Miller House, and their contributions to Richard Neutra's legacy in Palm Springs.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 14th
  • Hotel Kitsch: A Colorful Journey Through America's Themed Getaways and Honeymoon Suites

    Join Margaret and Corey Bienert of A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour as they unveil America's most vibrant themed hotels and fantasy suites, showcasing their unique charm, history, and allure.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 14th
  • Desert Modernism 101: From Bauhaus to Our House

    Enjoy an informative and entertaining look at the principles of design that rocked the world of architecture in post-war America.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 14th
  • Dueling Visions: Six Moon Hill and Twin Palms "Early Midcentury Modern Communities on the East and West Coasts"

    Six Moon Hill near Boston is celebrated as an early midcentury enclave as is Twin Palms in Palm Springs, CA. Architects and experts in MCM restoration, Colin Flavin and Tim Techler, compare them.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 14th
  • What Was the Bauhaus? Its Legacy is Both Universal and Universally Misunderstood

    The Bauhaus, founded in Germany 100 years ago, lasted only 14 years before the Nazis closed it. Yet its innovative legacy transformed art, design, and architecture for decades to come.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th
  • Mies in Brno, Beyond the Glass Room: Restoring Villa Tugendhat

    Villa Tugendhat by Mies van der Rohe is a masterpiece of early 20th-century Modernism. Executive Director, Iveta Černá, who led its acclaimed restoration, presents its history and significance.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th
  • The Art of the Showroom: Theaters and Nightlife in the Catskills

    Explore the Catskills' role as the birthplace of American comedy through vivid night scenes and rare theater images. Join Isaac Jeffreys for a visual talk and Q&A about this glamorous era!

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th
  • Keynote Presentation: Dr. Raymond Neutra–Survival Through Design

    Modernism Week is honored to welcome Dr. Raymond Neutra, President of the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, as our 2025 Keynote Speaker. VIP

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th
  • Modernism Week brand marque with view overlooking Palm Springs valley and palm trees

    Charles Phoenix Presents Googieland! A Celebration of Atomic Age Architecture and Design

    “Googie style is the JAZZ of midcentury Modern style” says Ambassador of Americana, Charles Phoenix. It went off the rails and shattered all the rules. So buckle up and take off to Googieland!

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th
  • The Weird and Wonderful World of Industrial Musicals

    An astonishing look at the secret corporate musical theater we were never meant to see—via bizarrely funny vintage film clips presented by Letterman Show and The Simpsons writer Steve Young!

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th - Feb 16th
  • WORLD PREMIER FILM - THE HARVARD 5: a story of love, architecture, and a design revolution

    This newly completed documentary tells the little-known story of 5 ground-breaking architects and designers who ignited a Modern design revolution from the least likely place–colonial New Canaan, CT. Reception

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 15th
  • Discovering Our Modern Modernists

    Artist and gallery owner Terry Hastings gives an engaging overview of some featured local artists and their midcentury Modern influences in this “sneak peek" of the upcoming Arts Districts Tour.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • All Inclusive Black Mountain College Presentation and Workshop Series: 2-day session

    'Black Mountain College All Inclusive Ticket' to attend all 5 BMC presentations and 1 hands-on workshop, including box lunch for . 2 Annenberg events 2/16 and 4 CAMP events 2/17., 5 presentations, workshop & lunch

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • Black Mountain College: Outsized Influence and Everyday Life

    Historian David Silver, author of the new book The Farm at Black Mountain College, presents a dynamic, inspiring, and lively vision of the life and death of the legendary experimental college.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • Marvelous Motels: Southern California’s Legacy Motels

    An architectural journey of fabulous motels that were designed to stand out. Barkev Msrlyan from Merch Motel showcases contemporary and vintage photographs of Southern California's midcentury motels.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • Bakelite, Bone & Bamboo: The Mystical Chinese Game of Mahjong

    “Click clack” go the tiles. What is this mysterious Chinese game of mahjong? Learn how it's played, why it's so popular and explore the thrill of collecting exotic vintage sets.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • Teaching Materials: Josef and Anni Albers at the Bauhaus and Black Mountain College

    Albers scholars Fritz Horstman and Michael Beggs examine Black Mountain College's legendary art curriculum through the textural and textile teachings of Anni and Josef Albers.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • Ceramics for the Modern Landscape: The Story of the Architectural Pottery Company

    The authors of the first book to document the history of the groundbreaking company Architectural Pottery explore its critical influence on midcentury design and enduring appeal.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 16th
  • The College that Built Itself: A. Lawrence Kocher and Architecture at Black Mountain College

    A journey into the architectural legacy of Black Mountain College, including the campus building program, the iconic Studies Building, and innovative buildings by A. Lawrence Kocher and alumni.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th
  • Anni Albers’s Midcentury Textile Designs After Black Mountain College

    Anni Albers scholar Brenda Danilowitz describes the evolution of two of the textile designer's previously unpublished midcentury private commissions for interiors and their architectural settings.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th
  • Stories Untold: Howard Smith–Rediscovering A Lost Black Modernist

    The Stories Untold series continues with Howard Smith, the only Black artist to gain prominence amid post-war Scandinavian Modernism. However, his work is almost entirely unknown in the United States.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th
  • WORKSHOP + LUNCH: Interacting with Color: A Practical Guide to Josef Albers's Color Experiments

    Participate in a hands-on color workshop, led by Albers Foundation Education Director Fritz Horstman, using the methods and principles of Josef Albers. Materials and a box lunch included.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th
  • Fallingwater’s Edgar Kaufmann, jr.: The Life and Legacy of a Modern Movement Tastemaker

    Edgar Kaufmann, jr. is famed for preserving Fallingwater, but he was also a renowned architectural historian and MoMA curator. Justin Gunther, director of Fallingwater, shares his influential story.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th
  • Ruth Asawa, Jane Slater Marquis, and Black Mountain College’s Artistic Legacy

    Explore the inspiring lives and artistic contributions of Jane Slater Marquis and Ruth Asawa, two women alumnae of Black Mountain College in the 1940s, and their lasting impact on art and culture.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th
  • “Everyone in the Car!” California Roadside Amusements Vintage Home Movie Cocktail Hour with Deserted Films

    Road Trip! Be entertained by Deserted Films and their curated selection of vintage amateur 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 films shot at major (and minor!) California attractions and play Auto Bingo for prizes.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 17th - Feb 22nd
  • McUrbia: The 1950s and the Birth of Contemporary American Landscape

    In the mid-1950s, key events initiated significant changes in America, creating a landscape shaped by transformations that began over 75 years ago. These shifts continue to influence our lives today.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 18th
  • The Glamorous Gardens of Tommy Tomson

    Tommy Tomson, known as the “Landscape Architect to the Stars,” arrived in Hollywood in the 1920s, but chose landscape architecture over acting, designing spaces from Hollywood to the Coachella Valley.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 18th
  • Working in Tranquility: Landscapes, Interiors and the Modernist Corporate Campus

    Many Modernist corporate campuses, designed by some of the world's most renowned designers, incorporating landscapes and furnishings as integral components, are at risk in our post-pandemic world.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 18th
  • Learning by Inhabiting: Restoring and Living Luis Barragán’s Casa Pedregal

    César Cervantes shares a remarkable journey of restoration and his profound connection to his magnificent residence, Casa Pedregal (1952), Luis Barragán's largest residential work.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 18th
  • An Evening with the Daughters of Design: Bertoia, Eames, and Saarinen

    Eero Saarinen, Charles Eames, and Harry Bertoia–three design legends. Enter Susan Saarinen, Carla (Eames) Hartman, and Celia Bertoia. Three descendants of these design icons who continue their legacy.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 18th
  • Honey, I'm Back! MORE Classic Television Residences as Never Before Seen

    Honey, I'm Home! sold out in just one week last February! Now, Marina Coates returns with Honey, I'm Back!—an all-new collection of unique, entertaining, and informative tours of famous TV residences.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Concrete Modernism: The Architecture of Canada's Arthur Erickson

    Arthur Erickson is widely regarded as Canada's greatest architect, renowned for his innovative designs and profound impact on contemporary architecture. Historian Donald Luxton provides an overview.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Leedy Legacy

    Max Strang, AIA, provides an in-depth exploration of Gene Leedy's pivotal role in the Sarasota School of Architecture, highlighting his works journey from post-and-beam structures to Brutalism.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Passionate Home Preservation: Inside and Out

    This fascinating lecture by interior designer Bill Stewart highlights several of his successful design projects with a focus on his recent renovation of the King Gillette Estate (1923) in the Mesa.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • American Modern: The Architecture and Legacy of Columbus, Indiana

    American Modern is the first comprehensive book showcasing how civic, industrial, and social forces converged to create our nation's leading laboratory of architectural Modernism in Columbus, Indiana.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • The Eye and the Inn: The O’Donnell House and the Legendary Desert Inn

    Local historian and author Tracy Conrad will explore the fascinating histories of the Thomas O'Donnell House and the Desert Inn.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Canyon Country Club: Transforming Palm Springs' South End

    Palm Springs Preservation Foundation board member Steve Treinen presents Canyon Country Club's social and architectural history through vintage and contemporary imagery.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Saving an Icon: The Restoration of Hotel Lautner

    Co-owner and designer Tracy Beckmann provides her personal insights into the renovation of the award-winning Hotel Lautner (designed by renowned Modernist architect John Lautner in 1947).

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Breeze Blocks are Back!

    The HSPD invites Modernists to experience our new Breeze Block garden. This inexpensive, thus democratic, material suited not only the hot desert sun but also the ethos of MCM. Architecture for all.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Palm Springs Plays Itself: A Vintage Home Movie Cocktail Hour with Deserted Films

    Local home movie film archive, Deserted Films, will screen and provide entertaining context for a selection of amateur vintage 16mm, 8mm and Super 8 films shot in and around Palm Springs.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • FILM PREMIERE: Preservation Mirage Presents Richard Neutra’s Maslon House

    The Maslon House, a Modernist masterpiece by Richard Neutra, was razed in 2002, sparking international outrage. Preservation Mirage's film captures its legacy through interviews and archival footage.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 19th
  • Glass or Not Glass? That’s the Lina Bo Bardi Question

    A close look at Lina Bo Bardi's Glass House in Brazil reveals that it is a hybrid project and, like her less known nearby Cirell House, reflects on the multifaceted ambiguity of Modern architecture.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • The True Masters of Design: Stunning Design Principles Found Only in the Cinema

    What do set designers know that we don't? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot! With a degree in architecture and an obsession with set design, Marina Coates takes a look at “cinematic design".

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • Renewing the Rothko Chapel’s Legacy of Art, Spirituality and Social Justice

    The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas is a locus of art, spirituality and social justice. Adam Yarinsky, Principal of Architecture Research Office, shares the Chapel's renovation and expansion story.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • A Landslide and a Masterpiece: The Disassembly of Lloyd Wright’s Wayfarer’s Chapel

    When an ancient landslide began to shift alarmingly 6-9 inches per week in 2024, a team of preservation architects and engineers mobilized to save the beloved Wayfarer's Chapel by Lloyd Wright.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • Space Age, Youthquake & Prints Gone Wild: Modernism in Fashion by Trina Turk

    Trina Turk explores the dynamic intersection of cultural shifts and midcentury fashion, highlighting the work of iconic designers including Pierre Cardin, Mary Quant, Rudi Gernreich, and Marimekko.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • Let the Sun In–Todd Oldham Presents Alexander Girard

    Todd Oldham returns to MW to present his signature fast-paced presentation of the vibrant and iconic designs of Alexander Girard. A visual feast from over 800 images found in his lavish new book.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • Livin' the 50s: A Myth America Pageant

    Quirky. Fun. Nostalgic. Irreverent. Livin' the 50s celebrates the inhibitions and excesses, the bravado and innocence, the exuberance and repression that was America in the mid-20th century.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • Hollywood Meets the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre: A Multimedia Journey

    A community invitation to attend an engaging multimedia experience celebrating the historic Plaza Theatre, the rich history of Palm Springs, and the magic of the silver screen!

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 20th
  • From Beverly Hills to Desert Elegance: Exploring Harold W. Levitt’s Design Vision

    Join author and historian Steven Price as he presents the first comprehensive study of Harold W. Levitt's architecture, exploring its origins, significance, and newfound appreciation.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 21st
  • Palm Springs Tiki: Polynesia in the Desert

    During the midcentury, Modernism and primitivism united spectacularly in Palm Springs. Authors Sven Kirsten and Peter Moruzzi have traced the unique history of Polynesian pop in the California desert.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 21st
  • Reflections of a Modernist Writer with Alan Hess

    At this lecture Hess will reflect on his career, exploring the process of writing, examining how subjects have naturally connected and intersected in unexpected ways over his 35 years of writing.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 21st
  • Bowlarama: The Architecture of Midcentury Bowling

    Celebrate the architecture and style of an iconic American pastime: Bowling! Chris Nichols and Adriene Biondo take aim at the obsession that swept the post-war nation.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 21st
  • Divinely Inspired: Discussing the William F. Cody Design of St. Theresa Catholic Church with Catherine Cody and Morris Skenderian A.I.A.

    St. Theresa Catholic Church has been heralded as a prized masterpiece by William F. Cody. Catherine Cody & architect Morris Skenderian, AIA will share how Cody's total design plan was realized.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 21st
  • Simple! Fast! Modern! Fun! Taking the Road to Success with Midcentury Self-Improvement Records

    Let midcentury records improve your life! Instructional LPs featuring fitness gurus and wine connoisseurs that trimmed waists, and trained noses form a fascinating, forgotten facet of Modernist design.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 21st
  • Lost to Revolution: William F. Cody Projects in Havana, Cuba

    Noted for his work in California and Arizona, William F. Cody also designed projects internationally, including Havana. The revolution halted construction of his 1955 Villa Real Golf Club and Hotel.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 22nd
  • The Palm Springs School: A Symposium

    This symposium by Palm Springs Art Museum and Palm Springs Architectural Alliance establishes Palm Springs Desert Modernism as a unique architectural movement. Hear from the experts and see homes on tour.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 22nd
  • Garry Knox Bennett: Crafting the Counter Culture–Film Screening and Talk

    Garry Knox Bennett was an important Bay Area designer/craftsman whose singular vision, finely crafted furniture and sculpture influenced the counterculture of California in the 60s and 70s and beyond.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 22nd
  • Palace Costume: Hollywood’s Best Kept Fashion Secret

    A behind-the-scenes glimpse into Palace Costume & Prop Co., an exclusive LA film-industry haven of dresses, gowns, accessories, props, and jewelry featured in countless movies for more than 50 years.

    Activity Date(s)Calendar
    Feb 22nd

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