About Us
The non-profit organization that produces Modernism Week has a new identity to share with the public. The organization’s new name is MADE, an acronym for Modern Architecture Design Experiences. Under the expanded brand name, MADE (dba Modernism Week) will continue working as they have since 2006 to produce year-round architecture and design-centered programming in Palm Springs and other areas. MADE provides a platform for the organization’s future growth and educational efforts throughout southern California and beyond.
Its mission is to celebrate and foster appreciation of midcentury architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in the greater Palm Springs area.
MADE (dba Modernism Week) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Palm Springs, California. EIN 27-1259579.
Our Activites
MADE’s annual February event is Modernism Week, a world-class, eleven-day celebration of midcentury modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture in the Palm Springs area. Modernism Week has more than 100,000 attendees each year that participate in more than 350 events. Highlights of the festival include the Modernism Show, Signature Home Tours, films, lectures, Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tours, nightly parties, live music events, walking and bike tours, tours of Sunnylands, fashion shows, classic cars, modern garden tours, a vintage travel trailer exhibition, and more.
In addition to the events in February, Modernism Week hosts a similar four-day event in the fall called Modernism Week – October. Partner organizations collaborate to produce a “mini-Modernism Week” and kick-off the active social and recreational season in Palm Springs. This fall event offers some of the most popular tours from February, as well as new adventures, talks, and parties highlighting midcentury and modern architecture throughout the Palm Springs area.
In May 2023, a new event called MADE in Beverly Hills was launched in partnership with the City of Beverly Hills. This new four-day architecture and design festival was a citywide family-friendly festival that celebrated and promoted education about the architecture, art, culture, and community of Beverly Hills. The festival featured more than 20 events including iconic tours, lectures, films, and parties.
Seasonally, from October to May, MADE offers Architecture Tours by Modernism Week. In partnership with Trevor O’Donnell of PS Architecture Tours, these tours provide intimate, in-depth architectural tours, exploring history, modern architecture and design throughout the city of Palm Springs. The tour is a carefully curated survey of the important architectural history of the Palm Springs area with a personalized view into midcentury modern culture and lifestyle.
In addition to festival events and seasonal architectural tours, MADE produces specially curated, domestic and international small group architectural trips and excursions. Past trips have included Havana, Mexico City, New Canaan, CT, Columbus, IN, and other architectural destinations.
MADE is also a charitable organization, providing scholarships to local students pursuing college educations in the fields of architecture and design. It supports local and state preservation organizations and neighborhood groups in their efforts to preserve modernist architecture throughout the state of California. More than $250,000 in scholarship funds have been given to aspiring architects and designers since the program began in 2011.
Our History
In 2006, following the success of both the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale and the annual symposium organized by the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Council, a group of local design and architecture aficionados created Modernism Week’s signature event in February to showcase the world-renowned midcentury modern architecture of Palm Springs.
Among the members of the initial steering committee were representatives from the Modernism Show & Sale, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, the Palm Springs Modern Committee, the Palm Springs Historical Society, and the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Modernism Week became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2009, and adopted the name MADE in 2019. The Board of Directors, staff, consultants, and volunteers remain devoted to preserving the integrity of its mission and the high quality of MADE and Modernism Week programs.
The Board of Directors, staff and volunteers remain devoted to preserving the integrity of its mission and the high quality of Modernism Week programs, while keeping sights set on future growth and expansion of the organization.Our Board
William Kopelk, ChairmanGary Johns, Secretary
Mark Davis, Treasurer
Frances Anderton
Regina Basterrechea
Michelle Boudreau
Maureen Erbe
Alan Hess
John Murphy
Anne Rowe
Senior Leadership Team
Lisa Vossler Smith, CEO
Alex Addrisi, Director of Partner Events
Sara Dawson, Director of Sponsorship
John Miraglia, Director of Operations & Controller
Our Staff
Marshall Brown, Volunteer Coordinator
Delaney Henry, Ecommerce Support
Roy Komassa, Administrative Coordinator
Evelyn Yardley, Neighborhood Tours Coordinator