Palm Springs Modernism Week, February 14- 24, 2013, will kick off on Thursday, February 14, 2013 from 4-6 pm, with an opening ceremony and reception at Birba, located at 622 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. The event is free to the public, and will include a no-host bar and delicious hors d’oeuvres. Guests will also celebrate the first night of Illuminated Modern, an event that an event that showcases a selection of contemporary and mid-century architecture designed by the desert’s prominent architects, located along Palm Canyon Drive, that are specially illuminated for each night of Modernism Week.
“The buildings will have the added effect of using colored LED lights with a script that will describe the year it was built and the architect of the building,” explains William Kopelk, Associate Director of Modernism Week. “We have also added some new modern buildings to the show as well, and for the first time there will be an Illuminated Modern Sunset Bus Tour on Monday, February 18th at 5:30pm atop our signature double-decker bus.”
Modernism Week is one of the country’s most popular annual events, bringing together professionals and fans seeking to celebrate everything that accompanied this popular 1950s and 60s design aesthetic, which typified clean, simple lines and celebrated elegant informality. This unique event brings in visitors from every state in the U.S. and across the globe, with attendance expected to soar well beyond last year’s estimated 35,000.
The 11-day celebration will feature more than 100 events, including the Modernism Show (Feb 15-18) at the Palm Springs Convention Center. This year, guests can take advantage of a new information/hospitality center located inside the Hilton Hotel, where they can mix and mingle with the mod squad and get all the latest information plus access to last minute ticket sales.
Pre-registration for the Illuminated Modern Opening Ceremony & Reception is required, and can be completed by emailing IlluminatedMod12@aol.com. It’s not too late to plan to be a part of it all in beautiful Palm Springs, and for all the latest information and an update on ticket sales, please visit www.modernismweek.com.
About Palm Springs Modernism Week:
Palm Springs Modernism Week, a non-profit organization that produces the annual festival, is a celebration of mid-century modern design, architecture and culture, and features more than 100 events including home tours, films, lectures, fashion, and swank receptions at locations rarely-seen by the public.
As the only such event in the country when it was launched in 2006, Palm Springs Modernism Week has helped fuel a robust national interest in the preservation and appreciation of modernism. Palm Springs Modernism Week supports local and state preservation organizations in their efforts to preserve modernist architecture throughout the state of California. It also awards annual scholarships to high school students who have selected architecture and design as their career paths.
