To celebrate the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement’s (do.co,mo.mo) National Tour Day on October 8 and 9, 2011, PALM SPRINGS MODERNISM WEEK is pleased to offer its most popular event, the Modernism Double Decker Bus Architectural Tour, a fun, open-air, double decker bus tour of Palm Springs’ notable mid-century modern architecture.

The tour is conducted by a guide who is knowledgeable about the local renowned modernist architects and their striking architecture, as well as Palm Springs’ fascinating 90-year history as a glamorous destination and celebrity outpost. The three-hour bus tour focuses on the exteriors of dozens of residential homes and commercial mid-century modern buildings throughout Palm Springs. Participants will learn the history of Palm Springs’ architecture and the celebrated architects that put modernism on the map. As ground zero for mid-century modern architecture, and with the world’s largest concentration of mid-century modern architecture, participants will see why Palm Springs draws modernism aficionados from around the world.

As a bonus, participants will receive free admission to the architecturally-significant Palm Springs Art Museum, designed by the late modernist architect E. Stewart Williams, a 10% discount from the Museum’s gift shop, a complimentary booklet on Class 1 Historic Sites of Palm Springs produced by the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, and a tour map of modern architecture in Palm Springs from the Palm Springs Modern Committee.
$75

For more tickets, go to: http://www.ticketderby.com/vendor/modernism-week-id-1809

Paul Kaplan Modern Real Estate Agent, Kris Rain, recently attended the first-annual Agnes Pelton Birthday Tea–on August 22, 2011–was hosted by Peter Palladino and Simeon Den, the new owners of Pelton’s former home in Cathedral City. Though Pelton died in 1961, her presence at the gathering was as strong as if she had just gone out for ice cubes.

The event marks a hometown revival for the artist. For years the city paid little notice that one of the West’s most visionary artists spent her working days here. Recently there’s a growing awareness that Pelton is as important to Cathedral City as Georgia O’Keeffe to Abiquiu.

A transcendental artist who also painted classic desert landscapes, Pelton has often been compared to O’Keeffe—though some critics say she is better than the New Mexico master. For more on Pelton, see: http://www.californiadesertart.com/?p=226

The revival started with an accidental purchase. Photographers Peter Palladino and Simeon Den were looking for a second home in Cathedral City last year (they live part-time in the downtown LA arts district) when they found the duplex at 68-680 “F” street. The home was originally on “E” street before the entrance was switched to the rear of the home.

It wasn’t until after they’d cemented the deal that real estate agent Kris Rain told them they’d just purchased the former home of a great artist. Rain, too, had been unaware it was Pelton’s home when she sold the house. That’s how far Pelton had fallen out of local consciousness.

When Pelton completed her house in 1939, Cathedral City was a tiny outpost. The artist bummed rides from her neighbors (she didn’t drive) and was involved in small town life. She lived in the house for 20 years, incorporating the views of Mt. San Jacinto and stars over the mountains into her most famous works.

Among the guests at the birthday tea was Kris Rain, the real estate agent who sold the house, and her companion, the artist Snake Jagger. Pelton scholar Nancy Strow Sheley drove all the way from Long Beach. Cathedral City resident Michael Petit tentatively showed around his new desert landscape painting. Artist Nancy O’Donnell took guests–such as fellow artist Joné Dupré– to see her work in her apartment next door. (The Pelton house was turned into a duplex at some point; and Nancy rents part of it). To read full post, go to Calfornia Desert Art http://www.californiadesertart.com/?p=1018

According to the visitor’s survey, attendance for the 2011 Modernism Week in Palm Springs was actually up 56% percent- up to 25,550 guests compared to the previous event’s attendance of 16,400.  This brought more than $7.5 million dollars into the valley for the week-long event.  76% of the visitors were not from the Coachella Valley- only 24% of the visitors were locals.  We already anticipating great things for the 2012 Modernism Week, which will be February 16-26; the upcoming event will be extended to a ten-day period, as it was this past year.  For more information, go to http://www.modernismweek.com/index.htm

One of the most overlooked attractions in Palm Springs is the fabulous Air Museum.  The museum houses one of the largest collection of flying WWII era planes.  It’s easy to forget what a provincial outpost Palm Springs was during World War II.  The El Mirador Hotel became a military hospital ( Now, it’s a hospital again), and Livmor and Playmor Streets have roundabouts that functioned as a holding area for fighter planes.  The displays are interesting, and the planes are especially interesting- you’ll realize what cramped flying conditions are once you’re in the cabin of some of these big bombers.  Check the museum’s website http://palmspringsairmuseum.org/ for a full schedule- they host some special events thoughout the year, where being a passenger in some planes is an option.  See you at the hangar!

One of our favorite places to dine at night is Copley’s on Palm Canyon Drive.  they have excellent dinners in a wonderful setting, which also happens to be Cary Grant’s first residence in Palm Springs- how could you not want to have dinner at Cary Grant’s?  While most of the seating is outdoors, they have a very cheery dining room and a cute bar- and a great waitstaff.  Check out their menu at http://www.palmsprings.com/dine/copleys/index.html

Exciting news for historic preservation in Palm Springs:  The  Palm Springs Art Museum has purchased the former Santa Fe Savings and Loan bank from Wessman Holdings LLC. This international style 1960 building designed by E. Stewart Williams will be the focus of the museum’s architecture and design exhibitions and programs.
(Photo credit:Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan, 1960, Julius Shulman (1910 – 2009), photographer; E. Stewart Williams (1909-2005), architect, © J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute (2004.R.10)

Here’s a copy of the press release: 

“The structure will be restored to original mid-century design and house the museum’s architecture and design collections and provide future space for exhibitions”

June 24, 2011 (Palm Springs, CA) – The Palm Springs Art Museum announced today that it has purchased the historic 1960 Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan building in Palm Springs from Wessman Holdings LLC. The majority of the initial $2.8 million raised for the project came from the Edwards-Harris Family Trust and Trina Turk and Jonathan Skow and funded the $2.1 million purchase price.Additional amounts raised will be used to fully restore the building to its original mid-century modern design, based on the original E. Stewart Williams architectural working drawings, owned by the museum.In addition, images taken by the famous photographer Julius Shulman of the building (pictured at left) provides further documentation for a complete and accurate restoration.

Both Williams and Shulman are represented on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on the sidewalk directly in front of this iconic building. Marmol+Radziner Architects of Los Angeles, renowned for their restoration of two of the most significant homes in Palm Springs, the Kaufmann House and the Ship of the Desert, will offer their services pro bono to produce architectural drawings and provide the expertise needed for the restoration.

The building, designed by renowned mid-century modern architect E. Stewart Williams, is located at 300 South Palm Canyon Drive and was originally designed to house the Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan, which utilized the building until 1980. It then became the American Savings Bank and was then purchased by Sandy and John Wessman in 1997, when it briefly housed the offices of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It later became the corporate offices of Wessman Holdings and Wessman Development and has been vacant for more than a year.  

“We are thrilled to add this architecturally significant building to the museum’s collection,” said Steven Nash, Executive Director of the Palm Springs Art Museum. “This building will be devoted to architecture and design and provide excellent exhibition, program, and archive study space.  The main museum building, also designed by E. Stewart Williams, has long needed additional space to support the growing architecture and design collections and archives.  The addition of this important building will allow the museum to significantly expand our architecture and design programming.”

The building is a classic mid-century international style structure, and a Class I Historic Site. Situated in a prominent downtown location at the southeast corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Baristo Road, it is a glass pavilion with a lower level containing a vault, meeting space, storage space, kitchen, and restrooms with a total of more than 13,000 square feet.  A prime example of mid-century modern design, the building will will also provide a space for educational programming, community projects and provide a retail merchandise area that will supplement the current museum store.

The principal Palm Springs Art Museum building, on Museum Drive, is also a Class I Historic Site and the museum includes another historic structure as a part of its collection, Frey House II, perched on the San Jacinto mountain directly above the museum.  The Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan building joins the Frey House II as a stunning example of mid-century modern architecture in the museum’s permanent collection.

“It is an honor and a privilege to help spearhead such an important expansion of the Palm Springs Art Museum,” said Harold J. Meyerman, Chairman of the museum’s Board of Trustees. “Not only is the building a historic landmark, but its location on Palm Canyon will help raise the visibility of the museum to visitors and residents and will become one of the museum’s most important collection holdings.”

“Adding this historically important building to the museum’s collection reflects the growth of interest in architecture in our community,” said Sidney Williams, former chair of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board, Curator of Architecture and Design and the museum liaison for the Architecture and Design Council (ADC). “The building’s quality and location in Palm Springs, known worldwide as having one of the largest concentrations of modern architecture in the country, makes this an ideal site for educational programming in architecture and design.  It will also allow the museum to offer architecture and design exhibitions, showcase the numerous important gifts and loans the museum has acquired, and enable the museum to pursue additional gifts.”

Want to party like it’s 1959? Or 1949? Or 1939? Be sure to check out Melvyn’s Ingleside Inn.. While many Eastern Inns claim that George Washington slept here, Melvyn’s claim to fame is that Greta Garbo slept here. If you crave smoked mirrors, a Manhattan or a Sidecar, and a whirl around a dance floor, this is just the place for you. Even the menu is a throwback- calories? What are calories? Order Oysters Rockefeller; Both Steak Diane and a Caesar Salad, are prepared tableside in a dining room that looks like the set of the Dinah Shore Show. Whoop it up, this is the same venue where Frank Sinatra celebrated his wedding to Barbara! Melvyn’s is located at the corner of Ramon and Belardo. Be sure to dress to the nines, or you’ll feel out of place!

The Palm Springs’ El Rancho Vista Estates neighborhood (where I live) was featured in the latest version of Atomic Ranch magazine. 

This mid-century Palm Springs enclave consists of home designed mostly by Donald Wexler around 1960.  Over the years it had experienced some urban blight and decay.  However in the past 7 years, the neighborhood has had an extreme makeover!  Many of the mid-century homes have been redone and restored back to the original charm and glory. 

The neighborhood came together recently to form a neighborhood committee, recognized by the City of Palm Springs.  Erik Rosenow, the president of the neighborhood committee (I’m the secretary of the committee), wrote the article that chronicles his experience and info on this cool mid-century Palm Springs neighborhood.  Here’s an excerpt:

“It all started with a flyer on our doorstep in the autumnof 2009 indicating our house was of interest to the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation for a home tour. My wife and I had just purchased a Donald Wexler–designed house in the El Rancho Vista Estates neighborhood and were ecstatic that it could potentially be pushed into the limelight. Little did we know that this event would so positively turn the neighborhood into a community….”

To read the complete article, and order the magazine, please visit the link:  www.atomic-ranch.com

If you’d like to look at homes in the neighborhood, click here.

Russ Spencer issued this wonderful video on the Park Imperial South complex in South Palm Springs, designed by Barry Berkus. One of the most iconic mid-century condo complexes of the time. Unique architecture, which contributes to Palm Springs being the Mecca for mid-century design.  The Park Imperial South was a popular sold-out tour during Modernism Week 2011.

Modernism: The New Tradition from Russ Spencer on Vimeo.

For more information on this complex or available units for sale, please contact The Paul Kaplan Group.  We specialize in architectural real estate.

We’re in the process of documenting each of the mid-century neighborhoods here in Palm Springs.  The first in our series is the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood:

For more information on Vista Las Palmas or other Palm Springs neighborhoods, please contact The Paul Kaplan Group at 760-285-8559.

You can also visit our neighborhood map by clicking here.