Opening Night 2015 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair. Photo by Gregg Felsen.

Once deemed a hotspot of yore, Palm Springs has seen a full-blown revival in the past decade. The full-circle swing can largely be  attributed to the renewed interest in all things mid-century --- a style that is intrinsic to Palm Springs’ glamorous, California-cool vibe.

Tucked in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs began attracting Hollywood stars in the 1920s (as in Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Marilyn Monroe) looking for a little privacy, as well as artists, architects, and designers. Inspired by the dramatic landscape, Palm Springs’ creative set, which included Albert Frey, Richard Neutra, Donald Wexler, John Lautner, and a host of other Modernist pioneers, established what would come to be known as Desert Modern --- a sleek, sophisticated style defined by its simplicity, elegance, and reverence for the natural world.

While Palm Springs sees a consistent stream of design lovers thanks to its proliferation of magnificent and well-preserved architecture, Modernism Week attracts record crowds to the desert oasis. Launched in 2006 by a group of local design and architecture aficionados, the multifaceted event aimed at celebrating and fostering appreciation of mid-century modern architecture, art, and design, has grown exponentially and now includes over 250 events.

Bronze cobra dining table bases, 8 x 29 inches. Courtesy Royle.

Held February 11-21, 2016, Modernism Week will present a range of exhibitions, home tours, film screenings, lectures, and parties. But at the heart of the much buzzed about event is its catalyst --- the Palm Springs Modernism Show and Sale. Now in its sixteenth  year, the Palm Springs Modernism Show and Sale will be held from February 12-15, 2016, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The show will feature 85 national and international dealers offering everything from furniture and jewelry to fine art and decor. While works on view will represent all art and design movements of the twentieth century, a special emphasis will be placed on midcentury modern.

Among the must-see exhibitors is Royle, a Miami-based gallery that will be exhibiting at the show for the first time. Royle will have a trove of sleek and sophisticated pieces on hand, including an acrylic and steel console by Alessandro Albrizzi, a bronze cobra table base, a Milo Baughman bench with a polished chrome-finish steel frame, and a dining table from Paul Evans’ PE-24 series. Says Joseph Collins of Royle, “We are excited to do the show and share our enthusiasm for Modernism with Palm Springs.”

Bridges Over Time's new Palm Springs gallery space.

Among the show’s returning exhibitors is Bridges Over Time, which recently relocated from upstate New York to a 7,500-square-foot space in the Palm Springs Art + Design Gallery. Bridges Over Time will be exhibiting an array of treasures, including a three-piece, custom-made bench in exotic wood that can be configured in snake shape or a circle; a wonderful hand-carved screen in the shape of a nude; a red De Sede chair by Mathias Hoffmann; a pair of chairs by the Palm Springs-based designer Stephen Chase; sculptures by the New Jersey-based artist Fred Schumm; and paintings by Wilfred Machin, an artist, lecturer and instructor in life drawing, painting and composition at the Westchester Workshop in White Plains, New York. “We found a bunch of the paintings in a barn and they’re actually fabulous,” said Ed Koren of Bridges Over Time. 

Frank and Barbara Sinatra.

The Modernism Show & Sale will include a number of book signings, including Art Deco Furniture, an exhaustive volume tracing the development of American Art Deco furniture by the late dealer and scholar Rik Emmett (Emmett’s wife, Iza, will lead the signing); Unseen Mid-Century Desert Modern, a tome featuring photographs of secret Palm Springs architectural gems by Daniel Chavkin; and Andrew Howick’s Sinatra: The Photographs, which includes a foreword by Sinatra’s widow, Barbara. Both Howich and Sinatra will be on hand to sign the book, which includes captivating images of Frank, who personified Palm Springs’ Hollywood heyday, by Ted Allan, Bob Willoughby, Ed Thrasher, Sid Avery, and Bernie Abramson. The Sinatra signing will take place on Saturday, February 13, in Dragonette Ltd.’s booth, where the West Hollywood-based gallery will be exhibiting photographs of the star.

Strategically scheduled to coincide with Modernism Week, the 5th annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair will run from February 11-14, 2016, also at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The fair, which specializes in post-war and contemporary art, will feature over 65 exhibitors from across the country, including Gerald Peters Gallery, Habatat Galleries and Throckmorton Fine Art. Visitors can take in works by Andy Warhol, Eric Fischl and Daniel Sprick in Gerald Peters’ booth, while Habatat will be exhibiting pieces by studio glass artists Susan Taylor Glasgow, Tim Tate and Janusz Walentynowicz. According to Catherine McCormick of Gerald Peters Gallery, “This has always been a successful fair for us and we find it to be very user-friendly. Everything is easily accessible and of course there is the bonus of leaving snowy NYC for sunny southern California!”

Daniel Sprick “Through my Fingers,” 2010. Oil on board, 60 x 60 inches. Courtesy Gerald Peters Gallery.

If you need a break from the show floor, we suggest hopping on one of Modernism Week’s double-decker architectural bus tours, which take passengers to iconic modernist structures, including Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann Desert House and Donald Wexler’s steel houses, or, stopping by the Palm Springs Art Museum to sit in on one of the many lectures taking place in the institution’s Annenberg Theater. Highlights include a conversation between legendary designer Vladimir Kagan and Elle Decor editor in chief Michael Boodro and a presentation on Michigan Modern led by Brian Conway, director of Michigan’s State Historic Preservation Office. Additional lectures will explore the lives and work of such luminaries as George Nelson, Albert Frey, Charles and Ray Eames, William Krisel and William F. Cody.

You can also pop into the Modernism Week Show House, led by the Palm Springs-based interior designer Christopher Kennedy (make a pit stop at his vibrant and glamorous studio/showroom in the city’s Design District on your way). Dubbed the Christopher Kennedy Compound, the Show House will feature curated rooms by such tastemakers as Michael Berman, Michel Boyd, Julia Buckingham, Patrick Dragonette, Jamie Durie, Kelli Ellis, Kelly Golightly, Carson Kressley, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Denise McGaha, Justin Shaulis, and Best Practice Architecture. Shaulis said, "Christopher really believes in the richness of the culture of Palm Springs and this show house is his homage." The Modernism Week Show House will be open to the public February 13-21, 2016.

For more information about Modernism Week, click HERE.

To view the finest mid-century furniture click here.