Blue Sky Building's new pre-fabricated steel home now under construction in Palm Springs

“Today, people think of a large box looking like a trailer when you say ‘pre -fab home,’” said David McAdam of Blue Sky Building Systems. “But pre-fabricated steel homes really started with Don Wexler in 1961 when he built six or seven steel houses in Palm Springs.  The pre-fabricated steel pieces were brought in and assembled on site.”

www.blueskybuildingsystems.com

Working with Lance O’Donnell’s o2 Architecture firm, Blue Sky Building System is just completing the first steel pre-fab home in Palm Springs since the 1960s.

www.o2arch.com

The 1,700 square foot home for clients Brett Gilbert and Glenn Troost replaces a distressed 1930s home that had been “badly bastardized and highly compromised” in the Ruth Hardy Park area.  O’Donnell suggested the concept.

“In the case of this house, the question was why remodel an existing structure with all its problems when you can replace it with an energy-efficient home for about the same price,” said O’Donnell in a recent Desert Sun story.

www.mydesert.com/article/2012510

The three-bedroom, two bath house has sliding glass doors and clerestory windows on the west-facing great room and kitchen to take advantage of the mountain views, infinity pool and sheltered back deck which can double as an outdoor living space.

“The cost (for construction) is close to cost of the traditional stick frame house,” said McAdam. “The biggest cost savings is that we finish in eight weeks where the typical stick frame house takes up to eight months, potentially saving thousands of dollars in bank construction loan interest.”

The steel frames and walls are pre-fabricated, bar coded and labeled for placement, arriving at the site just in time for placement.

“We don’t waste time cutting or fashioning the pieces,” said McAdam. “And we don’t have to fall all over any unnecessary pieces at the construction site, or pick through it trying to find the right part. Everything comes ready to be installed, like a giant Erector set.”

Blue Sky Building Systems works with some 10 different architectural firms in California. The firms’ designs are based on Blue Sky Building’s steel frame and wall systems.

The frame is made from cold-formed, high tensile galvanized steel and structural steel components.  The post, beam and joist design is bolted together and then bolted to footings or caissons depending the site’s steep or flat grade.

Blue Sky Wall is a steel thermal efficient panel system (S.T.E.P.) using polystyrene and light gauge, thermally broken steel studs.  The two elements are extruded together and come out in four-foot wall panels that are cut to the desired length and angles in the factory.

Panels arrive on site pre-cut for door and window openings.  The panels are fitted end to end with tongue-in-groove slots and are screwed into top and bottom tracks which are affixed to the frame.

A single worker can carry, place and attach the panels.

Pre-cut chases in the steel studs allow for electrical and plumbing feed lines to be run inside the walls.

Drywall or other interior wall materials are attached to the inside of the stud face.  Exterior siding is screwed to the panels at each stud. The finished wall has R-28 insulation rating.

Because there are no interior load-bearing walls, homes can be configured in endless possibilities.

Two more Blue Sky steel home projects are slated for Palm Springs, said McAdam.  This will bring four to the desert area including another designed by o2 Architecture in Yucca Valley.

“We built a 5000 square foot home in Malibu that has a New England style,” said McAdam. “Not all steel frame homes have to have a Modernist aesthetic.”

Although a 5000 square foot home designed by Taalmankoch currently under construction in Carmel Valley, and another in Santa Monica by architect Jim Jennings, both have modernist designs, said McAdam.

Modernist design is re-emerging in the desert landscape with the additional advantage of using environmentally friendly materials and construction, and the latest energy efficient technology.

For a personal tour of new, existing and remodeled Desert Modern homes for sale in the Palm Springs area, contact Agent@TeamHaverkate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

Bright contemporary men's clothing now at Mr. Turk

Uptown just got more “up!”

Two grand openings last week celebrated the new Mr. Turk, Trina Turk’s newest expansion with colorful men’s clothing and apparel at 891 North Palm Canyon, and an innovative new ‘pop-up’  concept at Raymond|Lawrence, 830 North Palm Canyon Drive, created by the dynamic design duo, Larry Abel and Raymond McCallister.

Another new furnishings, design and art gallery, Flow Modern Design, opened its doors recently at 768 North Palm Canyon ago replacing A La Mod which moved to larger digs a few doors up at 844 North Palm Canyon.

Calling their store a “retail incubator,” Raymond|Lawrence features home decor, furniture, accessories, textiles and bedding, men’s and women’s fashions, jewelry, and shoes along with private concierge, real estate and interior design services – all under one roof with some already established entrepreneurs.

“The incubator will provide an integral took to help us foster the growth of design and lifestyle-oriented businesses that are new to Palm Springs and will bring even more variety to the uptown design district,” said Abel.  ”The synergy of the District has been building for quite some time now, and we feel this concept will help solidify the area’s reputation as yet another thriving component of the current Palm Springs renaissance.  This is all about fostering creativity, uniqueness, an entrepreneurial spirit and exclusivity.”

www.raymond-lawrence.com

Trina Turk’s Palm Springs boutique originally opened in 2002 with a cool white interior, retro mirrored walls and flowing curtains, designed by Kelly Wearstler.  The shop then expanded twice more taking the spaces next door for Turk’s line of home furnishings, swimwear, and now men’s wear.  Her bold, bright, fun fashions are definitely turning men’s heads.  Oranges, pinks, lavender, summer blue and chartreuse are vivid in fashionable jackets, shorts, shirts and even bow ties.

“I just love that Trina has turned her attention to men’s clothes,” said Joe Enos, a well known local public relations professional who was trying on espadrilles to match a wild patterned jacket he just bought to wear at Mr. Turks and Raymond|Lawrence grand openings.

www.trinaturk.com

Brigitte Lehnert, co-owner of Flow Modern Design with her husband Andre  Blaise Boughtwood, have been in the interior design business for nine years in Los Angeles with projects across the country.  Their professional background in photography gives them a unique approach.

Moving to Palm Springs and opening the North Palm Canyon store has meant going full steam ahead with vintage Mid Century Modern furnishings by known and lesser known designers — Baughman, Drexel, PACE, Master Craft among them — plus quality vintage jewelry and artwork and interior design services.

“This is not retirement for us,” said Lehnert.  “It’s full on commitment, and it’s fun.  Another new aspect is that we are opening our store up to local artists to show their works.”

www.flowmoderndesign.com

Meanwhile, A La Mod has taken over the former water company’s vintage 1930s Spanish style building. From the bright, roomy store front, a long meandering corridor leads to rooms full of vintage pieces by such as Mies Van der Rohe, George Nelson, Milo Baughman to a pair of custom made James Callahan 1980s couches taken from a Palm Springs little Tuscany estate.  A La Mod consignments is owned by James Claude and Miguel Linares.

www.ALaMod768.com

These new retail innovations join many more contemporary and 20th Century Modern design and furnishings outlets in Palm Springs’ burgeoning Uptown District including:

Boulevard, 800 N. Palm Canyon, (760) 832-9011, www.boulevardps.com

Christophe Anthony, LTD,  800 North Palm Canyon, (760) 322-0600, www.christopheranthonyltd.com

House 849, 849 North Palm Canyon, (760) 325-7854, www.house849.com

Insolito Home, 901 North Palm Canyon, (760) 325-0275, www.insolitohome.com

Just Fabulous, 515 North Palm Canyon, (760) 864-1300, www.bjustfabulous.com

Shag, the Store, 725 North Palm Canyon, (760) 322-3400, www.shagthestore.com

Retrospect, 666 N. Palm Canyon, (760) 416-1766

M Modern,  2500 North Palm Canyon, (760) 416-3611, www.mmodern.com

Over the years, Palm Springs Uptown Design District has become a world renowned destination for decorators, designers and aficionados seeking the unique, eclectic and eccentric.  The vintage and modern furniture stores, fashion boutiques, and art galleries celebrate Palm Springs famed Mid Century Modernist roots.

After you have indulged your passion for modernist design and are ready to buy a Desert Modern home or estate in which to put all your treasures, contact Team Haverkate for a personal tour of notable homes for sale in the desert.  Contact agent@TeamHaverkate.com.

— Pamela Bieri

Architect Donald Wexler’s Steel Development House No. 2 — located on North Sunny View Drive —  is the first midcentury structure in Palm Springs to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house received national distinction March 30, 2012 after current homeowner, Brian McGuire, a member of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, applied to the California Office of Historic Preservation, providing many qualified letters in support.  The nomination was unanimously recommended, and the director of the National Park Service accepted the nomination.

“As midcentury modernism continues to mature as an important aspect of America’s architectural heritage, it is increasingly important to raise awareness at the national level of Palm Springs’ incredible wealth of modernist structure,” said Ron Marshall, PSPF president.  “What better place to start than architect Don Wexler’s U.S. Steel House project, which is now 50 years old.”

www.pspreservationfoundation.org

Designed by Wexler and built by the George Alexander Construction Co. in the early 1960s, seven one-of-a-kind homes then offered new, all steel technology in a proposed 35-home subdivision that was to be built along Sunny View and East Molina.  Unfortunately, steel prices rose quickly making construction of the homes economically unfeasible.

The once-forgotten subdivision today proudly features these iconic Steel Development Houses, now the subject of films, published articles, books, home tours and exhibitions such as Modernism Week held in February.

Wexler is one of Palm Springs’ “big five” modernists – along with William F. Cody, Albert Frey, William Krisel and E. Stewart Williams.  In the 1950s, he worked under Richard Neutra on the Lovell Health House in Los Angeles, considered to be the first steel-frame residence in America.

He relocated to Palm Springs in 1960 to join Cody’s architecture firm where he developed a system of prefabricated steel houses.

Photo credit Juergin Nogai

His design consisted of a concrete slab on which prefabricated  kitchen and bath units were installed and the rest of the house — light gauge steel frame exterior walls and steel roof — were built up around this supporting center core.

These elements comprised the basic structural modules which, when bolted to a concrete slab, formed the permanent structure.

The 8-foot wall module panels were flexible for doors and windows placement, and could easily expand the size of the structure.  Since the interior partitions were non load bearing, lightweight and structurally independent, they could be relocated, making the size of the rooms flexible.  Originally, two-bedroom dwellings, the homes could be expanded to three or four bedroom houses.

A crew of four men and a rig operator could install all exterior walls of three houses in an eight-hour day. The whole house could be built in two days and sold at $14,000.

Wexler’s Steel Development Homes became prime examples of lower cost homes designed with good architectural skill, and are still a testament to what the modern subdivision could have been.  He pioneered the concepts of pre-fabrication and standardized components, but with upscale modernist ideas.

Non load bearing interior walls make room sizes and shapes flexible

“Collectively, the Steel Development Houses represent an important chapter in the history of American modernist architecture and the subject house possesses a high degree of integrity and, by extension, is a fine representative of this unique collection of modernist residences,” said Marshall.

Wexler’s designs inspired similar projects across the country, including a few experimental houses by real estate developer Joseph Eichler.

Today, desert modernism is a much sought-after architectural genre and Palm Springs is a virtual treasure trove of custom and tract home neighborhoods and important public buildings. Find the  Wexler Steel Houses in Palm Springs on Simms Road, East Molino Road and Sunny View Drive.

For a personal tour of Wexler-designed and other prominent Desert Modernism homes currently for sale, contact Team Haverkate at agent@TeamHaverkate.com. or visit online at www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

The Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert formally opened to the public March 15, bringing not only a new level of art and culture to the mid- and east valley, but ties architecturally with Palm Springs’ Mid Century Modern roots.

The 8,400 square foot building located at Entrada del Paseo, corner of Highway 111 and El Paseo, was formerly the city visitor’s center, designed by acclaimed desert architect Reuel Young.

Built in 2005, Young captures the motifs inherent in Desert Modernism such as its Albert Frey-like sharp winged roof shading an upper terrace and entrance below. From its essentially a circular shape are angled walls that fan out with floor to ceiling glass that offer full views of the outdoors.

Frey-like roof overhang of PS Art Museum, Palm Desert

The building is carefully situated on the site with reference to the sun’s seasonal positions.  Windows and doorway are shaded by metal overhangs or, depending on the time of day and season, fall into the shade from the strategically angled walls.

Principal of Interactive Design Corporation (IDC), Young’s philosophy is to “create places that support social interaction, foster a sense of belonging, are a memorable background to life, and are beautiful.” His designs take their cue from the context of the site, and the purpose of the building.

IDC also designed the Agua Caliente Tribal Center and the Spanish revival style Old Town La Quinta.

http://interactivedesigncorp.com

The building is architecturally significant not only because of its modern design, but was the first new Leadership in Energy and Environmentally Design (LEED) certified building construction in Southern California.

It has 60 photovoltaic panels on the roof producing solar power, which reduces the usage of electrical resources. Sustainable materials include cabinetry made from bamboo, wheatgrass, sunflower seeds and sorghum stalks, and high-efficiency fixtures that contribute to water savings, as does the drought-tolerant landscape.

The center is now referred to as the Galen, in honor of a $1 million gift from Helene Galen, given in memory of her late husband Louis, a long-time desert resident.  It’s situated on four acres of landscaped gardens, called the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden, created from a $1 million gift from Herman Sarkowsky as a tribute to his wife.

The new museum now houses four separate gallery areas for rotating exhibits.  The opening exhibition is entitled Rodin to Now: Modern Sculpture with works from important modern sculptors including Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Alexander Calder and many more.  Outside gardens contain sculptures by Donald Judd, Dan Namingha, Jesus Bautista Moroles and others.

The first free community day is on Saturday, March 31.  Light refreshments will be served and music will be provided throughout the day.

www.psmuseum.org

After you’ve visited the new museum, take a drive to see other Mid Century Modern architectural homes and enclaves  in the Palm Desert area, just minutes from the Galen.

Down the road on El Paseo is the iconic Sandpiper condominium community, and nestled in the south Palm Desert hillsides off Highway 74 are many Desert Modern homes for sale – where undiscovered architectural treasures may be waiting for you.

For a personal tour of Desert Modern homes and estates for sale, contact Team Haverkate.  Email agent@TeamHaverkate.com. or visit online at www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

This classic mid-century modern Butterfly remodel in Rancho Mirage comes with letters and drawings from Architect William Krisel to the Seller identifying it as a Model A-1, Valley of the Sun home, by developers Maus and Holstein. The light and bright living area has a rising ceiling, with clerestory windows and glass sliders facing West to the pool and mountains. Renovated and updated by interior designer Edward Schilling using the best materials it boasts slate floors throughout, Cherry Wood kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, marble countertops and backsplashes, double-paned glass and sliders, a heated pool and more. The landscaping has been recently updated around the pool area and the private grassy area by the kumquat tree. This home may qualify as a historic building with associated tax benefits.

While Modernism Week just ended, there are plenty of great events that highlight the desert’s modern lifestyle.

For fashionistas and foodies, it’s Fashion Week El Paseo 2012, March 16-24 and the companion Food+Wine Festival Palm Desert, March 23-26, all in the big white tent on Larkspur between El Paseo and Shadow Mountain in the heart of Palm Desert.

Fashion Week showcases the newest collections of top designers and fresh ideas by emerging designers from Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.  The event is produced by Palm Springs Life Magazine and has grown to be one of the most popular fashion events.

Guests enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the “ultra lounge” before each night’s runway show. Pre-parties, after-parties, trunk shows, in-store and charity events add up to a whirlwind week of breathtaking fashions and innovative programs.

The Designer of the Week couture runway shows have featured such top designers as Oliver Tolentino, Trina Turk, Kevan Hall, Lloyd Klein, Eduardo Lucero, Juan Carlos Obando and Coleen Quen.

www.fashionweekelpaseo.com

Showcasing some of the most inspired chefs from the desert and throughout California, the Food+Wine Festival Palm Desert will take over the white tents March 23-25 the close of Fashion Week.

Over 45 fine restaurants will provide an array of tastings that have been “paired” with a varietal or brand of wine that complements the food.  Take a euphoric tasting journey through the booths as each winery will be placed adjacent to the restaurant it is paired with for maximum impact.

Restaurants from Arnold Palmer’s, Babe’s Bar-B-Que Grill and Brewhouse, and Brandini Toffee Shop and Factory to the Morgan’s in the Desert, The Tar Pit, The Tropicale and Zin American Bistro, each of their top chefs will be putting their most creative efforts towards wooing the public and out-doing each other.

Featured celebrity chefs include Sara Moulton, food editor of Good Morning America; Mark Peel, executive chef/owner of Campanile and Tar Pit; and Andre Carthen, celebrity chef on The Today Show and Hollywood Live.

This event benefits the Culinary Institute of America’s Endowed Scholarship Fund.

For more information about the Food+Wine Festival Palm Desert and buy tickets, visit www.palmdesertfoodandwine.com.

If fashion and food isn’t enough that weekend, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation is holding its Desert Spanish Weekend March 23-25with tours of many fine examples of Spanish-influenced architecture in the Old Las Palmas, the Movie Colony and other Palm Springs locales.  Actress Diane Keaton is honorary chair of the weekend.

Architect and Desert Spanish Tribute journal author Patrick McGrew kicks off the event on Friday, March 23 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. with an overview of Palm Springs’ great Spanish-influenced architecture at the Michael H. Lord Gallery, 1090 North Palm Canyon.

Opening night cocktail party from 8 – 10 p.m. is at the historic Thomas O’Donnell House (circa 1925), known as Ojo Del Desierto (Eye of the Desert), on the mountainside overlooking Palm Springs.  An exceptional example of Spanish-influenced architecture,  it was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., take the fascinating homes tour with refreshments served at the last house where McGrew will sign copies of his Desert Spanish Tribute journal.

A multi-pass weekend ticket is $150.  For tickets and information, visit www.pspreservationfoundation.org.

Join the Palm Springs Historical Society on its new Walking Tours for a remarkable trip through Palm Springs’ past.  Walks are Wednesday through Saturday starting at 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. for a one-hour tours.

The tour includes a complimentary Palm Springs themed refreshment, historical highlights and tales of Palm Springs glamorous days gone by, tour of Mid-century modern and Spanish architecture,  the Walk of Stars along Palm Canyon Drive, and free admission to the McCallum Adobe and Cornelia White House in downtown.

Cost is $15 per person.  For details, call (760) 323-8297 or www.visitpalmsprings.com

The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands is now open to the public.  Some of the biggest names in politics and entertainment – President Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II and Frank Sinatra to name a few — have been guests at the winter home to the late ambassadors Walter and Lenore Annenberg.

The tour is a must-see for any architecture buff.  Completed in 1966, the stunning Mid-Century Modern home was designed by A. Quincy Jones and has been perfectly restored.  The house tour includes viewing historical photos of the Annenbergs high-profile friends and the art and sculpture collections.

Tour tickets are $35 per person.  For more details, visit www.sunnylands.org.

After you’ve tasted and toured your way around the Coachella Valley and you’re ready for a Desert Modern home of your own, contact Team Haverkate, for a personal tour of Desert Modern classics currently for sale in the Palm Springs area.

Email agent@TeamHaverkate.com or visit online at www.TeamHaverkate.com

– Pamela Bieri

Palm Springs Modernism Week is one of the country’s most popular annual events for architects, modernism art and design fans, and mid century modern culture buffs.
The seventh annual Modernism Week, February 16-26, 2012 brings thousands to Palm Springs for 11 days of double-decker bus tours, lectures, films, exhibits, a vintage fashion show, and parties that celebrate the architecture and culture of the 1950-60s era. Modernism Week offers more than 75 events including some firsts for the Coachella Valley.
Visitors and residents alike are looking forward to the first public tours of the renowned Sunnylands Estate, the historic Annenberg residence and grounds and the new Sunnylands Center & Gardens.
The late Lenore and Ambassador Walter Annenberg lived at Sunnylands some five months a year during which they entertained United States Presidents, British and other royalty, international political figures, cultural and entertainment icons.
The 1966 Mid-Century Modern residence was designed by A. Quincy Jones with interiors by William Haines and Ted Graber. The 25,000 square foot home, located in the middle of landscaped grounds and a private Dick Wilson designed golf course, has been restored over the past two years in anticipation of the estate and grounds becoming public.
The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands will present and host a variety of high-level conferences, retreats and seminars of issues of national and international importance. The Modernism Week guided tours will provide the first peek into the 200 acre pink walled estate that has fascinated passersby for decades.
The tour will also feature the newly constructed Sunnylands Center & Gardens, which will officially open to the public March 1.
A variety of public tours will include studies of the art and sculpture collection, interior design and architecture of the Sunnylands home. History and political science buffs can delve into the 20th century cultural landscape through films, videos and publication detailing the historic events of the time and the role the Annenbergs had in shaping the world.
More information may be found online.
www.sunnylands.org

On Feb. 16, kick off Palm Springs Modernism Week at a tres chic soiree at John Lautner’s iconic Elrod House perched upon the Southridge hills overlooking Palm Springs. Just steps away is the late Bob Hope’s famed dome-shaped hilltop manse.
Instantly recognizable from the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, the Elrod House offers many Lautner hallmarks: A difficult site in a harsh environment, a modest entrance that conceals its soaring interior space, and rooms that meld indoors with the outdoors. The 8,901-square foot house incorporates an interior/exterior swimming pool in the living room and expansive mountain and desert vistas.
The home was built for interior designer Arthur Elrod and a portion of the tour proceeds benefit the LA-based John Lautner Foundation. This is a rare opportunity to see this privately owned masterpiece home.
Another new event during Modernism Week will be a Modernism Prefab Showcase Village featuring cutting-edge prefab structures with the latest alternative energy ideas incorporated into the 21st century lifestyle. Each room, designed by a different notable interior designer, showcases sophisticated design aesthetics and advanced technological innovations.
A number of cocktail receptions will be held during the week at intimate settings and at some of the area’s most notable boutique inns, a perfect way to wind down an exciting day of Modernism.
Get groovy with your cocktail dress, white shoes or Nehru jacket for the PS Modcom annual gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, a tribute to the late Peter Seller’s 1968 cult movie, “The Party,” in an ultra-mod glamorous private home.
On Feb. 24, the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation’s Retro Martini Party this year will be at the Maranz home, also known as the “gull wing house.” Rarely open to the public, this home, built in 1960 and designed by architect Val Powelson, features an unusual three-pointed star floor plan.
Throughout the week, mix and mingle with other modernism fans at cocktail parties held at the Horizon Hotel, Hideaway and Desert Star Hotel.
Palm Springs Modernism Week is a non-profit organization that produces this annual 11-day festival.
When it launched in 2006, the event helped fuel a revival of interest in Modernism, a design aesthetic developed during in the 1950s and 60s typified by clean, simple lines and elegant informality.
To purchase tickets and for more information, visit online at www.modernismweek.com.

Today, desert modernism is a much sought-after architectural genre and Palm Springs is a virtual treasure trove of custom and tract home neighborhoods and important public buildings.
Team Haverkate specializes in Mid Century Modern homes and estates for sale. After absorbing the sights and lifestyle of Palm Springs Modernism Week, contact Team Haverkate for a personal tour of desert modern classics currently for sale in the Palm Springs area.
Email agent@TeamHaverkate.com. or visit online at www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

Check out the story on Ralph and Bettina Haverkate’s Joshua Tree home renovation in the February, 2012, issue of Palm Springs Life. www.palmspringslife.com.
— Pamela Bieri

Herb Ritts, Richard Gere – Poolside, 1982, C-type print, Courtesy of the Herb Ritts Foundation, Los Angeles © Herb Ritts Foundation

Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982

opens January 21 in the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Wing.

www.psmuseum.org

Beyond some of the obvious glamorous shots of Marilyn Monroe, Ann Miller, Rock Hudson, Liberace, and other stars, the exhibit explores more deeply how photography emerged during as an important medium of fine art, according to Palm Springs Life editor Steven Biller in his art feature this month, breaking the surface.

One pivotal moment came in 1982 when fine art photographer David Hockney’s composite Polaroid shots of a nude bather “challenged paintings as the dominant mode in all fine art,” said Daniell Cornell, the museums deputy director of art  who curated the exhibition.

Hockney’s composite of many Polaroids as one artwork, first exhibited at the L.A. Louvre gallery, will be one of 140 works in the show.

“Backyard Oasis… organizes the photographs in themes explored in the museum’s preparatory symposium: the backyard pool in celebrity, Cold War California, architecture and design and beefcake and ‘skate cake’ views of masculinity,” writes Biller.

Biller notes that “the swimming pool also provided a platform to show the changing depiction of gay and straight masculinity.”

Photographer Bob Mizer’s nine homoerotic images once “held a pretense that the buff, one-cloth-from naked men were posed to promote fitness.”

Architectural photographers such as Julius Shulman’s iconic views of Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House and Albert Frey’s Raymond Loewy House seem to “elevate midcentury modern houses to celebrity status.”

www.palmspringslife.com

As part of the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980 regional initiative, Backyard Oasis traces the iconography of California’s  swimming pool, an integral part of the region’s identity, and suggests “the hopes and disillusionments of the country’s post World War II ethos.”

Bill Anderson, Raymond Loewy Family, Palm Springs, California, 1957, gelatin silver print, Collection Palm Springs Art Museum, gift of Dorothy Anderson © Palm Springs Art Museum

In addition to more than 100 framed archival photos, Backyard Oasis includes selected celebrity home film clips from Steve McQueen and Ginger Rogers shown on flat-screen monitors.

Among well known artists’ work will be Diane Arbus, Bill Anderson, Michael Childers, Anthony Friedkin, Robert Cumming, Shulman, and Maynard Parker.  The exhibition’s catalog contains the photos and an overview of California swimming pools’ aesthetic and culture.

The show continues through May 27, 2012.

Renowned Modernist architect E. Stewart Williams designed the Palm Springs Art Museum in 1974 and  the Steve Chase Art Wing and Education Center which opened in 1996.  The 124,435 square foot museum complex houses various galleries, sculpture atriums, a museum store, cafe, and the 437-seat Annenberg Theater for the performing arts.

It’s located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs at 101 Museum Way, Call (760) 322-4800 or go online at www.psmuseum.org

Backyard Oasis exhibit is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., closed Monday and holidays.  Free admission every Thursday, 4 – 8 p.m. during downtown Villagefest and the second Sunday of every month.  Admission is $12.50 adults, $10.50 seniors, $5 students, free for youths under 12, active military and their families.

After viewing the Backyard Oasis exhibit, explore Palm Springs’ vast collection of modernism homes and public buildings.  Pick up a map at the Palm Springs Visitor Center for a self tour.

www.visitpalmsprings.com

When you’re ready to “dive in” to your own desert modern home and pool, contact Team Haverkate for a personal tour of homes and estates for sale.  Email agent@teamhaverkate.com or visit online at

www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

The Palm Springs International Film Festival  opens this week with hundreds of filmgoers, movie makers, directors, actors and celebrities expected to attend the annual gala on Saturday, Jan. 7 and more than 100 films during the 11 day festival.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place Jan 5-16.  Visit www.psfilmfest.org for tickets, information or to search for movies and screening times.

Besides the incredible array of films, galas and parties, one of the non-film highlights is an exhibition of Marilyn Monroe photographs that will be on display in stores and restaurants throughout Palm Springs Uptown Design District all during the festival.

The show is based on a new book about the actress, Marilyn: Intimate Exposures, and chock full of  photos by Bruno Bernard, her friend and confidante, the famous Bernard of Hollywood who is credited with “discovering” Marilyn.

“The art exhibit is something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while,” said Darryl MacDonald, festival director in a Palm Springs Life Desert Guide story by Scott Brassart this month.

www.PalmSpringsLife.com

Bernard has been called the “Rembrandt of photography” and the “king of glamour” who made his name taking portraits of female stars and starlets of the 1950s such as Anita Ekberg, Jayne Mansfield, Brigitte Bardot, and Monroe.  He also photographed many male luminaries such as John Wayne, Gregory Peck, and Elvis Presley.

Bernard fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, eventually migrated to California where he studied film and photography.  He established himself in Hollywood becoming one of the most sought-after celebrity photographers.  Countless hopeful stars visited his Sunset Boulevard studio to have their portraits taken.

While she was still called Norma Jeane, the young model first met Bernard in 1946. One story says they  met passing one another while Bernard was leaving a dentist appointment apparently near his studio.

As did many Hollywood hopefuls, Norma Jeane stared up at the “Bernard of Hollywood” sign and asked if he thought she could be a model.

Bernard’s now famous photos captured the transformation of Norma Jeane, then a 19-year-old girl-next-door, into the glamorous movie star, Marilyn Monroe.

Bernard wrote,  “While nature has been generous to her figure, her face is just that of any pretty girl her age, very much like the girl next door, with the exception of her translucent skin, her waiflike innocence, the helplessness underneath.”

No one was so much at ease in front of the camera as Norma Jeane:  “Concentration, projection and synchronization are second nature to her,” he wrote in his journal.

www.immortalmarilyn.com

With additional studios in Palm Springs, Laguna Beach and Las Vegas, Bernard immortalized some of the century’s greatest stars and mastered the art of pin-up photography.

An icon of the 1950s and 60s, Monroe was often in Palm Springs between films and owned a home in the Las Palmas area from 1960-61. The Monroe photo exhibition in Palm Springs Design District shops and restaurants is a perfect place to connect with Mid-Century Modern design and decor.

After attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the retro photo exhibition, satisfy your passion for Modernism and take a tour of Mid Century Modern homes and estates for sale in the Palm Springs area.  Many are located in historic districts and significant neighborhoods near Marilyn Monroe’s former Las Palmas home.

Contact Team Haverkate at:   agent@teamhaverkate.com or visit www.HaverkateRealEstate.com

— Pamela Bieri

Blast from the Past: 60s and 70s Geometric Abstraction, now on exhibit in the Annenberg Wing at the Palm Springs Art Museum through December 23, is a vivid, powerful collection of geometric abstract paintings, sculpture and prints from the 1960s and 70s, a period known for its purity of style.

www.psmuseum.org

Some 100 artworks represent a variety of ideas in optical art (Op Art), kinetic art, minimalism, hard-edge and color field. Many of the works have rarely been or are on view for the first time in this impressive exhibit.

Purely abstract forms – square, rectangle, triangle, circle and geometric volumes such as the cube and cone — suggest architecture and geometry, while the artists’ use of primary colors, lines and compositional devices present a sensual experience, illustrating alternative ideas about art and principles of reality.

Op Art, a trend that uses optical illusions to simulate motion and other perceptual shifts, is seen in the experiments of Victor Vasarely, Carlos Cruz-Diez and Yascov Agam.  Bright primary colors finely interspersed with complementary hues, creates visual interactions between the colors that seem to give off light and vibrations.

In Jesus Rafael Soto’s classic work, the sensation of constant flux transforms color, space, line into a new perceptual experience.

Other artists from the southern California Abstract Classical movement such as John McLaughlin, Karl Benjamin, Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg, often infuse gentle blues, whites, yellows, and olive greens to their hard edge works that are “keenly reflective of the unique qualities of light and space” — characteristics of the southern California coastline.

Starting January 21, 2012 through May 27 in the Annenberg Wing will be Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982.

As part of the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980 regional initiative, this exhibit examines the swimming pool in photographs as visual analogs of the ideals and expectations associated with southern California.

The images of manmade pools in arid landscapes traces the iconography of California’s  swimming pool, an integral part of the region’s identity, and suggests “the hopes and disillusionments of the country’s post World War II ethos.”

Backyard Oasis will include some 135 framed works of archival photography, prints and selected film clips shown on flat-screen monitors.

Among featured artists’ work will be Diane Arbus, Bill Anderson, Michael Childers, Robert Cumming, Julius Shulman, and Maynard Parker.

During the January exhibition will be lectures and educational programs for K-12 grade students, college and university audiences and the general public. The exhibition’s catalog contains photos and an overview of the development of the swimming pool, its aesthetic and culture.

Palm Springs Art Museum was designed in the Modernist style by renowned local architect E. Stewart Williams in 1974.  The Steve Chase Art Wing and Education Center, also designed by Williams, opened in 1996.  Today, the 124,435 square foot museum complex houses various galleries, sculpture atriums, a museum store, cafe, and the 437-seat Annenberg Theater for the performing arts.

It is located at 101 Museum Way, downtown Palm Springs.  Call (760) 322-4800.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., closed Monday and holidays.  Free admission every Thursday, 4 – 8 p.m. during downtown Villagefest and the second Sunday of every month.  Admission is $12.50 adults, $10.50 seniors, $5 students, free for youths under 12, active military and their families.

After visiting these Mid-Century Modern inspired exhibits at the Palm Springs Art Museum, take a tour of Palm Springs’ wonderful collection of modernism homes and public buildings.  Pick up a map at the Palm Springs Visitor Center for a self tour.

www.visitpalmsprings.com

Once you’ve whet your appetite to own of these inspired desert modern home — and the artwork to go in them — Ralph Haverkate at  agent@teamhaverkate.com or visit www.TeamHaverkate.com for a personal tour of homes and estates for sale.

– Pamela Bieri