Drafted article about Modernism Week's scholarship program for Palm Springs Life magazine.

1. Modernism Week Article for Palm Springs Life
Modernism Week: More Than a Cool, Iconic & Modern Celebration of Palm Springs
Scholarship Program Helps Local Students Further Architecture & Design Studies
Modernism Week is much more than its signature annual February event, an 11-day festival
celebrating mid-century modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture in the greater Palm
Springs area. Hugely popular with architects, designers, collectors, and modernism aficionados
from around the world, the event attracted approximately 40,000 visitors in 2013, and its annual
economic impact to the area is estimated at $12 million.
In addition to attracting architects and designers who come to bask in the cool, iconic, modern
design aesthetic of Palm Springs, Modernism Week is also a charitable organization that provides
scholarships to local students who have chosen career paths in the fields of architecture and
design. More than 100 Modernism Week events, including home tours, films, lectures, bus tours,
nightly parties, vintage fashion, classic cars, garden tours, and more, contribute funding in part to its
scholarship program which serves Coachella Valley students.
“Modernism Week's annual scholarship program is a significant motivator behind everything we do,”
explains Lisa Vossler Smith, Executive Director of Modernism Week. “In addition to supporting the
first year of college, our scholarships are renewable for three additional years. We are committed to
supporting the extent of each student’s undergraduate education, and trust they will soon become
leaders in their chosen fields. Modernism Week participants should feel proud that their money
positively impacts students and the Palm Springs community in a profoundly important way.”
Two $1,500 scholarships were awarded to deserving students in 2013. Palm Springs High School
seniors Lillian Johnson and Ingrid Gomez-Rodriguez accepted the awards at a special ceremony at
the Annenberg Theater last spring. Since the Modernism Week scholarship program was initiated in
2011, a total of $27,000 has been awarded.
In addition to its scholarship program, Modernism Week also gives substantial grants to local and
state preservation organizations for their efforts to preserve and promote modernist architecture
throughout the state of California. Beneficiaries of ticket proceeds in 2013 received funds in excess
of $450,000 that were reinvested in the local community. Organizations benefiting included Palm
Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation,
Palm Springs Modern Committee, Palm Springs Historical Society, Temple Isaiah and Mizell Senior
Center, as well as more than a dozen neighborhood associations and other non-profits.
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