The 11-day long Modernism Week, held this past February, welcomed 77,500-plus visitors and exerted an economic impact of about $28.6 million, generating revenue at area hotels, shops, restaurants and businesses. More than $1 million of the proceeds from ticket sales at this year’s events was returned directly to community neighborhoods and partner organizations—an estimated 15 percent increase over the amount generated last year.
Modernism Week announced that it has awarded two new scholarships for architecture students in the local area, including Carlos Blanco, who will go to UC Berkeley next year to major in architecture, and Zemira Voorhies, who has been accepted to Cal State Chico, where she plans to major in interior architecture. The festival has also awarded grants to local and state preservation organizations for their work to preserve modernist architecture.
“Giving back to the community is one of the most important aspects of Modernism Week,” says Lisa Vossler Smith, executive director of the program. “Our board of directors is committed to partnering with community organizations to provide the opportunity to generate revenue through event ticket sales, and we are especially thrilled to award two scholarships to deserving students. These are just a few of the many ways that Modernism Week contributes to the local community.”
Arts and cultural institutions that benefited from ticket sales included Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs Modern Committee, Palm Springs Historical Society, the Aluminaire Foundation and the Mizell Senior Center, among others.
