Feb. 13 Daily Briefing: Modernism Week kicks off, Council meets, iconic LEGO sets, and more

Happy Thursday, and the start of Modernism Week! Below are a few of our suggestions if you’re late in looking to score tickets, but one of our favorite things to do is free and always available — hanging out at CAMP and soaking up the vibe. Speaking of soaking it all in, if your name is Steve C. or Gregory W., check your inbox or junk folder: you are our lucky winners of tickets to the Modernism Show Preview Party on Friday night. We truly wish we could take all 400 people who entered!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Modern Girl” by Bleachers

LEADING OFF

Modernism Week starts today. It’s not too late for tickets

Modernism Week in Palm Springs officially starts today, and soon, the streets will be filled with more than 100,000 enthusiasts from around the world for the event’s 20th anniversary.

Driving the news: Some of the most popular events have been sold out for weeks, but we looked through the schedule of more than 350 events over 11 days and picked out some choice programs that still have tickets available.

Zoom in: Here are just a few events that we recommend (and that, as of late Wednesday, you could still score tickets to):

Twin Palms: It Started Here!
Monday | Check in at Ocotillo Lodge | $95
Designed by William Krisel and built by the Alexander Construction Company, the Twin Palms neighborhood sparked the Desert Modernist movement, which continues to this day. This tour includes an exclusive multimedia exhibit featuring graphic panels, scale home models, and a video kiosk.

The Eye and the Inn: The O’Donnell House and the Legendary Desert Inn
Feb. 19 | Palm Springs Cultural Center | Free, ticket required
Local historian and author Tracy Conrad will explore the fascinating histories of the Thomas O’Donnell House and the Desert Inn. The inn (demolished in 1966) was the vision of Palm Springs pioneer Nellie Coffman, who established it as a sanitarium in 1909. 

Divinely Inspired: Discussing the William F. Cody Design of St. Theresa Catholic Church
Feb. 21 | St. Theresa Catholic Church | $45
Catherine Cody, daughter of architect William F. Cody and Morris Skenderian, who had just joined Cody’s firm when the St. Theresa project began, will share stories, photos, and drawings and talk about the artisans and craftspeople involved in making Cody’s design a reality. 

Why it matters: There’s a lot more to Modernism Week than just the most famous houses, the golden age celebrity stories, and double-decker bus tours. Locals can find programming on midcentury architecture and culture from across the country and learn the history of the buildings we take for granted.

Read all of our picks in our full story here.

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BRIEFLY

💨 Council scheduled to vote on plans for wind, sand wall along Gene Autry

Tonight, the Palm Springs City Council will vote on plans and funding for a wind wall to be installed along North Gene Autry Trail, between the Union Pacific Railroad bridge at the north and E. Via Escuela at the south. 

• The necessity of a wall in that location has been discussed for more than ten years. At one point, a temporary wall was installed to reduce sand buildup, but it was not sufficient.
  
• The agenda also includes grant funding for Cannabis Equity programs, the approval of pavement rehabilitation funds, and an update on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. You can check out the agenda online here.
  
• Details: The regular meeting is open to the public in council chambers at City Hall. You can submit comments via an online public comment form, in person, or by calling the city clerk’s office at (760) 323-8204.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Modernism Week
Running through Feb. 23, Modernism Week returns for its 20th Anniversary. Featuring more than 350 events including the Palm Springs Modernism Show, CAMP, tours of iconic homes in more than 30 neighborhoods, and the popular Signature Home Tour on both weekends. 

Art Museum Free Admission
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Art Museum 
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy free admission to galleries and exhibitions, and explore the collection at your own pace. Continuing their Black History Month programming, tonight the museum is presenting a panel discussion featuring Jerald Cooper of Hood Century, Dieter Crawford of Urban Palm Springs, and LaVera Hoyes, a Section 14 survivor.

Chamber of Commerce February Mixer
5 p.m. | Festival Theaters
Kick off Modernism Week with the Palm Springs Chamber February Mixer and be among the first to experience the revitalized Festival Theaters! Formerly a Regal Cinema, this space has been transformed into a state-of-the-art venue—and is one of the final architectural masterpieces designed by Donald Wexler. ($10-$15)

Palm Springs City Council
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
Councilmembers meet to discuss several issues, check out the agenda here.

Coachella Rising Showcase
5:30 p.m. | Palm Springs Cultural Center
Catch fresh local talent at the Coachella Rising showcase. Each week, two artists will perform 45-minute sets, hosted by Dede Ondishko & Jason Powell. This week is “All About Love,” enjoy performances from Tommy Dodson and Kim N’ Michelle. ($20)

VillageFest
6 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs  
Weather permitting, the street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food.

“My Fair Lady”
7 p.m. | Palm Canyon Theatre
Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, “My Fair Lady,” this classic tale shows us Eliza Doolittle, a low-class, Cockney, flower girl, transformed into an elegant lady when Professor Henry Higgins decides to teach her how to speak like a proper, upper-class woman. ($40)

Highway 111 Pavement Rehabilitation Project
Caltrans is working this year on rehabilitating the pavement of a large section of Highway 111. Check out the full map and see how your drive around town might be impacted.

View all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Lifestream Blood Drive at Miralon on Friday.
  
• California Winter League Quarterfinals Baseball at Palm Springs Stadium Friday.
  
• Saving Wildlife at the Desert Wildlife Center at the Mizell Center on Saturday.
  
• “Racist Trees” film screening at the Cultural Center on Sunday. ($28)
  
• Palm Springs Vintage Market at the Agua Caliente Casino on Sunday. ($5)
  
• Palm Springs International Pride Hockey Tournament at the Berger Foundation Iceplex on Feb. 21
  
• 38th Annual Black History Parade & Town Fair on Palm Canyon Drive on Feb. 22.
  
• Desert Pet Walk at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter on Feb. 22.

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AND FINALLY …

If you haven’t gotten the memo, LEGOS and building blocks aren’t just for kids anymore! Now, AFOLs, or Adult Fans of LEGO, have hundreds of intricate sets to choose from. 

Driving the news: Just in time for Modernism Week, a local store is offering a new set representing some iconic Palm Springs architecture. Destination PSP in Downtown Palm Springs is offering two sets of building blocks to assemble your own mini midcentury modern house or a mini resort hotel. 

• The bricks aren’t officially LEGO and are selling out quickly (more are on order), but they should fit right in with other sets.

Did you know: This wouldn’t be the first time famous architecture has been represented by mini bricks. LEGO itself has created a series of kits based on famous architecture, including the Guggenheim Museum, the U.S. Capitol building, and even Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater. 

Dive deeper: Gone are the days of one huge bucket filled with random, assorted LEGO pieces. Now you can get a replica of the Millennium Falcon of more than 7,000 pieces for $850 or build your own 9,000-piece Titanic ship for $680. 

• More moderately priced adult favorites include LEGO  bouquets and Formula 1 cars.

By the numbers: The bet on big kids has paid off for the company, which doubled its revenue over the past decade, grossing almost $10 billion in 2023.