Two Events Recognizing Orange County Modernism
By Robert Imboden
Each February, throngs of mid-century devotees make their pilgrimage to Southern California’s modernist mecca — Palms Springs. With attendance exceeding over 100,000 guests, Modernism Week has become what is perhaps the world’s largest annual celebration of Midcentury Modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture. In recognition of our work advocating for Modern architecture, Preserve Orange County will be on deck this year, headlining two distinct events in this year’s program.
Early promotion of the master planned community of Laguna Niguel, in southern Orange County, ca. 1965. Photograph courtesy of Teosson “Ted” Wells.
The first of these events will be a moderated panel discussion focusing on Orange County’s progressive and significant contributions to culture in the mid-twentieth century. The distinguished panel of speakers will include historians and authors Alan Hess, Barbara Lamprecht and Ted Wells. They’ll discuss the work in Orange County of Richard Neutra, John Lautner, William Pereira, Rudolph Schindler, Welton Beckett, Victor Gruen and others.
The business center at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa was one of several buildings on the community college campus, designed by Richard Neutra. The college’s original master plan was also designed by Neutra.
Later that week, Preserve Orange County will hold a sunset cocktail party in an effort to save the iconic Stuft Shirt building which is currently threatened by a large-scale redevelopment of the property. The Stuft Shirt was completed in 1961, and was designed by the renowned architecture firm of by Ladd & Kelsey (Norton Simon Museum, Monarch Bay homes, and the LaVerne Methodist Church). For more than half a century, the striking New Formalist style building has been an iconic feature along the Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach. Overhanging the water’s edge, the building has also served as an important and indelible landmark from the water, on Newport Bay. Featuring a series of thin-shell concrete arches, the building has been described as evoking the sailboats on the harbor.
In support of Preserve Orange County’s efforts to save this iconic landmark, Gary and Joan Gand have opened their 1961 Vista Las Palmas residence, for this event. Known as the Morse Residence, the art-filled home is complete with sunken living room and adjacent swim-up bar. Beautifully restored by the Gands, the home is now a designated a Palm Springs Class One Historic Site. Also for this event, famed artist and Orange County resident Shag (Josh Agle), created signed and limited-edition numbered prints depicting the Stuft Shirt for each attending supporter. In further support of this event, Shag also donated a signed print of ‘The Impostor’ depicting a fanciful cocktail party in the very same 1961 residence, to be raffled at the event.
Revenue from these events will benefit Preserve Orange County in our efforts to protect the Stuft Shirt Building. There are still tickets available for the February 17 talk, and you can still contribute to the advocacy fund to protect the Stuft Shirt.