Misfits of Modernism Architectural Reception and Benefit

A big "Thank You" to all who helped with our first
Misfits of Modernism Architectural Reception and Benefit!

Our event, held November 4, 2005, at the Adams Morgan Design Within Reach studio in Washington, D.C., was a huge success with more than 200 people in attendance. Money raised during the benefit will be used to fund our ongoing public awareness campaign and sponsor a preservation competition to explore re-use alternatives for Richard Neutra's 1961 Cyclorama Center at Gettysburg.

Special guests at the event included representatives from the World Monuments Fund, who explained why modernist structures like the Cyclorama Center are vital parts of our national and international heritage and must be protected. The World Monuments Fund recently named the Cyclorama Center to its 2006 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites.

The World Monuments Fund, founded in 1965, is the foremost private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic art and architecture worldwide through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training. Launched in 1995, the biennial World Monuments Watch, with its list of 100 Most Endangered Sites, is one of the major programs of the World Monuments Fund. An independent panel of international experts reviews the hundreds of nominations received and selects 100 for inclusion on the list based on the significance of the sites, the urgency of the need for support, and the viability of the conservation and/or advocacy plans. Previous lists included sites such as the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and Pompeii. Read the Cyclorama Center listing here.

Local preservation advocates also presented information about their efforts to save modern structures in the D.C. region. Isabelle Gournay, M.Arch, Ph.D, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland in College Park spoke about the Modern Movement in Maryland survey (MoMoMa); Carrie Albee of EHT Traceries presented her work on the recent historic designation of the Watergate in D.C. and the endangered status of Cesar Pelli's COMSAT Labs building in Maryland; Rebecca A. Miller of the D.C. Preservation League covered her organization's successful nomination of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library in D.C. and their upcoming symposium D.C. Modern: An In Depth Look at Washington's Mid-Century Architecture to be held January 2006 in D.C.

Also in attendance were employees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, the U.S. General Services Administration, architects, historians, professors, activists, and many other concerned citizens who support our cause.

A very large THANK YOU is due to Adams Morgan Studio manager Suzanne McLees and her wonderful staff for coordinating the event. Design Within Reach donated space, food, drinks and local advertising for the event. This event would not have been possible without DWR's encouragement and support. Visit their website for more information about the store.

And finally, the success of the silent auction is due to the companies, businesses and individuals who responded so generously to our requests for donations. Should you happen to do business with one of our donors, please be sure to thank them for supporting reCyclorama.

Thanks to our Sponsors and Donors for Their Support:

Photographs of the Event
Images by Christine Madrid French. Large-format digital images available. Contact CM French for more information.

	The Store: Design Within Reach in Adams Morgan. Suzanne McLees, studio proprietor, enthusiastically joined in the effort to save Neutra’s Cyclorama Center. “We will pull out all the stops here,” at the Adams Morgan store, one of the newest to open under the DWR banner.
The Auction Items: The event focused on a series of presentations by local preservation advocates as well as a silent auction of modern books, artworks, furniture items, and ephemera. Pictured here are two paintings donated by Dee Adams (deedee9:14), a magazine rack from BluDot, Minneapolis, MN, assorted gift certificates and books from DigModern, Reno, NV, and pillows from Lauren Saunders, Ventura, CA (on the table below). Presenter Rebecca A. Miller of the D.C. Preservation League is here talking to another attendee of the event.
	The Slideshow: Boris Starosta set up his stacked projectors and erected a special screen to show his collection of three-dimensional slides of the Cyclorama Center at Gettysburg. The audience was supplied with special viewing glasses to achieve the dimensional effect.
The Band: The members of jazz quartet Elephant Minus, all newcomers out of Charlottesville, Virginia, made the trip to D.C. for the event.
	The Hosts: Devin Colman, a dedicated Neutra aficionado currently earning his Masters of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont, and acting Vermont representative of the Recent Past Preservation Network, and Christine Madrid French, president of the Recent Past Preservation Network and Fellow at the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design.
Click here to watch a short video of the event and the band, Elephant Minus. A caveat: this is a 17 mb file that is not set up for streaming; may take five minutes to load on broadband. Have fun!

This site composed and administered by Christine Madrid French 2004.