DesignPhiladelphia 2009

DesignPhiladelphia 2009 begins today. For a complete program calendar go here. Below I have listed the Mid Century focused events—I'm so excited about the Design Double Feature!

The Design Connection: African Classic and Early Modernism
October 08, 2009
5:00PM - 7:00PM
Twist | Algotform
1134 Pine Street

Description: Join us for a presentation and discussion focusing on Sub Saharan African and early to mid-20th century modernist textiles, art objects and furniture, linking two iconic eras in design.

Admission: Free
Design Double Feature: Glaser + Shulman
October 08, 2009
6:00PM - 9:15PM
Bossone Center
Mitchell Auditorium
3128 Market Street

Description: Design Double Feature Film Event. Enjoy both or just one. Intermission between screenings.

6:00 PM - 7:15 PM: Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight

7:45 PM - 9:15 PM: Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman



Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight
Director: Wendy Keys; Producers: Wendy Keys and Edgar B. Howard

For many, Milton Glaser is the personification of American graphic design. Best known for co-founding New York Magazine and the enduring I ♥ NY campaign, the full breadth of Glaser's remarkable artistic output is revealed in this documentary portrait, MILTON GLASER: TO INFORM AND DELIGHT. This documentary offers audiences a much richer appreciation for one of the great modern renaissance men whose work includes: newspapers, magazine designs, interior spaces, logos, brand identities, prints, drawings, posters, and paintings. Artfully directed by first time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the film glances into everyday moments of Glaser's personal life and capture his immense warmth, humanity and the boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.



Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
Director: Eric Bricker; Producers: Eric Bricker and Babette Zilch; 
Executive Producers: Lisa Hughes and Michelle Oliver

Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, VISUAL ACOUSTICS explores the monumental career of architectural photographer Julius Shulman, who passed away this July at the age of 98. Populating his photos with human models and striking landscapes, Shulman combined the organic with the synthetic, melding nature with revolutionary urban design. The resulting images helped to shape the careers of some of the greatest architects of the 20th century, with Shulman documenting the work of architects Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Pierre Koenig, John Lautner, Frank Lloyd Wright, and many others. Taking its aesthetic cues from Shulman's own sensual and nuanced photography, the narrative of VISUAL ACOUSTICS is built from a blend of Shulman's own images, as well as in depth interviews with architect Frank Gehry, designer Tom Ford, artist Ed Ruscha, actress Kelly Lynch, writer Mitch Glazer, publisher Benedikt Taschen, Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti, and a host of others. Through the exploration of both Shulman's art and uniquely individualistic life, the film offers an unforgettable portrait of Modernism's most eloquent ambassador. 



Admission: Free

Gilbert Rohde: Innovations for Modern Living
October 08, 2009
7:00PM - 8:30PM
Center for Architecture
1218 Arch Street

Description: Phyllis Ross will speak on her monograph, "Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design for Modern Living", published by Yale University Press in March 2009, which presents the first comprehensive appraisal of Rohde's career.

Gilbert Rohde (1894-1944), an American modernist furniture and industrial designer, who specialized in designing mass-produced furniture, was recognized as one of the leading designers of his era. Widely published, both in America and overseas, his designs were shown at important fairs of the 1930s, beginning with Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition, and in industrial design exhibitions, such as those held at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Rohde introduced modern design at several companies. Foremost in significance was his work for the Herman Miller Furniture Company, where from 1932 until his death in 1944 he served as their lead designer, and launched the company's identity as a leader in innovative modern furniture. Rohde's promotion of modular furniture, biomorphic design, and his pioneering office furniture system, anticipated trends that took hold in the post-war era. Aesthetically, his work encompassed French Moderne and the spare lines of the International Style, adapting European design influences for an American lifestyle. His work contributed to the emergence of a distinctive American design expression in the post-war era.

Opening Reception: Early Furniture by George Nakashima
Category: Event
October 09, 2009
6:00PM - 9:00PM
Moderne Gallery
111N. Third Street

Description: The opening reception for "Early Furniture by George Nakashima" is hosted by Moderne Gallery Owner/Director Robert Aibel, a recognized aesthetic historian in the field, with special guest Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, George Nakashima's daughter, a renowned woodworker in her own right. This much anticipated historic exhibit of early works by legendary furniture craftsman, George Nakashima, 10 years in the making, includes rare and seldom-seen works drawn from private collections as well as loans from museums and the Nakashima family. Furnishings on display reflect Nakashima's years working in Japan, India, and eventually New Hope, PA, and show the evolution of his thought processes and designs. Many pieces will be available for purchase.

Admission: Free

Modernism in America's Oldest Neighborhood
Phila. Preservation Alliance
October 10, 2009
2:00PM
Meeting Location TBD

Description: A special guided tour, with visits inside several private residences representing great modern architecture that co-exists alongside restored 18th- and 19th-century buildings in Society Hill Philadelphia. Learn how modernism and historic preservation were thoughtfully integrated in one of the greatest examples of mid-century urban renewal.

Presented by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia in conjunction with DOCOMOMO North America Tour Day, highlighting modern architecture throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.

*Cost: $20 general public; $10 Preservation Alliance members. Advance registration required.

Admission: Cost* RSVP required

Russel Wright Retrospective: Emphasis on Dinnerware
October 10, 2009
3:00PM - 7:00PM
144-146 N. 3rd Street)

Description: Russel Wright as a designer paved the way for a shift to the modern taste. Beginning in the 1920's and continuing through the 1960's, Russel Wright designed items for the modern home ranging from dinnerware to appliances. The emphasis of the current exhibit at More Than Old is on dinnerware with special attention to the range of color and form that brought the American public to the modern era. This exhibition will run October 10th through October 17th. Light refreshments will be served.

Admission: Free

Dialogues on Design: Robert Aibel and Mira Nakashima-Yarnall
October 12, 2009
6:00PM - 7:30PM
Center for Architecture
1218 Arch Street

Description: "George Nakashima: From Architect to Designer"
"The past is prologue" in this joint presentation by Robert Aibel, owner/director of Moderne Gallery, renowned for his exhibits and scholarship on the vintage work of legendary craftsman, George Nakashima, and Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, George's daughter, a distinguished designer and woodworker in her own right. Together they tell the inside story of her father's evolution from a young architect and woodworker to an iconic figure of 20th-century design and discuss the aesthetics of this transition. Q and A follows.

Admission: Free