Modesto International Architecture Festival

The American Institute of Architects Sierra Valley Chapter and its partners, the Modesto Art Museum, the Modesto Film Society, and the State Theatre, announce the Modesto International Architecture Festival, October 21-23, 2010 in downtown Modesto. www.modestoarchfest.com

The festival showcases tours, movies, exhibitions, discussions, and talks providing an opportunity for the general public, design professionals, companies, and cultural institutions to celebrate architecture and the architecture profession as both an art and a science, and to heighten public awareness of architecture and the value of architects. Additionally, programming will explore the ways architecture and urban design impact our communities emphasizing the AIA’s Ten Principles of Livable Communities.

The three day festival opens on Thursday evening with a free interactive multimedia exhibition of architecture movies, sculptures, photographs, and drawings at the State Theatre. Other activities include a Friday morning Architecture Café, self-guided tours of Modesto’s modernist architecture and the city’s religious architecture, and an evening short-movie program. Saturday begins with a guided tour downtown highlighting Modesto’s response to issues of livability, a gala reception will be held that evening before the screening of the award winning Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Schulman.

“My hope is that the festival will be a catalyst for a greater movement within the Central Valley”, says AIA Sierra Valley vice-president Barrett Lipomi. ”To create livable communities and inspire residents to value their rich architectural history while promoting progressive design, smart growth, and environmental sensitivity.”

On Thursday evening, Adam Goss and Red Mike of Chicago based Spirit of Space will demonstrate the significance of video as an integral part of the design process, a valued marketing tool, and an important method of post-occupancy evaluation. Spirit of Space attempts to reveal the exchange of activities and emotions within a space and bring an increased awareness of the built environment to the design professional as well as the public.

Friday’s short-movie program includes A Girl Is A Fellow Here”: 100 Women Architects in the Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, a 15-minute documentary that explores a little known legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright. Produced by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, the movie premiered at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. At a time when few architectural firms would hire women, Frank Lloyd Wright unhesitatingly employed women, giving them both training and opportunity to practice. Ultimately, over 100 women architects and designers worked with Wright.

The Modesto International Architecture Festival will also engage the public and design professionals, with Modesto's rich architectural and design heritage. For decades through the 20th century, Modesto was on the cutting edge of architecture in California. Modesto's landscape, commercial, residential, and government architecture was held up as a model for others and major architects designed buildings and landscapes in the city. Among them are John Funk, William Wurster, Frank Lloyd Wright, Joseph Esherick, Lawrence Halprin, Thomas Church, and many others.

In honor of the festival, Mayor Jim Ridenour will officially proclaim October 17-24, 2010 "Modesto Architecture Week".

Tickets for individual events are on sale now. A festival pass providing admission to everything is only $25. Information about the festival can be found at: www.modestoarchfest.com