Sarasota's Mid-Century Modern Architecture Festival Will Celebrate Paul Rudolph's Unique Legacy
The Sarasota Architectural Foundation presents fifth-annual SarasotaMOD weekend, featuring special tours, design displays, panel discussion, auction and social events
Sep 17, 2018, 08:35 ET
SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Event tickets are now on sale for SarasotaMOD Weekend, November 9-11, honoring the 100th birth year of Paul Rudolph, the great 20th Century American architect and early pioneer of the Sarasota School of Architecture Movement. The Sarasota Architectural Foundation's fifth annual festival of mid-century modern architecture will bring national attention to Rudolph's acclaimed designs and feature public tours of Rudolph-designed structures on Casey, Siesta, and Lido Keys.
"SarasotaMOD Weekend is about celebrating our city's unique mid-century contribution to modernist architecture," said Christopher S. Wilson, PhD, Chairman of the Board, Sarasota Architectural Foundation (SAF). "This year's event is all about one of the many figures behind that contribution: Paul Rudolph, a giant of 20th-century architecture who designed more structures in Sarasota than anywhere else in the world."
On Friday, November 9, Rudolph's Burkhardt Residence will be the stunning setting for the SarasotaMOD Opening Party, kicking off the weekend's festivities. Guests may tour the Rudolph-designed home, enjoy live music and refreshments, and hear the City of Sarasota proclaim November 5-11 as "Paul Rudolph Week."
On Saturday, November 10, Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic, will present a lecture on "The Rudolph Legacy," and architectural historian Tim Rohan will host a panel discussion on "Reassessing Rudolph" at a breakfast session at Ringling College of Art + Design's Larry Thompson Academic Center. Attendees can also view the 1983 film "Spaces: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph."
On Saturday afternoon, Goldberger will lead a limited public tour of the interiors of the Burkhardt Residence on Casey Key and Sanderling Beach Club on Siesta Key, followed by a tour of the exterior of Sarasota High School with SAF Chair and Ringling College Professor Christopher Wilson. "More than anything, Rudolph was a maker of beautiful compositions," said Goldberger. "They were always designed to appeal to the senses, not just to the intellect. I love the idea that modernist history is respected and appreciated and even revered in Sarasota."
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be Siesta Key Trolley Tours, as well as guided and self-guided tours of Rudolph-designed buildings in the Lido Shores neighborhood, a midcentury modern gem. Throughout the weekend, Rudolph's drawings of unbuilt projects, curated by sculptor Nathan Skiles, will be on display at Sarasota's Art Center, while new items will be on sale at MOD Pop-Up Shops.
Other SarasotaMOD events include a Saturday "Dinner Under the Umbrella" at one of Rudolph's iconic masterpieces – The Umbrella House – and a closing party at the Sanderling Beach Club on Sunday evening. "This is an amazing opportunity for those new to modernism and also to aficionados of the Sarasota School of Architecture," said Wilson.
SAF is also holding an auction to benefit its educational and advocacy programs. Auction items include an archival pigment print of the Cocoon House signed by artist John Pirman, overnight stays at the recently restored Cocoon House, and the Revere Quality House, and guest experiences at the Harkavy and Umbrella Houses. Online bidding begins October 23 and ends on Sunday, November 11.
For a detailed schedule and ticket purchases, go to www.SarasotaMOD.com.
The Sarasota Architectural Foundation (SAF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that educates, advocates, and celebrates on behalf of the Sarasota School of Architecture's significant contributions to midcentury American architecture. For more information, visit saf-srq.org.
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SOURCE Sarasota Architectural Foundation