The PRP4 Conference in Boston was fantastic! I went to Boston once, when I was 10 years old, and only for a day or two. This trip blew me away!

What a vibrant city, with a rich history, and an impressive collection of brutalist buildings. I landed Wednesday morning, and immediately started with a walking tour. This was a great way to get my bearings and to learn about a few of the landmarks. 

After another tour, we capped the day off with a reception at Boston City Hall, a prominent Brutalist gem that is on its way to landmark status. 

Overall, the programming of the conference was excellent. Boston Architectural College was very central, and it was easy to get from session to session with ease (and time for lunch). I loved hearing about advocacy throughout the country, preservation at Case Study House #8 (Eames House) and adaptive reuse in Oak Park, Illinois, just to name a few. Connecting with people that have a passion for modernism is always such a treat, and I can honestly say I made some new friends on this trip. 

The highlights for me were numerous: touring MIT (and singing Ave Maria in the Saarinen Chapel @ MIT, which Todd secretly recorded) was definitely a top 3. Spending some quality time with Kim + Michelle from Docomomo US is always such a treat, and getting to tour the UMASS Dartmouth Campus on my last day was really special. 

10 out of 10, and I can't wait to go back and explore what I dubbed "The Paris of the US".

-Peter Barile

"Minoru Yamasaki, born in Seattle in 1912, is celebrated as one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. A 1934 graduate of University of Washington’s Department of Architecture, Yamasaki moved to New York to advance his career and escape the racial prejudice he faced as a Japanese American.

His design for the U.S. Science Pavilion at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, with its serene reflecting pools and graceful arches, exemplifies his philosophy of creating spaces that evoke serenity, surprise, and delight. After the fair closed, the Pavilion acquired new life as Seattle’s Pacific Science Center.
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Yamasaki’s striking design so captured the public’s attention that an image of it, together with Yamasaki’s portrait, graced the cover of Time Magazine in January 1963. In 1964, he received the Horatio Alger Award in recognition of his struggle from humble beginnings to worldwide fame. Yamasaki’s work is a significant part of the Japanese American community’s heritage, and his contributions to architecture are internationally recognized." - Friends of Yamasaki

​Blossom Tote

This artful tote is both a tribute and a functional keepsake—perfect for books, sketchpads, or your next museum visit.

Silk-screened with a bold reinterpretation of Blossom, a 1972 tapestry design by Evelyn Ackerman, the image plays with dimension—appearing at once flat and beveled through carefully selected alternating colors. The original 23-by-42-inch wall hanging was offered in multiple colorways, including a rare version with a blue flower.

Created in collaboration with Ackerman Modern for the 2025 Minnesota lectures and book launch of Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers by Laura Ackerman-Shaw, this limited-edition tote honors the legacy of the Ackermans’ joyful, modernist designs.

Price: $35

Launch Pad Blank Card

Printed on heavyweight stock and paired with a classic envelope, this card is perfect for a thoughtful note—or as a collectible keepsake.
  
The design features Launch Pad, one of four large-scale tapestry designs introduced in 1970 that maximized the loom’s capacity for 44-by-70-inch weavings. With bold geometry inspired by the Apollo 11 rocket launch, Launch Pad combined scale and abstraction to striking effect.

A vivid celebration of color, form, and California modernism—ready to share or display.

Designed in collaboration with Ackerman Modern for the 2025 lectures and Minnesota book launch of Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers by Laura Ackerman-Shaw, this limited-edition card pays tribute to the Ackermans’ joyful, modernist legacy.
 
Size: 5” x 7”

Price: $4.00 each

​Book By Laura Ackerman-Shaw –
Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers

Jerome and Evelyn Ackerman, the prolific artists and designers, were central to the development of mid-century design in California. Their creative output is remarkable for its diverse styles, media, and techniques, including textiles, mosaics, ceramics, woodcarvings, and metal that were both modern and accessible not only to interior designers and architects but to a growing middle class hungry for beautiful decor.

The Ackermans’ designs, a reflection of their fine arts and studio craft training, are celebrated for their vibrant embodiment of the modernist sensibility and artisanal attention to detail and craftsmanship. In Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman: California Mid-Century Designers, their daughter, Laura Ackerman-Shaw, who has expanded their legacy with both commercial success and institutional recognition, takes the reader through her parents’ unique contributions to post-war design in America. With essays by leading design historians and curators, and richly illustrated with numerous never-before-seen drawings, photographs, and archival materials, this stunning book presents the inspired and inspiring story of a lifetime of artistic partnership.

Size: 9” x 12”
256 pages

Price: $75