UPCOMING EVENTS
Bringing Worship into the Modern Era: Celebrating 75 Years at Christ Church Lutheran. Saturday, November 9.
75th Anniversary of Eliel Saarinen’s National Historic Landmark Christ Church Lutheran A Celebration of Saarinen’s Mid-Century Modern Masterpiece November 9, 2024, 1:30 p.m. Reception at 4:00 p.m. Christ Church Lutheran, 3244 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the Christ Church Lutheran sanctuary in 1949 and the 15th anniversary of the church's recognition as a National Historic Landmark, one of 25 in Minnesota and the only house of worship. Please join us for a celebratory afternoon of engaging talks and reflections in the sanctuary! Keynote Address: Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Assistant Dean & Professor, Yale School of Architecture, on Eliel Saarinen’s significance in 20th-Century Modernism, through Christ Church Lutheran Accompanying Address: “Christ Church Lutheran, the Saarinens, and the Rise of Spirituality in America,” Jeanne Halgren Kilde, Former Director, Religious Studies Program, University of Minnesota, on how mid-century modernist architects designed spaces for worship and spirituality This event is free and open to the public. RSVP requested to [email protected] Sponsored by Christ Church Lutheran and Friends of Christ Church Lutheran |
A Very Merry Mod Mixer! Thursday, November 14, 2024; 6-8pm. Century Gallery, Saint Paul.
Please join Docomomo US/MN for a Very Merry Mod Mixer at Century Gallery in St Paul. It’s the perfect way to kickoff the holiday season. Festive drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Plus endless merriness and good vibes. The event is free to attend, but please RSVP so we know how many to expect. We may need the elves to work overtime if this turns out to be total banger. We hope to see you there. Cheers! Time + Date: Thursday, November 14th, 2024 from 6-8pm Century Gallery, 2030 St Clair Ave, St Paul, MN 55105 |
Past 2024 Events
Tour Day 2024 – Working Cooperatively: A Campus Tour with Land O' Lakes! – Saturday, October 19, 2024
Join Docomomo US/MN on a tour of the Land O' Lakes Corporate Headquarters, with initial campus elements designed by Architectural Alliance, and the recipient of the 2013 AIA Minnesota 25-Year Award. The headquarters is located on a 50-acre site in Arden Hills and provides a home to the Fortune 500 company. A 2018 campus expansion by Perkins&Will eliminated the need to lease nearby office buildings, retooled the existing campus buildings, and refocused the campus around a central, open courtyard. The tour will start in the dramatic 3-story lobby and explore how the campus has changed and adapted to current ways of working, while building on a tradition sustainable building practices and community building. |
Doco Drive – The Divine Line, Presented by Docomomo US/Wisconsin. Saturday, September 28, 2024
Join Docomomo US/Wisconsin for a spectacular self-driving tour of Milwaukee’s best Midcentury Modern Churches. Get ready to explore the unique architecture and design of these iconic structures with our tour booklet and knowledgeable docents. This event is a great opportunity to learn about the history and significance of these inspiring sacred spaces while enjoying a fun day out. Don't miss out on this chance to discover Milwaukee’s Modern Churches up close and personal! Meet us at our first tour stop: Kingo Lutheran Church 1225 E Olive St. Shorewood, WI to pick up a tour guide booklet on September 28 from 10am-12pm To appreciate the full tour allow 3-5 hr. $15/person |
Mid-Century Fall Home Tour: A Gaggle of Graffunders! Saturday, September 21, 2024
Docomomo US/MN is excited to present the 2024 Mid-Century Fall Home Tour! The spotlight this year is on MN Architect Carl Graffunder, whose 130+ projects across the state exemplify the essence of 20th Century Modernism – open floor plans, site-specific design and indoor-outdoor connections. Graffunder projects spanning 1952-1968 are open for this tour, offering a comparative look at the evolution of the architect's style during the height of mid-century design in Minnesota. Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024 Tour: 11am-3pm Reception: 3pm-4:30pm Tickets available via Eventbrite: Students: $15 Docomomo US/MN Members: $30 General Admission: $55 |
Golden Valley Historical Society: Golden Jubilee Celebration and Open House – Saturday September 14, 2024
Founded in 1974, the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) is commemorating fifty years of uncovering, preserving, and sharing our community's vibrant past. Celebrate with us at our Golden Jubilee open house and discover the stories that have shaped Golden Valley through our community partners, museum exhibits, and historic church open house. GOLDEN JUBILEE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AND OPEN HOUSE Saturday, September 14, 2024 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Golden Valley History Museum, 6731 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley The event will feature booths for a variety of local organizations, including Docomomo US/MN, musical performances, demonstrations, guided tours of the Golden Valley History Museum, visits to the 1882 Historic Church in the Valley, a one-day reduced-price ($15!) sale of vintage Golden Valley street signs, refreshments, and more. |
Going, Going, Gone! The Friedman House by Arthur Dickey – Open Wednesday, August 28, 2024; 5:30pm-7pm
Photo Courtesy: OPENGATE Studio
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Join Docomomo US/MN for a look inside this amazing home on the shores of Lake Cornelia in Edina, built in 1960 by the firm of Shifflet, Backstrom, Hutchison & Dickey. Fans of Minnesota mid-century architecture will recognize design elements form other Arthur Dickey projects, as he was a prolific architect in (and longtime resident and booster of) the city of Edina. In-Person (self-guided) Tour: Wednesday, August 28, 2024; 5:30pm-7:00pm This is a FREE event, but registration is required! Address will be provided upon registration. |
The Art and Legacy of Nakashima Woodworkers – July 12-13, 2024; Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
The Andersen Horticultural Library is home to the largest publicly accessible collection of George and Mira Nakashima furniture. In celebration of its 50th year, the Library is hosting a weekend of events on July 12-13, 2024 including a film screening of “George Nakashima, Woodworker,” by his nephew John Nakashima, and a lecture by George's daughter Mira Nakashima, creative director of Nakashima Woodworkers. Learn more and reserve tickets. Tickets: The Art and Legacy of Nakashima Woodworkers | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum |
Mod Mixer 2024 – Thursday June 20, 2024; 6-8pm. @ findfurnish, Minneapolis.
The Mod Mixer Returns! Join Docomomo US/MN for and evening of fun and fellowship, surrounded by some amazing mid-century furniture and vintage home goods at findfurnish! There will be door prizes and drawings, light fare and refreshments. There will be two raffles, one for existing Docomomo members and another for those who join Docomomo or renew their membership at the event. This is a free event open to all – Please RSVP to let us know you will be coming! |
George Mastny Residence; Orono, MN – Members Only Open House. Saturday June 8, 2024; 2-5pm
Join Docomomo US/MN as we explore George Mastny’s own home in Orono, MN! In-Person Open House: Saturday, June 8, 2024; 2-5pm Registration Required This is a free event, open to all current Docomomo US/MN members. Refreshments and light appetizers will be served. About the George Mastny Residence: Architect's own house, built in 1963. Featured in a 1964 Minneapolis Tribune article: Mastny emphasized that “Flexibility is the essence of design. If you can get 10 feet to do what 12 feet might do, you have saved 15 dollars a square foot. Planning is essential. To get multiple uses and economy of space, contemporary design does this better than conventional design." The piece noted the "young Wayzata architect and his wife cut costs by doing their own contracting and finishing much of the interior themselves.” This incredible home has been meticulously restored, and features original kitchen cabinetry by famed furniture + industrial designer Paul McCobb. |
Making the Most of Modernism: Reuse of Post-War Modernism, Presented by Rethos. Wednesday, June 5; 7PM
WHERE: Rethos Office, 75 W 5th St Fifth Floor South, St Paul, MN 55102, USA WHEN: Wednesday, June 5, 2024; 7-8:30 COST: $15 Modernism in architecture is characterized by functional and tectonic expressions, new and experimental materials, lack of ornamentation, and indoor/outdoor spatial integration. In 2024, we must reconceptualize our understanding of what a "modernistic" historic building is, and how this historic architecture fits in with modern-day use and needs. Because of the 1960s trends of urban renewal and the relationship between urban spaces and Modernism/Brutalism, today's society has written off many of the "ugly" buildings that emerged in this era. Architect and building historian Michael Bjornberg will dive into the note-worthy aspects of Modernism and the value of reusing and celebrating these buildings in a contemporary manner. 1.5 CE Credits available. This class is brought to you by the Education program at Rethos: Places Reimagined. Rethos is proud to offer a variety of classes to homeowners, students, realtors, and anyone who loves old buildings. The Rethos Education program is funded in part by the Arts & Cultural Legacy Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society. Photo credit: Metropolis Magazine. |
Docomomo US National Symposium, MIAMI – May 29-June 1, 2024
Join Docomomo US in Miami and Coral Gables, Florida, from May 29 to June 1, 2024, and experience one of the country’s richest collections of mid-century and postmodern architecture. Entitled Streams of Modernity: Postwar to Postmodern, the 2024 National Symposium is a collaboration of Docomomo US and the Docomomo US/Florida chapter. Miami is a city whose location, diversity and vibrant growth have made it an ideal destination for international travel, business, culture, and leisure. Incorporated in 1896 - though Native Americans inhabited the region for millennia - the city and its greater region are a remarkable landscape described by native Amerindians as a slowly flowing “river of grass,” with a thin strip of buildable land stretching along its coastline. The region became an escape for post-World War II middle America, shaped largely by the desire for leisure and entertainment. Over the past decades, Miami has become a laboratory to explore new urban patterns, building types, evolving aesthetics, and emerging environmental consciousness. |
Concrete & the Building of Minneapolis & Saint Paul – May 15, 2024; 6:45pm.
Free Presentation Open to the Public – Doty Boardroom at the Hennepin County Library, Downtown Minneapolis
The Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA) will be holding its 52nd annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 15-19, 2024. To launch the conference, the SIA is hosting a public presentation on Wednesday evening, May 15, by architectural historian, Brian McMahon, in the Doty Boardroom at the Minneapolis Central Branch of the Hennepin County Library, 300 Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis. Title of the presentation is “Concrete & the Building of Minneapolis & Saint Paul.” McMahon’s presentation is free and open to the public, and all are welcome. Concrete is found under buildings, in buildings, and on buildings. It can be found in grain elevators, water towers, and bridges. It can be poured for floor slabs, or into architectural forms for columns, or into molds for complete houses or decorative finishes. It can be prepared on the building site, or in the factory, where it can be made as ‘formless’ concrete block units, or as prestressed panels. It can be sprayed on surfaces as shotcrete. Concrete associations billed it as ‘the complete building material that is virtually fireproof, requires little maintenance, and liberates the architect to design completely new forms. This lecture will show the history and impact of this ubiquitous material in the Twin Cities, highlighting the important contributions of Minnesota innovators. Trained as an architect, Brian McMahon is an independent architectural historian. His award-winning book, The Ford Century in Minnesota, was published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2016. |
Works In Progress, Presented by MNSAH – Wednesday March 13, 2024; 7pm-8:30pm via Zoom.
MNSAH invites you to attend Works in Progress on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Presentations include: MnSHIP – Minnesota’s Statewide Historic Inventory Portal by Ginny Way For decades, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has maintained an inventory of thousands of buildings, sites, and structures in Minnesota. These records, previously only available in hard copy, have been digitized and are now accessible through MnSHIP, a new website allowing the public to easily locate information about properties throughout the state. This presentation will provide a demonstration of MnSHIP and how to access the wealth of information now readily available about historic properties in Minnesota. Creating the Multifaith Chapel at MIT, 1938-1955: From William Welles Bosworth to Eero Saarinen by Dr. Jeanne Halgren Kilde Interfaith or multifaith chapels are so ubiquitous now—present on college campus and in airports, hospitals, and shopping malls—that their development as a distinct architectural form is often taken for granted. Yet the emergence of this building or spatial type was not easily achieved, hindered by several religious and architectural preconceptions. This presentation will focus one influential piece in the process of its development: a transformation in the conceptualization of religious space on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that started with its campus designer and architect William Welles Bosworth in the 1930s and culminated in Eero Saarinen’s innovative Kresge Chapel in 1955. |
Revisit the Fashion, Culture and History of 1974 with GVHS – Thursday March 14, 2024; 7pm.
As Golden Valley Historical Society turns 50, revisit the fashion, history, and culture of 1974 with the curator of the Goldstein Museum of Design.
As the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2024, revisit the fashion, history, and culture of 1974 – the Society’s founding year - for a Thursday, March 14 program. Expect a fun and fitting look at what we were wearing 50 years ago by guest presenter Jean McElvain, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD).
To commemorate the era of GVHS’s beginning, she will return us to the fashion and design of the 1970s through images of objects in GMD's over 30,000-piece collection and explore how and why culture gravitated toward colorful excesses from mod miniskirts to polyester leisure suits.
The Goldstein Museum of Design is the only design museum in the Upper Midwest. As its curator, Dr. McElvain brings a deep understanding of many facets of 19th and 20th century design, identifying relationships between everything from fashion to architecture. She uses exhibition curation and design to tell stories and guide research.
The program is at 7:00 pm in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley. It is free and open to GVHS members and the public.
As the Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2024, revisit the fashion, history, and culture of 1974 – the Society’s founding year - for a Thursday, March 14 program. Expect a fun and fitting look at what we were wearing 50 years ago by guest presenter Jean McElvain, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota’s Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD).
To commemorate the era of GVHS’s beginning, she will return us to the fashion and design of the 1970s through images of objects in GMD's over 30,000-piece collection and explore how and why culture gravitated toward colorful excesses from mod miniskirts to polyester leisure suits.
The Goldstein Museum of Design is the only design museum in the Upper Midwest. As its curator, Dr. McElvain brings a deep understanding of many facets of 19th and 20th century design, identifying relationships between everything from fashion to architecture. She uses exhibition curation and design to tell stories and guide research.
The program is at 7:00 pm in the GVHS Historic Church, 6731 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley. It is free and open to GVHS members and the public.