Festival lauds architecture

Few Modestans realize that in the mid-20th century, the city attracted some of the most famous architects and landscape designers in the country. Their work was lauded nationally and featured in books published by New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Now, for the first time, the new locally produced 16-minute documentary “Modesto Modernism” tells that story. It will premiere at the sixth annual Modesto International Architecture Festival, which runs Sept. 14-22 at various venues around the area.

The film was produced by California State University, Stanislaus, art professor Jessica Gomula-Kruzic and Steve Arounsack and highlights the Modesto work of such architects as Frank Lloyd Wright, Thomas Church and Lawrence Halprin. It will be shown Sept. 20 at the State Theatre and Sept. 22 at the Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock.

“I had no idea when we started doing the research we would uncover designs from so many major architects,” said Bob Barzan, director of the Modesto Art Museum, which sponsors the festival along with the Sierra Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “As of today, we’ve uncovered 85 landscapes and architecture of the biggest names in architecture for modernism.”

The architecture festival features many other ways to learn and celebrate architecture. Read more here.