Announcing A Design Event: Defining Modern: Masters of Mid-Century Furniture & Design
DES MOINES, IOWA, March 8, 2019 — Iowa Architectural Foundation (IAF) is collaborating with Knoll, Saxton and Drake University on a signature educational event that you won't want to miss! Iowa is home to many architectural gems of the Mid-Century Modern design movement, including several on the Drake University campus. The event will be held in Meredith Hall, designed by famed architect Mies van der Rohe in 1965. Have your morning coffee while you enjoy two richly-illustrated presentations, accompanied by a display of original Knoll furniture classics by master designers including Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer. Afterwards, take part in guided architectural walking tours of Drake’s campus, focusing on the Modernist legacy. You will conclude your tour by having the opportunity to view Allée, a mural painted in the 1950’s by artist Stuart Davis, a widely recognized major figure in American art.
MASTERS OF MID-CENTURY FURNITURE & DESIGN
Yvonne Baker, KnollStudio, with material from Knoll archives
Learn more about the master architects and craftspeople involved in the Bauhaus design movement in Germany, who brought international Modernist concepts and influence to the U.S., including Florence and Hans Knoll, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, and Mies van der Rohe. These greats defined modern through the design of now iconic pieces of classic Mid Century furniture, as well as the buildings that marked the modern movement across the US.
MODERN BY DESIGN: DRAKE UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS
Maura Lyons, PhD, Drake University Professor of Art History
An overview of the historical context and mid-century buildings of Drake's campus, designed by Mies van der Rohe, Eliel and Eero Saarinen and Harry and Ben Weese. Lyons has co-curated two exhibitions at Drake’s Anderson Gallery on Mid-Century Modern architects who designed the campus, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Mies van der Rohe and Harry and Ben Weese.
The cost to attend is $25, with proceeds going to fund Iowa Architectural Foundation’s public educational programs.
For more details, visit IAF’s web site.
Register on Eventbrite.
The Iowa Architectural Foundation is a charitable organization founded in 1989 to promote the awareness and appreciation of architecture and design. The nonprofit pursues its mission through youth and adult educational/outreach programs, community design charrettes, architectural walking tours, an annual lecture series, and more. Visit Facebook or www.iowaarchfoundation.org for more information.