Docomomo US is pleased to announce that student scholarship applications are available for the Theodore Prudon Fund for Preservation Education 2026 grant cycle. Established in 2024 to recognize advancement in the field through the contributions of the organization’s founding president, the fund supports educational initiatives at Docomomo US and supports preservation students in their pursuits. Academic scholarships are available exclusively to graduate students in the field of historic preservation and are designed to assist with educational expenses. One (1) scholarship of $3,000 will be awarded this year. The recipient will also receive a one-year Docomomo US student membership and complimentary registration for the Docomomo US National Symposium. 🗓️ Applications are due June 1, 2026. Eligibility guidelines and application instructions at the link in bio.

Flashback to 80s corporate office life! Would you want to work here?!? Sadly, the very cool 1980 Postmodern headquarters of Best Products, designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer in Henrico, VA has been approved for demolition to make way for a new arena. It won an AIA Honor Award in 1983. The iconic eagle statues at the entrance will be preserved but it is unclear where they will end up. The eagles originally sat atop the East Side Airlines Terminal Building in NYC, and were saved by the Best Products founder who was an Art Deco collector. We will continue to monitor the story but this may be another loss for Postmodern corporate campuses. Thank you to Ted Grunewald for alerting us to the situation. Images courtesy Virginia Museum of History and Culture, AIA, and Metro Center Partners LLC.

Docomomo US is headed to India 🇮🇳 There are just a couple of spots left on the Docomomo Travel Tour: Modern India. Taking place October 12-22, 2026, the tour offers a comprehensive exploration of India’s architectural evolution from imperial grandeur to modernist innovation. Full details in bio. These beautiful photos were all taken by G.E. Kidder Smith. An architect and educator, he became known for his prolific documentation of architecture via photography, books and exhibitions. (Check out the book G.E. Kidder Smith Builds if you’d like to know more). Images courtesy MIT Libraries, G.E. Kidder Smith Collection, CC BY-NC 3.0.

Call for Articles: Recreation and Play Docomomo US invites submissions for a 2026 special edition newsletter focused on mid-twentieth-century sites of recreation and play - the places where communities gathered for leisure, movement, social life, and joy. Proposal deadline Friday May 15. Details at link in bio. Image: Oakland Monster by Robert Winston Courtesy Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room

I'm very happy the @mkehistory jury opted to shine a spotlight on this potentially threatened tile mosaic mural by a Midwestern artist (#EdwardCathony) using a medium (TEGA tiles) with Milwaukee roots... Story here now at @onmilwaukee : /articles/cathony-mural-wins-public-art-award (Clickable link in my bio). #publicart #mural #mosaic #milwaukeeart #wisconsinart #irondistrict @westownassociation (PHOTO: @tyjeskitile )

Nominations are open! The Modernism in America Awards celebrate the documentation, preservation and reuse of modern buildings, structures and landscapes built in the United States or on U.S. territory. The Awards recognize those building owners, design teams, advocacy and preservation organizations that have made significant efforts to retain, restore, and advocate for the aesthetic and cultural value of such places. Know of a worthy project? Share in the comments some recent preservation projects that you think deserve an award! Early nominations are due May 7, final nomination deadline is June 11. Link in bio.

19th International Docomomo Conference recap! Last week was an inspiring gathering of architects, historians, and advocates dedicated to preserving the legacy of modern architecture. From tours to thought-provoking discussions and shared experiences, this conference was a reminder that modern heritage is not just about buildings, but about the cultural narratives they carry. Grateful for the conversations, connections, and ideas that will continue to shape the future of preservation. #Docomomo26 #ARG #ArchitecturalResourcesGroup

We were proud to sponsor the 19th International @docomomous Conference, held March 17-22 in Los Angeles. This event brought together a global community dedicated to the preservation and celebration of modern architecture. We were especially inspired by closing keynote speaker @fridaescobedo , whose work and perspective continue to shape the future of architecture. The conference concluded with a special overnight tour to Palm Springs. From striking architectural landmarks to the region’s unique landscape, it was an inspiring way to experience the highlights of Desert Modernism. A special thank you to @docomomointernational @docomomous @docomomo_socal @uscarchitecture @gettymuseum and all who made this incredible gathering possible. We are grateful to have been part of such a meaningful event, and to help share the beauty and significance of these spaces. #DOCOMOMO26

Had the best time and learned so much volunteering with and attending the International DoCoMoMo Conference (@docomomous / @docomomointernational ) this week here in greater Los Angeles—a gathering of folks interested in the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the modern movement! 🏢🌴 Thank you to @hannahlisesimonson for first looping me in and to @insta.brann for inviting me to help with her excellent tour of Long Beach’s own modernist treasures (of which there are many!). 💕 Slide 1 is Ed Killingsworth’s son welcoming DoCoMoMo to the Killingsworth family home near Rancho Los Cerritos. Slides 3-6 are at the stunning former Killingsworth office in Bixby Knolls that has been lovingly restored by Kelly Sutherlin McCleod Architecture, who work at the office. Slides 7-10 are more of the Killingsworth family home. Slide 11 is the Maurice Frank House by Killingsworth in Bixby. Slides 12-13 are at the charming Cliff May Ranchos in East Long Beach (see hat in last slide!). Congratulations to @docomomo_socal and @docomomous for an amazing program!

Completed in 1971, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is an iconic architectural treasure that serves both as the nation’s living memorial to President Kennedy and as the United States’ principal national performing arts center. Today, a coalition of eight leading cultural heritage and architectural organizations, jointly represented by three law firms, filed suit in federal district court in Washington, DC seeking to require the Trump administration to comply with historic preservation laws and secure Congressional authorization before implementing the President’s plans to further alter the Kennedy Center. The filing follows statements by President Trump that he may soon take the building “down to the steel” during a two-year closure beginning July 4, 2026. It is unprecedented for so many national and regional organizations to join together to defend a single historic building and its grounds, reflecting both the Kennedy Center’s significance and the breadth of concern the administration’s approach could weaken longstanding federal protections for historic sites nationwide. Read the full press release via the link in our Bio ⬆️ @nationalasla @AIANational @dcpresleague @docomomous @sah1365 @tclfdotorg

As sessions ended on Friday afternoon at the 19th IDC, attendees headed to the Getty Center for the closing keynote delivered by award-winning Mexican architect @fridaescobedo . We capped off the week with an incredible closing reception under the stars, sponsored by @gettymuseum . With sweeping views of the city below, our time together in Los Angeles came to a close. The 19th International Docomomo Conference is organized with the direct support of @docomomointernational ; Docomomo US; the @docomomo_socal chapter; @uscarchitecture ; and @gettymuseum . Photos by @tagchristof #multiplemoderns #docomomo2026

This house truly deserves a post of its own! The Frank and Kay Davis Residence 1937, Richard J. Neutra Frank Davis was among the wealthy oil executives living in Bakersfield during the 1930s. Davis became aware of Neutra’s work when he viewed it at an exhibit at Bullock’s Wilshire in Los Angeles in July and August of 1932. As Esther McCoy points out, the elevations of the Davis Residence present “...alternating bands of solids and transparents in smooth surfaces and modular rhythm...” - a hallmark of the International Style. The design emphasis is clearly on horizontality, but the complementary bands of corner windows on the second and first floors are a clear statement about the machine aesthetic. In plan, the purity of the design, two perfect interlocking cubes, is revealed. Frank Ghezzi, a Swiss-born architect owned the house during the 1990s and made several sensitive alterations. Ghezzii pushed out the dining room continuing the ribbon windows on the rear elevation. A bedroom and bathroom extension were pushed rearward off the master bedroom, absorbing the balcony area on the second floor. The Davis Residence was featured in Pencil Points: “Notice how effectively Neutra has concentrated his feeling of enclosed intimacy on one hand and open freedom on the other, and how admirably they are combined by the simple regular rhythm.” This house is expertly stewarded by @bakersfieldbuilt . Tour by @sianwinship + @sah1365 . #docomomo #californiamodern #docomomointernational #modernhome #architecture 🤍