On November 6-8, 2020 SAF will present its midcentury modernist festival, SarasotaMOD Weekend, honoring the art and architecture of Carl Abbott, FAIA.  Social distancing concerns need to be a factor in the planning, so the SAF board is hard at work brainstorming ways that would allow the organization to go ahead with the Weekend - even if that means this year's MOD will have a slightly different look from prior years. Keep an eye on the SAF website, save the date and stay tuned.

In other SAF news from this spring, the Walker Guest House Replica completed yet another chapter in its life.  After its successful exhibition on the grounds of the Ringling Museum, the WGHR was relocated to Palm Springs, CA, and went on display for more than a year where it delighted architectural aficionados from Los Angeles, Southern California and beyond.  In 2019, WGHR was a star attraction during Modernism Week, the granddaddy-of-them-all midcentury modern festival - and the inspiration for SAF’s own SarasotaMOD weekend. WGHR was recently sold for $50,000 to a new private owner through Heritage Auctions.  The proceeds will be shared between SAF and PS ModCom, the organization which stewarded the WGHR during its Palm Springs stay.  The monies SAF receives will help support a new program we are creating to interview both architects and homeowners connected with Sarasota School of Architecture movement structures.  SAF wants to capture these stories and create an archive that will be accessible by generations to come.

The Tours of Cocoon and Umbrella House have been suspended given the current state, federal and CDC guidelines until it is safe for people to gather in larger clusters. News on when these tours can be rescheduled will be updated on the SAF website.

Click for more info on SAF.