Details on our upcoming Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas weekend.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!!!!!!!!

http://www.adas-lv.com/

 

 

Thank you for being so patient!  We've got the preliminary details (with more to follow) but we figured it was best to get rolling on this so that our readers could start making plans!

The Friends of Classic Las Vegas and the Architectural and Decorative Arts Society present:

Mid-Mod Marvels:  A Celebration of Mid-Century Modern Architecture and Design

The Events:

Living the Mid-Mod Lifestyle Party:


The fun begins on Friday evening, Oct. 22nd with a reception at the famed Morelli House.  The Junior League of Las Vegas has graciously agreed to open their doors for a cocktail party to kick off our weekend of Mid-Century Modern madness.

Alan Hess will be there to say a few words about not only the era of Mid-Century Modern but also provide a bit of history about the Morelli House.

The reception starts at 5:30 pm and goes until 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $25.


Mid-Century Modern History and Las Vegas

We kick-off Saturday afternoon, Oct. 23rd at the National Golf Course's (originally the Stardust Golf Course) Clubhouse with two panels on the era and Las Vegas.

 

The first one:  Mid-Century Modern Architecture, Design and Las Vegas  begins at 1:00 pm:

Panelists include Alan Hess, architect William Krisel, Chris Nichols and Dr. Robert Tracy talking about the influence of architects such as Welton Beckett, Wayne McAllister and Paul Revere Williams on local architects such as Walter Zick, Harris Sharp, Hugh Taylor and the influence of Mid-Century design on Las Vegas.

The second one:  A Look Back at the Las Vegas News Bureau begins at 3:00 pm:

The Las Vegas News Bureau helped put Las Vegas on the map in the Mid-Century Modern era.  The photographers captured not only the stars of the era but also the buildings and hotels of the era, most of which are gone or altered way beyond their original design.  Panelists will include:  former News Bureau manager, Don Payne.

 

In the evening of Oct. 23rd, we will present the Las Vegas premiere of the documentary, "William Krisel, Architect" at 6:30 pm.

 

The documentary, produced by Design OnScreen and directed by Jake Gorst, looks at the life and the influence of William Krisel.  Known mainly for his Mid-Century Modern architecture in California, Mr. Krisel's influence on the residential architecture of Las Vegas can be seen in the Paradise Palms neighborhood.  Working with developer Irwin Molasky, Mr. Krisel designed the homes in that subdivison.

Following the screening, the will be a Q&A session with Alan Hess and William Krisel.

Tickets for Saturday's events are $20.00


Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas Bus Tour:


On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 24th, we will offer a double-decker bus tour highlighting the Mid-Century Modern neighborhoods of Las Vegas.  This will be a different tour route than the one we did last year with new open houses at two Mid-Century modern homes.  Neighborhoods we will glide through include Marycrest, Paradise Palms and the Scotch Eighties.

The tour leaves from the Reed Whipple Cultural Center at noon, include a stop at the Morelli House and will last three hours.  The bus will return to Reed Whipple at the end of the tour.

Please be aware, like last year, seating for the tour is limited.

Tickets are $20.

Now, if you want to save a few dollars, you can buy a three-day pass for $50.  Passes and individual tickets will be available on the ADAS website.  As soon as they have the page up, we will post a link here.

So, start planning your wardrobe and your itinerary, because this is going to be one great weekend you won't want to miss!

Support for this great weekend provided by:

City of Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission

Sponsors for this great weekend are:

The El Cortez

The Junior League of Las Vegas

Metro Arts Council

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas

Retro Vegas

Terry Wilsey

VeryVintageVegas

 

 

It's Coming!!! Our second annual Mid Century Modern Las Vegas Weekend!

 

Our emails hint that many of you very much wanted us to have another Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas weekend filled with panels, architecture, tours and more.

Well, we heard you.  Check back this weekend to find out all the details for our "Mid-Mod Marvels:  A Celebration of Mid-Centuiry Modern Architecture and Design".

A reception at the Morelli House on Friday evening Oct 22nd.

On Saturday, October 23rd, a panel on Mid-Century Modern Architecture and Art, a panel on the history of the Las Vegas News Bureau and the Las Vegas premiere of the documentary on William Krisel, the architect behind Paradise Palms.  William Krisel will be with us in person and will attend the screening.

 

 

And best of all, Alan Hess, the authority on all that is MCM,  will be back with us guiding us through all that is Mid-Century Modern and the architects who changed forever the landscape of Las Vegas as well as handle the Q&A at the Krisel film premiere.

 

And yes, there will be a double-decker bus tour on Sunday afternoon with a new route, new open houses and lots of history.

Sound like fun?

It's all coming the weekend of October 22nd and you don't want to miss this as tickets are limited!

So check back here this weekend for the deets! 

More on the Liberace Museum Protest

From Jeffery White event organizer...

Dear Friends of the Liberace Foundation and Museum:

 

I am writing this to you, asking for your time and support for a worthy cause. We will be staging a Protest demonstration on Wednesday September 22nd from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.  This demonstration will be a peaceful protest to keep the Liberace Museum Open.  We will be marching on the sidewalks surrounding the Liberace Museum.  This will also help to shine a spotlight on those responsible for its demise.

 

It is believed that the Liberace Museum has been grossly mismanaged by the past two Museum Presidents under the current watch of the Liberace Foundation Board President Dean, Jeffrey Koep of UNLV. 

 

This Non-Profit organization like any other should be held accountable for any and all mismanagement.  Non-Profit Boards have a fiduciary responsibility to the Public, especially when a large monetary trust is concerned. 

 

Las Vegas has been a city that all too often bulldozes its history.  Then we complain that our culture is non-existent.  We have said good-bye to the Las Vegas Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum.  The Liberace Museum is a Part of the Las Vegas Culture, as well as Liberace himself being a part of the Las Vegas Cultural fabric.  Entertainment has been synonymous with our colorful past.  Can we afford to let go of yet another iconic part of Las Vegas history? 

 

Now is the time to show your support and save a legacy that was given to the people of Las Vegas. Given the right leadership, this can be saved. 

 

Please do your part and join us in attending this peaceful demonstration to help prevent yet another Museum loss.  Let’s focus on the FUTURE so that the generations to come can also enjoy Mr. Showmanship’s legacy.

 

In closing….I would like to leave you with the closing remarks from Liberace’s book. “The Wonderful Private World of Liberace”

 

“What lies ahead should be determined by what we’ve missed in the past.  The present should be spent realizing all of our unfulfilled dreams and ambitions…My attitude is that nothing is impossible – it just takes a little longer.  Making up for lost time is the best motivation of all in planning for the future”

 

 

I’ll Be Seeing You!  (On Wednesday)

 

Jeffrey White

Protest Organizer



Liberace Fans to Protest the Closing of the Museum

Fans of the Liberace Museum are outraged at the closing of the Museum (see our post below).  According to our pal, Johnny Katz at the Las Vegas Sun, a protest is planned for Wednesday morning at 11:30 am in front of the museum.

Jeffrey White, the event organizer, is calling for the ouster of Liberace Foundation Chairman, Jeffrey Koep and Foundation President Jack Rappaport.  Rappaport's continuing role is unknown but he thinks he may be asked to handle the choosing of items for a possible national tour.  He is also trying to find a new home for the Museum on the Strip.

According to Katz, Koep said meager visitation numbers at the museum (from a high of 450,000 at its peak to around 30,000 last year) and an absence of revenue from businesses in the strip-mall plaza owned by the foundation were the reasons the distinctly Las Vegas attraction is closing.

Koep said the museum had for years been financially sustained by the endowment fund set up to award scholarships, and it had reached the point where the museum had to close to preserve that fund, he said. The Liberace Foundation had once awarded $500,000 annually to gifted students; last year that number fell to $65,000.

The organized outcry likely won't be a massive effort. A turnout of between 75 and 100 is expected. But White, quoting from legendary cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, said the group would not be deterred:

"A small group of thoughtful people can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

For more on the Museum prospects and a film on the life of Lee:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2010/sep/17/supporters-liberace-museum-refuse-close-show-witho/