Talks highlight Palm Springs homes

If you're a fan of cool midcentury modern design, legendary movie stars or the enticing desert lifestyle, make a note to attend a fascinating double feature at San Francisco's Legion of Honor, or view it virtually from home, on March 9.

That's when Sidney Williams, a renowned Palm Springs midcentury modern architectural expert, will be in town to present two illustrated lectures — “Palm Springs Modern: Architecture and Design in the Sun” (11 a.m.) and “Women, Moguls, and Movie Stars: Adventurous Clients and Their Architects” (1:30 p.m.).

The American Decorative

Arts Forum of Northern California, an organization dedicated to the study, enjoyment and preservation of American decorative arts, sponsors the talks.

According to ADAF's press release, in Williams' first lecture, she'll reveal “how the work of midcentury modern architects and its appreciation led to Palm Springs being recognized as an epicenter of modern architecture.”

These architects, including A. Quincy Jones, Albert Frey, Richard Neutra and Donald Wexler, are midcentury legends who have left behind them fabulous architectural, timeless gems.

Williams' second lecture will spotlight the special relationship between gifted architects and their engaged clients who create a shared, realized vision.

Some of the personalities that she'll discuss include the

St. Louis socialite Grace Miller, fashion designer Trina Turk, movie moguls Walter and Leonore Annenberg, and show business stars such as Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore, who all created timeless homes that ADAF claim are “celebrated as sublime works of art.”

Longtime ADAF board member Rob Speaks, a former San Francisco resident who now resides mostly in Rancho Mirage, is thrilled that Bay Area residents will have a chance to learn from Williams.

“Sidney's a powerhouse,” he says. “She's the founding curator of the Architecture and Design Center of the Palm Springs Art Museum. Her work with the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance and her position on the boards of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board and Modernism Week all speak to her leadership, experience

MYUNG J. CHUN — LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS The Bob Hope house is among the homes that will be discussed March 9 at talks sponsored by the American Decorative Arts Forum of Northern California.