This year, the Denver Modernism Week show is in new hands, and the week will offer six events. We spoke with Dana Sednek, co-founder of Denver Modernism Week, about the organization’s vision and the 2021 events.
The Vision
The vision is to celebrate, educate and help preserve MCM in Denver and environs. It’s a labor of love for Dana, who is organizing this on her sabbatical year. Palm Springs is great, but why should it have all the glory? Dana relates, “There are over 6,000 documented MCM homes here [in the Denver area],” and Dana and the Denver Modernism Week team aim to “build MCM awareness and bring niche groups under one umbrella.” Some people may not be aware of the history and significance of MCM to know that it is worth preserving. And for those that do, Denver Modernism Week can serve as hub for like-minded enthusiasts.
In planning this year’s event, Dana and team also aimed to make the event more green, give back to/support local businesses, and to foreground women. Coming out of a pandemic year, Dana says the 2021 event is “Mid Century Modest,” with a combination of live and virtual offerings, leaving room to scale up for future years.
Denver Modernism Week 2021 Offerings
This year’s Modernism Week includes six events spanning August 20-29.
VIP Party
“Friday night is VIP only, which means it’s a party,” Dana says. Proceeds from the cash bar will go to Green Up Our School. As a way of showcasing local businesses, there will be a silent auction with products from Denver Modernism Week vendors. After being bunkered down for so long, the auction is “a good way to remind people of best of what’s out there.” You can also expect to see live mannequins showcase vintage clothes.
Denver Mod Show
Denver Modernism Week bought the previously existing Denver Mod Show, which is a celebration of vintage cars, campers, airplanes, and vendors of non-wheeled vintage goods. This year it will be at The Exploration of Flight Hangar and will include food trucks. “It’s great for families,” Dana says, and she describes the vintage marketplace as “wacky, wild, one-of-a-kind.”
Miss Modernism Pageant
Contestants are adjudicated on their MCM enthusiasm, and in addition to be crowned and sashed, the prize is a trip to Palm Springs Modernism Week. This year’s jury was selected, Dana says, “to represent the past, present, and future of MCM in Denver.”
4 x 4 Talk
On August 25, 4 individuals and MCM fans will each discuss a historical MCM person they admire, particularly women who were successful in the mid century. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the talk will go to Safe House Denver.
Home Tour
In association with Local Works, Denver Modernism Week will offer both virtual and in-person options to tour an MCM home in the Wheat Ridge.
Free! MCM Denver Public Library Hunt
Dana explains that five Denver public library locations that were built in the mid century are offering “3d tours, self-guided tours, lots of info details about history, architectural details, drone footage also old blueprints. People are invited into the actual libraries where they can find a postcard and sticker. If you collect all 5, the first 12 people to present them will get a custom print.”
To buy tickets to the Denver Modernism Week 2021 events, visit denvermodernismweek.com.
Curious about more MCM in Denver? Tour Mile High and Mid Mod: A 1955 Harvey Park Home. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!
