(Neighborhood Tours and Partner Events Provided Opportunities for Charitable Fundraising and Modernism Week Continues to Fund Scholarships)

Palm Springs, CA

Modernism Week announced that its recent 11-day festival in February 2023 and its four-day festival in October 2022 provided an opportunity for dozens of local Coachella Valley organizations and neighborhood groups to produce events that raised significant funds from ticket sales proceeds for official Modernism Week events. These events included neighborhood tours, parties, educational talks, and other programs and enabled the organizations to contribute to local Coachella Valley charities or to fund civic improvements with the proceeds raised by the programs. During Modernism Week – October and Modernism Week 2023, participating partner organizations raised $2,179,529 million. This includes more than $689,543 in funds raised by local neighborhood organizations from home tours (up more than $100,000 from the previous year). 

Modernism Week also continued to support its long-standing scholarship program by awarding eleven scholarships, the greatest number of scholarships awarded in one-year by Modernism Week to date, to deserving Coachella Valley students who have chosen educational paths in the fields of architecture or design-related programs. The scholarships, which will total $50,000, include $20,000 of matching funds from One Future Coachella Valley, an organization that supports Modernism Week scholarship recipients. Since the Modernism Week scholarship program was initiated in 2011, more than $285,500 has been awarded to-date.

The students receiving scholarships this year are Irving Valdes Moreno of Mecca, studying Architecture and Design at Cal Baptist University, Damian Perez Escalera of Mecca, studying Architecture and Design at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Yaretzi Schwartzman-Rivera, studying Graphic Design at San Diego State University, Valentina Rodriguez-Salinas of Thermal studying Environmental Science at University of California Los Angeles, Ashley Silva of Indio, studying Environmental Science at University of California Berkley, Rebecca Villa of Indio, studying Architectural Design at College of the Desert, Ralph Zepeda of Indio, studying Civil and Environmental Engineering at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Miguel Pulido of Indio, studying Environmental Science at California Polytechnic University Humboldt, Uziel Gomez-Cruz of Desert Hot Springs, studying Architectural Design/Construction Management at College of the Desert, Perla Zepeda of Indio, studying Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California Irvine, and Anthony Jimenez of Indio, studying Environmental Science at Humboldt State University.

Four scholarship recipients graduated this year, including Jorjele Quintero Meraz who graduated with a degree from Cal Baptiste University in Environmental Science, Gardenia Fernandez, a graphic design major from California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Karen Meza Morales, who graduated with a degree in Architecture from California State Polytechnic University Pomona, and Amparo “Maggie” Medina who graduated with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from California State Polytechnic University Pomona.  

“Awarding the Modernism Week scholarships is one of the most meaningful outcomes of our festivals each year,” said Lisa Vossler Smith, Chief Executive Officer. “Supporting our local students from the Coachella Valley and helping them receive the education and training they need to be successful in their lives is a top priority for our organization and one of the many ways that Modernism Week invests in the community.”