Now accepting applications for our 2020-21 Symposium Grant

Application Deadline Extended to Sunday May 16.

Update (February 21, 2021): The Crossroads of Modern America Docomomo US Symposium was postponed to 2021, and now will be held as a virtual symposium on May 25 - 28, 2021.

We’re excited to announce our 2021 Symposium Grant call for applications!

PURPOSE

The Docomomo US/NOCA Symposium Grant provides financial support for students and emerging professionals committed to the documentation and conservation of Modern Movement buildings, landscapes, and sites. The intent of this year’s scholarship is to enable up to three individuals to participate in the Docomomo US 2020-21 National Symposium.

SCHOLARSHIP

The 2020-21 Docomomo US/NOCA Travel Grant provides up to three grants for related expenses, including: 

  • Registration to National Symposium 

  • Registration to all virtual tours offered during the Symposium

ELIGIBILITY

The scholarship is open to current undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students enrolled in established institutions of higher learning, as well as emerging professionals who have graduated within the past three years.

Applicants must be actively engaged in issues concerning the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the Modern Movement. “Documentation” may be in the form of research or scholarship, such as thesis or class projects, related to architecture, design, or planning topics associated with the 20th Century Modern Movement. Preference will be given to applicants with current or previous engagement on topics related to Northern California.

Applicants are asked to demonstrate their committed interest in the subject and how the scholarship will meaningfully advance their goals or work.

DEADLINES

  • Application deadline EXTENDED TO SUNDAY MAY 16 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

  • Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis.

  • Details for how to submit are here.

A WORD FROM OUR 2019 TRAVEL GRANT RECIPIENT

“One of my favorite parts about the symposium was that it was centered on preservation success stories but we were also reminded of the challenging work that continues. The symposium gave me a platform to connect with professionals in many different fields throughout the country and learn how they are advocating for buildings of the Modern Era in their communities. It inspired me to see how other Docomomo chapters are tackling issues, engaging with the public, and incorporating modernism in their professional practices. Further, my experience attending the National Symposium left me with an increased appreciation for not only Hawaii’s incredible mid-century architecture, but also the history, environment, culture and spirit of this unique place,” says Elizabeth Munyan, Preservation Planner at City and County of San Francisco.

Read about Elizabeth’s experience attending the 2019 National Symposium in Honolulu here.

Read about 2018 travel grant recipient Nicole Santiago’s experience attending the 2018 National Symposium in Columbus, IN here.

 

ABOUT THE 2020-21 NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

The Docomomo US National Symposium is the primary event in the United States for professionals to discuss and share efforts to study and preserve Modern architecture and meet leading practitioners and industry professionals. Held annually, this multi-day conference seeks to engage local participants in cities across the United States, offering participants the ability to explore a wide variety of significant modern architecture and sites. 

The U.S. Modern Movement in architecture is broadly defined as the period from 1930-1970s. Buildings or sites of the period often looked to the future without overt references to historical precedent; expressed functional, technical, or spatial properties; and were conscious of being modern, expressing the principles of modern design. The architecture produced during this period took on many forms and represented a range of complex ideologies. 

As Docomomo US celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are headed back to where it all began, Chicago, Illinois. It was in 1995 that a group of volunteers gathered during the first Preserving the Recent Past conference to set in motion a Docomomo chapter in the United States. As we look back on 25 years of preserving modernism, we hope you will join Docomomo US and Docomomo US/Chicago virtually for a deep dive into where we've been and what challenges lie in store. 

Join us for the 2020-21 Docomomo US National Symposium where we explore our thematic vision which views innovation and change through the lens of the modern movement. Experience Chicago's history and the prospects for the recognition, interpretation, preservation, and extension of these forms and ideas of modernism in the middle of America.

To learn more about the National Symposium, visit https://docomomo-us.org/events/national-symposium.

NewsAndrea Fineman