Superbloom - Taking Inspiration from the Desert Landscapes of Palm Springs

For millennia, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley have been a magnetic destination for visitors. From rare plants and roadside geology to hot springs and canyon oases, the desert rewards careful observation. Our panel will explore how the desert’s sublime qualities have inspired distinctive works of landscape architecture and art.

Nate Cormier, ASLA Managing Studio Director, RIOS.  Nate’s interest in landscape design as a form of storytelling drew him to Los Angeles seven years ago after two decades of practice in Seattle and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Harvard. Today, Nate helps lead a team of over 70 landscape architects working across diverse typologies and regions. He is passionate about civic and cultural spaces as well as restorative environments for health and hospitality. Recent work includes Palm Springs Downtown Park, recipient of the 2022 Award of Excellence in General Design from ASLA. Nate’s north star as a designer is an immersive beauty founded on formal curiosity, local materials, and co-creation. rios.com

Millicent Harvey, Millicent Harvey Photography.  Millicent Harvey photographs nationally for landscape architects, magazines, designers, and landscape related companies. In the field of Landscape Architecture her photography has won her recognition through publications, exhibitions, and awards. Millicent’s images are published in Visible/Invisible: Landscape Works of Reed Hilderbrand, featuring a photo- graphic essay of their landscape designs and her photographs are featured extensively in the recently published monograph Hocker: 2005 - 2020 Landscapes. millicentharvey.com

Phillip K. Smith, III, PKS3 Studio.  From his Palm Desert, CA studio, Phillip K. Smith, III creates light-based work that draws upon ideas of space, form, color, light + shadow, environment, and change. Smith continually distills his concepts to create intensely physical, seemingly ephemeral, and highly meditative works that affect perception, breath, and pace of experience. Incorporating a sense of change in his work through shifting color or the movement of the sun, Smith challenges us to slow down and align ourselves with his work so that we can better see and hear the beauty that is in front of us. pks3.com

$12

Things to Know
This event is for all ages.
Ample free public parking is available. Enter at Hyatt on Palm Canyon Drive or in the multi-level public garage across from the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Handicap parking is available. This event is wheelchair accessible.
The organizer of this event is Modernism Week.

Event Check-in Location 
CAMP Theater, 285 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262
View Map 

Photo Credits: Photos 1-4 courtesy of Millicent Harvey, Lance Gerber, Steve King