

George Smart aka Mr. Modernism!
Keynote: The Accidental Archivist
George Smart’s life changed dramatically after he
visited Fallingwater in 2007. That led him to a late
night Google search, which became a website, which
became a community. Now his small but intrepid
nonprofit staff and volunteers have built the largest
open digital archives - free and searchable - of
residential mid-century Modernist design in the world.
George is founder and Executive Director of
USModernist ®
and NCModernist
®, nonprofit organizations dedicated to the
documentation, preservation, and promotion of Modernist
design.
America's mid-century Modernist
architects and their original clients are almost all
dead; their houses have been sold several times; and the
local real estate community would just as soon market
teardowns as find new, caring owners. Despite many
Modernist houses aging over the 50-year mark, city
councils and preservation groups have a hard time
considering Modernist houses to be historic - because 50
years later many still look like the future.
If you’re a Modernist fan in many towns and smaller
cities, you often have nowhere to turn for
documentation. Surely somebody has documented the
Modernist houses? Surely some architect or preservation
society or library at least has a list? The answer is
usually no. With bulldozers destroying mid-century
Modernist houses daily, many "livable works of art"
remain threatened by rising land prices and
disinterested heirs, George will share the story and the
details of how his energetic and dedicated team of
volunteers documented over 7,000 Modernist houses across
America, featuring nearly every Wright, Lloyd Wright,
Neutra, Schindler, Lautner, Ellwood, Koenig, Ain,
Soriano - built and unbuilt - and more.
In a talk called the Accidental Archivist, George has informed, engaged, and entertained design-oriented audiences from California to New York - and every week reaches thousands more as host of the podcast USModernist Radio, named by DWELL as the #2 architecture and design podcast. Audiences will learn very basic principles of modernist design, why it’s important and how easy it is to start a documentation and preservation effort in their communities - with nothing more than a car, a cell phone, and a laptop. After giving a talk, George often finds his inbox brimming with information and photos of classic mid-century houses discovered by newly enthusiastic fans who have even been known to drag spouses and partners, most willingly, out on weekends to drive around looking at architecture. Sometimes they are inspired to start documenting houses in their own communities. For educators, students, architects, real estate brokers and just people who love design, it’s a rollicking lecture.
George takes The Accidental Archivist on the road to design and architecture conferences, museums, libraries, preservation organizations, and real estate associations across America. George is also available for panels (as participant or moderator) and other audience formats. He has written for Atomic Ranch magazine and travels from Raleigh/Durham NC. He is @mr.modernism on Instagram. High-res photos: tux, jacket, Palm Springs, sweater.
To book The Accidental Archivist, contact Iva Kravitz, The Iva Agency, (917) 297-7342.
Columbia Design League * AIA National Conference * AIA Foundation * Charlotte History Museum * Modern Richmond * Rhode Island State Preservation Conference
Plus 35 more presentations around the US.
Learning Objectives for CE
Participants learn how thousands of significant Modernist houses were documented and made available to the public online, many for the first time.
Participants identify the beginnings of residential Modernist design as part of a national movement.
Participants learn key differences between Modernist and contemporary architecture.
Participants learn the key architects and influencers in North Carolina and national Modernism.
Participants learn marketing methods to preserve mid-century Modernist houses through preservation, occupancy, and sustainable development strategies.
Participants discover how documenting, preserving, and promoting residential Modernist design benefits the architecture and construction industries.
Participants learn key differences between selling a traditional house and selling a Modernist house.
Participants gain free access to a digital archive of over 22,000 photos of over 6,500 Modernist houses, along with profiles on 300+ architects.
Participants learn how USModernist became the country's largest open digital archive for Modernist houses and a recognized leader in Modernist preservation with 12 local, state, and national awards.