The World of Classicism from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art

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October 11, 2023

The ICAA is a nonprofit educational organization committed to promoting and preserving the practice, understanding, and appreciation of classical design.

SPONSORED BY: Haddonstone

ARTICLES & VIDEOS: NEW THIS ISSUE

In June 2023 the Southeast Chapter of the ICAA, in collaboration with the North Carolina Chapter, hosted the ICAA Southeast Bunny Mellon Garden Symposium - An Exploration of Southeastern Landscapes: Mountains to Prairies. Designers, students, and enthusiasts gathered for a three-day conference in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, enjoying tours and lectures by preeminent experts in garden and landscape design.

The Symposium's second lecture was presented by Dwayne Estes, professor of biology at Austin Peay State University and co-founder of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, a collaboration of leaders in international biodiversity conservation committed to the preservation of the fragile grassland ecosystems in the Southeastern United States. In his lecture, Dwayne first addresses what he calls the "myth of the unbroken forest" - the idea that before white colonists settled North America, the eastern portion of the continent was a vast pristine forest unsullied by humankind. In fact, Dwayne argues, historical evidence proves that much of the Southeastern United States was once dominated by grassy savannahs managed by Native Americans' use of fire and the grazing of bison, before colonists decimated the Native populations and destroyed natural ecosystems. Dwayne demonstrates that in its natural state, the Southeastern savannah exhibits staggering biodiversity and enables hundreds of native species to thrive. He further explains the work that his organization and others are doing to revive Southeastern grasslands - such as restoring savannah ecosystems beneath high-voltage power lines - and encourages a shift in the traditional approach to landscape conservation, to enable the return of the area's natural ecosystems.

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Presented as part of the Bunny Mellon Curricula at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. The ICAA is very grateful to the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation for its generous support of this program, along with the Bunny Mellon Curricula

Lead Sponsor: Hollander Design Landscape Architects, Garden Symposium Sponsor: Kathryn M. and Ronald J. Herman Charitable Foundation, Garden Design Prize Sponsor: Harrison Design, Continuing Education and Public Programs Sponsor: Charlotte Moss, Film Series Sponsor: Janice Parker Landscape Architects

CLASSICISM ONLINE: MEMBER FIRMS FILMS & VIDEOS

Tour the home of architect and ICAA Board Member Gary Brewer, a partner at RAMSA | Robert A.M. Stern Architects, in this video produced by RAMSA. Learn about Gary's discovery of the home in Yonkers' historic Park Hill neighborhood, the improvements he has made over the years, and the history of the American Foursquare house.

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PRESS: ICAA IN THE NEWS

Read Veranda's in-depth profile of the ICAA's forthcoming exhibition featuring the works of young artists, designers, and practitioners, Enduring Beauty: Works from Emerging Practitioners of the Classical Tradition. The exhibition will be held at the historic Aiken-Rhett House in partnership with Historic Charleston Foundation from November 3rd through 26th, 2023.

For enthusiasts of gardening, art, or architecture, Wethersfield Estate and Gardens is unlike any other place on earth. A masterwork array of Italianate gardens, bucolic American landscapes, and Rococo-inspired artworks, the lifelong creation of collector Chauncey Devereux Stillman is a rich blend of styles and tastes, and contemplation of its striking beauty offers enticing glimpses into the mind of its founder.

On a gorgeous fall day in late September 2022, the ICAA and Wethersfield continued their longstanding partnership by hosting a garden tour, lecture, and luncheon as part of the Bunny Mellon Curricula. Art and design journalist Mitch Owens, American editor of The World of Interiors, presented a lecture about Wethersfield's history that delved into Stillman's early life, analyzed the artistic influences that inspired the estate's design, and reflected on the enduring partnership between Stillman and Pietro Annigoni, the artist of Wethersfield's astounding frescoes and one of the twentieth century's greatest portrait painters.

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Lead Sponsor, Hollander Design Landscape Architects; Garden Symposium Sponsor, Kathryn M. and Ronald J. Herman Charitable Foundation; Garden Design Prize Sponsor, Harrison Design; Continuing Education and Public Programs Sponsor, Charlotte Moss; Film Series Sponsor, Janice Parker Landscape Architects

ARTICLES & VIDEOS: PREVIOUS ISSUE

“Throughout the past decade and a half, New York City’s skyline-altering luxury building boom has produced no shortage of eye-catching, unmistakably contemporary landmarks. Some are twisting or gridded or stacked like Jenga blocks, others are sleek and supertall, and nearly all are clad in shimmering expanses of glass (see Hudson Yards). But there is another side to this story. Amid the futuristic never-seen-that-before, stretching-into-the-clouds pyrotechnics, some of the city’s most prestigious new apartment high-rises are being designed by architects who unabashedly look to the past.”

On June 7, 2023, the ICAA hosted a panel discussion as an expansion of the Veranda article, Is the Future of American High-Rise Residences Rooted in Old-World Elegance? by Stephen Wallis. Held at the offices of Robert A.M. Stern Architects and moderated by Stephen Wallis, the panel consisted of Paul Whalen and Dan Lobitz, Partners at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and Peter Pennoyer, Principal of Peter Pennoyer Architects. The three architects discussed how their firms' buildings have risen to meet the demands of modern life, while still harkening back to the old-school elegance of the classic buildings that form New York's architectural fabric.

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Lead Annual Public Programs Sponsor: RINCK

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor: Dell Mitchell Architects

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor: Hyde Park Mouldings

NATIONAL CALENDAR: MULTI-DAY PROGRAMS

January 6th-13th, 2024 - SOLD OUT

The 2024 ICAA Intensive in Classical Architecture: New York

64 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture | 60 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 4 AIA CES Learning Units|HSW

Standard tuition spaces for this program are currently full - contact us at education@classicist.org to be added to the waiting list.

Reserved scholarship spaces for the program are still available; the deadline to apply for a scholarship is October 30.