Special thanks to Lynne Scalo Design

In this edition of the monthly ICAA Essentials series, we are celebrating the intersection between architecture, design, and art: the moments when paintbrush, pencil, or pen are put to paper, or when architectural genius is expressed on canvas. Please enjoy this selection of lectures, articles, and galleries that are beautifully illustrated by both legendary talents of the past and contemporary practitioners.

The ICAA has been honored to host a selection of lectures presented by Barry Bergdoll, who is a specialist in late 18th and 19th century French and German architecture, and the author of numerous works on the period, including the textbook European Architecture 1750-1890 in the Oxford History of Art series. He is Professor of Art History at Columbia University and former Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art.

It is often assumed that periods of political upheaval are unproductive in the arts of building. But in fact, the French Revolutionary decade was one of the most vital for new forms of architecture, new definitions of the meanings of architectural form--classical and otherwise--but also the shape of the city and of its citizens. This lecture considers the rethinking of territory, measurement, collective identity, and political organization that accompanied the French Revolution as well as novel new building types and types of urban dwelling.

On Thursday, June 11th, the ICAA hosted Barry Bergdoll, Professor of Art History at Columbia University and former Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art, for an online lecture on the French Revolutionary Decade, 1789-1799.

On Thursday, May 9, 2019 the ICAA hosted Barry Bergdoll, to discuss the renowned work of "Napoleon's architects," Charles Percier (1764-1838) and Pierre Fontaine (1762-1853). Percier and Fontaine were not only the Emperor's official government architects, but two of the most celebrated teachers at the legendary Ecole des Beaux-Arts, responsible for developing the highly influential neoclassical Empire, or Directoire, style of design. This insightful lecture was filmed in its entirety and can now be viewed online.

Learn more about the design and architectural legacy of Percier and Fontaine in ICAA President Peter Lyden's 2018 article, The Enduring Influence of Percier and Fontaine, which summarizes their incredible impact and provides some insight into the process of the ICAA's publication of the definitive collection of their works, The Complete Works of Percier and Fontaine, in conjunction with the Princeton Architectural Press.

The ICAA's Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours offer participants the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of generations of architects journeying around the world to study and document precedents for the purpose of informing the design of new buildings and places. The program is unique in its union of rigorous approach to the study of architecture and history with the tools, traditions, and techniques of drawing, sketching, and painting in situ.

As the ICAA prepares to reintroduce the Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours with the upcoming Savannah Drawing Tour, we invite you to take a moment to revisit some of the destinations, architectural and historic sites, and creative works from past programs:

The 2021 Christopher H. Browne Savannah Drawing Tour provides an opportunity to study, through field drawing, the rich diversity of architecture and unique urbanism of Savannah, Georgia - a living laboratory of design, building, and planning from the 18th century to the present day. Each day is structured around studying representative examples of building types that form the fabric of Savannah, with a focus on their composition, detail, and contribution to the urbanism and landscape of the city.

Each year, the ICAA is also pleased to award four scholarships to drawing tour

students or emerging professionals annually in the name of Mr. Browne, a long-time

supporter and champion of classicism. Scholarship recipients will receive the moniker

“Christopher H. Browne Scholars.”

In addition, the ICAA is pleased to offer two scholarships for the Christopher H.

Browne Savannah Drawing Tour through the Dorothy LaPolla-Czarnecki Scholarship,

sponsored by John LaPolla and LaPolla Designs. This scholarship is offered in honor

of John's late mother Dorothy LaPolla-Czarnecki for her unwavering encouragement

and promotion of education. John, his family, and company continue this legacy of

support and mentorship of aspiring students and craft persons in education and the arts.

Additional scholarships for the Christopher H. Browne Savannah Drawing Tour are

available thanks to the Southeast and Southern California Chapters of the Institute of

Classical Architecture & Art.

On a journey to India, architects Michael Imber (Michael G. Imber, Architects)

and Tom Kligerman (Ike Kligerman Barkley) had the opportunity to explore centuries

of architectural exchange and influence, and to observe, photograph, and paint a

number of remarkable sites.

In this video from the ICAA, learn about what surprised them about this visit, and

what inspiration they each bring to their own practices. The video is illustrated throughout with stunning photographs, sketches, and paintings from the two architects.

In May, 2018 architect Michael Imber contributed this article offering a contemplation on the significance of painting in his practice, and in his experience of the world. As he remarks, by slowing down to paint a building, landscape, or place, one can gain a much deeper feeling for the nuances of one's surroundings, aided by the passage of time, the ambient sounds, and the changing light.

In January, 2019, ICAA Board Member Jared Goss contributed a survey of American museums, organized by geographical region. Beyond the admirable collections that each of the museums boasts, the selected destinations are all unique in offering an unparalleled architectural and aesthetic experience as well. Read the full article for an overview of American museums that are certain to be of interest to any enthusiast of art, architecture, and classicism in America.

In October, 2018, Dan Osborne of ICAA Member Firm Historical Concepts contributed this article describing the firm's practice of engaging all studio members in a voluntary 15 minute sketching exercise daily. Learn more about the advantages that this rigorous practice offers the team, and view some of the sketches completed in a variety of media.

Lead Sponsor for Continuing Education courses: Uberto Construction.

The ICAA's online Continuing Education courses are presented by Douglas C. Wright Architects.

1.5 AIA CES Learning Units|Elective and 1.5 credits towards the Certificate in Classical Architecture

This course seeks to combine studio-based graphics coursework, such as perspective drawing and shade and shadow rendering, with field-based methods such as analytical drawing to create a resource for those seeking to hone their observational sketching skills in the field. Instructor Martin Burns of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects will break down, step-by-step, how a relatively quick and compelling sketch of any architectural element can be accomplished by those of all experience levels.

Lead Annual Public Programs Sponsor: RINCK

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor: Dell Mitchell Architects

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor: Hyde Park Mouldings

Christopher Spitzmiller is known to his friends and Instagram fans as the ultimate weekend farmer, who raises his own handsome chickens, grows his own flowers, and puts up his own jam, cider, and honey. In this—his first book—he treats readers to a full year at Clove Brook Farm, his idyllic but always-active country retreat. Filled with tips on garden-planning, creating seasonal flower arrangements, and living with animals, A Year at Clove Brook Farm is a timely book as we are all focused making the most of our own homes and gardens—even if that’s only a row of herbs in a sunny urban window—and it is the the perfect inspiration for anyone enthralled by the fantasy of full-on farmstead living.

Our special thanks to Presenting Sponsor of the ICAA Book Club: Foster Reeve Architectural & Ornamental Plaster

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

The ICAA is pleased to announce the resumption of in-person travel programs in 2021, once again opening access to a world of design and architectural discovery and inspiration, and offering the opportunity to share unforgettable experiences with fellow classicists. The calendar is rapidly filling up with new dates and journeys. Visit classicist.org or contact development@classicist.org to learn more.

Immerse yourself in the art, architecture, riads, and romance of Marrakech on this special journey crafted and co-hosted by luxury travel planning company Indagare in partnership with the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, on which participants will be joined by writer and historian Mitchell Owens.

Join this tour arranged in collaboration with Classical Excursions to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, where idyllic villages like Stockbridge and Lenox are located near bucolic lakes and rolling hills, vied with Newport and Bar Harbor as a resort colony for the wealthy and socially prominent.

The ICAA is pleased to partner with Classical Excursions to present this once-in-a-lifetime tour of Derbyshire, England. During the course of this program, participants will have the special opportunity to tour some of the county's most exquisite private residences and architectural sites.

The ICAA is pleased to partner with Classical Excursions to present this exciting tour of Copenhagen, Denmark and beyond. This tour will open doors to some of the area's most outstanding examples of classical design, allowing participants to tour beautiful private residences and other architectural sites.

Call for Entries:

Please note: All projects must be submitted electronically. No physical submissions will be accepted.

For information regarding sponsorship of the 2021 Stanford White Awards, please contact development@classicist.org.

If your membership is due for renewal, or if you would like to join and support the ICAA, you can do so on our website.

Darius Arya: Live from Rome – The Roman Aqueducts

There is so much more available online at classicist.org: filmed lectures and public programs, panel discussions, and numerous online articles provide an opportunity to stay connected with the ICAA.