Closing Reception: Do Not Try to Remember: The American School of Architecture in the Bay Area Exhibition

EXHIBITION | On view: February 20, 2025 - August 14, 2025

CLOSING RECEPTION AND SILENT AUCTION | August 14, 2025: 6-9 PM

At the Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco, this exhibition from The University of Oklahoma explores the groundbreaking work of renegade architects who helped shape Bay Area design in the mid-20th century. Discover how The American School of Architecture revolutionized the architectural landscape with bold, original designs inspired by California's culture. 

The closing reception will feature a talk by exhibition curator Marco Piscitelli, and a panel discussion with architects, clients, fabricators, and builders who, alongside these American School renegades, fostered a community of innovative design in the Bay Area. Hans E. Butzer, AIA, Dean of Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma, will offer closing remarks on the future of the American School.

We’ll learn how Bruce Goff's innovative teaching approach differed from traditional East Coast programs, encouraging creativity over conformity in design. We’ll also look at how California’s unique culture and landscape influenced architects, and how they used materials and structure as expressive elements. Specifically investigating the context of architects Mickey Muennig in Big Sur and John Marsh Davis in Marin and Monterey, we will explore how this experimental body of architecture was made possible by an expansive network of clients, builders, and fabricators alike. 

Panelists

• Jim Lino, builder of many John Marsh Davis projects
• Peter Wilday, architect who oversaw the restoration of Davis’s Weissman-Hamilton Home
• Megan Julian, Client of John Marsh Davis 

• Frank Pinney, builder of many Mickey Muennig projects in Big Sur
• Mike Higgins, client representative of Muennig's Post Ranch Inn
• Dan Woods, metal fabricator on Muennig projects, including Post Ranch Inn
• Marco Piscitelli (moderator), curator and architect, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
  
  

Silent Auction Details

We’re offering 17 curated bundles for you to explore and bid on during the closing reception!

All bidding will be cashless and done via a QR code available at the event.

To claim your winning items, you must be present during the closing reception on Thursday, August 14, between 8:40 PM and 9:00 PM. If the highest bidder is not present during that time, their bid will be forfeited and the item will go to the next highest bidder.

You will be able to take home your art that evening!