George Smart HAIA, aka Mr. Modernism, is founder and CEO of USModernist®, the world’s largest nonprofit educational archive for the documentation, preservation, and promotion of Modernist residential design. A passionate advocate for Modernism, George has been one of the nation’s leaders in documenting and preserving this important architectural movement. He is a frequent national speaker to architecture, design, preservation, real estate, and museum groups.
I am an architectural historian with a Master’s Degree in architectural history. Have been a guide for Architecture Tours L.A. for 23 years and am the author of a series of guidebooks of the architecture of Los Angeles.
Nicole Shkurovich is a first-generation Mexican-Jew American born in Encino, CA, who studied at Harvard-Westlake School and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from UC Berkeley. Over the past four years, she has dedicated herself to volunteering, studying, and working on urban studies, sustainability, art, and community development projects, where she explores the intricate relationship between humans and their environments. Nicole has cultivated practical experience through volunteer work at Shemesh Farms, as an Environmental Club leader, and as a socio-cultural and art history researcher on Mexican folk art. She further developed her commitment to sustainability and cross-cultural dialogue during her academic gap year at The Kivunim Institute, where she studied Hebrew, Arabic, Jewish Diaspora Studies, and Middle Eastern history. Nicole is currently interning with artist Andrea Reynosa as a writing assistant and with Celeste, a startup dedicated to helping companies in Mexico City address and reduce their supply chain’s water risks through communication, collaborative action, and accountability.
Sinéad Finnerty-Pyne, the Director of Marketing and Special Projects at Studio One Eleven, navigates the intersection of art, urbanity, and purpose. Her dynamic, multidisciplinary approach encompasses community- based events and public arts programming. Steering strategic planning for initiatives like the Long Beach Urban Lab and the Downtown Long Beach Design District, Sinéad fosters purpose-driven engagement within the urban fabric. With a two-decade career in the architectural and cultural landscape of Los Angeles, her contributions extend to events such as the Pacific Standard Time Performance Festival, Getty 25 Celebrates Long Beach, the LA Design Festival, and the US International Poster Biennial. As a past curator at Armory Center for the Arts, Sinéad collaborated with influential artists and co-authored publications, including Architecture is a Social Act: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects. Growing up a So Cal native and Long Beach adjacent, she now lives and works in the community she is most passionate about.
Max Podemski is an urban planner, writer, and illustrator. His book “A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Devolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing” traces the history of nine common housing types from the rowhomes of Philadelphia to the dingbats of Los Angeles.
As Partner of Studio One Eleven, Michael Bohn, AIA, takes an integrated approach to architecture, landscape, and urban design. He leads the studio’s housing practice with an emphasis on transit-oriented developments, affordable housing, and mixed-use projects. His experience in supportive, student and market-rate projects includes adaptive reuse and ground- up developments that serve seniors, families, artists, and the homeless. In addition, Bohn has established an award-winning landscape studio and co-established an urban design practice that uplifts underserved communities. He is a licensed architect and urban designer with over 35 years of experience. A So Cal native, Michael moved to Long Beach when he was one year old. He once chained himself to a building in hopes of preventing its demolition, and he owns a unique collection of postcards and ephemera of the city.
Shane Reiner-Roth (he/him) is a PhD student in the school of architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a lecturer at the University of Southern California (USC). His essays, interviews, and reviews have appeared in publications including The Architect’s Newspaper, Archinect, Log Journal, Plat, Clog, Mas Context, Manifest, Pidgin and Thresholds. You can find his musings on the built environment on his Instagram page: @everyverything.
Liz Brown is the author of Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire. Her writing has appeared in 4Columns, Bookforum, Design Observer, Elle Decor, London Review of Books, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Book Review, Slate, T Magazine, and other publications.
Tanya Ward Goodman is the author of the memoir, “Leaving Tinkertown.” Her essays and articles about travel, art, and the challenges and rewards of caregiving have appeared in numerous publications including The Washington Post, Luxe, Atlas Obscura, Variable West and Statement Magazine. You can learn more at www.tanyawardgoodman.com
Lyra Kilston is the author of Sun Seekers: The Cure of California (Atelier Éditions, 2019). She enjoys the ancient and affordable cures of sun baths and hot springs.