The setting: the historic family home of late desert modernist William F. Cody in Palm Springs on a warm spring evening. The occassion: an intimate dinner hosted by CULTURED that seamlessly merged art, architecture, and culinary creativity to celebrate artist Phillip K. Smith III’s new site-specific installation, 0/90/120 (recently reimagined as a private, 24-hour experience with only 20 editioned slots).
Raised in the Coachella Valley, Smith has long drawn inspiration from the vast, minimalist landscape—a sensibility that shaped his contribution to the first Desert X biennial. This latest project marked his first major intervention in a domestic space since Lucid Stead, 2017, a 70-year old homesteader shack in Joshua Tree. Here, he's transformed the Cody building into something closer to a sculptural pavilion than the traditional home it was originally designed to be. As the sun set, his luminous panels shifted in color, casting slow-moving gradients of cobalt blue and vibrant reds across walls and guests alike.
Guests gathered in the courtyard for cocktails before heading indoors for dinner with CULTURED Executive Editor Mara Veitch. At the table were collectors Jason Swartz, Eric Cody, and Arel Ramos; interior designers Geoffrey De Sousa, Ashley Drost, and Marie Trohman; curator Cole Akers; and architects Todd Verwers, Michael Breland, and Peter Harper.
Chef Tara Lazar, owner of F10 Creative (and childhood friend of Smith’s) prepared the meal with a menu inspired by the region’s citrus heritage and Smith’s fascination with geometric form, complemented by florals beautifully designed by Briana DeAztlan of Eventscape.
As night fell, the home glowed with quiet reflection—a testament to the power of light, form, and thoughtful design that shape how we gather.
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