Living

Truly restoring mid-century modern furniture to its heyday takes a special expertise. The chemicals in the stains and lacquers were different than they are on the mass market today. The materials such as fiberglass, Formica, molded plastic, and bent plywood were mostly new technologies to the furniture market. The electronics incorporated into some of the pieces are certainly from another era as well and can pose a challenge.

Kristin Wiese Hefty, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an architect based in San Antonio, Texas, and is a Partner and Project Architect at the firm DADO group.

The first African American man to become a licensed architect in the State of Texas was John Saunders Chase (1925-2012). His journey to this achievement was not a smooth one as in 1954 he had to petition the State for special permission to take the licensing exam. He passed the exam in the same year and started his own firm soon thereafter (because no Houston firms would hire him).

The collection of mid-century modern (MCM) furniture started being popular again in the late 1990s. Now in 2023, instead of having a stark look — like in the show Mad Men — the styling of MCM furniture tends to have the addition of cozy elements such as plants and bohemian accents. 

What were people clicking on at MiSA? Keep scrolling to see our most viewed articles of 2022.

June is Pride Month and MiSA is reaching out to our art and design community to their share personal stories. What began as a protest in 1969 at Stonewall Inn, is now a celebration about how far the LGBTQ+ community has come regarding civil rights.

Often referred to as “The Mad Men Era” in pop culture due to the popularity of the TV program, mid-century modernism (also known as “mid-mod”) had a very unique look as compared to other aesthetic movements in history. 

During COVID-19, many have been harkening back to a more analog time, digging into the depths of their closets, and dusting off their jig-saw puzzles. Some people are beginning to trade them with their family and friends to see what new and interesting images they can piece together. 

Taeg Nishimoto is a graduate professor in the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning at UTSA. Originally from Japan, his interests span from all methods of architectural design from the theoretical to the technical. Professor Nishimoto is an impressive resource for UTSA students. As stated on his biography on the UTSA website:

Fiesta medals truly are an expression of celebration and San Antonio’s culture. Every year in preparation for Fiesta (our annual city-wide week-long party at the end of April), organizations and individuals around the city take to sketching on napkins or even opening up graphics programs to get cracking on a design.  We wanted to provide an opportunity to highlight what people are doing to contribute to the wonderful burst of festivity that Fiesta brings, specifically expressed through the wearable art of Fiesta medals!