Keynote speaker · Moderator · Podcast host
Lively, practical keynotes on saving America's Modernist houses, for architecture, preservation, design, museum and real estate audiences.
Photo: Norman McGrath
About George
George Smart is the founder and CEO of USModernist, the world’s largest nonprofit archive of Modernist houses, and is known nationally as “Mr. Modernism.” After nearly 30 years as a management consultant to major corporations, a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater set him on a new course. What began as a website grew into a nationally recognized nonprofit.
Under his leadership, USModernist has profiled more than 140 20th-century architects, researched more than 34,000 Modernist houses and scanned more than 6 million pages of architecture magazines, all free to the public. His practice of flagging endangered houses the moment they go vacant has helped save many from demolition. USModernist has earned 20 preservation honors, including the AIA’s national Collaborative Achievement Award, and George is an Honorary AIA, a rare distinction for a non-architect. He also hosts USModernist Radio, which DWELL named one of the top architecture and design podcasts.
Selected Presentations
Talks
Preserving America's Legacy of Modernist Houses
How a team of volunteers documented thousands of Modernist houses across America, and how your community can start with a car, a phone and a laptop.
Best for AIA chapters, preservation conferences, design schools
Preserving North Carolina's Legacy of Modernist Houses
The surprising story of Modernism in North Carolina: the architects, the houses, and the ones still at risk.
Best for museums, real estate groups, architects, historical societies
500 episodes of interviewing architects, live
The host of USModernist Radio runs your panel or fireside chat the way he runs the show: well researched and quick, with room for the audience.
Before & after any talk
Best for conferences, home tours, festivals
In the press
“The Lorax of Modernist houses.”
DWELL
DWELL also named USModernist Radio the #2 architecture and design podcast.
What audiences say
Car Talk Meets Modernism … the tone is always dependably, cheesily, joyfully irreverent.
George Smart has created a fresh awareness of modern architecture in the minds of the public.
Through endangered-home alerts, preservation advocacy, sold-out tours, lectures and events like Modapalooza, Smart helped transform the movement from niche architectural interest into part of Raleigh's broader cultural identity.
Mr. Smart is the indefatigable force behind the architect's biographies, house lists, … podcasts and curated tours and events.
Smart's leadership has created a bridge between the public and design professionals.
He has created the largest such online digital archive in the world.
If one tires of reading, the site's podcasts are a ton of fun.
One of the most important figures in preserving and popularising Modernism.
George is a force of nature. He's a jovial, likable guy, and people like to be around him.
George has been huge.
Smart is refreshingly blunt when the conversation turns to preservation.
Little wonder that George has become known as 'Mr Modernism.'
George Smart's Mayberry Modernism presentation is entertaining, informative, and inspiring. When the hour is over you are left wanting to know more.
Thank you so much for your exciting presentation to the Winston-Salem Section of the AIA. I got a lot of great comments from several people afterwards and it was one of the most well attended luncheons ever.
Thanks again for an interesting talk! Great turnout and people really enjoyed it.
Who books George
Continuing education
Planner toolkit
Book George
Speaking fees support USModernist, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
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