Lisa Vossler Smith is executive director of Palm Springs’ Modernism Week. Previously, she worked in administration and operations at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Before participating in a discussion of why arts and music festivals matter, she revealed the house in Palm Springs she’d most like to live in and the midcentury architect she thinks is most underrated, in the Zócalo green room. (She was more reticent about the most overrated architect.)
What would you eat for your last meal?
Fried chicken.
If you could live in any house in Palm Springs, which would you choose?
The Kaufmann House.
What’s on your nightstand right now?
The remote control to the TV. My phone charger. And a midcentury modern lamp.
How did you get into trouble as a child?
I didn’t get into much trouble as a child. But I was known to miss my curfew deadline.
What weapon would you choose in a zombie apocalypse?
Probably a flamethrower.
In your opinion, who is the most overrated midcentury architect?
That’s a tough one. That’s a loaded question. I’m a diplomat, and so I would ask, overrated by whose standard?
How about the most underrated?
Probably my favorite desert modernist, E. Stewart Williams.
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Mushrooms.
What do you proselytize for?
Playing the music a little bit louder.
What’s your hidden talent?
I’d probably say that I have an incredible memory for song lyrics.