Maybe it's the desert air that acts as the ultimate preservative, or maybe it's just a love of the eclectic, but the Coachella Valley has maintained a collection of mid-century designs in nearly pristine condition for more than 50 years.

Think of it as a living time capsule.

Walk along Palm Canyon Drive and you'll not only find buildings and homes designed by Albert Frey, Donald Wexler or Stewart Williams in fine shape, but unique shops that specialize in the decor that once graced them.

That is what Palm Springs Modernism Week board chairman Jacques-Pierre Caussin found when he first visited the desert back in the late 1990s.

Caussin, who is originally from France, worked as a vintage furniture dealer in New York City beginning in the 1970s. By the '80s, he had created an Art Deco furniture and art show in Miami.

“I was looking for something new,” Caussin said.

A friend suggested he take a look at Palm Springs. “I came out to look around and they were right,” he said.

Caussin saw an opportunity to turn the valley's treasure trove of mid-century modern art, furnishing and decor into the basis of a new event. The Palm Springs Modernism Show made its debut in 2000.

“You have to look at the trends, and this place was ready (for a celebration of modernism),” Caussin said.

The celebration evolved into Palm Springs Modernism Week, featuring tours of buildings designed by iconic architects, light-hearted events like the Airstream trailer show, and educational symposiums and lectures.

Due to the increased number of activities and events surrounding Modernism Week, a growing number of enthusiasts are coming to the valley to participate.

“We have people coming who have been here year after year, and people who live here who don't just want to buy things or go to the lectures,” said Caussin. “So we've added more events.”

Vancouver modernist fans Grant Monck and his partner, Robert Freedman, are looking forward to returning to Palm Springs for their fourth Modernism Week.

They first visited the area for the 2003 event and were impressed by the quality of show and the caché of mid-century architecture.

“We're bringing some friends from Toronto with us this year,” Monck said. “We like to sample a little of everything Modernism has to offer.

“Last year I loved that the neighborhoods were getting involved and I'm looking forward to that. This area is a treasure trove of modernism, which is why we like coming back every year.”