As one of our core principles, advocacy has evolved over the years as Gainesville Modern has grown. These are some of our past and current advocacy programs:

Community Partners

Gainesville Modern has partnered with a number of organizations and these community partners remain essential to our mission. Our very first home tour shared a portion of the proceeds with Alachua Habitat for Humanity and the University of Florida’s Historic Preservation Program. We have worked with the student chapters at UF of the AIA and ASID. These partnerships allow Gainesville Modern to fund and support efforts to educate, advocate and raise awareness about Gainesville’s architectural heritage.

Internships

Working with the University of Florida, we have supported a number of paid internships. These students help us with research on different homes and properties, assisting in data collection and in helping organize events each year. Typically we offer a semester-long internship for students working in preservation, architecture or design at the University of Florida or Santa Fe College.

Lecture Series

We have been proud to participate in a number of lecture series and films. In partnership with the University of Florida Architecture Program, we co-hosted various guest speakers and panelists during a three-part film series. 

Survey

In partnership with the City of Gainesville and the University of Florida’s Historic Preservation Program, Gainesville Modern was able to assist in data collection, coordinating volunteers and identifying various neighborhoods for the city’s survey of homes and buildings from 1930 to 1975. Utilizing a grant from the State of Florida’s Division of Historical Resources, this survey offered a comprehensive look at over 57 neighborhoods and thousands of properties throughout the City of Gainesville.

Special Collections

Established in 2016 by Morris Hylton and John Nemmers, The Gainesville Modern Archive is a partnership with the University of Florida’s Smathers Libraries and the Architecture Special Collections. We have helped contribute architectural drawings, blue prints and historical photographs from the mid-century era. 

National Register Nominations

As more and more homes and buildings from the mid-century are eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, Gainesville Modern seeks to help identify and protect these architecturally significant buildings. Working on the local, state and Federal level, these protections are vital in protecting and saving many of our endangered publica buildings. For private properties, these protections can offer significant tax savings. 

Community Awards

Gainesville Modern has established a new advocacy program designed to honor those working in the field of design. Recognizing people and organizations who have worked to help preserve Gainesville’s unique sense of place through advocacy, adaptive reuse and new design in keeping with the modernist principles intrinsic to our buildings found throughout the area.