Addendum: The Julia Morgan Awards Postponed
My buildings will be my legacy... they will speak for me long after I'm gone.--Julia Morgan
The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art Northern California Chapter (ICAA Northern California) in response to COVID-19 has decided to postpone the Julia Morgan Awards, until further notice. Every other year ICAA Northern California holds a juried competition to acknowledge excellence in classical and traditional design. The awards, named for the legendary Bay Area architect and engineer, provide continued exposure and recognition for practitioners of these disciplines. Morgan's buildings etch the California landscape ranging from the opulent Mediterranean Revival mansion, Hearst Castle to the rustic Arts and Crafts splendor of Asilomar Conference Grounds. The Julia Morgan Awards recognize contemporary architects, designers, artisans, students, builders, and patrons while honoring her legacy and encouraging future generations.
Courtyard patio and garden at a guesthouse of Hearst Castle
And what a legacy, Morgan was a trailblazing pioneer who, as the first certified female architect in California, designed more than 700 buildings throughout her 47-year career. The native San Franciscan, born in 1872 and raised in Oakland, grew up affluent and chose education over debutante balls. Because there was no architectural program at nearby Berkeley's University of California, she studied civil engineering. There Morgan met Arts and Crafts architect Bernard Maybeck who taught and mentored her along with her classmates Arthur Brown, Jr., Edward H. Bennett, and Lewis P. Hobart in architecture.
Merrill Hall Asilomar, Pacific Grove, California
The charismatic Maybeck encouraged his students to study at France’s prestigious École Nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Although the architecture school had never admitted a woman, Morgan traveled to Paris to prepare for the Beaux-Arts entrance exam. After three attempts, she passed and at 26 became the first woman to do so. The San Francisco Examiner celebrated her achievement with the headline, "California Girl Wins High Honor." Upon graduation, she returned to San Francisco in 1902 to begin her dazzling career. Along with her substantial projects for the Hearst family, her legacy includes many public and private structures benefiting women and girls.
Julia Morgan in 1898 in her Paris apartment
