From Paul Tuttle, Nothing But ‘Z’ Best

After four years in the making, a retrospective of Paul Tuttle’s design work will go on view Oct. 9 at UC Santa Barbara’s University Art Museum. A Santa Barbara resident since 1956, Tuttle has been designing interiors and houses for more than 50 years. The retrospective, highlighting work from the last 20 years, will survey his ongoing career with 62 examples of seating and tables, along with vintage photographs of homes he designed.

Tuttle, 83, and a native of Missouri, is known for emphasizing wood--from walnut and cherry to the more exotic zebra and pear--as well as metal, glass and cane. Tuttle’s well-known “Z” chair from 1964 was made, he says, to “challenge metal to do something that was completely impossible in wood.” He has since updated the chair’s design with what he calls its “resolution,” completed in 1996.

Marla Berns, the museum’s director and curator of the exhibition, said the show will include some of Tuttle’s recent pieces, demonstrating his continuing versatility and creativity. “What is exciting is [his] endless outpouring of creativity and sustained level of excellence,” Berns said. “There is no complacency. His pieces are always beautiful but functional.”

The exhibition continues through Jan. 13. A tribute dinner and auction will be held Oct. 6 at the museum. For details, call (805) 893-2951.

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The MAK Center for Art and Architecture is sponsoring its annual in-depth exploration of the work of R.M. Schindler from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, with self-driven tours of eight of the architect’s buildings in Hollywood, Silver Lake, Studio City and Glendale. The Schindler House at 835 N. Kings Road in West Hollywood, home of the MAK Center, will serve as headquarters.

In addition, a series of talks on the architect’s life and work will be offered Sunday afternoon at the Schindler House, including an interview with family members Mark and Mary Schindler (the architect’s son and ex-daughter-in-law).

Call (323) 651-1510 for reservations and ticket information.

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The Getty grant program is accepting applications for the 2001 cycle of its “Preserve L.A.” grants to support the conservation of architectural heritage in Los Angeles County.

Last year’s grants totaling $1.4 million were distributed among 21 projects.

This year’s deadline to apply for a grant is Monday. For details, call (310) 440-7320, e-mail preservela@getty.edu or visit the Web site https://www.getty.edu/grants.

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Candace A. Wedlan can be reached at candace.wedlan@latimes.com.