Issue 102 June 20th 2018

The Headlines

The History of American Mosaic In Domestic Settings

Theodore Ellison sends word that he will be presenting an upcoming talk on the history of American mosaic in domestic settings, which includes a close look at the work of Giannini & Hilgart, Sullivan and Maher collaborators Healy & Millet, and Purcell and Elmslie collaborator Edward Lincoln Sharrets.

Where: Holton Studio Frame Makers 2100 Fifth Street (corner of Addison), Berkeley, California When: Wednesday Evening, June 20th at 7:30 p.m.

This illustrated talk will trace the introduction of mosaic in the buildings of progressive American architects around the turn of the twentieth century. Their collaboration with craftspeople created a new language for using mosaic in the home and provided a unique canvas for experimenting with new approaches to material and decorative design. These installations created nearly a century ago stand out as among the highest achievements of this once-ancient art form. More info here.

Chinese Studio Reimagines Broadacre City For Biennale

The Architect's Newspaper recently highlighted China-based Drawing Architecture Studio's re-imagined Broadacre City exhibited at the Venice Biennale.

"Frank Lloyd Wright proposed the revolutionary suburban utopia Broadacre City in the 1930s. He could not have expected it to inspire artists designing the campus of an online shopping website in China more than eighty years later. Drawing Architecture Studio exhibited a series of panoramic drawings called Taobao Village – Smallacre City at the Venice Architecture Biennale this year, which is a speculative design for the headquarters of Taobao, a Chinese consumer-to-consumer retail platform that garners 580 million monthly active users. Drawing Architecture Studio is a Beijing-based art, architecture and urban research practice cofounded by architect Han Li and designer Yan Hu." Read more.

"An American Home" On Amazon Prime Video

The Prairie Era designs, such as the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee, IL, helped establish Frank Lloyd Wright as one of America's greatest architects. But this home, its designer, and the community around it had to overcome dramatic hardships to secure their legacies. An American Home: Frank Lloyd Wright's B. Harley Bradley House is a documentary about this amazing Prairie Style house starring Blair Kamin, Gaines Hall, Sharon Hall. It is now available on Amazon Prime Video. Visit the link here.

Unity Temple Restoration Foundation Appoints New Executive Director

The Whirling Arrow informs us that the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation has announced that Heidi R. Ruehle-May has been appointed Executive Director for the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation.

Heidi R. Ruehle-May has served as Executive Director of the Pleasant Home Foundation, Oak Park, since January, 2013. She brings more than 20 years of professional experience including fundraising and development, marketing and communications, interior design and museum management. She has served the not-for-profit sector in the areas of refugee resettlement, children and family services, homelessness and architectural preservation.

In her new role with UTRF, Ms. Ruehle-May will be responsible for producing new programming, developing donor and member relations, designing fundraising campaigns, and promoting awareness and education through the use of the space, while introducing a worldwide public to the significance of Frank Lloyd Wright’s modern architectural masterpiece. Read more.

An Enduring Vision of Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

Lawrence Allen Rankin of Lakeland, Florida writes a personal account of his father's experience at Florida Southern College.

"Dad was accepted at Florida Southern College at the groundbreaking of Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. FSC president Dr. Ludd Spivey and architect Frank Lloyd Wright shared the vision of building the most beautiful campus in the United States. But skilled labor was not affordable. And Dr. Spivey had students with no money to afford tuition. So, the deal was struck that students could pay their way through school as Mr. Wright’s “unskilled” labor.

My dad’s job was to mold the iconic 'interlocking, textured blocks inset with squares of colored glass,' designed by Mr. Wright. Every time I walk up the steps of the chapel, I can 'see' my dad’s hands all over the blocks, as if a part of me is embedded in them." Read more.

Willey House Stories Part 6 – Little Triggers

Steve Sikora, owner of the Malcom Willey House, continues his exploration of the home and its influence on architecture and society. In this installment of the story he shares the remarkably poetic letters between Nancy Willey and Frank Lloyd Wright that were unusual for business correspondence by the standards of the time...or really any other time. Read more.

Steinmann House Fund Raiser

The Monticello Area Historical Society is sponsoring an Open House of the Steinmann house at 554 S. Main, Monticello, Wisconsin.

The home is a "Prairie Style Craftsman” that has been restored by Jim Steinmann, grandson of the original builder. The tour will highlight historic photos, custom furnishings, and stained glass. Jim relates that the family’s business, Karlen & Steinmann Lumber Yard, employed many graduates of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

All funds raised will be used for a replacement elevator at the museum. The museum, which includes a display of the Steinmann architecture, will also be open from 11a.m. – 2p.m. $10 suggested donation. More here.

Coonley Playhouse For Sale For $800K

One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most interesting homes wasn’t originally designed to be a home at all—it was a kindergarten. Now, for the first time in almost four decades, this unique residence is on the market for $800,000.

In 1908, Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned to build an estate for Avery Coonley and Queene Ferry Coonley in suburban Riverside, Illinois. After the mansion was completed in 1912, the couple tapped the architect to design a schoolhouse nearby.

The school was only used as such until 1919 when it became a family residence. Wright‘s assistant, William Drummond, was brought in to convert the property into a home. The Cottage School, later renamed the Avery Coonley School, moved to Downers Grove and is still in operation today.

The two-bedroom structure is remarkable for a number of reasons. It served as a testing ground for many concepts Wright would later use in his Usonian homes such as flat, cantilevered roofs and lots of built-in shelving. Read more.

Exploring Minnesota's Architectural Legacy

The Northwest Architectural Archives serves as the repository for the records of architects, engineers, interior designers, and others in the Midwest and throughout the United States. The Friends group has been formed to raise awareness of this important Minnesota resource.

In 1954 Frank Lloyd Wright designed five cottages for Don and Virginia Lovness on a plot of land near Stillwater. The Friends of the Northwest Architectural Archives and the University of Minnesota Libraries invite you to see its stunning restoration, meet the architects and owners, and enjoy the company of others who value Minnesota’s architectural legacy. Wednesday, July 18, 2018 from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Lovness Estate, Stillwater, Minnesota.

Tickets required $100 donation to support the Northwest Architectural Archives

RSVP to Melissa Lowe at lowem@umn.edu or 612-624-7174 by July 11th for donation information. Directions will be shared upon confirmation of RSVP.

Capacity is limited to 50 guests. More here.

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