Issue 194 March 25th 2020

The Headlines

Taliesin West Closed Through March 31

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has announced that Taliesin West is closed through March 31.

"Out of an abundance of caution for our staff and visitors, Taliesin West will be closed for all public access through the end of the month. We will be monitoring the situation and reviewing this decision on a moment to moment basis, making the best decision in the interest of the health and safety of our visitors and staff."

"While our tour experiences do not meet the current CDC requirements for closure, everyone must do their part to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. If you had tickets to visit us, instead of seeking a refund, please consider a donation of the ticket purchase price that goes back to the organization. Or, convert that money toward a membership so you can stay engaged and plan future visits at Taliesin West."

"In response to potential closures and/or tour cancellations, we’d like to encourage you to keep in mind the well-being of arts & culture organizations, like ours and others, since these treasured institutions will suffer many setbacks due to the impact of COVID-19. Arts & culture organizations are dedicated to serving the public and advancing their missions. We truly appreciate your consideration of our organization and our counterparts around the world during a very challenging time. " More here.

Wright's Foster House May Finally Sell For $145K

Curbed Chicago says the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Foster House and Stable in West Pullman, is finally under contract to sell after spending three years on and off the market. The South Side property was designed in 1900 as a summer residence for local real estate attorney Stephen Foster. Unlike the flat roofs, overhanging eaves, and broad horizontal lines of Wright’s better-known Prairie School era, the Foster House features a Japanese-influenced design with a steeply pitched roof with upturned corners.

Although the structure was designated an official Chicago landmark in 1996, the five-bedroom residence is a bit of a fixer-upper and will likely need some TLC. The Foster House has been slow to sell after hitting the market in April 2017 for $239,900. It reduced its asking price no less than seven times before finally settling at $145,000 in early March of this year. See the photos here.

Take A Virtual Tour Of The Bachman-Wilson House

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, may be closed, but you can still enjoy a virtual reality tour right at home. You could also take a tour of the Bachman Wilson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Bachman-Wilson House is an example of Wright’s classic Usonian architecture, a distinctly American style of residential architecture he developed during the Great Depression to be within the reach of the average middle-class American family.

This house was originally built for Gloria and Abraham Wilson in 1956 along the Millstone River in New Jersey. It was subsequently purchased by architect/designer team Lawrence and Sharon Tarantino in 1988 and meticulously restored. When the house was threatened by repeated flooding at its original location, the Tarantinos determined that, in order to preserve it, they should sell the house to an institution willing to relocate it. After the Tarantinos conducted a multi-year search for a suitable institution, Crystal Bridges acquired the house in 2013. The entire structure was then taken apart and each component was labeled, packed, and moved to the museum, where it was reconstructed in 2015. More here.

Bold Scarves Inspired By Wright

Design Milk features graphic scarves by artist and designer Blaise Danio of Buhlaixe for the Frank Lloyd Wright Store’s Artisan Collaboration series, each inspired by Wright designs and the architecture of Taliesin West.

The Phoenix, Arizona-based designer already represents an impressive portfolio of work exploring the “intersection between classic architectural forms and the ethereal desert landscape” – a solid foundation from which Danio was able to successfully translate Wright’s creative pronouncements into soft good form.

Each digitally illustrated scarf is hemmed locally in Phoenix, with the full collection of Buhlaixe x Taliesin West scarves currently available to purchase at the Frank Lloyd Wright Store at Taliesin West or on Amazon. See this interesting collection here.

Kalita Humphreys Theater Update

The Kalita Humphreys Theater At Turtle Creek Conservancy (KHTaTCC) recently sent an update on the latest public information session organized by the Dallas Theater Center on March 4th at the Kalita to kick off the Update to the 2010 Master Plan. The group left the session feeling encouraged that the upcoming planning process will be a collaborative one. At the end of this year, a plan will be presented to Council and Commissions for approval and public/private funding. Everyone is energized about moving this plan forward, and they want to be as supportive as possible. You can read more about the pros and cons of the process here and visit the KHTaTCC's website to learn more about the effort to save and revitalize the theater here.

Wright Plus Delayed

On March 20, Celeste Adams, CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, emailed staff and volunteers to announce that, due to the coronavirus-forced-closings of its tours and buildings, the Trust was forced to temporarily reduce staff and cut hours for remaining staff. The Trust also moved its annual spring housewalk, Wright Plus from May 16 to June 27 in response to the pandemic.

Adams says the March 17 forced closure of the Trust sites – the Home and Studio, the Frederick C. Robie House, the Emil Bach House, Unity Temple, and the Rookery – made it necessary to drastically reduce the hours of the majority of staff and also furlough some of the Trust's employees.

Adams says she hopes the Trust will be able to re-open sites, rebound and welcome back employees with open arms. She points out the crisis for the Trust is the same crisis felt by all small businesses and not-for-profits and praises the Trust's workforce and volunteers for their dedication. Read more here.

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