Issue 274 October 6th 2021

The Headlines

The Unsolved Mystery Of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Earth"

Starting last May, each month The Whirling Arrow has shared one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s proposed designs for Liberty Magazine, a once-popular, weekly, general-interest publication. The magazine was then known for its “continuity” covers—Rockwell-esque, Americana illustrations that when looked at side by side began to tell a larger story. In the end, publishers had little interest in the distinct, abstract drawings Wright had submitted to them.

The inclusion of "Earth", the featured October cover, comes to us via snippets of correspondence, scribbled notes, surviving artwork, and some healthy conjecture. All suggest "Earth", in some form, was submitted to Liberty. It is believed the drawing was a derivative design based on a mural Wright had created for his epic Midway Gardens, in Chicago, years earlier. Did Wright merely repurpose a drawing of the Midway mural? Or had he adapted it into a more formal, rectilinear abstraction to fit the formatting of the cover illustrations he was submitting to Liberty? Though we will likely never know the exact details and nature of the "Earth" drawing, surviving artwork points us toward its general likeness, thanks to the surviving drawings of the Midway Gardens mural, and a mosaic tile Wright later commissioned later. Read the entire article and see the designs here.

Open House Chicago’s Suburban Side Trip

When Open House Chicago returns for the weekend of Oct. 16-17, the Chicago Architecture Center will be devoting a weekend to showcasing the architectural wealth of Chicago for the 11th time.

In 2020, the pandemic forced an entirely virtual format, in which visitors could use the OHC app to explore the exteriors of architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites and participate in self-guided tours or trails on certain themes.

This year, the walk is back with a more in-person focus. While the app will still facilitate tours throughout the city and provide bonus information, many of the sites will be open for in-person access this year on Oct. 16 and 17. For the entire month of October, participants can use the OHC app to access the free, self-guided history and architecture tours throughout Chicago.

Adam Rubin, director of interpretation for the CAC, says that the weekend is still a bit condensed from its peak of 2019 when roughly 250 sites were opened to the public. This year, the weekend focuses on about 100 sites, and Rubin says the pared down itinerary will help the average Chicagoan narrow down the number of sites to visit more easily.

“The sites will be open with site-dependent safety measures, and the OHC app will return with a few new trails and some new voices,” Rubin said.

While the vast majority of sites are in the city itself, Rubin said Evanston and Oak Park both made the cut of nearby suburbs that deserved a presence.

“Oak Park is always going to be a destination for Open House Chicago,” he said. “First of all, a lot of people from Chicago haven’t had the chance to visit Oak Park yet or they may be new to the city. Even if sites feel very familiar to someone from Oak Park, they are new to someone."

Back for a second year is the “Frank Lloyd Wright: Portrait of a Young Architect” trail, which focuses on seven of Wright’s homes designed in the early part of his career and life in Oak Park. For more information read the entire article here.

Richard Neutra-Designed Lovell Health House Sells For $8.75 Million

One of pioneering California architect Richard Neutra’s most notable residences sold last week for $8.75 million according to Barron's.

Completed in 1929, the 4,800-square-foot Lovell Health House hit the market for the first time in 60 years in February 2020 for $11.5 million, Mansion Global previously reported. The three-level concrete-and-steel home was built into the hillside in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles with indoor-outdoor living in mind, a new concept at the time.

The house is one of “the greatest monuments of the International Style in Southern California,” according to architectural historians David Gebhard and Robert Winter, who were quoted in the listing, and ”firmly established Neutra’s world reputation.”

The International Style used glass, steel and concrete to create open, airy homes inspired by modernism, and was developed by a number of European architects such as Neutra, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and others.

Prominent gallerists Iwan and Manuela Wirth purchased the property, “with plans to bring back its original lustre,” according to an article in the New Yorker. Their galleries can be found all over the world, representing artists such as Alexander Calder, Annie Leibovitz and Amy Sherald. A representative for the couple confirmed the sale, and said it “will be a private residence for their family once restored.” Read more here.

2021 Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Conference

Experience the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy annual conference hybrid in-person & online event, October 13-17. This format will enable participants from around the world to safely enjoy educational programming and experience Wright’s architecture in Western New York.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy announces the start of registration to participate online in its annual conference. This will be the Conservancy’s third Buffalo, New York, conference, and the first there in over a decade. Education sessions will explore how Wright is interpreted for public audiences, with a special emphasis on visitor centers and public education programs as integral aspects of historic preservation. Tours will situate Wright’s notable works in Western New York within the rich architectural heritage of the region.

After more than a year of virtual events, Conservancy members are excited to gather safely in person – while also committed to offering an accessible and substantive online option. All morning education sessions, as well as the gala with Wright Spirit Awards ceremony, will be livestreamed, enabling in-person and online attendees to participate together. In the afternoons, while buses ferry in-person participants to tours, online registrants will enjoy professionally-produced video explorations of key sites coupled with interactive discussions with experts. All education sessions and tour videos will be available to all registrants to stream for a month after the event, allowing both in-person and online attendees to watch (or re-watch) at their convenience. More info here.

"Chihuly In The Desert" Tickets Now Available

Tickets are on sale now for "Chihuly in the Desert," a stunning new exhibition at two of Arizona's most iconic venues: Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) in Phoenix and Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale. Dale Chihuly is a world-famous artist known for his stunning creations made from blown glass.

Desert Botanical Garden exhibition showcases Chihuly's large-scale installations among its stunning desert scenery. "We will have more than 11 large-scale installations onsite at the garden and a beautiful interior gallery installation," said Lauren Warren, DBG's Director of Exhibits.

The second half of the experience spans to the famed Taliesin West, where Chihuly's glass sculptures will be seen inside Taliesin, on lawns, and in water.

Niki Stewart, VP at Taliesin West, said they are so excited to bring Chihuly to this Arizona treasure. "You know, Dale Chihuly, as an artist was deeply influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, so to bring together these two artists' work here in the Valley is so exciting for all of us."

Both locations open Dec. 3, 2021 and will be open for about six months. Chihuly's exhibitions are quite popular so be sure to reserve tickets now to secure your spot. For more information about hours and tickets click here.

Celebrate Graycliff Silent Auction

The Graycliff Conservancy's Celebrate Graycliff Silent Auction will open on Monday, October 11th & closes at 8:15pm on Thursday, October 21st

Even if you are not able to join in person at The Roycroft Inn on October 21, 2021 for Celebrate Graycliff 2021, please feel free to bid on the fantastic virtual silent auction! Items will be available to browse at the event itself, but no need to be present to bid or to win. All event and auction proceeds support the mission of Graycliff Conservancy. For more information on Celebrate Graycliff 2021 and to purchase event tickets, visit ExperienceGraycliff.org.

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