Issue 364  June 28th 2023

Guggenheim Museum Announces Naming Of The Oculus, The Iconic Skylight Over The Museum’s Open Rotunda

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, announces the naming of its iconic Frank Lloyd Wright–designed skylight in recognition of a major gift by the Lawson-Johnston family, which will benefit the museum’s general operations. The Lawson-Johnston Family Oculus honors the family’s significant contribution to the museum’s leadership. Peter Lawson-Johnston, the grandson of Solomon R. Guggenheim, has served on the foundation’s Board of Trustees for over fifty years and is past chairman. Two of his children, Peter Lawson-Johnston II and Wendy L-J. McNeil, are current members of the board, and his daughter, Mimi Lawson-Johnston Howe, is president of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Advisory Board.

Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, comments, “We are deeply grateful for the exceptional generosity of the Lawson-Johnston family, whose remarkable gift will have a profound impact on the continued success and vitality of the Guggenheim Museum. Their steadfast commitment to our institution not only strengthens our ability to engage and inspire visitors, but also supports the preservation and advancement of the arts for generations to come. With heartfelt appreciation, we recognize their invaluable contribution as a true champion of our mission.”

Click for more details: thecitylife.org  

Here's What Nobody Tells You About Buying And Renovating A Historic Home

While current architectural trends tend to lean towards convenient, streamlined structures that prioritize technology, there's something to be said about historic homes. After all, the artistry and attention to hand-crafted detail they showcase are hard to come by in new builds. That said, buying and renovating an 80-plus-year-old space is a big commitment—both financially and emotionally. House Beautiful chatted with five homeowners who chose history over modernity to discover if such an investment is actually worth it.

In 2014, when Sarah Magness, founder of her eponymous New York City interior design firm, purchased a historic home—built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959— she had her work cut out for her. Now, after nearly a decade of living in her dream house, she says,"[The renovation] is ongoing. A historic house requires love and attention every day!"

Magness says, "It was worth all the time, effort, and cost! It is crucial to maintain the original design intent and continue the legacy of the builder, owner, and architect."

Click for more details: aol.com  

Stuart Graff: Positioning Scottsdale As An Arts, Culture Destination To All Visitors

Image via FrankLloydWright.org

"By bringing these visitors to Scottsdale, we enjoy the opportunity not only to share the beauty of the desert and Wright’s work with them, but also the opportunity to learn from them how our work is relevant to their lives, their work, and their culture.” Stuart Graff, president & CEO of Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Those of us who live and work in Scottsdale every day know the many pleasures that are associated with the beauty of our surrounding environment: the Sonoran Desert, the McDowell Mountains, and architecture, art, and cultural offerings that are the envy of other cities.

For our visitors from around the country, and particularly from around the world, these pleasures are a revelation. Far from being empty, as the word desert suggests to some, Scottsdale is filled with wonders.

As the CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, it is an honor to preserve one of those wonders: Taliesin West.

In July 2019, I represented our community and our country at the World Heritage meeting, where Taliesin West and seven other Frank Lloyd Wright structures around the U.S. were inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The list is a group of 1,157 properties around the globe that represent a mix of the best of human culture and natural spaces, collected with the intention of preserving our natural and cultural heritage and promoting understanding across cultures and time through tourism and visitation.

The United States has 24 of these sites; two of them are in Arizona, and one (Taliesin West) is in Scottsdale.

Many Americans don’t know the World Heritage List, but for international visitors and global travelers, inclusion on that list is the “gold standard” for things to see and experience. We see this at Taliesin West every year, when we typically welcome about 15,000 visitors (within a total of more than 100,000) from outside the U.S. who come to see not only the stunning structures on our property, but also to learn from the place where the man that changed global architecture did his most creative work, during the most productive years of his long and storied career.

Recently, Taliesin West’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site led to another rare honor. We collaborated with the city of Scottsdale and Experience Scottsdale to secure membership with the Organization of World Heritage Cities. The foundation will partner with Experience Scottsdale to leverage this membership to further position our fair city as a premier arts and culture destination for both international and domestic visitors. This is an honor that only a few cities in North America enjoy, and a reason for international travelers to prefer to come see us over other places they might choose to visit.

Click for more details: yourvalley.net  

Pittsburgh Home Designed By A Frank Lloyd Wright Protégé

Built in 1950, the 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom home was designed by Richard A. Miller, a graduate student at Taliesin East, Wright’s school of architecture in Wisconsin. It was built for a Westinghouse executive who wanted a home that demonstrated Wright’s principles of functionality and organic architecture.

Click for more details: nextpittsburgh.com