Issue 42 April 26th 2017

Weekly Note

April has come and is almost gone! Soon, May flowers will be everywhere and the chill of winter a distant memory. This last week of the month sees a bevvy of news from the Wright (and related) world, including some big announcements coming from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. The times, they are a changin'.

Enjoy the specially curated Wright-related news we bring every week and as always...

Stay Calm and Wright On!

Announcements

Heard About Our New Supporter Program Opening Tomorrow?

We’ve got a very special opportunity to support the work we hope you’ve come to enjoy from the Wright Society team, which includes this free weekly newsletter and the annual Wright Society Virtual Summit (next one is October 2017 and themed FLLW 150: Legacy of Inspiration).

In addition to having the chance to contribute any amount you’d like (we'll be sure to send some fantastic "Thank You" gifts), we have a limited bonus gift for those who sign-up before May 3rd, 2017 at 11:59pm Eastern.

If you're interested in learning more, look in your inbox first thing tomorrow for an email with the subject line “Your bonus gift for the Supporter Program [Contribute now!]”

The Headlines

Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture Announces New Name and Dean

The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture—which recently received its independence and confirmation of its continued accreditation as an institution of higher learning—has continued the theme of change by announcing a new name, logo, and dean. The institution will now be known as the School of Architecture at Taliesin and its new dean will be Chris Lasch (with Aaron Betsky as President of the school). Read more.

E. Fay Jones Properties Close To Historic Designation

The El Dorado News reports that two local residential properties, houses designed by famed Arkansas architect E. Fay Jones — who spent part of his childhood in El Dorado — qualified for a nomination to the National Register as a small historic district. The nomination said the houses are “excellent” examples of the late Jones’ mid-20th century work — organic elements, such as “low sloping roof lines, the use of exterior and interior space and materials to create a sense of connectedness with the outside and a sense of open space.” The proposed historic district contains two ornamental objects and a pavilion that were also designed by Jones. Read more.

Do The Wright Thing: A Special Occasion For The Architect’s Masterpieces

Indianapolis Monthly suggests we plan to see some of the iconic works of Frank Lloyd Wright this year as sites plan special 2017 programming to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth. Of special note—Taliesin has tours starting in April, and they’re half-price in June for the 150th. Read more.

Wright's Olfelt House On The Market for the First Time Ever

Located seven miles from downtown Minneapolis, The Paul and Helen Olfelt House (1958) is one of the last homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright before his passing in April 1959. The home, which still retains the fixtures and furnishings designed by Wright himself, is now on the market for the first time ever. Read more.

Celebrate Wright With Author/Entertainer Bob Kann

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Lloyd Wright with a fun and interactive presentation on June 17, 2017 by children’s author and entertainer Bob Kann, author of Frank Lloyd Wright and His New American Architecture. The event will take place in the Hillside Theater of Taliesin with Wright's traditional birthday cake and refreshments served afterward on the Hillside lawn. Tickets here.

RiverCeramic Unveils Frank Lloyd Wright Ceramics

Frank Lloyd Wright believed that beautiful objects could positively impact our lives. As we start celebrating Wright’s 150 years of innovation, design, and impact on how we live today, RiverCeramic is bringing to market recreations of Wright’s ceramic vases and lamp designs. Partnering with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, these ceramics are produced by American artisans at RiverCeramic’s Mounds, IL facility. Read more.

Cranbrook Hosts U.S. Debut Of "Alexander Girard: A Designer's Universe"

The Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield, MI will host the U.S. debut of the new exhibition, Alexander Girard: A Designer’s Universe. Girard"s mid-century modern designs transformed the tableau of post-war American, from home to office and beyond. He created colorful abstract and organic designs in which everything was precisely coordinated, even to the smallest details. Girard became the Director of Design for Herman Miller’s textile division in 1952, and there he innovated the field of textiles for modern furniture and office environments. This landmark exhibition at Cranbrook presents hundreds of examples of Girard’s work. The exhibition will run from June 17 through October 8, 2017. Read more.

Wright Homes Featured in Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour

The Guy C. Smith home, which turns 100 this year, and the Jesse & William Adams home, both designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, will be featured in the upcoming Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour. The Guy C. Smith home is one of two of Wright's American System homes built in the area in 1917, and the Jesse & William Adams home was a transitional design for Frank Lloyd Wright as he developed his Prairie style. The Beverly Area Planning Association will host the event from noon to 5 pm on May 21, 2017. Read more.

Striking 1960s Home By Frank Lloyd Wright Apprentice On The Market

Curbed reports that a house in Irving, Texas, designed by David Webster George, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based architect and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, is for sale for $375,000. George started out as an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West, and though Frank Lloyd Wright’s influences are visible, the home is uniquely George. Read more.

Frank Lloyd Wright's 150th Birthday Celebrated With Free Camps and Tours

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust is offering free tours and kids camps to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the architect starting the weekend of June 3, 2017 with two days of free design camps in Hyde Park followed by tours of two Wright houses in Chicago and his Oak Park Home and Studio. The Trust will open up three Wright-designed homes on his birthday, June 8, for free tours. The Robie House at 5757 S. Woodlawn Ave. in Hyde Park will be open for free tours from 6-8pm; The Emil Bach House, 7415 N. Sheridan Road, will be open for tours from 4-7pm; and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave., will be open for tours from 6-8pm. Read more.

Weekend Design: An Iconic Palm Springs Home Built Around a Boulder

Colin Flavin writes about the iconic Palm Springs home of renowned modernist architect, Albert Frey. Built in 1964, the home was all about the natural setting and was made with innovative materials for the times. See the photos and Read more.

The Peters-Margedant House Officially Dedicated

The Peters-Margedant House, which was designed and built by William Wesley Peters—apprentice and son-in-law of Frank Lloyd Wright — was officially dedicated at its new location on the University of Evansville campus. The home, which was built in 1934, was on the 10 most endangered list for over a decade. Read more.

You can learn more about Wes Peters' Evansville work in the new April 2017 Journal of Organic Architecture + Design.

There’s A New Must-Read Book For Wright Fans

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is publishing a new edition of its Wright Sites guidebook in time to commemorate Frank Lloyd Wright's 150th birthday. This edition guides "archi-tourists" through 74 of Wright’s projects that are open to the public. The Conservancy’s goal is to preserve Wright’s buildings and keep them in as close to their original condition and use as possible. The more people who care about Wright’s body of work and preserving it, the better chance it has of surviving the next century. Wright Sites is another tool in the Conservancy's arsenal. Read more.

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