Issue 45 May 17th 2017

Weekly Note

This week kicks off house tour season with a bang: The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust's iconic "Wright Plus" Housewalk is the one that sets the standard for all the rest, and this Saturday they roll out the Cherokee Red carpet for Wright-ophiles from around the world looking to celebrate FLLW's 150th in style.

So until the weekend's here, catch up on all the week's Wright-related news, pack-up your snacks and sunscreen, get your camera phone primed for that perfect architectural selfie, and as always: Keep Calm and Wright On!

The Headlines

Vern Swaback on Frank Lloyd Wright's Greatest Work

Serving as an apprentice, resident, and practitioner from January 1957 to October 1978 at Taliesin West, Vernon D. Swaback has experienced firsthand the many facets of the Taliesin experience. Now, he’s exploring how the past at Taliesin West continues to shape the future. Find out more at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation's "Whirling Arrow" blog. Read more.

Get Ready For "Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive"

Architectural Digest has an article about curator and architecture historian Barry Bergdoll recounting the unpacking of Frank Lloyd Wright's archive for this summer’s must-see museum show. After spending countless hours combing through the trove, which was transferred to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Columbia University five years ago, Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive debuts on June 12, 2017 at MoMA. Read more.

Art League Exhibit Honors Wright and His Reverence for Nature

Oak Park Art League has planned not only a Midwest juried art exhibition, but also other events dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright and his focus on nature to celebrate his 150th. Called, "Through the Lens of Wright: Art, Materials, and Design in the Natural World". Visitors will also see two landscape yarn paintings by Frank Lloyd Wright's sister, Maginel Wright. She was a graphic artist and professional illustrator and used yarn to create two-dimensional landscapes. When: May 12-June 2; opening reception 7-9 p.m. May 12 at the Oak Park Art League, 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park. Tickets are free. Read more.

Heurtley House One Treasure On Wright Plus 150 Housewalk

Ken and Patty Hunt will open their architectural gem, Frank Lloyd Wright's Arthur Heurtley House, to visitors from around the globe for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust's Wright Plus 150 Housewalk which is being held this upcoming weekend on May 20, 2017. The walk includes a look inside private Wright homes as well as the homes designed by contemporaries, with proceeds supporting the Trust's preservation and education programs. Read more.

A Prefab Frank Lloyd Wright Home Opens to the Public This Weekend

If you didn't get enough Wright on Saturday in Oak Park, then be sure to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Guy C. Smith house as part of the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park Home Tour on Sunday May 21, 2017. Catch a sneak peek of this American System-Built design on a special segment of WTTW's "Chicago Tonight." See more.

Elizabeth Gordon: Tastemaker

Curbed spotlights Elizabeth Gordon, the legendary House Beautiful editor. Gordon devoted three issues of House Beautiful to praising Frank Lloyd Wright as the true American modernist, while preaching against the International Style. Monica Penick, an assistant professor in the design studies department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has studied Elizabeth Gordon for a decade and a half. Her book Tastemaker (Yale University Press), out in June 2017, is a comprehensive look at Gordon’s life and work. Read more.

How I Learned to Live in a National Treasure With a Toddler

Chantal Panozzo gives us a personal glimpse into what it is like to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright home while raising a young child. With wonderful honesty, Panozzo relates that she soon realized there was no user manual for how to live in a national treasure with a toddler. Read more.

Roosevelt University Looks to Cash in on Sullivan's Gage Building

Looking to solidify its finances, Roosevelt University wants to sell the portions of the The Gage Building that it owns. The Gage Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and was designated a Chicago landmark in 1996. The northernmost part of the more-than-century-old building has an ornamental facade and was designed by Louis Sullivan. Read more.

Taliesin Shelter is First Test for New Architect

When architect Frank Lloyd Wright established Taliesin West in 1937, he envisioned it not only as his winter home and studio, but also as a place where he and his apprentices could experiment with new ideas and materials. Over the years, that tradition has been kept alive at the architectural school that Wright established — now known as the School of Architecture at Taliesin — by requiring students to design and build their own sleeping shelters somewhere on the desert property. AZCentral showcases one of the newest shelters by Jaime Inostroza. Read more.

Frank Lloyd Wright's 1955 Textile Designs Revived

To celebrate what would have been Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th birthday, home design company Schumacher, in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, has revived a collection of geometric-print textiles that the world-famous architect designed in 1955. Offering an array of bold and bright MCM designs, these pieces of fabric art are now available through Schumacher’s website. Read more.

Research of Organic Architect Led to Purchase of Dream Home

Dave Erickson began doing volunteer work at the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, and worked on archiving the original collection of architect John Randal McDonald. He became so interested in McDonald that he started co-authoring a book on him. For research, he toured 125 homes, in seven states, and eventually came across the Blair house, which was in foreclosure. Erickson snapped up the mid-century modern home designed by McDonald in 2013 and began restoring it. Now you can enjoy the chance to see this special home as part of this year’s Wright & Like tour on June 3, 2017. Read more.

Chicago Is Getting A Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired Bar

Jim Meehan, the mastermind behind New York's East Village speakeasy bar/hot dog shop pioneer Please Don’t Tell, is developing a new bar in Chicago inspired by hometown favorite architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Dubbed "Prairie School," the design, decor, and even the drinks will take cues from Wright's style. Coming soon to the bustling West Loop/Fulton Market neighborhood of Chicago at 326 N. Morgan St. Cheers! Read more.

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