Issue 64 September 27th 2017

Announcements

Introducing Wright Society Chat!

Last week we opened up free registration to the 2017 Wright Society Virtual Summit and...

...another new aspect to this year’s event is the addition of a community discussion forum called Wright Society Chat.

It’s the newest way for Wright Society members to share insights from the Virtual Summit and enjoy all things Frank Lloyd Wright with other like-minded architectural enthusiasts. Visitors to WrightSocietyChat.com will experience an easy-to-use discussion forum that is meant to be a fun and educational place to ask questions, share images, and generally add to the collective understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright's life, work, and legacy.

Be sure to take a look today if you're interested. There's already tons of great content being posted and shared!

Reminder: Registration Open For 2017 Wright Society Virtual Summit

Remember, the 2017 summit officially begins October 20, 2017. Don't delay registering for free today! Get all the 2017 Wright Society Virtual Summit details here.

You can even view the FAQ section if you've not previously experienced or heard about our annual virtual event. Take a look and then sign-up!

The Headlines

New Publication Celebrates FLLW Visitor Center's 50th

In honor of the 50th anniversary of The Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, the gateway to Wright's Taliesin estate, The Organic Architecture + Design Archives has collaborated with Taliesin Preservation to create a special publication that details the history of this remarkable building.

Taliesin Swan Song: Celebrating 50 Years of The Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center is a 40 page booklet that features an essay by Anne Biebel with M. Keiran Murphy and is filled with never-before published images that makes it the definitive study on a Wright building that has had a transformative 50-year history.

You can get your copy when you visit the Visitor Center or online. Read more and/or purchase.

Price Tower Seeks "The Wright Chef"

The Price Tower is a National historic landmark that has been recognized among many of the world’s most elite architectural masterpieces. Today, it serves as a community art center with a mission that celebrates art, architecture, and design while at the same time inspiring artists and audiences with diverse art experiences and exhibitions. Among these, "the Wright Chef Culinary Artist in Residence" is the first of the Center’s emerging artist programs. The residency will provide professional and amateur chef’s the chance to take their career to the next level by participating in this program under the mentorship of Chef Kurtess Mortensen. The culinary artist will be able to master their art while also learning to master the business of a restaurant without the burden and risks associated with startup enterprises. At the same time, the winner will benefit from living in one of the boutique suites of the Inn at Price Tower, living, and breathing art in its many forms. The application period for the program opened this week. Read more.

Wright’s Solo Long Island Project Remains at Ease With Itself

The only Long Island, New York project of Frank Lloyd Wright was begun in 1937 for Benjamin and Anne Rebhuhn. It was a comeback project for Wright, the first after a dry spell of more than 20 years, moving toward a house design that was at once modern, utilitarian, and suited for the newly evolving life of suburbia. "Usonian," he called it, after an idealized vision of America that celebrated individuality and oneness with Nature. Read more.

A Look At Los Angeles's Modern Architecture

Los Angeles is a mecca for modern architecture and an ideal destination to explore the work of the legendary architects synonymous with home design from the 1920s to the 1950s. In the early 20th century, California became a magnet for artistic adventurers, drawing architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Rudolph Schindler west to ply their trade. Five of these historic homes—Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, the Rudolph Schindler House, the Richard Neutra VDL Research House, the Charles and Ray Eames Case Study House No. 8, and the Stahl House by Pierre Koenig and owner Buck Stahl—can all be toured publically. Read more.

New Belvidere, Illinois Mural to Honor Wright's Chapel

Pettit Memorial Chapel, a classic Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie design that resides in Belvidere Cemetery, could become the centerpiece of the Boone County Arts Council’s next mural. Wright’s 1907 chapel was built by Emma Pettit in honor of her husband, William H. Pettit. The council’s goal is to have the mural painted during next summer’s Heritage Days Festival. It’s supposed to rest right below the new mural of Belvidere native and world-renowned architect Jeanne Gang at Pleasant and State streets, in Belvidere, Illinois. Read more.

Italian Menswear Line Isaia Opens in Wright's V.C. Morris Gift Shop

After much anticipation, one of San Francisco’s most iconic buildings, the Frank Lloyd Wright designed V.C. Morris Gift Shop at 140 Maiden Lane, has a brand new tenant. Neapolitan menswear brand, Isaia—which specializes in custom tailoring and luxe separates—opened its doors to the public. Working with a preservation team, Isaia (it’s pronounced is-I-E-ah) wanted to ensure that Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark building remained true to the iconic architect's vision. The "mousetrap" like entrance continues to exist, as does the spiraling walkway that leads to second floor, and the wooden cabinetry that is built into the walls. Read more.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hymn to Autumn

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation's Whirling Arrow has posted an excerpt titled “Autumn,” taken from Book Four, Freedom, of Frank Lloyd Wright’s An Autobiography. Mr. Wright's words will put you in the mood for this beautiful season. Read more.

Draw a Section!

As part of the 150th birthday celebration, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation wants to inspire kids (or even you) to dream big and think boldly—like Frank Lloyd Wright! In that spirit, they have provided an activity sheet to draw a section.

What's a section? Section drawings are a very important part of designing a building, giving a more complete idea of what a building might look like when it is built. A section looks like a building sliced in half, from top to bottom, to reveal the interior, allowing us to look directly into the halved building and see the features inside.

Have fun and don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Read more.

Wright's Laura Gale House Sold!

Many say the Laura Gale House inspired a future architectural masterpiece called "Fallingwater," due to the unique cantilevered elements Frank Lloyd Wright incorporated into the Prairie era house's porches. The 2,877 square foot Oak Park home was built in 1914, came on the market earlier in 2017, and it sold this past August for $952,000. Hopefully the new owners will take good care of it. Read more.

Japan Through the Lens of Frank Lloyd Wright

The Frank Lloyd wright Trust recently announced an exclusive online exhibition titled 1905: Japan Through the Lens of Frank Lloyd Wright in honor of Wright's 150th.

In February of 1905, Wright embarked on the first of his many journeys to Japan. Wright experienced the architecture of local temples, shrines, gardens and residences, photographing buildings and landscapes extensively. The new online exhibition features the only existing photographic record of his travels, along with interactive maps and timelines. View here.

Support Wright Society

October 2017 Explore Wright Issue Coming Soon!

The upcoming bi-monthly issue of Explore Wright is at the printer and we're thrilled to soon be sharing it with those of you who've opted into a subscription (or get copies via the Silver Level of our supporter program)! This next issue will "explore" the influence that the Japanese pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (known as the "Ho-o-den") had on Frank Lloyd Wright's developing sense of architecture.

TIP: There's some excellent historic images of the Ho-o-den that were recently posted at WrightSocietyChat.com, which you can view here.

If you'd like, we're offering a complimentary digital copy of Explore Wright's inaugural issue in PDF format that can be viewed on any device. Download here. This June 2017 issue looks at Wright's Sturges House in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

We're also providing three types of subscriptions for the bi-monthly Explore Wright newsletter...should you find this complimentary version enjoyable and be interested in future ones.

[$15] Digital Only Subscription: You’ll receive 6 bi-monthly newsletter issues per year. They'll be delivered via email in a digital PDF format, which you may view on any device.

[$25] Print Only Subscription: You’ll receive 6 bi-monthly newsletter issues per year. They'll be delivered via USPS mail in paper format. We will send it to you anywhere in the world.

[$35] Combo (Digital + Print) Subscription: You’ll receive 6 bi-monthly newsletter issues per year. They'll be delivered in two formats: (1) via email in a digital PDF format, which you may view on any device; (2) via USPS mail in paper format, which we will send to you anywhere in the world.

Remember, your purchase goes directly towards supporting the content curation and creation efforts it takes to produce the weekly Wright Society email and the Wright Society Virtual Summit. And we sincerely and truly appreciate your contribution!

About

This weekly Wright Society update is brought to you by Eric O'Malley with Bryan and Lisa Kelly from PrairieMod. If you enjoy these free, curated updates—please forward our sign-up page and/or share on Social Media.

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