If you’re a fan of Buffalo, them you’re a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, though I would imagine that so much of what we love about the architect relates to our emotional ties with our own architectural bounty. At the same time, it’s important to remember that what is good for the goose, is good for the gander. That means that the entire culture that surrounds FLW is important as a whole. The more people that appreciate the greater scope of the architect and his works, the better off Buffalo will be. That’s because organizations such as the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy are working hard to promote the preservation of all FLW structures.
From November 11-14 the Conservancy will be hosting a virtual conference called Saving Wright Now. The conference will feature speakers and video tours of sites from all across the US and Japan.
Highlights include:
- Keynote by Justin Gunther, Director of Fallingwater (Mill Run, PA), on preserving Wright in a time of change.
- Wright Sites x PechaKucha vol. 2 featuring rapid, highly-visual presentations from people who live or work in Wright buildings, including the Marin County Civic Center (San Rafael, CA), David and Gladys Wright House (Phoenix, AZ), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY), Hollyhock House (Los Angeles, CA) & more.
- Panel assessing The Future of the Public Site, with leaders from Martin House (Buffalo, NY), Weltzheimer/Johnson House (Oberlin, OH), Rosenbaum House (Florence, AL), Burnham Block (Milwaukee, WI), and Taliesin (Spring Green, WI).
- Roundtable & video tours of Prairie Houses for the 21st Century, showcasing sensitive updates to and daily living in Wright’s Prairie houses by owners of the Baker House (Wilmette, IL), William Ross House (Glencoe, IL) and Laura Gale House (Oak Park, IL).
- Roundtable celebrating the many Partners in Advocacy who made it possible to save Booth Cottage (Glencoe, IL). Hear from the Glencoe Historical Society, Glencoe Village Manager Phil Kiraly, and other leaders involved, and be among the first to see inside the relocated cottage before restoration work begins.
- Roundtable discussion of Last Resorts: Relocation of Wright Structures explores the difficult decision to relocate threatened structures. Video tours highlight notable successes Gordon House (Silverton, OR), Bachman-Wilson House (Bentonville, AR), Pope-Leighey House (Alexandria, VA) and two houses at Polymath Park (Acme, PA).
- Roundtable on special issues in Preserving Wright’s Usonian Automatics, including video tours of three notable houses:Tracy House (Normandy Park, WA), Tonkens House (Cincinnati, OH), and Turkel House (Detroit, MI).
- Roundtable on Preserving Wright in Japan with Japan-based experts and advocates who will discuss Wright’s key place in the historic preservation movement in Japan, and video highlights from the Imperial Hotel (Meiji-Mura, Inuyama), Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School (Tokyo), and Yamamura House (Ashiya).
- A special Gala evening celebrating the 2020 Wright Spirit Award honorees (previously announced) and featuring highlights from the Conservancy’s online silent auction (which includes Wright memorabilia, furniture, books, and exclusive experiences).
The full schedule, registration, and the latest details are available online at savewright.org/conference.
TAWANI Property Management is the Presenting Partner