Happy Birthday, Mr. Wright! How You Can Celebrate 150 Years of Frank Lloyd Wright
150 years ago, Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Wisconsin. Between his birth in 1867 and his death in 1959, Frank Lloyd Wright designed over 1,000 structures. He is arguably the most significant and best-known American architect of all time, and he introduced the idea of organic architecture to the world.
Frank Lloyd Wright was more just an accomplished architect. He was truly a visionary, bringing innovation to commercial buildings and simple family homes alike. He is best known for his schools, Taliesin and Taliesin West, as well as his iconic Fallingwater.
Although Frank Lloyd Wright was born 150 years ago, his legacy lives on. His impact reaches around the world, and it is even what inspired us to fall in love with design and architecture. After building a home in Georgia, we were lucky enough to visit the Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama. Seeing this incredible Usonian design was like lighting a match and igniting a passion that spawned several moves, home purchases and even the development of a new business.
In the last few years, we've been able to visit Taliesin in Wisconsin as well as Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona. We even lived just minutes from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, which is home to a large collection of FLW buildings. To say that Frank Lloyd Wright has impacted our appreciation for design is a serious understatement.
There are several great way to celebrate the works and life of Frank Lloyd Wright yourself. Of course, it's always a good time to see some of his buildings in person. If you're within driving distance, get in the car and check it out! The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust has a comprehensive list of sites open to the public HERE.
If you're in New York City, the Guggenheim is hosting a celebration on June 8th. There's even an actor-historian dressing up and portraying FLW for guests.
If you're in Chicago, try to grab tickets to the FLW 150th Birthday Celebration at the Art Institute of Chicago. There's a lecture on his Japanese works followed by a celebratory dinner.
If you're in D.C., head to the National Building Museum. On Saturday, June 10th, the museum is hosting several talks and activities to honor their Frank Lloyd Wright Day.