It's Always the Wright Time
The David and Gladys Wright House, in Phoenix, was recently saved by preservation advocates.
Is there an architect more famous than the famous Mr. Wright? I mean, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright. He is still the embodiment of the American architect – or of any architect, anywhere, anytime – isn’t he? (I welcome debate; please submit your suggestions for rivals or runners-up in the comments section at the bottom of this post!)
Frank Lloyd Wright had such a long, productive, dramatic career. So many iconic, innovative buildings. Such storied confidence (or was it egotism?). Even in the pre-television era, he successfully cultivated a persona of the brilliant artiste, with his shaggy white hair, hat, cane and dramatic cape. (See Life magazine's slide show of photos of him and the Guggenheim, circa 1959 – the year he died and the year the Guggenheim opened.)
There's always more to know about Mr. Wright, and while he has passed on from this life, his buildings live on – or try to. To learn more about the state of Wright these days, come to the presentation Friday, April 12, 2013, “The Inside Story: Saving the David and Gladys Wright House” by Larry Woodin, architect and President of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. He'll talk about the recent dramatic goings on with the unique Phoenix home that almost saw its last days. That's a common tale with old buildings, and even Wright's aren't automatically immune to the perils of time, taste, and the market.
The presentation by Woodin is also the annual spring fundraiser for the Gordon House, which is the only building Wright designed in Oregon, and which itself was only saved by heroic measures some years ago. The house was literally moved from its original site in suburban Portland to its current home on the grounds of the Oregon Garden in Silverton. For this occasion, the Gordon House folks head north to Portland, to combine Woodin's presentation with their annual spring fundraiser to help continue to preserve the simple but beautiful Usonian-type Wright house.
“The Inside Story: Saving the David and Gladys Wright House”
Where: SmithCFI, 620 NE 19th Avenue, Portland, Oregon
When: Friday April 12, 2013, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Wine and appetizers will be provided. All proceeds benefit the Gordon House.
Cost: $25 per ticket (or a table of 12 for $250); students with school ID cards are free.
For more information and to make reservations call 503/874-6006. Make early reservations and payment by Saturday, April 6, to get two extra raffle tickets.
