ONLINE: Frank Lloyd Wright Birthday Celebration

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Mark Hertzberg

Wright Birthday 2015

The birthday cake at the 2015 Frank Lloyd Wright birthday celebration.

Would you have made the trek to Taliesin to celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright's 153rd birthday? Maybe; IRL B.C. (before COVID-19), you might not have gotten an invitation to this annual event hosted by the School of Architecture at Taliesin. But now, you can join the party virtually and see, if not taste, the traditional Wright birthday cake as well as appreciate the special art and floral arrangements. The party will broadcast on Taliesin Preservation’s YouTube channel, Facebook and website. If you're tired of virtual events by now (no matter how exclusive), know that real life tours of Taliesin resumed June 1, with a cap of 10 in each group and thoughtful safety measures. More on COVID-19 prevention and Wright preservation here.

press release: Taliesin Preservation is inviting citizens not only from Wisconsin but from around the world to help celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s 153rd Birthday on June 8, 2020, with its first ever virtual Birthday Celebration. The event begins at 6:00 pm CST and can be seen on Taliesin Preservation’s YouTube, Facebook and Web page. The Birthday Celebration of Wright’s life is a long-standing tradition of the Taliesin Fellowship and School of Architecture that extends from Wright’s lifetime to present. 

For the last several years, Taliesin Preservation has continued the ongoing tradition of the birthday celebration on the grounds of Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The event serves as a way to continue Wright’s legacy, celebrate community and advance Taliesin Preservation’s mission of preserving the natural, built and cultural environments of the Taliesin estate.

The long-standing tradition of building community is perhaps more important now than ever. As Taliesin Preservation looks to the past to guide our future, we build on the organic way of living centered around culture, architecture. nature, and agriculture. Our efforts to continue this community is vital.

Through videos leading up to the day, participants will be able to experience what it was like to attend one of Wright’s past celebrations and learn the Taliesin “idea” of incorporating nature and beauty into people’s everyday lives. Starting this week Taliesin Preservation will be releasing interactive videos on their social media platforms. Topics will include:

• History of the celebration
• Designing an Invitation using geometry and nature as inspiration
• Giving helpful tips on how to make Wright’s Birthday Cake
• Making a beautiful floral design
• Setting the perfect table for a formal or casual party
• Creating an art installation for an event
• Making a seasonal and locally-sourced cocktail

In addition, Taliesin Preservation will be auctioning off three unique experiences for guests to immerse in the Taliesin estate. The bidding of these items will begin the week of May 18 and run through midnight on June 8. Proceeds will directly support the mission of Taliesin Preservation.

The videos will culminate with Wright’s Birthday Celebration on June 8, 2020. These videos and the virtual event will be a way for everyone to celebrate and continue to explore the concept of “How might we live now?”.

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Taliesin Preservation is pleased to announce our opening on Monday, June 1, for the 2020 season. This year will be a little different but perhaps more inspiring and captivating than ever. Join us for an intimate tour with no more than 10 guests in which you will have more quality time in the spaces Frank Lloyd Wright designed and more time to ask questions of your guide. At Taliesin we have 800-acres and seven different Wright-designed structures for physical distancing on tours.

At this time, Taliesin will be open six days a week, Thursday-Tuesday, and closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning. To ensure the safety of our guests and employees, we will diligently be implementing increased sanitation practices. All touch points will be disinfected, staff will be wearing masks and capacities have been reduced including our tours (10 guests), gift shop (10 guests), and cafe (25 guests). We strongly suggest guests wear a mask, keep their distance between parties, and wash and sanitize their hands regularly while visiting us.

For those who wish to explore outside, Taliesin has both paved and unpaved walking trails originating from the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center Parking lot. We also invite guests to enjoy a take out meal from the Riverview Terrace Cafe at one of our picnic tables overlooking the Wisconsin River. The Cafe’s dining room is also open with limited capacity and our staff will be implementing increased sanitation at all touch points. 

“We are extremely excited to welcome back visitors to Taliesin. This has been a very difficult time for all of us and the sense of tranquility that is rooted in nature is exactly what Wright wanted guests to feel when visiting, and that has not changed. Our commitment to safety while still retaining a high level of guest services is our top priority. We’ve taken these last several weeks to ensure that we can safely and confidently welcome all of you to Wisconsin’s only public UNESCO World Heritage site.”

-Carrie Rodamaker, executive director 

Join us for one of the four most popular tours: Estate Tour, House Tour, Hillside Studio & Theatre Tour, or the Highlights Tour. We HIGHLY recommend booking online at talieisnpreservation.org or by calling us at 877-588-7900. These tours will fill quickly with our new limited capacity. Walk-ins are welcome but cannot guarantee a space on a tour.