Beginning June 2, architecture fans can explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s transformative Prairie-Style designs at a new free gallery opening on S.C. Johnson’s historic Wright-designed campus in Racine.
The SC Johnson Gallery: At Home with Frank Lloyd Wright showcases a rotating selection of Wright’s designs and artifacts and explores the legendary architect’s influence on families and the American home.
“SC Johnson’s history with Frank Lloyd Wright spans many decades, and his impact on our headquarters campus is enduring. But Wright’s influence goes beyond that, to the home,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of S.C. Johnson. “My family has a long appreciation for Wright’s vision, and we are thrilled to open this exhibit here in Racine – another unique attraction for people to experience when they visit.”
The Gallery is housed in S.C. Johnson’s Foster + Partners-designed Fortaleza Hall, also home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Research Library, which features a collection of more than 800 items. The Gallery is co-curated by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, archives director at Taliesin West, Ariz., and Brady Roberts, chief curator of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
“We carefully selected items – including many never exhibited before – to bring Wright’s Prairie-Style designs to life,” said Pfeiffer, who worked with Wright before the architect died in 1959 and has been the driving force of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives since then. “Not only was Wright influenced by natural landscapes to design homes that organically fit into its surroundings, but he also believed that each home’s furnishings were an integral part of its design, which is evident in the artifacts you’ll see in The Gallery.”
The architectural elements explored in The Gallery include:
• Reception chair, Frank Lloyd Wright Studio, 1895, Oak Park, Ill.
• Library table, Edward C. Waller House, remodel, 1899, River Forest, Ill.
• Slant-back dining chair, Hillside Home School, 1902, Spring Green, Wis.
• Hanging lamp, William R. Heath House, 1903, Buffalo, N.Y.
• Flag and Balloon Window (architect’s sample window), Coonley Playhouse, 1912, Riverside, Ill.
• Weed-holder, 1895.
