The Bachman Wilson House may be Northwest Arkansas' Frank Lloyd Wright structure, thanks to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, but it is, of course, not the only one or even the most famous.
Fallingwater, designed by Wright in the 1930s for the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh, is a National Historic Landmark -- open to the public through the auspices of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy since 1963 -- and arguably Wright's most famous creation. Its director, Lynda Waggoner, will visit Crystal Bridges Wednesday to speak with Scott Eccelston, the museum's director of facilities and grounds, about the 10 structures designed by Wright that have been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List of sites identified as important to the global community. Waggoner coordinated the nomination dossier for all 10 Wright-designed sites.
FAQ
Architecture Speaker Series:
Lynda Waggoner
WHEN — 7 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE — Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville
COST — $10
INFO — Register at 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org
In advance of her visit, Waggoner answered five questions for What's Up!
Q. It's interesting that you fell in love with Fallingwater as a teenager. What was it that captured your imagination?
A. I was in love the moment I rounded the corner along the path to the house and saw it for the first time. I have only had that one-on-one visceral experience with art a few times in my life -- it stopped me dead and equally important, I thought, "My life has changed."
Q. As you studied art and architecture, what kept drawing you back to Frank Lloyd Wright?
A. Well, doesn't a first love always hold a special place in our hearts? There is little doubt the architecture is extraordinary, and I have never tired of studying it, but Fallingwater is more than the architecture. It epitomizes our desire to live in harmony with nature -- what can be more appealing than to live in a work of art in the midst of an extraordinary setting? And it's also the collections. I found that what I went on to study -- non-Western art -- was what I saw in Fallingwater in my youth. I think in many ways Fallingwater shaped me.
Q. What did you learn at your other positions that informs your work now?
A. My first curatorial position was as the curator of a non-Western -- mainly tribal -- art collection and a collection of rare books. The non-Western collection was much more extensive than Fallingwater's, but I became familiar with caring for the material. Likewise, we have a large collection of books. Sadly, because the building has no climate control system, ours are not in very good condition. At the Museum Without Walls I created traveling exhibitions, so I learned a lot about caring for and transporting collections. In my last position I was director of a residential crafts school where ceramics, metal, glass and textiles are taught. This prepared me for the 20th century crafts collection at Fallingwater. But before these professional positions, my parents owned an early 19th century former stagecoach stop, which housed their large antiques business. Every member of the family was enlisted in that restoration, and I learned first-hand about preservation and all of its challenges.
Q. What is it that fuels the public's fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright's designs?
A. It's his genius -- he is America's Michelangelo -- and I think an important aspect of genius is that a large number of people, regardless of education, class or experience, recognize genius. Wright was also always experimenting and, in fact, was still at it when he died at age 89. Each of his buildings are different and designed to fit the client and the program -- be it housing, worship, government or a museum. It is the unique qualities of each work along with a connection to the landscape and a desire to stretch technology and design that result in buildings that continue to fascinate us all.
Q. What do you think bringing a piece of Frank Lloyd Wright to Crystal Bridges means to Arkansas art and architecture lovers?
A. I think God bless Crystal Bridges! I have known the Tarrantinos ( the former owners) for years and agonized over the challenges they faced in the location. They were wonderful stewards, but one can only keep fighting the inevitable so long. Every time a storm came through we all worried if the house was flooded yet again. The toll this took on them was unimaginable. It is a small house and the cost of moving and reconstructing it is huge. It was a wonderful thing for Crystal Bridges to do, and you are all going to absolutely love it.
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 05/29/2015