PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright through the Eyes of a Child

The idea for this innovative youth education program originated at the first A+DEN conference in Chicago in Fall 2006. Marta Wojcik of the Westcott House Foundation introduced the other two Wright sites – Unity Temple and Fallingwater – to Eyes Wide Open Worldwide (EWOW), a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring youth to develop a passion for the arts and foster their creativity through photography.

Using high-quality digital cameras, students learned the basics of photography and composition while taking photographs of three buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Some of the children used cameras for the first time, and for many, it was their first encounter with Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture. Through photography, the children gained an appreciation for the power of architecture and design and its implications in our everyday lives.
“Eyes Wide Open Worldwide's collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright sites is bringing a fresh perspective to historic landmarks,” says Ty Fischer, Director of EWOW, “The children’s photographs display the wonderful nuances that make up these fantastic structures.”

This project, organized by the Westcott House Foundation, has been acknowledged by the American Architectural Foundation as one of 42 top programs in the country for “Best Practices in Architectural Education.” It made an impact on the young participants as well as the organizations involved. “Having Eyes Wide Open Worldwide at Fallingwater,” says Cara Armstrong, Curator of Education at Fallingwater, “reminded me that we all respond to beauty. The kids’ responses to Fallingwater, their photographs, remind me of the building and setting themselves– each combines subtlety, serendipity, simplicity, and surprise.”

The collaboration resulted in a traveling exhibition featuring the best of the students’ photographs printed on canvas. The first event, a free public reception, took place at Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, in Oak Park, Illinois, October 11-13, 2007. It coincided with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy’s annual meeting, an event attracting hundreds of Frank Lloyd Wright aficionados. In 2008, the show will travel to Mill Run, Pennsylvania and Springfield, Ohio. The exhibition has also been invited to the 2008 CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival, the largest photography event in the world.

This project was made possible through the generous support of the Ruth B. and Thomas F. Mackey Charitable Trust.

For more information go to www.westcotthouse.org or www.eyeswideopenworldwide.org