2015 Annual Report
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ANNUAL REPORT January 1 - December 31, 2015 flwright.org PAGE 1 Letter from the Chairman of the Board ..................................................... 3 Mission and Core Values...........................................................................4 Report of the President and CEO .............................................................. 5 2015 Chairmans Reception and Housewalk...........................................11 Staff ........................................................................................................... 12 Youth and Family Outreach ..................................................................... 13 Internship Program ................................................................................... 14 Visitor Information.....................................................................................15 In Partnership with the Community .........................................................16 Foundation and Business Contributors ................................................... 17 Donors ...................................................................................................... 18 Society Level Members ........................................................................... 21 Volunteers .................................................................................................26 Financial Statements ................................................................................ 31 The mission of the Trust is to engage, educate and inspire the public through interpretation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design legacy and preservation of his original sites for future generations. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 2 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016 JOHN M. RAFKIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS ROBERT MILLER, VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015 was a year that the Trust continued sites to other sites in the Midwest. And STEVEN E. BRADY, TREASURER AND CHAIR, to build on our achievements of the past our renowned Travel Wright national and FINANCE COMMITTEE five years and laid the groundwork for international travel programs extend our DAVID DUNNING, SECRETARY the next five. Since 2010, the Trust has reach to important related sites worldwide. become sole owner of the Home and Studio, PETER R. GEORGE The loyalty of the Chicago community strengthened its development efforts with DAVID HERNANDEZ to Wright’s local legacy has given us the PATRICIA HUNT a wide range of giving opportunities, and foundation and determination to look ROBERT PASIN expanded its operations to include five DON ROSENWINKEL forward to the future. I would like to thank varied and significant Chicago area sites— RANDALL S. THORNE all of our donors, volunteers, members becoming the international gateway to NICHOLE MARKLEY LINHARDT, ADVISORY MEMBER and friends whose support makes us the GRAHAM J. RARITY, ADVISORY MEMBER Wright’s Chicago. great organization we are. I am deeply TIM SAMUELSON, ADVISORY MEMBER This year, the Board approved a new appreciative of my fellow Board members strategic plan covering 2015-2020. The for their generous service, and to members plan includes an updated mission statement of the Trust’s staff led by our President & and the core values that guide our work. It CEO, Celeste Adams, all of whom tirelessly addresses all areas of the Trust’s operation. dedicate their energy and talent to the With interpretation and the preservation of success of our mission. our sites highlighted, the Trust has revitalized and expanded our education programs and established a restoration resource center. We renewed our commitment to serve the broadest public audience by creating new ADA tours that make our sites accessible John M. Rafkin to all. Our new Wright in the Region 2015 Chairman, Board of Directors tours extend interpretation of our Chicago John Rafkin, 2016 Chairman , Board of Directors LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD PAGE 3 MISSION The mission of the Trust is to engage, educate and inspire the public through interpretation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design legacy and preservation of his original sites for future generations. CORE VALUES ENGAGEMENT Engaging a broad and diverse local, regional, national and international audience through a dynamic cultural tourism program, a comprehensive and interactive website, and consistent marketing and communications initiatives. EDUCATION Affirming the contemporary relevance of Wright’s design legacy by educating K-12 students through innovative design programs that nurture individual vision; by presenting quality adult enrichment programs, national/international travel programs; and by producing electronic/print publications. INSPIRATION Inspiring our audience through powerful aesthetic experiences of authentic Wright sites, preserved to Wright’s original design vision. FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS Developing the Trust’s resources and maintaining the Trust’s financial stability in order to sustain Wright’s original sites for future generations and ensure a lasting and secure future for the Trust, supported by strong community and business relationships and by dynamic Board engagement. PAGE 4 As we begin to implement the 2015-2020 announced as the only Chicago-based finalist strategic plan, the Trust this year renewed for the Obama Presidential Library. its mission to interpret Wright’s design This year’s community enrichment series legacy through new programs for adults, speakers included architect, Norman new Chicago cultural partners, and a new Brosterman; architectural historian, Gwen Education program for youth, families and Tiffany dome, Preston Bradley Hall Sommers-Yant speaking on Wright in Glencoe, a teachers. partnership with the Glencoe Historical Society ENGAGING OUR celebrating the centennial of Wright’s Ravine AUDIENCE – Bluffs; architect and historian, John Waters; and Planning Supervisor for the Chicago Park INTERPRETATION District, Julia Bachrach. Ms. Bachrach’s lecture PROGRAMS FOR on The Prairie Spirit: Jens Jensen and Chicago ADULTS was presented in the newly opened auditorium of the Gordon Parks Arts Hall at the University The Trust’s Thinking into the Future lecture by of Chicago Laboratory Schools, the Trust’s architect John Ronan was a keynote event in partner for this event. A new Robie House Preston Bradley Hall for Chicago’s first series in partnership with the Seminary Coop Architectural Biennial at the Cultural Center. Bookstore featured Oriental Institute Curator, John Ronan with Chairman John Rafkin and Steve Wiesenthal, University Architect, University of Chicago. SC A signature Trust annual program, presented in Jack Green, discussing James Cuno’s book partnership with the University of Chicago and Who Owns Antiquity in the Robie House living AIA Chicago, this distinguished series marked room. its sixth year at the 2015 Architecture Biennial. Speaking to an audience of over 350, Ronan Expanding our popular website with 500,000 focused on Chicago’s built environment and unique annual visitors, the Trust launched the challenges to contemporary architects a new online resource: Buildings of Wright’s working within this powerful historical Chicago Years, a comprehensive interactive construct. Shortly after the event, Ronan was listing of 147 sites from 1888 through 1911 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT & CEO Gordon Parks Arts Hall, University of Chicago Lab Schools. Emil Bach House PAGE 5 that includes individual entries and illustrations for each site. In 2016 the Trust will expand this resource to include Wright’s work to 1920. In 2015 the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrated 25 years and the Trust partnered with ADA on their Cultural Access Project to expand access at Chicago’s cultural attractions. Each Trust site piloted sign language tours and touch tours for guests who are blind or with low vision. These pilot programs will be incorporated as regular offerings at the Trust’s sites in 2016. Extending our tours to Wright sites surrounding Chicago, this year the Trust introduced Wright in Bradley House, Kankakee, IL the Region. These day trips to new destinations included the Harley Bradley House in Kankakee, IL; Laurent House in Rockford, IL; and SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower in Racine, WI. In response to the success of these tours, the Trust will introduce new destinations in 2016. Travel Wright, the Trust’s national and international travel program, also introduced a new destination this year with a trip to Spain, where travelers visited Barcelona to see the work of Wright contemporary Antoni Gaudi and the 1929 Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Pavilion before continuing to Bilbao to visit Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, a brilliant 20th century descendent of Wright’s 1959 masterpiece. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain. PAGE 6 EDUCATION FOR My Neighborhood and City; Design Detectives: YOUTH, FAMILIES The Wright 3 Tour and Pentomino Studio; and Designing with Glass: The Art of Geometry and AND TEACHERS the Physics of Light. The Education department This year the Trust’s Education department, also initiated Building Blocks of Architecture with a new team of educators, launched a learning kits that can be requested by teachers comprehensive initiative under the guiding for classroom use. Kits available this year are theme Designing a Better World that integrates Froebel Design and Pentomino Design. design principles into all of the Trust’s The Education department partners each year education programs in the coming years. The with the Oak Park Education Foundation