In a reversal of fortune, the School of Architecture at Taliesin Board of Governors has voted to keep the educational entity open seeking to find new lease terms with foundation leadership.
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In a reversal of fortune, the School of Architecture at Taliesin Board of Governors has voted to keep the educational entity open seeking to find new lease terms with foundation leadership.
Based in Wisconsin and Arizona, the School of Architecture at Taliesin is at 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. in north Scottsdale, which is widely regarded as Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory housing the school for nearly 90 years.
Chicago-based Kirkland & Ellis LLP is representing the school’s board of governors in the matter.
The board, earlier today, voted to rescind its Jan. 25 decision to close the School of Architecture at Taliesin citing three factors, according to officials at Kirkland & Ellis. They are:
Students have come forward and voiced concerns; and
The board confirmed that its financial situation is such that it has long-term viability, especially in light of new support that has come forward since January of this year.
Officials familiar with the matter explain the School of Architecture and The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation are two separate entities. However, earlier this year, the School of Architecture announced its closing at the end of the current spring semester.
“The legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright embodied by the school is, as the outpouring of support has shown, one of international importance,” said Dan Schweiker, chairman of the school’s board of governors. “The quality of the work the students have been doing in recent years is excellent. It would be a severe blow to the future of architecture if these talented students would not have the chance to continue this legacy.”
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has been experiencing substantial growth, with record numbers of visitors, expanded student participation in its education programs, added new arts programming and increased philanthropic support. Its campuses, Taliesin and Taliesin West, are National Historic Landmarks and are included in the Frank Lloyd Wright UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription.
“It’s a privilege to work alongside an institution and a Board of [Governors] so committed to ensuring the continuation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy and, just as significant, future generations of gifted architects who graduate from the school,” said Jon Kelley, a partner at Kirkland handling the case pro bono. “The board has done the hard work of giving the school new life, and now it is up to the foundation to give it the longevity it deserves.”
Officials at the School of Architecture now say they are calling on Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation leadership to extend current lease agreements.
Officials at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation say they have received no proposal from school leadership.
"The foundation has no proposal from the school other than what it reads in the media," said Jeff Goodman, vice president of communication & partnerships at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. "We, therefore, have nothing to respond to."
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