The Barn at Fallingwater Features the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright “Through the Eyes of a Child”

Spring Exhibition March 1 through May 18, 2008

Mill Run, PA – Feb. 18, 2008 – Seventeen middle-school students, six of whom attend schools in Fayette County, photographed their unique perspectives on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater for an exhibition titled “The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright  Through the Eyes of a Child.” The exhibition, which opens March 1 and runs through May 18 at the Barn at Fallingwater in Fayette County, will travel to numerous locations in North America.

The exhibition showcases the students’ ability to discover and capture the power of architecture through the art of photography. To create the art for the exhibit, a professional photographer trained seventh grade students on the basics of photography and composition, and equipped them with a high-quality digital camera. The students then explored and photographed Fallingwater. Two other Wright buildings, Unity Temple and the Westcott House, also opened their doors to the group. Some used cameras for the first time, and for many, it was their first encounter with Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture.  Taken with an unbiased approach, these photographs bring fresh perspectives to three of Wright’s architectural landmarks.

“There isn’t another house like Fallingwater,” said Justin Gunther, Fallingwater’s curator of buildings and collections. “Experiencing this masterwork, seeing its location atop a waterfall and discovering its many surprising and dramatic features, can inspire creative impulses in all of us.”

This project, organized by the Westcott House Foundation, is a collaboration with 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.  “Children have an affinity for art but may not have the means to light that spark,” said Ty Fischer, director of EWOW.  The organization gives students the means to develop a deeper passion and increase their confidence through a real sense of accomplishment.  The American Architecture Foundation recognized this collaboration with Fallingwater, Unity Temple, and Westcott House as one of the 42 top programs in the country for “Best Practices in Architectural Education.”

The resulting exhibition features the finest of the students’ photographs printed on canvas.  Last October, the show opened in Oak Park, Illinois, at Unity Temple.  Beginning March 1 through May 18, 2008, the exhibition will be displayed at The Barn at Fallingwater.   It then moves to the Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio, and finally to the Toronto Photography Festival, considered the largest photography event in the world.

An opening reception with a live musical performance is planned for Saturday, March 1, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Fireplace Room at the Barn at Fallingwater.  For more information call 724-329-8501.

Directions:
The Barn at Fallingwater is located on the Bear Run Nature Reserve on PA Route 381, between Mill Run and Ohiopyle, just ¼ mile north of the Fallingwater entrance. Free parking is conveniently located behind the facility, and can be reached via the entry drive for Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's Bear Run Nature Reserve.
 
Additional Information:
For general information on the exhibit, the Bear Run Nature Reserve, or to purchase Fallingwater tour tickets, please telephone 724-329-8501, or visit our website at www.fallingwater.org.

About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
To date, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has protected nearly 225,000 acres of natural lands in Pennsylvania. Now in its 75th year, Pennsylvania’s first conservancy continues to partner with grassroots organizations to protect land, restore watersheds and save natural habitats. 

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) preserves Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater®, which was designed in 1935 and entrusted to the Conservancy in 1963 by Edgar Kaufmann jr. A symbol of living in harmony with nature, Fallingwater is open to the public and offers a wide variety of educational programs to its more than 135,000 annual visitors. 

Each year, WPC plants and maintains community gardens and greening projects throughout Western Pennsylvania. In 2007, WPC partnered with more than 5,000 volunteers and dozens of community organizations to plant 140 gardens in 19 western Pennsylvania counties.


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