Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Illinois’s architect

America’s most celebrated architect would have celebrated his 150th birthday this week. Frank Lloyd Wright, who was a leader in the Midwestern Prairie School style of architecture, was born June 8 in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

After attending the University of Wisconsin for a short time, Wright moved to Chicago. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the potential for development in Chicago was limitless. The Chicago that Wright moved to was filled with grimy neighborhoods and crowded streets, making Wright determined to find work.

After many interviews Wright found work as a draftsman for Joseph Lyman Silsbee, a prominent architect who designed buildings in Syracuse, Buffalo and Chicago. Silsbee was founding member of the Chicago and Illinois chapters of the American Institute of Architects. After for working for Silsbee, Wright worked for the firm of Adler & Sullivan.

Wright worked at the firm until 1893, leaving to open his own practice. In 1896, Wright moved his office into the Steinway Hall Building, sharing the space with three other architects. Wright and those architects would form what is today known as the Prairie School style of architecture.

The Prairie School complemented the Chicago area. The one- or two-story houses often had open floor plans, natural materials like wood and stone, built-in cabinets, strong horizontal lines, low-pitched roofs and ribbons of windows.

Wright would design more than 50 houses in this style, including the Arthur Heurtley House in Oak Park, the Nathan G. Moore House in Oak Park and the Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo.

Wright would pass away in 1959. Following his death, most archives of Wright’s work was stored at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Wisconsin and Arizona.

Park of the month: Illini State Park

As summer begins, there is no better time to enjoy Illinois’ parks and the many activities that are available in warmer months. With its well-maintained infrastructure, shady trees and miles of trails, Illini State Park is a classic Illinois summer destination. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ website, “Illini State Park is the type of park you think of when you think of big picnics and family gatherings.”

Located along the Illinois River in Marseilles, Illini State Park is an ideal Northwestern Illinois location for enjoying the spring and summer weather. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps renovated portions of the nearby Marstawa Country Club, adding them to the park. This means that there is significant, solid infrastructure in place for outdoor activities including camping, picnics and youth events.

Other recreational spaces include a baseball diamond and numerous horseshoe pits. During the warmer months, a concession stand serving food, drinks and ice cream opens in the park.

Illini State Park is home to hickory, ash, walnut, elm, cottonwood, oak and maple trees. During spring and summer, visitors can spot blooming wildflowers, white-tailed deer, squirrels, opossums, beavers, raccoon, groundhogs, waterfowl and songbirds.

The river has an ample supply of crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, carp and many other species. A boat ramp is available, but boaters should be aware that the park is close to the Marseilles Lock and Dam and that barge traffic can be heavy.

There is something for everyone at Illini State Park. The opportunities for good times grow as summer comes to Illinois. Plan your trip to Illini State Park today!

Artist of the Month - Mary Porterfield

Mary Porterfield is a Chicago-based artist with a BS in Biology, MS in Occupational Therapy and a MFA. Her work has been featured nationally and internationally.

Porterfield has been teaching for 14 years with an emphasis on painting, composition, contemporary content, color theory, 2D design and drawing.

ILI: How long have you been an artist or when did you start?  Was there a single incident or moment when you realized this was your passion and, if so, tell us about it?
MP: My interest in art began as a child when I would watch my mother paint.  When I was young, we lived in Germany because of my father’s career in the air force.  My mother took art classes to help her overcome her homesickness for the Midwest.  I would go with her to her painting classes and fell in love with art at that time.

ILI: Illinois has factored into our work in the past.  What does being able to live and work in Illinois mean to you?
MP: The diversity of Illinois, especially in Chicago, has been a huge influence on my work.  My art is largely based on my experience as an occupational therapist, working in a hospital on the Northwest side of Chicago.  I’ve witnessed many family members sacrifice their own health to care for a loved one who is disabled.  These individuals, who take on the role of caregiver, have been the most inspiring to me.  Their selflessness and resilience reflect so many of the attributes I see in Illinois residents.  Their stories are reflected in the narratives within my landscapes. Learning from their experiences makes living in Illinois especially meaningful.

ILI: What opportunities does Illinois present to local Illinois artists?
MP: There are many exhibition opportunities available at various art centers, colleges, universities, galleries and independent spaces.  Some of these opportunities are listed on http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/.

ILI: What do you like about Illinois?
MP: In addition to the people of this state, I’ve been really moved by the Illinois landscape.  Both the cliffs of Galena and the canyons of Starved Rock State Park have made their way into my work.  In their beautiful yet daunting views, they represent situations I’ve encountered in healthcare that are inspiring yet challenging.  These scenes form the background of my paintings and are inhabited by many figures who struggle to care for others in the midst of uncontrollable circumstances.

ILI: What is your favorite medium to work in?
MP: I typically paint on wood panel but, recently, I’ve been drawing more.  Drawing has allowed me to bring more attention to the narratives that are camouflaged within my paintings.

ILI: Where can people view or purchase your work?
MP: My work can be viewed at www.maryporterfield.com or www.packergallery.com. I can also be contacted at mary@maryporterfield.com.

ILI: What artist inspires you and why?
MP: I have deep respect for outsider art because of the unrestrained manner with which so many of the artists worked.  I’ve been most inspired by Chicago outsider artist, Henry Darger.  Over the course of his lifetime and without an audience, Henry completed a 15,000 page fantasy novel, along with some 300 watercolor and collage drawings.  Words cannot describe the level of respect I have for his lifelong commitment to such an idiosyncratic and intimate vision.

Can you answer these 21 questions about the 21st state?

Questions

Q1: What Illinois community was the first planned industrial town in the United States?
Q2: Why is O’Hare’s airport code ORD?
Q3: How many square miles are in Illinois?
Q4: Today, it’s East St. Louis, but when it was founded in 1816, what was its name?
Q5: What town marks the geographic center of Illinois?
Q6: How many square miles of water are in Illinois?
Q7: Cairo, Karnak and Thebes make up the area dubbed what?
Q8: At 1,235 feet, what is the highest point in Illinois?
Q9: The sale of liquor was banned in what city from 1853-1971?
Q10: Sandwich, Illinois was named after “Long John” Wentworth’s hometown which was in what state?
Q11: In July 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas met in what town to plan their famous debates?
Q12: A 1908 race riot in Springfield led directly to the founding of what national organization?
Q13: Father Jacques Marquette founded a mission at the Kaskaskia Indian village in 1675 near the present site of what Illinois town?
Q14: The Mississippi River doubles in volume at what point/town?
Q15: What French holiday did Chicago observe in 1917 as a wartime gesture to France?
Q16: When it opened in 1855, what Illinois hotel was considered “the finest hotel west of New York City?”
Q17a: While working here as a rail-splitter and farmer, Abraham Lincoln made his first political speech in what town?
Q17b: How old was Lincoln when he gave his first political speech?
Q18: What county’s name comes from the Native American word for “white potato?”
Q19: What was the name of Nauvoo before Mormons settled there in 1839?
Q20: How many miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan does Illinois have?
Q21: Where was Illinois’ first state capital?

Answers

A1: Pullman—employees of George Pullman’s sleeping-car factory lived here
A2: It was originally named Orchard Field
A3: 56,400 square miles
A4: Illinoistown
A5: Logan, twenty-eight miles northeast of Springfield
A6: 652 square miles of water
A7: Little Egypt—the area was dubbed this because of its fertile soil and similarity to the Nile Delta
A8: Charles Mound
A9: Evanston
A10: New Hampshire
A11: Bement
A12: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
A13: Utica
A14: Cairo, where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi River
A15: Bastille Day
A16: DeSoto House in Galena
A17a: Decatur
A17b: Twenty-one years old
A18: Macoupin
A19: Commerce
A20: 63 miles of shoreline
A21: Kaskaskia—from 1818-1820