Wright Way Minneapolis: Sullivan to Gehry
July 23-26, 2009
Daily Itinerary (subject to change)
Thursday, July 23
Check in to The Depot Minneapolis: A Renaissance Hotel in the heart of the revitalized Minneapolis Riverfront District. Enjoy a special curatorial tour of the Purcell-Cutts House, a Prairie School jewel designed by William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie in 1915 and bequeathed to the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts by Anson Cutts, Jr., in 1985. Explore the permanent collection of the MIA on a docent-led tour, followed by a group dinner at Cue in the beautiful Guthrie Theater, named best new restaurant in Minneapolis in 2006.
Friday, July 24
Start off your day with a tour of the privately owned Willey House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1933 during the depression years, the home served as the precursor to Wright's Usonian homes. Enjoy a behind- the-scenes tour with the current owners who are restoring the home to the original design. Enjoy a half-day excursion to Owatonna to tour The National Farmers' Bank (currently Wells Fargo Bank), designed by Louis Sullivan and built in 1907-08. Explore the bank's elaborate interior, designed by Sullivan's chief draftsman from 1889 to 1900, George Grant Elmslie. While in Owatonna, see three additional noteworthy buildings: the Federated Insurance Companies building (1923, Jacobson and Jacobson); the Buxton Bungalow (1912, Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie); and the Adair House (1913, Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie). Before returning to the city, enjoy a group lunch and take the afternoon and evening to explore Minneapolis on your own.
Saturday, July 25
Travel along the riverfront to the dazzling new Guthrie Theater building. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and built in 2006, the Guthrie sits on the banks of the Mississippi River and offers commanding views of its surroundings. Take an architectural tour exploring the building’s history, the site and the neighborhood as well as technical information about specific features of the building. Visit the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, a massive Richardsonian Romanesque mansion designed by the firm of Peabody, Stearns, and Furber. Completed in 1891, the 36,000 square foot home features original chandeliers, stained glass, and hand-carved woodwork as well as fascinating mechanical systems that provided heat, light, water, ventilation, and security. End the day with a visit to the world-renowned Walker Art Museum, which began as the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest.
Sunday, July 26
Enjoy a late morning architectural tour of Frank Gehry’s Weisman Art
Museum focusing on the building’s distinctive architectural features
as well as Gehry’s own design process. Before departing for the airport,
explore the museum’s innovative and surprising artwork in the galleries.
