Madison Children’s Museum congratulates its friends at Taliesin, Taliesin Preservation Inc., and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Taliesin in Spring Green and Madison’s own Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House, along with six other Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings, have just been named to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Two years ago, the museum partnered with colleagues from Taliesin, Taliesin Preservation Inc., and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to create an exhibit about Frank Lloyd Wright geared to children, the only such exhibit in existence. In honor of the UNESCO designation, the museum will give away a Coops to Cathedrals: Nature, Childhood, and the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit poster (image pictured at right), featuring the museum’s “prairie style” chicken. All families or other visiting parties can get a free poster, starting July 10, 2019, while supplies last.
From Coops to Cathedrals was designed and developed by the museum’s in-house team of artists and artisans, in close collaboration with the experts at Taliesin Preservation Inc., and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “While a children’s museum may not seem the most obvious collaborator, both Taliesin Preservation Inc. and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation embraced the idea that even very young children can connect with the sources of the legendary architect’s inspiration. It was a rich partnership that helped give the exhibit a depth that resonates with our visitors, young and old,” said museum director of exhibits Brenda Baker.
Frank Lloyd Wright grew up just a few blocks from Madison Children’s Museum and his work and childhood are the inspiration behind From Coops to Cathedrals. While the exhibit includes some historical information about the legendary architect, its goal is to encourage adults and children alike to tap into their own creative potential. The exhibit challenges visitors to dive into nature, experiment with materials, design their own contraptions—from iceboats to bridges—and build their own models in fun, whimsical, and hands-on ways. All these activities helped Frank Lloyd Wright become one of the most creative forces of his time. Though most kids visiting From Coops to Cathedrals won’t become world-famous architects, they do come away with increased confidence in their creativity, and a better understanding of how nature inspires so much of what humans design.
The museum and much of Wisconsin are proud to be home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. Now, some of his finest designs are being recognized on the international stage. UNESCO selects sites which are “important to the collective interest of humanity.” Taliesin and the Jacobs House are the first sites in Wisconsin to receive such a designation. Only twenty-three other sites in the US have received UNESCO designation, including the Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park.
From Coops to Cathedrals can be visited during normal admission hours for Madison Children’s Museum, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week during the summer until Labor Day. Regular admission, which includes From Coops to Cathedrals, is $9 for adults and children over age 1, and $8 for seniors or grandparents. The museum also offers a wide variety of discounts and other initiatives to make museum’s amenities available to more families through their Access for Everyone Programs, more information is available at www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org /access-for-everyone. More information about From Coops to Cathedrals can be found at www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org/from-coops-to-cathedrals. Information about the museum, including buying admission tickets, can be found at www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org.
