VBMA Presents Frank Lloyd Wright and His Influence on Florida Architecture

A Florida Humanities Lecture with Historian Wayne Wood, September 12

VERO BEACH, FL , Most people picture Frank Lloyd Wright's work in the flat farmland of the Midwest, not the palm-lined streets of Florida. But America's most celebrated architect left a distinct and lasting mark on the Sunshine State, and this September, Vero Beach audiences get a chance to explore that story firsthand.

On Saturday, September 12, at 3 p.m., historian, author, and artist Wayne Wood will present Frank Lloyd Wright and His Influence on Florida Architecture at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. It's the second installment of this summer's Florida Talks lecture series, sponsored by Florida Humanities and hosted by VBMA as part of its Second Saturdays programming.

Wright's Florida Chapter

Wright is best known for landmarks like Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, but his Florida legacy has its own story, and it centers on Lakeland's Florida Southern College. Between the late 1930s and late 1950s, Wright designed a series of buildings for the campus, now known as the "Child of the Sun" collection. It's the largest single-site collection of Wright-designed buildings anywhere in the world, and the only full campus he ever designed.

The project came about through the persistence of FSC president Ludd Spivey, who convinced Wright to bring his "organic architecture" philosophy to Florida. Students helped construct the buildings themselves, trading labor for tuition, a detail that adds a distinctly Florida, hands-on chapter to Wright's résumé. The buildings' low profiles, geometric patterning, and integration with the surrounding landscape reflect Wright's belief that architecture should grow out of its environment rather than impose on it, an idea that translated in striking ways to Florida's subtropical light and terrain.

The campus faced decades of wear from Florida's heat and humidity, landing several of its structures on the World Monuments Fund's list of most endangered sites in 2007. Restoration efforts since then have worked to bring Wright's original vision back into focus, and the campus remains open for public tours today.

Wood's lecture will trace this history and place it in the broader context of Florida's architectural development, giving audiences a deeper appreciation for a side of Wright's career that even lifelong Floridians often don't know exists.

About the Speaker

Wayne Wood has been called the "undisputed godfather of preservation in Jacksonville." He has authored 20 books on Northeast Florida history, most notably Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage: Landmarks for the Future. He is an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects and serves on the board of the Florida Foundation for Architecture.

Attend

The lecture is free and open to the public, as is admission to the Museum's exhibitions that day as part of VBMA's Second Saturdays programming. Pre-registration for the lecture is required. Visit vbmuseum.org for details or to register.

Funding for Florida Talks programs was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Ava Cook

Community Manager at Vero Vine

Hello!
My name is Ava Cook and I am a Freshman at Florida Southern College in Lakeland FL. I am currently a B.F.A musical theatre major with a minor in Business Administration. I love reading, singing, acting, dancing, and writing. My favorite part about Vero Beach and Indian River County as a whole is how close the community is. Vero Vine is important to me as it allows me to do my part it bringing the community together also, sharing events, small businesses, and other local happenings. If you have any questions or any recommendations for me, my email is always open [email protected].