In celebration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 152nd birthday on Saturday, June 8, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is inviting the community to the first-ever Discovery Day where guests are invited to a day of exploring Taliesin West and enjoying live entertainment and pop-up shops from local makers. This community event is generously sponsored by Comerica.

Admission for Discovery Day is free, but an advance reservation is required to guarantee entry. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, with the last entry at 3 p.m., guests will make their way through Wright’s winter home desert laboratory, they will stop at different stations throughout the campus to participate in a variety of activities and demonstrations from Foundation staff members, including:

• Learn from the Licensing Department about a new print-on-demand program that allows you to enjoy Wright-inspired textiles, and discover design options for your own home!

• Get an inside look into challenges and techniques of the Preservation Department, with some of the basics of building conservation science, as well as how technology can be used to analyze material composition and methods of degradation involving wood, finishes, and masonry.

• View some of the Box Projects from collections. The traditional Box Projects were originally gifts made by apprentices and Fellowship members on Wright’s birthday and at Christmas. They were presented in a communal gift box, the contents of which might include drawings, poems, music, pressed flowers, fabrics, and much more.

• Check out the Pop-Up Shop, where the Frank Lloyd Wright Store invites you to dive deeper into the work of local artisans including: Arlee Kasselman Jewelry, Jodi Bombardier Jewelry, WhenLifeGivesURocks by Teri Welsch, Loving Earth Pottery by Calvin Hiser, RK3 Handcrafted Fine Arts.

• Get hands-on with the Education Department and take part in two activities: a bridge-building lab and a cyanotype photographic printing workshop.

• Watch a classic film once shown at Taliesin West during Wright’s time, The Wizard of Oz, as well as a video introduction to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and a 2017 BBC documentary Frank Lloyd Wright: The Man Who Built America.

• Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation members will receive exclusive access to the Garden Room on Discovery Day.

“We’re so excited to showcase and share all of the exciting things we’re working on at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and hope to build connections with the community that will last for many years to come,” Kevin Conley, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Vice President of Public Engagement said. “Discovery Day is an opportunity for us to welcome everyone to experience Wright’s great legacy firsthand, while exploring his winter home and desert camp.”