Chris Taylor stepped into his role as president and CEO of The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust on Oct. 19, and Wednesday Journal was lucky to chat with him on his first day on the job.
Taylor, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture and a Bachelor in Religious Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, is no stranger to Chicago; he earned his Masters of Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute Chicago. And some of his early career roles were Chicago-based, including stints at the Art Institute, Center on Halsted and the board of the Beer Culture Center (more on that later).
Taylor’s past experience as a chief executive at the Museum of Boulder, Pilchuck Glass School, The Clay Studio and Holter Museum of Art prepped him for a role which will call for an understanding in organizational finance, development and expanding audiences.
For Taylor, the job felt like a fit based on his previous experience running arts-based organizations – and the Frank Lloyd Wright name was a pretty compelling lure as well.
“You’re a culmination of your history, so my previous roles in administration play a part. Growing up in Pittsburgh and being acquainted with Falling Water, I had a very early appreciation of Frank Lloyd Wright,” he said. He added that he’s excited about the totality of Wright designs from architecture to furniture, to glass design. “There are a lot of entry points to his work,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who works from offices in the Rookery Building while also managing other Trust sites like the Robie House in Hyde Park and the Home and Studio in Oak Park, said there’s a lot more to the job than just an appreciation of Wright.
“The name attracted me to the job, but also the moment. The moment is poised for growth,” he explained.
The Trust is in the early stage of a capital campaign to raise funds for the new learning annex at the Oak Park Home and Studio location, capping off a period of revitalization for the Oak Park location. Taylor said that he’s worked for other institutions as they are in “growth mode” and he relishes the strategic planning that is a part of the position.
In his first few weeks, Taylor said he wants to take a moment to analyze and assess where the Trust is right now.
“I’m not coming with answers,” he said. “I want to look at everything: programs, staffing, structures, the facilities we already have.”
In the wake of the recent death of a tourist at Wright’s Taliesin West, which is not managed by the Trust, Taylor said, “We have to take care of the buildings we have. We’ll be revisiting our own emergency procedures.”
On a personal level, Taylor is pleased to be back in Chicago and taking the CTA Brown line into the office. He’s been reading up on Wright and added books like Loving Frank, Death in a Prairie House and The Fellowship to his recent reading list.
The board of the Trust created an architecture orientation committee, which will take him on an architecture-related excursion per month. His first stop was Open House Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Center’s weekend of open houses throughout Chicago, and he’s looking forward to an in-depth tour of Wright’s SC Johnson headquarters as well as Taliesin in Wisconsin.
On Nov. 5, Taylor hosted the Wright Night Fundraiser at the Rookery, and afterwards, filling his calendar with more events.
Overall, he plans to be a connector. “I want to be a partner-forward organization,” he said. He’s already planning meetings with the Chicago History Museum, the Obama Center and the Auditorium Theater to delve into possible relationships with the Trust.
“It’s about seeing where we have alignments. These are work-related, but it’s also personally fulfilling to see Chicago in these ways.”
And then there’s the connection to the Beer Culture Center. Taylor is on the board and is friends with the founder. He’s already brainstorming a collaboration. Is there a Wright-themed brew or a can with the Robie house window motifs coming your way? Time will tell.
Taylor is also looking forward to adding to his vintage typewriter collection, visiting the Art Institute and jumping into Chicago’s food culture feet first.
Above all, he is excited about his role at the Trust, which he sums up as “serving constituents, being fiscally responsible, running a strong organization – that’s the start.”