Starry Night in the Garden - June 19th - Volunteers Needed

Graycliff has been approved as an exhibitor at the Starry Night in the Garden event at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens on Wed., June 19th. 

 This event runs from 6 - 9 PM and features the music of Young Blood Hawke, Ginny Blackmore, and Sara Bareilles.  

We need volunteers to distribute literature at this event (tables and chairs will be provided).  We plan to have 2-3 volunteers working together in blocks of 2 hrs. each (5:30 - 7:30, 7:30 - 9:30). Please call the site at 947-9217, or email one of the Volunteer Co-Chairs if you can assist, and let us know your preferred time slot:
E-mail Phyllis  or E-mail Kathy

Parkin' at Larkin - June 15th - Volunteers Needed

Graycliff has been approved as an exhibitor at the Parkin' at Larkin Classic Car Show at the Larkin Square Marketplace on Sat., June 15th.  

We need volunteers to distribute literature and to sell merchandise (yet to be determined, but probably a few easily portable items ).  The event runs from 11 AM - 4 PM, and we plan to have two volunteers working together in blocks of 2 hrs. each (10:15 - 12:15, 12:15 - 2:15, and 2:15 - 4:15).  

It should be a lot of fun---vintage cars, plus other vendors...see list here: Larkinville Vendors

We are required to be set up by 10:30 AM.  Please call the site at 947-9217, or email one of the Volunteer Co-Chairs if you can assist, and let us know your preferred time slot:
Email Phyllis  or    e-mail Kathy

Our friends at the DDM House asked us to post this event for them to our volunteers and members.  If you wish to attend please RSVP and note there is a cost involved. 

  

Our Blog To Date

                                                  


I thought it would be interesting to do a status report on the blog since it is now about six months old. 

In that time period I/we have published 55 separate postings. 

The blog has been viewed 3,294 times.

There have been a total of 33 comments by volunteers on blog postings, unfortunately 7 of that number have been mine.

Three other volunteers have contacted me with suggestions for blog postings.

To the blog posting asking why we volunteer at Graycliff, the blog received a total of  9 responses (7 of which count toward the above total of 33 comments.)

The blog has been viewed by 158 different people in the US, 7 from the Phillipines, 8 from Germany, 7 from France, 5 from Mexico, 4 from Columbia, 4 from Japan, 4 from Russia, and I from Brazil.

Right now we seem to be averaging about 20 views a day.

I hope to continue to serve the Graycliff volunteers by creating posts of interest and information to our volunteers.  I wish for more contact and communication with other members to make this blog more responsive to volunteers' needs.  You can do that by accessing the blog and clicking on  "comment" at the end of any blog post you wish to comment on.  Or you can send any other communication or posting suggestions to me at   gds2146@hotmail.com  .  I am still feeling my way around with this as is the Conservancy;  we want to make the blog a useful tool for all of you.  I hope you let me know if I am doing it right or/and point me in other directions to make it better.  The purpose of the blog is communication and communication, in order to work best, needs to be two way.  So, I hope these statistics have been of interest and I hope this blog is serving you well.

Thank you,  George Struebel, Blogger and Docent

                                                  

Renovation Update

                                 


If you have not been to the Estate lately, you may appreciate an update on the progress of the work.  First, the bridge to the tower is still in place.  The contractor is having some difficulty in arranging for the large crane necessary to do the job, but it is hoped to be accomplished by the end of the work week, maybe.  The pond in front of the house has been completely removed, new plumbing installed to keep a water flow in the new pond and a new concrete liner with 18" depth has been constructed. The elevation of the yard in front of the house will next be lowered to its original level in relation to the house and the Foster House.  Then the rest of the circular driveway can be completed.

The area on the front of the house is very torn up and care needs to be extended when walking guests anywhere in this area . The driveway surface is chewed up and muddy; there are level lines and stakes all around; and if you can run your tours by using the new concrete and sidewalk to the rear of the Foster House, it may be advantageous.  Docents are advised to arrive earlier than their scheduled tour and scout out the area first to be familiar with what the correct situation is. I had a woman on one of my tours fall today on a loose piece of flagstone knocked out of place by a construction vehicle, so be extremely watchful and at the start of tours at the model advise guests of the need to be careful on their tour.

Despite all the torn earth and construction debris, the house looked gorgeous in the setting late afternoon sun when I left at 4 pm.   And, when all is done, it will look even better.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE LEAD VISITORS TO THE RIGHT OF THE FOSTER HOUSE (IF YOU ARE FACING THE LAKE,) ON THE NEW SIDEWALKS, TO GET TO THE HOUSE.

ALSO IMPORTANT:  THIS RESTORATION PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF JUNE AT THE VERY LATEST...MORE LIKELY,WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.  PLEASE MAKE SURE TO MENTION THIS--PERHAPS A COUPLE OF TIMES--DURING YOUR TOURS.  (Otherwise, word will spread that the grounds are all torn up, and people will think it will be like that all season.)  Thanks!

                                              
                                                          

Why you don't want a Frank Lloyd Wright house

The below linked article showed up on the MSN news feed today.  It happens to reference the Delaware House in the blog entry made  yesterday as well as cites problems with owning FLW houses.  Personally, I don't care; I still want one.


Why you don't want a Frank Lloyd Wright house

Upcoming lecture

 

Tuesday May 28, 2013 at 7 pm

Ten Best Buildings in Buffalo

Orchard Park Library

The above presentation will be made by Chuck LaChuisa  who is one of the area's authorities on local architecture and is already a well respected local tour guide and speaker on the subject.  He is known also  for his photography which includes local architecture.  If you wish to view his work you can go to:

                                                            http://buffaloah.com/.

It is his web site and contains a wealth of information and photos of all things architecturally Buffalo.

Sad and Glad

There are two announcement to make that may be of interest to fellow Graycliffians.   One sad and one glad.

First, long time docent Joanne Barba's father has recently passed. Salvatore G. Barba.  Our heart felt condolences  are offered to Joanne and her family during this difficult time.  He passed in Clearwater Fl.  and a memorial service will be held for him locally at a future date yet to be announced.

Next, Ingrid Luongo has rejoined the Graycliff staff after an absence of some time, although she graciously filled in here and there when needed on an irregular basis.  She will be working in the Guest Pavilion three days a week this season.  Please make a point of introducing yourselves and welcoming her back if you encounter her at the site. 

Wanna Buy An FLW House in Delaware?

                                             


The link below is for an ad to one of FLW's last commissioned house designs and the only FLW house in the State of Delaware.  It is for sale.  I think we ought to pool our pennies and buy it; it is a deal at 1.35 million.  We could work it like a timeshare!  What do you think?  I figure 30 of us at only 50 k each would do it.  Who's in?  Kidding of course, but interesting to note that FLW houses are still in private hands and still do come up for sale.

If you go from the link to the listing, you will see 20 other pics of the house.  If you scroll a little farther down the original link, you will find a number of other short FLW related videos to view.  We again owe thanks to Kathy Mehltretter for sending us this one.


http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/05/19/frank-lloyd-wright-dudley-spencer-house/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-laptop%7Cdl6%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D315431#photoID-5892120

The Graycliff Fairy

                                                                                                               

     Our Executive Director, Reine Hauser, is always out there promoting the organization and pushing the PR envelope.  This afternoon I was at a meeting at Spot Coffee on Elmwood Avenue which she had called for the new Graycliff Digital Squad (all of us involved in promoting through electronic media.) The meeting was over and she and I were walking for the door when she kind of bumped into a guy carrying a TV camera and tripod.  She joked; "Oh, are you here to do an interview with me?" 

     He replied that if she waited a minute he would.  He was a reporter for YNN and once he set up the camera he asked her how she would like to see the one billion dollars of state money the governor promised WNY to be spent.  Without missing a beat she informed the reporter that she was Director at Graycliff, explained what it was and that she would like to see the money spent on renovating the estate as well as other cultural and historical venues in the area.  She nudges a guy in a restaurant and manages to get in a plug for Graycliff and a request for state funds that will air on TV. And she does it as naturally as if she rehearsed it a half dozen times.

      No wonder she is the Director (She probably has a large picture of FLW over her mantle and gives out memberships to Graycliff as Christmas and birthday gifts too!)   Always on the job!  Cheers to Reine!

Cala's Kitchen in Derby

A local Derby supporter of Graycliff was recently touted in the Buffalo News.  Cala's Kitchen on Rte. 5 in Derby was featured in the Gusto section on Thursday.  They have supplied many events at the Estate and fed countless of our volunteers and guests and  if you have not yet discovered the restaurant, you should.  It is located in a small strip plaza on the Graycliff side of McDonald's on Rte. 5.  We need to support our local supporters and if we can get a great meal in the process it is win/win all around.  Cheap Eats gave them a 3.5 out of a possible 4 penny rating!  Congratulations.

MORE FRANK SAID

Here are a few more FLW nuggets to wrap your brain around.  They play well to Graycliff and exemplify what we know about its design but are in the architects own words.

"Architecture is the triumph of human imagination over materials, methods and men to put man in possession of his own earth."  1930


"Architecture is the frame of life.  It is the nature and substance of whatever is."  1955

Again, supplied courtesy of Kathy Mehltretter.  Thanks Kathy!

FRANK SAID

Our beloved architect was well known for his sharp wit and intelligence.  He produced quite a few of what in today's PR lingo would be referred to as sound bites.  Kathy Mehltretter was good enough to supply this one for your perusal from a book of quotations of FLW edited by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, the archivist for the FLW Foundation.  The book is Frank Lloyd Wright On Architecture, Nature and the Human Spirit.


                                                 



"The mission of an architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme, and meaning to life."    1957


If Kathy is good enough to keep sharing his prime quotes with me, I will pass them on to you.

CHANGES AT THE ESTATE

For those of you who have not been out to Graycliff this week, there are changes and progress.  A new concrete sidewalk has been placed from the kitchen down to the Foster House and alongside it.  Several sections of the new driveway, designed to mimic the original "yellow gravel" are in place.  The largest runs from the garage doors to the circle. The second section is under the Porte Cochere, the covered entry to the house..  The pond is under construction, and a new concrete liner will be installed this week. The fountain is also being restored...lots of progress there!   There is no indication yet as to when the connecting walkway to the tower will be removed, but non-historic trees have been removed to facilitate that (with fencing carefully protecting historic trees) and a temporary roadway laid down for the machinery required to do the job.  Tours have been able to proceed with minimal disruption or rerouting.

I would love to update with new pictures, but little of what I have described makes it look different than when I posted pics over a week ago (Plus, my wife took off to visit the grandkids in NC and you know she had to take the digital camera!   But Reine contributed a new photo...it's amazing how transparent the Isabelle R. Martin House looks now....as Frank Lloyd Wright intended.  This entire project should be finished by June 1st...

BABY GRAVELL

When Reine sent me this info to post with the above heading I thought it was to say have we new yellow gravel in the driveway or something of that nature.

But no, it was to announce that our gift shop manager, Ryan Gravell, and his wife became proud parents today to a 6.05 lb. 19" long baby boy named Nathan Phillip Gravell.  Congratulations to them all

Ryan, common!  Nathan?   Couldn't be Frank Lloyd, or Darwin, or Martin?  This will be reflected on your annual evaluation, you know!  Seriously best wishes to the parents and a hearty welcome
                                                                       

                                                     into this world to our young friend Nathan!

 

Graycliffians at Taliesen West

We seem to be taking over Taliesen West this year.  First Phyllis Spears and Al Kelly made the trip.  Then I visited in January and now we have evidence that Ben and Karen Little made the pilgrimage as well.  Of course, they thought to take along a Graycliff T-shirt and a camera to prove it.  I have it on good authority that while Karen is posing, Ben is working the camera.  Great PR guys!

Notice the red highlights on architectural features behind Karen similar to our red cedar shingled roof?  Red was FLW's favorite color and it was common to find touches of it on his work.  There are highlights of it all over Taliesen West.