FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 150TH ANNIVERSARY
June 8, 1867, may not be remembered as a day when much took place historically, unless you are a fan of architecture. If you are, then this day goes down in the chronicles of time as the day that America’s bestknown architect was born.
Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect and designer of more than 1,000 works that helped define the country’s architectural aesthetic and identity, would be 150 years old this year. To celebrate, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has planned a yearlong celebration, with events, exhibitions and products, and The Wisconsin Department of Tourism developed a 200-mile celebratory trail of his work.
The trail, which winds through Wisconsin, is marked by 115 signs that are designed in the architect’s signature typography and spare, geometric style. They guide visitors to the many buildings and homes built by the architect.
Three Wright-designed homes offer overnight stays and tours. These are the Seth Peterson Cottage on Mirror Lake (Lake Delton, Wisconsin), Kentuck Knob (Chalkhill, Pennsylvania) and Laurent House Foundation (Rockford, Illinois).
There will also be a number of exhibits of Wright’s work. One is titled Buildings for the Prairie and features Wright’s early portfolio, furniture and textiles on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum, July 28 – October 15. A curated exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive, will showcase a retrospective of Wright’s work as well as key moments, themes and inspiration in his life.
Also commemorating the vision and innovative work of this pioneer in American culture is a new series of products, including a number of beautiful FLW design coasters; crystal wine, rocks, and cooler glasses; mugs; and so much more. The real prizes are the re-creations of Wright’s gorgeous designs on tile, vases, pillows, floor screens and lighting—ceiling, floor and table. Altogether, there are 52 different, stunning products being offered.
Both Taliesin and Taliesin West, Wright’s original homes and educational institute sites, will host tours and a special opening on the architect’s birth date, with only $1.50 admission. And, possibly one of Wright’s most famous works, Fallingwater, will host a series of special lectures and exhibitions exploring important design aspects of each home, Wright’s definition of organic architecture, designs of Wright’s personal living and working spaces, and more.
Recognizing that structure and space can convey cultural values, Wright elevated his vision of America by connecting citizens to each other and the environment through dramatic forms and materials. His designs aimed to reflect and celebrate the country’s unique character, from landscape to people.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s seven decades of design innovation not only revolutionized the architectural industry, it went on to inspire the following generations of architects and designers. By celebrating the work of this master the inspiration continues. franklloydwright.org/flw150
FANTASTIC FLORAL
A floral arrangement is often a gift given to a wife from a husband, but the reality at Lilium Floral is that it is just as much a gift from the floral designer to the customer.
“Our designers take so much pride in making each arrangement special,” says owner Lisa Pritchett. “We learn what our customers like and what is important to them so we can create the best possible floral experience. They love learning about what flowers are in their arrangement or how to take care of something unique. It is not just transactional.”
This is part of the reason Lilium Floral, which has been in business for nine years, has many customers who have shopped with them from the beginning—customers who have come to expect a different level of service and product.
The designers at Lilium Floral stay ahead of the curve with floral design by keeping up with trends in the forward-thinking European market and by showcasing an artistic approach to design, using different colors, textures and unique organic products that are not seen on a day-to-day basis. “If we have a customer who stops and asks what a plant or flower is, then I know we have done something right,” says Pritchett.
That attitude, paired with sourcing products from growers that provide only premiumgrade flowers, are just two ways this company’s designs are a true work of art.
Sourcing only the finest product begins at the farm level, and Pritchett spends a long time researching and learning about growers before she will do business with them. “I can’t sell something that is not going to last for my customer. I want them to get a minimum of a week out of one of our arrangements,” she says.
To ensure this, Pritchett makes sure the botanicals she buys are harvested, packaged and shipped properly. The end results are arrangements that are as artistic as any paint on canvas. It is easy to think of Lilium Floral’s work as living sculpture. 817-481-1565, liliumflorals.com
ARTISTIC REFLECTIONS
JD Miller is a Reflectionist. In his book, JD Miller, Reflectionist, he is quoted as saying, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, it’s what you think that determines your reality.”
Miller’s reality is that he is an artist and philosopher who creates stunning 3-D sculpted oil paintings using a technique called impasto—laying paint so thick that it protrudes from the surface, creating depth and texture along with color and design. Nearly every page of Miller’s book provides stunning reproductions of his work, which can also be seen in person at Samuel Lynne Galleries in the Dallas Design District.
In their song “The End” The Beatles sing, “The love you take is equal to the love you make.” A perfect synopsis of Reflectionism.
Miller’s love for art and 3-D oil sculpted paintings is reflected back to him by the love that collectors and viewers experience and express to him when they see his work. 214-965- 9027, samuellynne.com
CONFIDENT COUTURE
In 2017 one would think that equality between genders would be a given, but unfortunately, we still find ourselves in a world where women strive to break through a glass ceiling, fight double standards and must work harder to prove themselves as equally capable as their male counterparts.
So, when Esé Azénabor defied the family tradition of going into medicine, law or engineering to pursue her passion for fashion design, she created an even steeper mountain to climb. She launched her fashion company in 2012, and Azénabor now stands at the summit of success, happily looking out at the bright horizon and taking pride in the fact that by following her dreams she has accomplished something few would dare try.
Born in Nigeria and raised in Canada, she arrived in Dallas to pursue a master’s degree at at Southern Methodist University. Azénabor started her fashion career by designing handmade dresses for friends, family and herself. Her culturally inspired designs are daring and luxurious and known for their intricately detailed beadwork.
“A lot of my beadwork stems from different cultures meshed together, such as Nigerian and Indian,” says the designer. “I’m also inspired by beadwork and fringes on dresses from the 1920s and 1930s. I try and combine all of this to create my designs.”
One of her latest developments is the Women X Power collection, which demonstrates that strong, confident women can be sexy as well as feminine. The entire collection pays homage to women powerhouses who lay the pavement for the following generation of women leaders.
Azénabor’s second big announcement is the launch of her first bridal couture collection. Though she has worked with brides for the past four years, 2017 marks the beginning of an actual collection dedicated to bridal fashion.
Though self-taught, Azénabor has completed eight collections and shown at New York’s Fashion Week. With her latest announcements, she continues to climb higher and higher peaks. 405-208-0011, eseazenabor.com
HOME SCHOOLED
When buying, or selling, a luxury home—anything over half a million dollars in value—you want to work with the absolute best to help guide you, so that you have complete confidence in the decision you’re making. You want advisors who understand the complexities of jumbo or doctor loans. You want a mastermind in the art of real estate.
RE/MAX Heritage offers just such a group of individuals, appropriately called the Luxury Mastermind Group. With a combined 139 years of experience and a sales volume of over $73 million last year alone (the group found buyers for 151 homes and an additional 123 homes for buyers), it is easy to see why this group of real estate professionals has consistently been awarded top listing, top selling and total volume awards, to name just a few, for RE/MAX Tarrant County.
What sets this select group of top agents apart though, as if sales and awards were not enough, is the fact they are not just interested in selling luxury homes, but in improving the marketplace and education for customers as well as other agents. They meet monthly to discuss topics that affect the luxury market, such as appraisals, changes in loan terms and more.
Stephanie Gartman, facilitator of the Mastermind group, points out that marketing custom, luxury homes is far different than homes located in a subdivision. “These are not cookie-cutter homes,” she says. “We held an appraisal class for the Masterminds because there are often no neighborhood comps to refer to. A realtor has to be educated in the process to properly interpret the market to best serve their client.”
The monthly meeting of the Masterminds helps them know their job better. “If you are isolated then you will never learn, but if you are surrounded by other great minds you have a rich pool of experience to tap into,” Gartman says. “We learn from others’ mistakes as well as our successes, so our experience is essentially multiplied.”
That experience covers all aspects of real estate sales. Some of the Masterminds have worked on the lending side of the business, which can help a client make more educated decisions since the realtor knows the positive and negative points of various products.
The Masterminds are each members of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing, with most also holding the CLHMS (Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist) designation, among others. Some of the members are fluent in other languages, including Spanish, French and Chinese (both Cantonese and Mandarin).
Understanding the value of a home, having the ability to communicate the lifestyle of that home, understanding the complexities of a jumbo home loan—these are all areas that a realtor working in the luxury home market must know. For the RE/MAX Heritage Luxury Mastermind Group, being current on all of these topics is an ongoing process, which they do together, creating a stronger team and a well-educated one. 817-585-2914, remaxluxury mastermind.com
FREEZE YOUR FAT AWAY
We always hear about burning off fat, but Advanced Skin Fitness (ASF) would like you to consider freezing your fat away.
Using the FDA-approved Coolsculpting technology, ASF provides several body contouring techniques. The noninvasive treatment targets excess fat by gently cooling the areas where it gathers, freezing and destroying the fat cells, which are naturally expelled from the body, without damaging the surrounding tissue. These fat cells are permanently removed from the body just like with Liposuction except no incisions.
The best part is, unlike painful, surgical fat-reducing procedures, there are no side effects and no recovery time is required. Patients may notice a little redness after a treatment but this subsides shortly. Results begin to appear in three to four weeks, but best results occur with two 35 to 45 minute treatments spaced about two months apart.
It is important to note that even with the advances in this technology one still needs to maintain a healthy diet and some sort of workout regime. This is not a free pass to throw out your bathroom scales.
Using special applicators, the technicians at ASF can focus on very specific problem areas on the body. Cool Advantage Plus is used for the larger abdominal areas. Cool Advantage Core is best used for the contours of the abdomen, while Cool Advantage Curve and Cool Advantage Fit focus on the flanks and inner thigh respectively. The Cool Mini is used to treat double chins, bra fat and knees, while Cool Smooth Pro is used to treat saddle bags. The CoolAdvantage Petite applicator, to be released June 2017, can even be used on smaller upper arms to take care of the arm flap that some women experience.
VelaShape is another noninvasive body-contouring treatment offered by ASF, which focuses on cellulite reduction and detoxification of the fat cells. VelaShape also treats a condition known as edema. This is an abnormal swelling, commonly located in the ankles, feet, legs, arms and hands, that is a result of built-up fluids in the skin tissue. VelaShape treatment involves using radio frequency energy, infrared light and vacuum massage to deep heat fat cells that encompass the joining tissue and the collagen in the dermal layer of the skin. The mechanical massage of the vacuum stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage. The results offer a reduction in fluid, so there’s less body volume and tighter skin.
The Velashape procedure takes less than an hour to perform and the results are visibly noticeable after a few weeks. Treatments are performed once per week.
In addition to Coolsculpting and VelaShape, ASF offers an extensive list of other services, including acne and acne scar treatment, laser hair removal, tattoo removal, hair restoration, teeth whitening and much more. Advanced Skin Fitness can be considered a one-stop shop for all your skin care and beauty needs. 214-521-5277, advancedskinfitness.com
FIELD OF DREAMS
“Walk on.” Like clockwork the horse steps away from the mounting block and enters the open arena. An entourage of volunteers accompanies the rider around the arena, over poles and in between cones. Caretakers snap photos each time they pass by, like eager paparazzi. High fives are given by the instructor and therapist when class concludes, but the hard work doesn’t end when the rider dismounts. The riders at Equest face physical, cognitive, sensory, coping and learning challenges and include veterans transitioning into civilian life.
This is Equest, a nonprofit organization that provides equine facilitated activities, therapies and counseling to children and adults. Founded in 1981, for the last 36 years Equest has offered a long list of physical and occupational therapies, equine facilitated counseling, therapeutic carriage driving, therapeutic horsemanship, equine facilitated learning and competition. Equest was the first PATH International Premier Accredited Center in Texas and remains one of the largest in the country. Equest was also named “2015 Nonprofit of the Year” by CNM Connect.
With the help of 45 therapy horses, 10 instructors, four therapists, two counselors and more than 400 volunteers, lives are changed on a daily basis. More than 1,200 clients and over 1,000 community students are served annually. The results are nothing short of astounding. Last year, 100 percent of the client survey respondents reported a significantly improved quality of life due to Equest and its programs, which provide independent skills that carry over into clients’ everyday lives.
One of the organization’s fastest growing programs is Equest’s Hooves for Heroes, which offers services to veterans, first responders and their immediate family members. Utilizing the healing power of the human-horse connection, Equest is committed to serving those in need regardless of their ability to pay. Equest subsidizes 86 percent of programming costs for its clients, offers additional tuition scholarships, and covers 100 percent of the expenses for all veterans and their families. This is made possible by the generosity of individuals and grants.
Equest holds several fund-raising events throughout the year, including a gala in April, with the help of dedicated volunteers, like honorary co-chairs Lynn and Allan McBee and co-chairs Kathy and Jeromy Fielder.
Equest’s CEO, Lili Kellogg, says: “The 2017 gala was led by a dream team of two inspirational couples who have great vision, business savvy and widespread connections. Equest’s 2017 fund-raising goal is $300,000 [net], and I’m confident that this powerhouse team will meet, if not exceed, our expectations. The couples’ magnetism is infectious.”
Beginning this summer Equest will make its permanent home at the Texas Horse Park just south of Dallas. The Texas Horse Park is a city-owned, 304- acre site located in the heart of the Great Trinity Forest. Equest at Texas Horse Park has 38 stalls, a covered arena, outdoor arena and 6,000 square feet of administration and therapy space. This summer Equest will be adding a new state-of-the-art arena funded by Al Hill Jr., which will increase opportunities to serve more clients and amplify outreach programming in the Dallas community.
From children with learning disabilities to veterans, Equest provides a service that consistently results in healing, happiness and smiles. 972-412-1099, equest.org
