Frank Lloyd Wright's Emil Bach House

Emil Bach House, seen from the roof top deck of the bed and breakfast next door

If you've driven along Sheridan Road between the north end of Lake Shore Drive and Evanston, you've passed the Bach House.  Maybe after traveling that stretch a few times you notice a house that distinguishes itself from the neighbors and do a double take.  Could that be a Frank Lloyd Wright house?  It is!

Looking up

Like many Chicago northsiders, I have gone by this house many times, and was always curious.  Years ago, I was a volunteer tour guide at Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio in Oak Park, and later at Robie House in Hyde Park.  I read in a community e-newsletter that the renovated home was having an open house in advance of the start of guided public tours by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.  Fortunately, I was free and could attend the event.  

View from the back of the lot, looking west toward the back of the house.
Tour group on the left is gathered near the front door.
(the door is left of center, between the group and  the small tree)

Built in 1915, Bach House is an example of Wright's late Prairie Style architecture, and is considered a transitional work.  Wright was moving from Prairie Style to a more Japanese-inspired architecture, and also shifting focus from residences to commercial properties. The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo would follow shortly after.

I won't get much into the history of the Bach House or its architectural elements, many before have written on such topics.  I will take you along on a brief tour, and share my experience.  

Bach House has many features I've seen in other Wright homes.  

A few:

• Pathway of discovery to the front door (fun architecturally, but a nightmare for delivery people) 
• Difficult to see inside the house despite no window coverings, but easy to see out
• Inglenook (chimney corner, a small alcove adjacent to the fireplace)
• Room within a room
• Built in furniture
• Bringing the outside in, plenty of views and sunlight
• Juxtaposition of low ceiling and openness
• Open floor plan - a new concept at this time
• Strong horizontal elements
• This being a transitional house, it also has cubic elements and a good amount of verticality

Pathway of Discovery
winding to the front door (as seen from living room)
looking south to Sheridan Road

Inglenook, open floor plan

Living Room

Dining room table

Kitchen (sympathetically updated)
As typical for Wright, the kitchen is rather small. 

Stairway to second floor and access to the roof deck

In all, it seems subsequent owners were rather kind to the house.  All the original built-in furniture was gone, however.  There were plan and clues within the house, so everything has been reproduced.  

Some built-in furniture in the bedrooms (me in the bottom left photo!)

Originally, on the second floor there were three bedrooms and a maid's quarters, which has now been turned into a sitting room and additional bathroom.  All of the bedrooms have windows on three sides, and access to the outside. 

I'd be happy to sit here.

The art glass is also all reproduction.  Again, there were plans, and one of the original windows is on display at The Art Institute of Chicago.     

Reproduction window in a bedroom, facing north along Sheridan Road

When built, the Bach House was a nice country home.  Sheridan Road was not the busy thoroughfare it is today.  Even still, once inside, it feels quiet and secluded, and the noise from the road is very minimal.  To the east, from the back of the house, there was once a clear view to Lake Michigan.  Today there is just a little sliver.  A wee bit is more view than at my house, and the beach is just one block away.  

Facing east, toward the lake  

Over the years, a few other changes happened to the property.  The back porch was enclosed as the traffic grew on Sheridan Road and other buildings went up.  A garage was added.  More recently, a sweet Japanese-influenced.... I'm actually not sure what to call it, was built at the back of the lot.  Porch or screen room doesn't seem right, it is nicer than that.  Out building?  It is an outdoor room with sliding screens.  The center part of the roof is raised to allow ventilation.  I'd really like one for my yard.  Not that there's even enough space!  

Fabulous outdoor room

    

Spring is slowly but steadily coming to Chicago

In addition to the seasonal public tours, the house is now available to rent for special events and even overnight and vacation stays.  There is also a lovely bed and breakfast next door, The Lang House.  

The Emil Bach House should certainly be included in any Wright buff's tour of Chicagoland.  It would be an interesting contrast in homes and neighborhoods to tour Robie House and the Bach House on the same day.  To me, Robie House is bigger and grander, more obvious on its site, and the immediate area more residential / academic (it is surrounded by University of Chicago).  As I  mentioned earlier, Bach House is on a very busy road, and it is the astute observer that notices it just getting about town.  It is more compact, and seems to keep to itself.  

I would also recommend it to anyone interested in Chicago architecture and history, the Prairie Style, or those in the area looking for neighborhood gems.  It would be a great thing to do with visitors.  Have a picnic at the beach after!  

View of back from northeast corner (now enclosed porch in foreground)

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Forty-two gratitudes

It is a few days past my forty-second birthday, but it is not too late to do my annual list.  A list of things for which I am grateful, that make me happy, or just improve my life in some way.  Some big, others small.  The list will include both important and silly.  After I finish, I'll look back on my list from last year.  The list isn't in any particular order, just as I think of things.  


1)  I am grateful for my nieces and nephews, and their unique personalities. It has been a pleasure seeing them grow and develop.  Every age has been a delight.

2)  I am grateful Adam gets along so well with my family! 

3)  And, I am grateful for the family I married into, I couldn't ask for better.

4)  I am grateful for warm cups of tea.

5)  I am grateful for photography, it makes me happy.

6)  I am grateful for ceramics, and the creative, inspiring community at ARTica Studios.  

7)  I am grateful for the time spent in Florida.  

8)  I can't imagine a life without yoga, so so so grateful for it.  

9)  A good night's rest.

10) Our comfy bed.

11) Cat snuggles.  

12) Books books BOOKS!

13) Grateful for the nice birthday Kindle, I'll finally be reading in the modern era.  

14) Although it is a time suck and has its drawbacks, I am grateful for Facebook and the vast online community it creates.  

15) I am happy the crocuses have made their appearance, the brave first flowers of spring.

16) I am grateful to have many good options available to me.  

17) I am grateful for my freedom.

18) I am grateful for the house I live in, the food in my belly, and abundant clean water.  

19) I am happy for the capacity to learn and grow.  

20) I am grateful for NEW friends!  It gets harder as we get older, so happy I am still making connections.

21) And grateful for the continuity of long time friends.  

22) Grateful for my lovely sisters and our dad.

23) Happy to spend extended, casual time with my aunt and uncle in Florida.  

24) I am very happy my little old Nissan Sentra keeps plugging along.  

25) I am very grateful for wool socks and big thick scarves that help me combat the chilly weather. 

26) Favorite restaurants, where they know just what you are going to order.  

27) I am quite pleased with my new short hair.

28) King Spa, why did it take me so long to go there?

29) Massage, ahhhhh!

30) Newly painted toe nails.

31) Ginger chews.

32) Podcasts!

33) Receiving personal letters / cards in the mail.

34) Music.

35) I am grateful for my bicycle, and time to just nose around aimlessly.  

36) I am grateful for the free time I have had this year.  

37) I am grateful I have made it to 42!

38) And I quite like the symmetry and evenness of 42.  

39) Grateful for hot baths with Epsom salt and essential oils.  

40) Grateful for the hot water bottle that keeps my feets warm in bed.  

41) Thank you, Keen, for your sturdy shoes.  

42) Love you, Amazon Prime.  

Leave a comment with something for which you are grateful! 

Check out the first list 41 gratitudes.

May you be safe from internal and external harm.

May you be physically strong, healthy, and vital.

May you have a calm clear mind and a peaceful loving heart.

May you find wisdom, wonder, joy, and love in this world

Just as it is.  

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What's SUP?

Instructor, Rachel (left), and another class participant.

I've been wanting to try stand up paddleboard (SUP) yoga for the longest time, and weather and schedule finally coordinated so I could make it to a class.  Bonus, I went with a dear friend,  Pamela.  We met (way back!) in high school.  I am visiting Florida, and she now lives here.  She drove from central Florida to our home on the west coast so we could have this fun outing.  Flashback - one of our past adventures was the flying trapeze!  

Pamela (left) and me (right) in a flying trapeze class, spring 2012, in Chicago, Illinois 

Here we are two years later and thousands of miles away - Anna Maria Sound, Florida

The class is taught by Rachel of Starfish Yoga.  After a quick tutorial and paddle fitting, we were off!  We launched from the northwest edge of Perico Island into Anna Maria Sound.  We ducked under the Manatee Bridge, and headed south to a quiet area surrounded by mangroves.  Jumping mullets amused us, and we saw a hawk with a fish in its talons.

There was a steady northeast wind that pushed us south.  A few times we broke from yoga to paddle a bit north or navigate away from the mangroves.  The water in the sound is shallow, no worries if you fall in the water.  The main thing is to stay away from oyster beds.  They are quite sharp, and will slice your bare feet if you fall on one.  Pamela and I managed to stay on board the whole time, but a classmate did topple in.  The water was not too cold.

It was a lot of fun, and good exercise!  Especially the paddle back to the launch site with a headwind.  After awhile my shoulders and mid-back were fatigued, and my hands felt a little tender from the paddle.  Pamela and I both found standing to use considerable leg muscles.  I'm sure this lessens as you develop "SUP legs."  I found it most effective to paddle seated on my heels (vajrasana, or thunderbolt pose).  Pamela headed north seated, with legs stretched out.  Standing added resistance when moving into the wind.  

In all, I think anyone in reasonable physical condition can SUP.  If you can kayak, you can SUP.  Even the yoga portion could be done by someone with little yoga experience, the sequence was basic.  And a more seasoned yogi will find plenty of challenge adapting poses to the SUP!

Kayaking is the most similar experience I can relate SUP to, but SUP has even more intimacy with the water.  Only a few inches lift you off the water.  It's very easy to see into the water, and you can really feel the movement beneath you.  Like being on one of those inflatable pool floats, but bigger, and of course with more rigidity and support.   It was a lovely outing, I'll be back!  

Heading out

Sukhasana and intention setting.
Assistant Lisa (standing) keeps an additional eye on us.
Pamela in the front left there, I'm way off on the right.
Photo by Rachel

Urdhva hastasana
Photo by Rachel

Anjaneyasana (me on right)

Photo by Rachel

Utkatasana (me on the left in aqua shorts)
Photo by Rachel

Pamela takes a rest

Manatee Bridge viewed from uttanasana

Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the distance (crosses Tampa Bay)

Give SUP yoga a try if you're in the Anna Maria Island (AMI) area!  As of this post, Rachel teaches on Wednesdays at 11 a.m., weather permitting.  Mondays are on the schedule as well, once the weather is more consistently agreeable for being on the water.    

Rachel at Starfish Yoga

http://starfish-yoga.com/

https://www.facebook.com/starfishyoga

Like to try SUP, but without the yoga?  Contact AMI Paddleboard.  They have guided mangrove tours by SUP or kayak, and will also just rent you the equipment (bikes too, which is an awesome way to get around AMI).  

AMI Paddleboard

http://www.amipaddleboard.com/

And lastly, want to go to a yoga class on good old dry land?  There are several options in the area, and that's worthy of a whole other post, but for now:

Island Yoga Space

http://www.islandyogaspace.com/

Yoga on the beach

Rachel - Manatee Public Beach, Monday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

Erin - Pine Ave Beach (by the Sandbar Restaurant), Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

Mini-adventure - Howdy, MAM!

 

Milwuakee Art Museum - lakeside view

 

 

I've passed by the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) at least a dozen times.  Truly, walked right by the exterior as my family participated in the Milwaukee Komen Race for the Cure.  I had a free morning on the way to see my sister and family in the outskirts, so finally made my way inside.  

 

Surely I could have made the time sooner to see this beautiful piece of architecture.  Much of the time my sister has lived in Milwaukee overlapped with the years I worked at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC).  Museum fatigue was part of the delayed visit, spending Monday - Friday at a museum left me disinclined to spend my free time in one.  It was probably also a little snobbery, what could a little museum in Milwaukee possibly offer that wasn't on display at the AIC?

 

Shame on me!  The MAM is a delightful museum, and all in the Milwaukee area should plan a visit.  For me, the star of the show is the museum itself, specifically the 2001 Quadracci Pavilion addition designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.  Read more on the MAM webpage.  I planned my visit around the scheduled (weather permitting) noon opening and closing of the Burke Brise Soleil.  The "wings" are a 217-foot moveable sunscreen.  The day of my visit was rather cold and windy, so the wings did not open fully.  Or I missed it.  I went out to watch, nothing happened, so I went back in, only to see from the inside the wings were opening and went back outside.  As I said, it was very cold!

 

Me waiting for the "wings" show.

 

"Wings" in the closed position (left) and semi-open (right).



 This was my second visit to a small museum in the past few months.  When in Florida earlier this year, I met a friend at the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland.  Snobbery over, I'm rather enjoying smaller museums.  They feel more intimate, and are certainly more manageable.  Big museums like the Art Institute have stellar collections, but it is impossible for a day-visitor to see the entire facility.  In that regard, I am grateful for my time at the AIC, as I saw the collection over time.  

 

MAM has its share of "big names."  Georgia O'Keeffe in particular is well represented, with several galleries devoted to her works.

 

Chagall, O'Keeffe, Monet

 

Calder

Bertoia




"The Last of the Spartans"



 

At the time of my visit, the primary special exhibition was "Uncommon Folk:  Traditions in American Art."  As the name implies, it is a collection of American folk works and self-taught artists.  Drawn from the museum's permanent collection, the brochure describes it as "a captivating visual feast."  I enjoyed it for the display of beauty, pride, and care that people take in their "everyday" objects.  We all have our own creativity and artist lurking inside.   

 

Collage of works in the "Uncommon Folk" exhibit

 

Another special exhibit was "Flow," a celebration of the upcoming National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts conference (March 19-22).  I found this interesting because of the ceramics classes I have been taking.  A lot of inspiration, ideas, and questions on technique to ask my teacher.  I also found it a good use of a light-filled gallery.  I really enjoyed all the exterior views in the museum, but I know how troublesome sunlight can be for curators and conservationists.  Ceramics are, in general, a more durable art form, and can withstand the harmful effects of sunlight.   

 

 

"Flow" exhibition

"Valentine" by Michelle Erickson, part of the "Flow" exhibit

 

Enjoyments, notes, and miscellaneous:

 

1)  As I mentioned previously, one of my favorite things about the museum was the view to the lake.  Had it been a sunnier day, this would have been even more enjoyable.

 

2)  I also enjoyed the ship-like elements.  MAM is perched right on Lake Michigan's western shore, ready to go forth and share art. 

 

3)  Staff and volunteers super friendly and helpful!  Some volunteers even gave me the tip to be sure to see the garage, as the Calatrava design carries through.  Indeed, it may be the nicest garage I've ever seen. 

 

4)  Watching the "wings" open and close is free to any and all passing by. 

 

5)  If you are short on time, or art just isn't your thing, I think if you just wanted to pop in and see Windhover Hall (grand reception hall), no one would hassle you.  It's beautiful.   

 

6)  The museum was not busy at all, many galleries I had to myself.  I did visit midday on a weekday in February, so that is probably a factor.

 

7)  Loved seeing all the school groups!  Art and kids are made for each other, it warms my heart to see them together in museums. 

 

8)  Speaking of kids and art, also on display during my visit was the 2014 Scholastic Art Awards.  There are some truly talented student artists in Wisconsin.

 

9)  I spent about 3 hours there, including a café sustenance break.  I took a lot of time with photography, and going in and out for the wings.  I'm more of an art glancer than deep ponderer.  In all, I think I could have used maybe 30-60 minutes longer for a first visit. 

    

10)  Lockers available for 50 cents.  50 cents!  No wait. 

 

11)  Parking in the north lot was $6 for as long as I wanted. 

 

12)  The museum has an abundance of much appreciated benches, water fountains, and toilet rooms throughout.        

 

13)  And there is actually yoga at the museum once a month. 

 

See you back here soon for another mini-adventure.

 

Hugs,

Tara

 

Fancy pants garage

 

Looking out to Lake Michigan

 

Inside the Burke Brise Soleil

Contemporary galleries

 

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