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Farnsworth House announces 2020 focus, winter tours

In 2019, Farnsworth House celebrated the centennial year of the Bauhaus, an influential German design school of which Mies van der Rohe, the architect of Farnsworth House, was the last director.

In 2020, the focus shifts to Dr. Edith Farnsworth, who commissioned the now-famous house, and her life and legacies. This overarching theme also coincides with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, steward of Farnsworth House, celebration, “Her Turn: A Campaign for Where Women Made History.”

“Edith Farnsworth Reconsidered” will include exhibitions, programs and events highlighting the accomplishments of women in art, architecture and design. Experiential opportunities will include Dr. Farnsworth’s personal pursuits of art, music, literature and poetry. Dr. Farnsworth was a lover of nature and we look forward to offering new and unique ways to enjoy the 60-plus acres of the property surrounding the house. Additional opportunities will include programs relating to popular women’s interests of the era, including modern cooking and floral arranging.

Through March 10, Farnsworth House will offer winter guided tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Farnsworth House also is available for group tours and private rentals during these Tuesdays and Saturdays. Shuttle service is provided to and from the visitor center during the winter months.

The regular season opens Tuesday, March 31, when the full schedule of tours is available at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1945 and built in 1951, the Farnsworth House is a vital part of American iconography, an exemplary representation of the International Style of architecture, as well as the modern movement’s desire to juxtapose the sleek, streamline design of Modern structure with the organic environment of the surrounding nature. Mies constructed this glass box residence of “almost nothing” for Farnsworth as a country retreat along the Fox River in Plano.

It continued to be a private residence for more than 50 years until Landmarks Illinois and the National Trust for Historic Preservation purchased it in 2003.

For information, visit them on Facebook or Instagram (@FarnsworthHouse) for details about the year’s events. Farnsworth House is at 14520 River Road in Plano.

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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