In-house concert with cellist mike block on may 30th
Mark your calendars for an in-house concert with Cellist Mike Block on Saturday, May 30th!
Mike Block is a Grammy® winning multi-style cellist, composer, singer, and educator with a passion for cross-cultural collaborations. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene” by Gramophone, he was acclaimed by the New York Times for his “vital rich-hued solo playing.”
Mike Block composed and recently premiered “Hope on the Hill,” a suite of music inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s personal life and artistic philosophy. Mike’s experience performing Frank Lloyd Wright house concerts as Artist-in-Residence at Taliesin, and as director of the annual Insight/Onsite Creative Music Retreat at Fallingwater has allowed him access to Wright’s buildings and land to inspire his creative work. It is this seed material, created within the spaces Wright himself designed and spent time in, that is the source material for this composition.
As a recording artist, Mike has released 20 albums of his own music that regularly chart near the top of multiple Billboard categories. In addition to being part of several touring bands, Mike has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, founded by Yo-Yo Ma, since 2005, and earned a 2017 Grammy® Award for Best Global Music Album.
japanese tea ceremony
Saturday, June 20th | 2:30 p.m
Kimiko Gunji is Professor Emeritus of Japanese Arts & Culture in the School of Art & Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She taught at the University of Illinois from 1974 -2011. Her courses included the Way of Tea and Zen Aesthetics, the Art of Japanese Flower Arrangement, and the Campus Honors Program Seminar: Rigidity and Flexibility in Japanese Arts and Culture. Professor Gunji was also Director of Japan House at the University of Illinois from 1998-2011.
Professor Gunji will introduce the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, as she has been doing at Taliesin, featuring a special Japanese sweet from her newly published Wagashi (Japanese sweets) book.
The tea ceremony, with over 500 years of history, has developed into a unique art form in Japan. While many people around the world drink tea, only in Japan has it been elevated to such a time-honored art form. The tea ceremony is a compilation of Japanese arts and culture, encompassing philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, and various arts such as architecture, landscape architecture, flower arrangement, incense, calligraphy, fabrics, metals, bamboo, lacquer, and ceramics.
This traditional tea ceremony will take place in the living room/cove of the Laurent House and is limited to 10 people.
Laurent house summer camp
June 15-18 | June 22-25 | July 6-9 | July 13-16
Design, Create, Explore This Summer!
Give your student a one-of-a-kind experience at Summer Camp at The Laurent House—where architecture, art, and creativity come to life.
Campers will step inside a world of design through:
– Daily access to the iconic Laurent House
– Hands-on STEAM projects
– Nature-inspired art and exploration
– Activities that build problem-solving, focus, and creative thinking
This is more than a camp—it’s a chance to unplug from screens and be immersed in creativity, design, and discovery. Perfect for students with a passion for art, architecture, or hands-on learning.
Cost is $125.00. Spots are limited to just 10 students per week—don’t wait!
Week 1: June 15 to 18 (ages 8-12)
Week 2: June 22 to 25 (ages 8-12)
Week 3: July 6 to 9 (ages 8-12)
Week 4: July 13 to 16 (ages 12-16)
Reserve your spot today and let creativity take shape this summer!
SCHOLARSHIPS: We offer support for the families for whom the registration fee is a barrier to participation. Four full scholarships will be granted on first come first served basis. For more information, please call our office at 815.877.2952.
Questions? Email betsy@laurenthouse.com or call 815.877.2952
save the date for bourbon, brisket & blues!
Join us on Saturday, September 12th for our annual fundraiser, Bourbon, Brisket & Blues: Preserving the Wright House, and help us raise needed funds for the continued preservation of the Laurent House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece! The evening will include:
Brisket with sides from Mission Barbeque
Tastings by Artale of Bourbon and Other Spirits
BMR4 Blues Machine returns for a 4th year to provide live blues music
Cash bar, appetizers, and desserts by BD4 (one complimentary drink per person)
Silent Auction (amazing selection of unique offerings!)
Mini Tours of the Laurent House
Commemorative Glass
Parking and shuttle from Spring Creek United Church of Christ, 4500 Spring Creek Rd, Rockford, IL (also walking distance from the Laurent House). Please contact our office at 815.877.2952 if you have accessibility needs and we will make accommodations for your parking and arrival.
Note: This is our annual fundraiser and, as such, tickets are non-refundable. Please dress for the weather.
—save the date—
The ghost of mamah borthwick on october 17th
Mark your calendars as the Laurent House and Pettit Chapel – both designed by famed-architect Frank Lloyd Wright – present Ellie Carlson as the ghost of Mamah Bouton Borthwick, the great love of Frank Lloyd Wright’s life. Mamah, for whom Taliesin was built, was brutally murdered, along with her children, at Taliesin in 1914. Ms. Carlson presents Mamah as a ghost at the moment of her death to tell her story of her life with Frank Lloyd Wright.
This presentation will be held at the Pettit Chapel in the Belvidere Cemetery and will be followed by an optional tour of the Laurent House in Rockford (20 minutes from the chapel).
The presentation will take place on Saturday, October 17th. Stay tuned for more details and tickets!