The Board of Directors for The School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT) has decided to reverse its January 25 vote and keep the school open. Last month, it was announced that the school would be closing after 88 years. The SoAT Board has stated that they have secured additional funding and have long-term operating viability.
The school and the Frank Lloyd Wright foundation issued statements on the closure, as well as the students. Later, a petition started aiming to save the school from closing. According to a statement from Kirkland & Ellis, a public relations firm handling communications for the school, the latest decision was made following student outcry over the planned closure. It also states that, "The Board confirmed that its financial situation is such that it has long-term viability, especially in light of new support that has come forward since January of this year.” The initial news of closure followed the conclusion of a multi-year struggle back in 2017, when the school was approved to maintain its accreditation as an institute of higher learning. However, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which owns the land the school is on, has terminated SoAT’s lease effective July 31, 2020.
Dan Schweiker, Chair of the School’s Board of Governors, said that: "The legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright embodied by the School is, as the outpouring of support has shown, one of international importance. The quality of the work the students have been doing in recent years is excellent. It would be a severe blow to the future of architecture if these talented students would not have the chance to continue this legacy."
