Smith House Oral History Project
As part of the Center for Collections and Research's continued partnership with the owners of Smith House, and our shared goal to preserve its legacy for future generations, an oral history project is currently underway to collect stories and learn more about the Smiths, the house, and its contents from the many people involved in its creation.
The Center's 2016-2018 Collections Fellow, Kevin Adkisson, is currently conducting videotaped oral histories with artists, builders, and family members that shaped the history of the remarkable home. Excerpts from the Frank Lloyd Wright Smith House Oral History Project will be available here on the Center's website later this fall.
If you're an artist or associate who knew or worked with the Smiths, please be in touch: Email center@cranbrook.edu or call 248.645.3358.
Part of a long tradition of weavers associated with Cranbrook, artist Urban Jupena's practice over six decades has ranged from traditional weaving and printmaking to experiential fiber "environments," woven sculpture, and ceramics. For the Smith's and their art-filled home, Jupena adapted on of his own earlier tapestries with Wright-influenced additions to form a one-of-a-kind tapestry and piano cover. Click the link below to watch the artist reflect on his craft, Cranbrook, and the Smith House tapestry.
PHOTO CREDITS
Haefner, James. Interior of Smith House. 2017. Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, Bloomfield Hills.