HYDE AWARD FOR WISCONSIN ART

The award was established in 2015 to recognize recipients for their significant influence on MOWA and the future of Wisconsin art. This year, MOWA posthumously honors Frank Lloyd Wright for his expansive career that has transformed American architecture and ignited a contemporary aesthetic that informs art and artists—past, present, and into the future. His bold vision is at the core of the dynamic arts community we enjoy today in Wisconsin.

Accepting on behalf of the architect, MOWA also pays tribute to the Barbara Meyer Elsner Foundation and the Elsner family for their exceptional commitment to preserving Wright’s legacy. For the Elsners, stewardship is personal: Barbara and Robert owned and oversaw the preservation of the Frederick C. Bogk House on Milwaukee’s East Side, and their son-in-law, Mike Lilek, has been involved in the renovation and operation of Milwaukee’s Burnham Block. Since the 1950s, the Elsners have been a quiet but persistent force in the local, state, and national preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.