UTRF Sunsets October 31, 2023
After 50 years of restoring and preserving Unity Temple, hosting artistic and educational public programming, and welcoming tourists from around the world, the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation (UTRF) Board of Directors has made the decision to sunset the organization, with operations ceasing as of October 31.
The decision to dissolve UTRF took many months of thought, analysis, and discussion, and is ultimately in concert with ongoing discussions to restructure the management and maintenance of Unity Temple.
Since 1973, thousands of dedicated people have contributed time, expertise, financial support, and leadership to UTRF, including donors, volunteers, staff, and grantors. UTRF would like to express sincere appreciation for all of its supporters over the past 50 years, in particular, those who were instrumental in funding and leading the recent restoration efforts. With the partnership of Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, generous donors, and restoration professionals, Unity Temple has been restored in the same (if not better) condition that Frank Lloyd Wright had intended. With the completion of this monumental project, the primary mission of UTRF has been successfully accomplished.
Since the restoration, UTRF staff and board worked diligently to broaden awareness of Unity Temple’s importance as a National Historic Landmark, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a prime example of sustainable historic restoration and building stewardship. UTRF leadership fostered collaborations with public Wright sites and other organizations locally and around the country, building support for all of Wright’s work, with an emphasis on his seminal masterpiece and most important contribution to modern architecture – Unity Temple.
Our Mission
The mission of Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, founded in 1973, is to: restore and preserve Unity Temple, promote public awareness of and engagement with architecture, and educate the general public, including local, national, and international visitors of all ages about the significance of Unity Temple, Frank Lloyd Wright’s contribution to modern architecture.
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