On Monday, July 22, I was “hired” by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Preservation in the town of Wyoming near Spring Green. “Hire Howard” is when I job shadow a local business, getting hands-on experience and learning about the unique challenges and opportunities a job sector presents.
My visit on Monday was not the first time I have “worked” at Taliesin. When I was growing up in Spring Green I worked at Taliesin as a groundskeeper for a summer during college! From 2008 until 2020, I served on the Taliesin Preservation Board of Directors as treasurer. I have also led several legislative initiatives to support Taliesin.
In 2015, I led the initiative to provide another liquor license to the Town of Wyoming for Taliesin. That same legislative session I authored a bill that designated the highway route highlighting buildings that were significant to Frank Lloyd Wright’s career as the “Frank Lloyd Wright Trail”. This route runs through Dane, Iowa, Sauk, and Richland Counties and brings people from all over to visit southwestern Wisconsin. In 2021, I was thrilled to be invited to speak as Taliesin became a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site.
During my morning at Taliesin I did a ride along and assisted the guide during a tour of the estate. After the tour, I worked as a greeter in the visitor center and gift shop.
While talking with some of the visitors before my tour began, I was struck by how many of them came from out of state. One couple I met was from New York and came to Wisconsin for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh this week. They had flown into Milwaukee, but took a detour to Spring Green as part of their journey on the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail. After my shift, I visited with Taliesin’s executive director, Carrie Rodamaker. She shared with me that approximately 80% of visitors to the estate are from outside of Wisconsin! Many of these visitors are international and travel to Spring Green to see the home of America’s greatest architect.
In 2023, after contributing a record breaking $25 billion in economic impact, tourism is now the third largest industry in Wisconsin. Tourism in our state has never been bigger and I am proud of the contributions of southwestern Wisconsin. From Taliesin and American Players Theater, to the Great River Road, to our beautiful state parks, we have many things to share with visitors from inside and outside of Wisconsin.
Ever since my summer mowing the lawn in college, Taliesin has had a special place in my heart. The team at Taliesin does great work promoting southwestern Wisconsin while preserving Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture and legacy. I am truly grateful for any small part I get to play in helping them in their mission.
— Sen. Howard Marklein represents Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District. He can be reached at 608-266-0703 or email Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov.
