Professor Jeff Shannon to Present 'Shadow Patterns' Lecture on July 11 in Little Rock

University of Arkansas Press

Jeff Shannon will present the lecture "Shadow Patterns: Reflections on Fay Jones and His Architecture"

LITTLE ROCK - Jeff Shannon, professor and former dean at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, will present a lecture at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, at the Arkansas Arts Center, at Ninth and Commerce streets, in Little Rock. The lecture, titled "Shadow Patterns: Reflections on Fay Jones and His Architecture," will follow a 5:30 p.m. reception.

Shannon will discuss the book he curated and edited on Fay Jones, that was published this spring through the school's collaborative publishing venture with the University of Arkansas Press, for which Shannon serves as executive editor. Shannon also will sign copies of the book, which will be available for sale following his talk.

Shadow Patterns is a collection of critical essays and personal accounts of the man the American Institute of Architects honored with its highest award, the Gold Medal, in 1990. The AIA later honored Jones as one of the country's "10 most influential living architects" and ranked his masterwork, Thorncrown Chapel, as the fourth best building by an American architect in the 20th century.

The essays in this new collection range from academic, with appreciations and observations by Juhani Pallasmaa, Robert McCarter and Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, to personal reflections by clients and friends. Two of Arkansas' most accomplished writers, Roy Reed and Ellen Gilchrist, who each live in Fay Jones-designed houses, have provided intimate portrayals of what it's like to live in, and manage the quirks of, a "house built by a genius," where "light is everywhere. Everything is quiet, and everything is a surprise," as Gilchrist says.

Shadow Patterns encourages a greater understanding of Jones, a major figure in American architecture of the 20th century. Through this compendium of perspectives, readers will learn about Jones' personal qualities, including his strong will, his ability to convince other people of the rightness of his ideas, and his willingness, at times, to change his mind. Readers will enter into Jones' work: powerful architecture like Stoneflower, Thorncrown Chapel and Pinecote Pavilion, along with private residences ranging from the modest to the monumental. They also will learn about his relationship with his mentor, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Shannon served as dean of the Fay Jones School from 2000-13. He has won numerous teaching awards, notably the Master Teaching Award (1993) and Outstanding Teacher Award (1997), both from the Fay Jones School, and the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Category of Creativity (1992). He was inducted into the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy in 1993. He has twice been named among the "Most Admired Educators" by DesignIntelligence, for 2011 and 2016.

The 2016-17 June Freeman Lecture Series is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network with support from the Arkansas Arts Center, the Fay Jones School, the Central Arkansas section of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and community members.

The lecture is free and open to the public, and no reservations are needed. For more information about this and other ADN programs, contact jonathan@amr-architects.com.