All Lit Up Like a Japanese Lantern: The Japanese Aesthetic in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House
9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA
On this special guided tour, you will explore the deep influence of Japanese art, architecture, and philosophy on Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the Pope-Leighey House. Completed in 1941, the home reflects nearly 50 years of Wright’s fascination with Japan—a country whose aesthetic principles deeply shaped his architectural vision.
You will learn how Wright’s experiences as a collector of Japanese woodblock prints, his acclaimed design of the Tokyo Imperial Hotel, and his philosophical engagement with East Asian ideas informed the style and spirit of his Usonian homes.
The tour will be led by Kristi Jamrisko Gross, Lead Guide at Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House and a museum educator with the Office of Historic Alexandria. Kristi holds an M.A. in Art History from the University of Maryland, where she focused her research on Dutch–Japanese material culture exchange. Her unique perspective is enriched by her time living in rural Japan through the JET Program and her former work in science and nuclear policy at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for K–12 students.
