Join us on April 29 for a special book talk and exhibit focused on the life and work of modernist architect Elizabeth Scheu Close. Author Jane King Hession will discuss her recent book — relaunching now in its paperback edition — “Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture.” The book will be available for purchase at the event, courtesy of the University Bookstores. Guests will enjoy a reception with appetizers and a cash bar, and an exclusive opportunity to preview the Elizabeth Scheu Close documentary trailer with filmmaker Kimberly Long Loken.
This event is free and open to all. Please register if you plan to attend.
5-6 p.m. – Reception and gallery: Enjoy refreshments, browse the exhibit, and book sales available
6-7 p.m. – Featured presentation: A book talk by author Jane King Hession; documentary filmmaker Kimberly Long Loken shares a preview of the Elizabeth Scheu Close documentary trailer
7-8 p.m. – Signing and viewing: Book sales and signing with the author, and exhibit viewing.
Jane King Hession is a Minneapolis-based architectural historian specializing in modernism. She earned her M.Arch from the University of Minnesota. She is the author of five books including Frank Lloyd Wright in New York: The Plaza Years, Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design, and John H. Howe: From Taliesin Apprentice to Master of Organic Design. Her most recent book, Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture (University of Minnesota Press) received a 2024 Docomomo US Modernism in America Award of Excellence.
Elizabeth “Lisl” Scheu Close, FAIA (1912–2011) was Minnesota’s first modern architect. Born in Vienna, Austria, and educated at MIT, Lisl was in the forefront of practicing women architects nationally and internationally. During her prolific career, she designed more than 250 modern residences, as well as numerous state-of-the-art hospitals, laboratories, and other commercial buildings in Minnesota and beyond.
In 1938, with her husband, architect Winston Close (1906–1997), she co-founded the first firm in the state dedicated to modern design. For the next fifty years, she designed buildings that were efficient, durable, and “fit the modern style of living.” Lisl was the first woman to receive AIA Minnesota’s highest honor, the Gold Medal, awarded in recognition of a lifetime of significant contributions to architecture. She remains a role model for women in the profession today.
This event is sponsored by the Northwest Architectural Archives at the UMN Libraries and by the University of Minnesota Press.
What: Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture
When: Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | 5-8 p.m. | Doors open at 5 p.m. | Program 6-7 p.m. | Book sales and exhibit viewing before and after the program
Where: Elmer L. Andersen Library | Directions and parking (Lot 86)
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