I have a confluence of ideas running through my head regarding this next entry. Maybe it is because I spent the weekend with many artists friends and that always inspires and excites. And the spring weather is in full swing and I've had several lovely evenings in my garden proving once again to me that yes, environments greatly impact how we think, feel, act.
And then there was this spot on article in Sunday's NYT that did what powerful articles written by skilled writers can do: it really made me think. I've been thinking about it all week since reading it.
The article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/magazine/18wwln-lede-t.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=peggy%20orenstein&st=cse&oref=slogin) is about how women in impactful roles are perceived and I couldn't help but be pierced by it. My grown children (one male, one female) will be influenced in big ways by the way in which roles among women are changing.
So what does all this have to do with design?
Quite a lot, I think.
If we believe, as Winifred Gallagher suggests in her book "House Thinking" that we first shape our environments and then they shape us, then the development of people -- particularly those that inhabit the spaces that are designed, should be the key issue when designing spaces.
And so as we set forth in designing spaces for young people how do we do that best to encourage them to develop in ways that are conducive to creativity, imagination and intelligence?
That's a big question. Some might think that it is to cram all the latest technology into a space. Others might say open fields and simple accessories. Still others might imagine spaces that are devoid of any distrctions.
And all would be right.
Because for design to be "right" it has to first be personal. It has to fit the occupant and it has to be theirs. This takes a lot more than flipping through magazines and finding things that "look good" to make design functional and pleasing. It takes thought, effort and a willingness to know oneself or one's clients.
Tough stuff.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Prescription art?
I've been thinking about the upcoming Tulsa Blue Dome Arts Festival this weekend.
I have a special place in my heart for artists. The way I see it, they are more valuable to our national well being than anything because they think and see the world differently. Who better to solve the world's challenges than to have creative people thinking about things differently?
I remember the first time I was touched by color. I was living with my mother after dad left in a cramped apartment in Dallas. I was seven years old, the oldest of six very busy siblings. My mother, exhausted, sent me to the store on a cold, wet day in February to buy some milk. She gave me a faded $5 bill and told me to get bread and milk and to bring her home the change. (Milk was much less expensive then!)
I was seven. I was cold. I was looking for something warm and comforting.
After a frigid walk, I entered the convenience store where my eyes went right to them: a set of seven markers that glowed against the drab counters. It was as if the entire world was black and white and the markers exploded in front of me saying "Here! Here! Here!"
I looked at the bill in my hand. I looked around me. I made my decision.
Once at home, I told my mom, "They were out of milk but I got these instead!" Jubilantly, I pulled out the markers and watched my mom's horrific expression.
I don't remember much about what happened after that. I remember my mom crying. I remember feeling terrible about being so selfish. But I also remember that she let me keep the markers and I used them throughout that icy winter on all kinds of projects.
And my mom posted my creations all over the house. It was my first art gallery and my mom, my first patron.
There is a saying that I like, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" and I believe that. Who hasn't been slayed by a beautiful painting, felt tears emerge from a piercing song or stopped in awe at the colors in the sky?
Most artists give to their creative life in ways that are expensive in more ways that just financial. Artists deseserve our attention, our support, our appreciation. This weekend is a great opportunity to do just that.
http://www.bluedomeartsfestival.com/
I have a special place in my heart for artists. The way I see it, they are more valuable to our national well being than anything because they think and see the world differently. Who better to solve the world's challenges than to have creative people thinking about things differently?
I remember the first time I was touched by color. I was living with my mother after dad left in a cramped apartment in Dallas. I was seven years old, the oldest of six very busy siblings. My mother, exhausted, sent me to the store on a cold, wet day in February to buy some milk. She gave me a faded $5 bill and told me to get bread and milk and to bring her home the change. (Milk was much less expensive then!)
I was seven. I was cold. I was looking for something warm and comforting.
After a frigid walk, I entered the convenience store where my eyes went right to them: a set of seven markers that glowed against the drab counters. It was as if the entire world was black and white and the markers exploded in front of me saying "Here! Here! Here!"
I looked at the bill in my hand. I looked around me. I made my decision.
Once at home, I told my mom, "They were out of milk but I got these instead!" Jubilantly, I pulled out the markers and watched my mom's horrific expression.
I don't remember much about what happened after that. I remember my mom crying. I remember feeling terrible about being so selfish. But I also remember that she let me keep the markers and I used them throughout that icy winter on all kinds of projects.
And my mom posted my creations all over the house. It was my first art gallery and my mom, my first patron.
There is a saying that I like, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" and I believe that. Who hasn't been slayed by a beautiful painting, felt tears emerge from a piercing song or stopped in awe at the colors in the sky?
Most artists give to their creative life in ways that are expensive in more ways that just financial. Artists deseserve our attention, our support, our appreciation. This weekend is a great opportunity to do just that.
http://www.bluedomeartsfestival.com/
Friday, May 9, 2008
Back by popular demand: Container Garden Workshop!
We are repeating last year's exciting container garden workshop on June 7, 2008. We will be having fun all day celebrating our business annivesary. Here are the details of the workshop:
1 - Reservations are required! Space is limited!
2 - Cost to participate in workshop - $30 which includes: soil, 5.5" pot, all flowers/plants. Take this home and enjoy in your own special space!
3 - Tulsa Master Gardeners are returning with all their knowledge and expertise on what to plant where and how to make container gardens that last and grow all season!
4 - Workshop time 2 - 4, other activities throughout the day!
You will also learn color in the garden from our designers. Wear comfy clothing and prepare to have fun learning in the garden.
By the way, if you haven't been the shop lately, come see our front garden which is now blooming and is lovely. We are also starting our outdoor garden in the back which will be developed more fully in the fall.
See you June 7!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
House Thinking (3)
For most residential homes, the kitchen is a space that multi-functions as community room and dining area. It is the most likely place where a homeowner will renovate and it is the most expensive: the national average for a kitchen renovation is $43,800.
It is a fascinating study to observe how kitchens have morphed alongside women and their roles in family and society. In early America, kitchens were death traps with fires that often ignited long skirts and petticoats. This caused burns to be second only to childbirth as the leading cause
of death among women (p. 75, "House Thinking" Gallagher).
Though the cost of kitchen appliances and other components has skyrocketed, the actual usage of a kitchen has diminished. On average, we make only about a third of our dinner entrees from scratch and it is now estimated that one in four of foods made by supermarkets are up 40% since 1997 (P. 85). So even though we invest more than ever in kitchens outfitted with every gadget, we invest less time there than ever before. Further, it is noted that we are eating meals more alone than ever before making this one of the first times in history that mealtimes are not social activities. Indeed, today's kitchen have a more "look, don't cook" approach.
I find some interesting questions in all this. How would our kitchen and meal experiences be different if we designed the spaces around people instead of around the latest cooktop or microwave? How could those few moments we share as families be enhanced if the function of the kichen were to be restored as a place of community instead of visual consumerism?
It is a fascinating study to observe how kitchens have morphed alongside women and their roles in family and society. In early America, kitchens were death traps with fires that often ignited long skirts and petticoats. This caused burns to be second only to childbirth as the leading cause
of death among women (p. 75, "House Thinking" Gallagher).
Though the cost of kitchen appliances and other components has skyrocketed, the actual usage of a kitchen has diminished. On average, we make only about a third of our dinner entrees from scratch and it is now estimated that one in four of foods made by supermarkets are up 40% since 1997 (P. 85). So even though we invest more than ever in kitchens outfitted with every gadget, we invest less time there than ever before. Further, it is noted that we are eating meals more alone than ever before making this one of the first times in history that mealtimes are not social activities. Indeed, today's kitchen have a more "look, don't cook" approach.
I find some interesting questions in all this. How would our kitchen and meal experiences be different if we designed the spaces around people instead of around the latest cooktop or microwave? How could those few moments we share as families be enhanced if the function of the kichen were to be restored as a place of community instead of visual consumerism?
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