Browsing through the recent Art Issue of Maine Home + Design magazine I discovered an exciting development -- the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts. It's in an early fund-raising stage. Inspired by a well-received 2009 photography exhibit co-curated by gallery owner Elizabeth Moss, the new Maine Museum of Photographic Arts (MMPA) hopes to represent the work of 200 contemporary photographers, film/video makers, and new-media artists working in Maine. Their first goal is to create a virtual museum comprised of a full-featured website to display artists' work, interviews (via podcasts), resources, and more.

Elizabeth Moss Gallery and Maine Home + Design magazine are holding a MMPA fund-raising exhibit titled Capture: 50 Photographic Artists to run April 2 through May 9, 2010 at the former W.M. Home located at 190 US Route One, Falmouth, Maine. Nearly 100 prints and a sampling of new-media works will be on display. Attend the opening reception April 2, 2010 from 5-7pm.

Of the 50 featured photographers, a few caught my attention: Jeffrey Becton, Tonee Harbert, Christopher Becker, John G. Kelley, Scott Peterman, and Cig Harvey.

Visit the MMPA Kickstarter site to view a quick video about the museum and to become a founding contributor. Spread the word in support of the photographic arts.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Hancock Shaker Village Laundry and Machine ShopYou may recall my recent web neighbor post about Fivecat Studio and their blog Living Well in Westchester. In my post I referenced their Squidoo lens "Your Complete Guide to Residential Architecture", which is an extensive compilation of links. I suggested they include a section devoted to house museums, and now they have. Scroll down through their updated guide to link to house museums from around the country.

I've written here about several notable New England house museums, like Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass. (which is shown above); Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan, Conn.; Gropius House in Lincoln, Mass.; and Yin Yu Tang in Salem, Mass., which I mentioned in my last post. I expect to explore and share with you additional compelling regional house museums in the coming months. Meanwhile, consider those I've already featured. You might be surprised by the unique architecture and history not far from your back door.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Thanks to Walk Score you can now rank a location’s walkability on a scale of zero to 100. According to the Walk Score Algorithm, the closer a location is to amenities, the higher the location’s walkability. A location with a score of 90-100 is deemed a “Walkers’ Paradise”. A score of 70-89 is “Very Walkable”. 50-69 is “Somewhat Walkable”. 25-49 is “Car Dependent”. 0-24 is "Car-Dependent (Driving Only)". The KHS address in Salem scored an 86. This didn’t surprise me, but I found myself curiously proud. As a fan of the concepts behind “smart growth” and “new urbanism”, I’m happy that my location is a model of walkability.

Walk Score enumerates six factors which contribute to a walkable neighborhood: a discernible center, compact density, mixed income and mixed use, convenient parks and public spaces, pedestrian-centric design, and nearby schools and workplaces. All make for a vibrant neighborhood with positive environmental, social, and economic impacts. I sang the praises of my condo’s interior neighborhood amidst my exterior, walkable neighborhood here.

Walkability should be a primary factor in awarding “green” status. It’s only common sense. Read more about Common Sense Green here.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Photos (and drawings) provided by Susan and Ryan Hayes.A couple builds a smaller, affordable, “green” house

When I called Susan Hayes to talk to her about her new, affordable, “green” house in Williston, Vermont, one of the first things she said was, “We really wanted to respect the local vernacular…” She and her husband Ryan created what they call a “Modern Farmhouse”. The exterior was inspired by the farmhouse Ryan’s dairy-farming great grandparents’ owned, and “the inside is really sparse which is more of a Modern feel,” explains Susan. Their hybrid aesthetic is unusual for a “green” home.  The fact that it’s smaller is a “green” hallmark.

Smaller and greener
I found Susan and Ryan through their blog Building Green in Vermont in which they've documented their home’s “green” evolution. “We really weren’t that enlightened when we started,” admits Susan. But thanks, in part, to a lengthy local permitting process, they had time to research and educate themselves in efficient and sustainable design. Susan discovered that “size is absolutely critical.” After estimates for an initial design proved too expensive, she and Ryan realized they would need to downsize to keep the construction of their first house on budget and “green”. They scrapped plans for a 2200 sq. ft house (not including a finished, walk-out basement) for a 1568 sq. ft house (not including a finished, walk-out basement).

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With snow showers reportedly en route here in New England again soon, architect Sergio Lopez-Piñeiro's essay in Design Observer about the architectural potential of snow got me thinking.  He writes, "Few architects and urban planners have considered the aesthetic, spatial or ambient qualities of the accumulation, organization and distribution of snow..."  How true.  Why not sculpt with design intent the snow covering our cities, villages, and neighborhoods?  Lopez-Piñeiro's slideshow captures the unintentional artistry of snow-plowed parking lots in Buffalo, New York. 

Imagine if we shaped the snow in our backyards, patios, or driveways to create inspired winter designs viewed from within our homes and experienced outside them.  Winter snow gardens are a largely untapped home-design opportunity.  Sounds like an idea that might appeal to the inner child within us all.  Let it snow.  Let it snow.  Let it snow.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast