The Apartment at the Mall

I want to expand on the last entry where I mentioned Providence Art Windows. Providence Art Windows is a non-profit that takes local artists' works and displays it in empty storefronts rather than leaving them in a more depressing state. I love this concept and think it is such a nice use of the space. Because downtown Providence is just recently becoming revitalized, there are quite a few of these empty storefronts allowing Providence Art Windows to make a walking gallery of sorts, which they change out every few months. To see what I mean and get a little more information on the most recent installation, click HERE.

This latest group of artists was a little controversial because of one of the installations. Some of you might have heard about the New England man who was caught living in the mall. Well, Michael Townsend is a local artist, who actually comes in to my studio quite often. When the Providence Place Mall was being built about seven years ago, he saw this empty space in the core of the building that wasn't being used. He decided to make it into an apartment. He built walls out of cinderblocks and moved furniture in. He lived there off and on for almost four years before getting caught. This received national attention and he now lectures on the meaning behind his "work" there. For Providence Art Windows he recreated the "Apartment at the Mall" and had it open to the public. We went to the opening party, which was after our Giving Tree event. He also borrowed a couple of items from Design Within Reach to finish his space. Below are some pics of the recreation and a couple of links to his websites and information.




The blonde woman in the picture above is my coworker Ann from Sweden. The lamp in the picture below is from my studio.



http://www.trummerkind.com/mall/Living_in_the_Mall.html

http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_383_A_Home_In_The_Mall.mp3/view

The Giving Tree

Mike and I decided before Owen's first birthday that every year we would buy him one special present and then make a donation in his name. We have decided that we like this idea so much it is being carried over into Christmas as well. Because Owen is still too young to choose where he would like the donation made, we chose for him. Just like his birthday, where we donated money to one of our friend's organizations, Camp of Dreams of whom I had also designed the main office area, we wanted to pick something that has to do with our lives now.

Every month at Design Within Reach we have a major design event. This month we hosted The Giving Tree alongside the opening party for Providence Art Windows. The Giving Tree is a tree that is full of cards that I had decorated by Mike's students and other students from CVS Highlander. Inside each card is a child's name that is living with AIDS and what he or she needs, for example diapers or a gift card to Target. This is a very good cause and a wonderful project that is head up by Aids Care Ocean State, (ACOS), Rhode Island’s largest provider of services to persons affected by HIV and AIDS. People pick one of the cards off the tree to keep and then bring back the gift listed inside to our studio, which we then donate to ACOS. So, Mike's students decorated the cards, my studio hosted the event, and then we picked a card for Owen's donation. It was a very successful event and everyone had a great time. Even Santa and the Mayor made an appearance.

We had plenty of good food, wine, hot chocolate, and live entertainment.



If you are wondering what Owen's special gift is it is a collector's edition of Lincoln Logs.

Lincoln Logs (1916) are familiar to most of us, but what you may not know is that they were designed by John Lloyd Wright, son of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s rumored that the younger Wright’s inspiration came from the foundation of Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, which was designed by his father. While touring the site in Japan, John was intrigued with the interlocking wood construction used by the Japanese. The simple solution sparked an idea and more than 90 years later, Lincoln Logs are still here. This Commemorative Set brings back the original all-wood construction, it’s true to the traditional Lincoln Logs scale and there are no plastic parts. The simplicity of this set appeals to the inner-architect in all of us, no matter what our age.

What? Video Games Already?!

Believe it or not, our son already loves video games. Or I guess I should say computer games. One day Riley, who will be four in January, was over and asked to play a game on our computer. We don't really have any games, but we brought up a few free demos of car races for the boys to "play". I thought this was hilarious and didn't really think anything of it at the time. Well, now we have a little problem on our hands. Anytime Mike or I am at the computer Owen says, "I want car. Vroom, vroom." Also, when we are sitting down for dinner he can no longer face the computer because he will start asking for it and not finish eating. He even goes to the computer on his own, climbs in my chair, and starts typing away like he knows exactly what he is doing. And you should see his mouse control too! Watch out world, the next tech savvy generation is on its way in full force!





Owen is definitely not the little baby boy sleeping in his vroom, vroom outfit that Great Aunt Debbie got him anymore. How ironic that "vroom, vroom" was one of his first phrases though. God only knows what he has in store for us.

Sentences

As many of you know, Owen loves to talk. Everyday he is saying something new, or at least trying by repeating the sounds or last word he hears. Lately he has been saying short sentences and phrases, some of which I thought were worth mentioning.

• I got it!
  

• I find it.


• Where is it? (Insert various words for it like ball, Diesel, drink, etc.)


• I want it! This one is cute sometimes and not so cute other times. But with the phrase, "I want" comes other important sentence structure building tools that I am impressed he has already learned. For example he often refers to his Daddy as Mike or the possesive my Mike. So rather than just saying, "I want ball", he has put it together to say, "I want my Mike" or "I want my Mama." I love this. Although it is often heartbreaking when he says, "I want my Mike," it is still very cute.


• Owen eat it. (Owen could be replaced with Mama, Diesel, etc. When he is done eating dinner Owen usually calls Diesel over with a loud "D" or "Bubba" followed by, "Diesel eat it.")
• More _________ please. (Sometimes the blank is filled in, but mostly it is referring to food and he just says more please.)
• I know! I know! I know!
  


• Oh man! This one is very funny. I don't typically think it is fair to blame something on daycare, for example many parents will say their child learned to hit at daycare. I think most of what they learn at daycare they could have learned anywhere or even started doing it on their own like hitting, which is instinctual. But this is a phrase that Mike and I don't typically say and Owen uses often and in context, which leads me to believe that one of his little friends must say it at daycare. Either way, it is hilarious and we love it when he says it.