UNLESS someone like you cares about the future…

Nov 7, 2012

UNLESS someone like you cares about the future, what will it look like? We cannot wait for someone else to fix it. This problem impacts us all and we can all make a change to improve the outcome.

There are many little things that can be done that will make a home last 100 years instead of 30. Designing a home for a lifetime is the first step, adding grab bars that don’t look like grab bars for instance make a home livable. You can create an entry to your home without steps so all your friends are able to visit no matter their mobility. You can have appropriate lighting so everyone can read comfortably, see to cook, and watch television without a glare.

Creating a smart home allows you to control the heating and cooling system over the internet. It will allow you to reduce energy usage. A smart home improves your safety, convenience, and comfort.

Installing systems that collect rainwater for use in landscape watering, flushing toilets, and washing cars reduces the dependence on municipal systems. This reduces future tax dollar demands, saves you money monthly, and helps protect our streams and lakes.

Installing low flow fixtures and dual flush toilets reduce water usage. Small changes around your home all make for a big impact when put together. If you do it and talk about the savings then your neighbor will do it and before long your community is doing it.

Installing systems that allow for monitoring energy usage allows you to predict the failure of a refrigerator a month before it actually stops working. These systems used to be for luxury homes only, but now are affordable and easy to use. Simple solutions for your home make things much easier to maintain, pay for, and will put you in charge of your energy use. You don’t need complicated laws to make things better, you need good planning and design solutions.

Installing solar hot water systems reduces energy usage. This allows for free hot water after a short payback period. Solar PV is another option that will provide electricity for your home. The prices for these systems have dramatically come down over the last five years. The technology is getting easier to maintain and understand. Soon these systems will be the common solution in your neighborhood, you could be the catalyst that drives the change.

If you have questions about these technologies or what you can do to make small changes, join us at the Harrisonburg Green Expo to learn more.

As always, this event is free and open to everyone, and refreshments will be provided by Gaines Group Architects.

Series Name: An Interlude of Water

Medium: Hand-cut Montage

Artist Statement: “An Interlude of Water

The stillness of a hot, lazy summer evening broken by the laughter of good friends as fishies bite and the sun slowly slips towards the horizon.

The pond collection swirls and twirls like the eddies at the shoreline. Developing slowly to capture the quiet aspects of what creatures could quietly inhabit a pond within the Shenandoah landscape.

The past eight months have been a creative frenzy of exploration, joy, and personal contentment, from envisioning a cohesive grouping of collages that share a color palette to letting my imagination play. The resulting collection has stretched my artistic skills and broadened my perception of interpretation and idea development.

My Process:

Each collage starts as a line drawing, creating a detailed map of the imagery to be included within the work. Moving the drawing to the wooden panel entails many bits of hand-cut paper, acrylic mediums, and acid-free paste. A sticky mess, but it so satisfies the need for detail my brain requires. All papers used are colored with acrylic paint applied with painting tools or a Gelli plate. A lot of time is spent pressing (lever press, heavy books, etc) and drying the glued papers before and after mounting on the wooden surface. Acrylic varnish provides a protective sealant for the completed collage. From concept to finished work, the process takes, on average, four weeks.”

Artist Bio: I’ve always been one to dabble in new trends and techniques. Treading water, seeking the thing that would capture and devour my imagination. In 2018, when life was overwhelming and my soul needed an escape, I fell back in love with collage. Over the intervening eight years, my artistic practice has settled into an obsession, forcing a growth in style and technique with results that personally bring me joy. A relocation to Harrisonburg, Virginia, has allowed me to establish a permanent studio space, adding momentum to my artistic journey.

*Accessibility Note: This building was previously restored from a fire. The elevator shaft is currently not functioning and there is an absence of ramps in the space. Because the show is on the 2nd floor, this may pose an issue for those who have mobility challenges. We are aware of this need and we apologize greatly if this changes your ability to attend.

This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!

Each month we host a new artist in our building’s 2nd floor gallery at the Chesapeake Western Depot at 141 W. Bruce St. (second floor entrance is on Chesapeake). Artwork will remain on exhibit through the month. Come view the show anytime and get a tour the Depot!