DESIGN WIRE – March 2013
By Joe Hebert

Waterfall Arts in Belfast recently completed work on a “thorough assessment of the energy, structural, and safety systems of the Governor Anderson Elementary School building,” which Waterfall Arts has operated since 2006. Led by Matt O’Malia of the architectural firm GO LOGIC, the completed assessment allows the school—one of only 162 organizations nationwide to receive a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts Fast Track Challenge—to move forward with development of a project timeline. GO Logic furthered its commitment with a proposal for a renovation and multiuse addition, as well as possible changes that would move the school closer to Passive House and net-zero energy standards.
gologichomes.com

Evenings for Educators is a program at the PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART that is made possible by the Margaret Coleman Brown Fund. These professional developmental workshops are free for all teachers and feature lectures and discussions on current exhibitions and collections, an introduction to the museum’s resources, and the opportunity to network with other educators. On Wednesday, March 27, Professor Paul Sproll, head of the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Art and Design at the Rhode Island School of Design, will present a special lecture in the Youth Art Month exhibition on the value of looking at student art and on innovative arts curriculum design.
portlandmuseum.org

THE COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART—known for its extensive collection of American art—will soon become the largest art museum in the state. The 26,000-square-foot Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion will open in July 2013. Inaugural exhibitions at the expanded space will focus on the recent Lunder Collection donation, which is considered one of the most important holdings of American art assembled by private collectors. The collection is valued at over $100 million and will join the existing collection, which includes contemporary works by Richard Serra, Sol LeWitt, Kara Walker, and Alex Katz.
colby.edu/museum

Made right in Maine by a skilled team of upholsterers, artisans, and furniture makers, MAINE STREET MERCANTILE & MFG. CO. is a new line of custom furniture and decorative objects from Maine Street Design Co. Brett Johnson’s designs come from his personal heritage: generations of mariners and a long family history of coastal Maine living. From this legacy furniture and objects are created that blend Maine tradition and classic elements and fit right in with today’s spaces and modern aesthetic. Items will grow to include all manner of furniture, such as beds (including trundle and daybeds), chairs, sofas, desks, chests-of-drawers, secretaries, side tables, lighting, and accessories such as pillows, throws, wall hangings, mirrors, and decorative objects.
mainestreetdesign.com