GaLA OPENING THIS FRIDAY

InformationInsulationArt – Locus Architecture OPEN; Friday, November 4, 5-9 p.m.
Gallery at Locus Architecture (GaLA); 708 W. 40th St.; Minneapolis

Think of your earliest memory or an influential moment in your life.  You probably recall the weather, others who were with you, the smell, the lighting.  The impact of a memory often allows us to recall other less important details by association.

Architecture, likewise, is memorable when experiential.

We create spaces by harnessing the energy of our clients’ stories.  Our greatest successes have little to do with specifying faucets and floor stains, a requisite skill of any able designer.  We craft built environments worthy of memory, a higher standard most aren’t designed to meet.

When we began tearing down the ceiling in our office, exposing 1939 & 1940 newspaper (insulation), we unknowingly stumbled upon thousands of “lost” stories.  Slapdash demolition halted immediately while we carefully separated full-page layouts of “Oomph” (Ann Sheridan) from front page Extras printed hours after Paris fell to Nazi invaders.

The quick solution – bundle it all up for the recycling truck – would have saved us hundreds of hours of time.  We could have, but our loss would have been yours as well.  No Mystery of Nylon Hosiery or the forgotten knowledge that Minneapolitan’s Grandmother Sold Idea Of Wearing Whiskers to ‘Abe’ Lincoln or even the fact that Hitler is Afraid of the U.S. Wayzata Woman Declares.

Paging through old spreads, we were surprised by the gossip journalism above the fold on page one (Wendy Plays ‘Burglar and Lady’ Role), the lack of political correctness (U.S. Protests Jap Bombings), or the amount of patronizing articles (Only Woman to hold this Man-Size Job).  Perhaps the Ol’ Days were Good, but this was the “Greatest Generation”.  Wouldn’t you think they would have taken their news more seriously than we?

At Locus, we see value in the things others overlook; a nuance in a play of light, a possible efficiency in a daily ritual, or the graphic beauty of dusty old insulation.  It’s all about the story, the memory.

How will we ever forget the process of finding, separating, reading, and reusing these newspapers?  We’re excited to share that experience with you.  Take a stack home and find your own treasures.  If the spaces you occupy aren’t worthy of the effort, let us help you change that.