Omahype: The Omaha Events Calendar

Written by Will Silvey Simons

This Friday marks the opening of “HOME,” where the Bancroft Street Market will be divided into seven temporary, fully-furnished rooms featuring contemporary design elements and original art from several local artists. Curated by Birdhouse Interiors, “HOME” spans the course of 10 days and will be open daily through Sunday, December 11th. In addition, popular fashion/design blogger and HGTV personality Erin Loechner will be on hand Friday to discuss the important roles that the Internet and social media play in promotion and networking the creative efforts of up-and-coming artists.

Tickets for the opening reception are $30 (available for purchase here), and runs from 6-10 p.m. on Friday, December 2nd. December 3rd-11th, “HOME” will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. each day, with $5 admission. You can find more info about the opening here.

Birdhouse’s Jessica McKay understandably has had a busy couple of weeks prepping for Friday’s opening, but she was kind enough to take a moment recently to answer a few questions regarding “HOME” for Omahype. It’s especially interesting (and inspiring) to hear McKay’s thoughts on the role original art plays in an individual’s home space.

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“HOME” transforms the Bancroft Street Market into seven unique living spaces. What factors made the Bancroft gallery space a good choice for this project?

First of all, Bill Siedler Jr. He has been a delight to work with and he really believes in fostering the creative community in Omaha. Second, it is a large (about 5,000 sq ft) open space that we could do with what we wanted. It has parking, a sound system and is really cool architecturally with the open ceiling beams.

What do you hope visitors will gain from visiting “HOME”?

We really want people to get to know us better. We want them to see that interior design really is an art form, but doesn’t have to feel stuffy or snobby. We hope they see how important original art is in a space and notice that each room is different in order to match the personality of the “homeowner.” We like to get to know each client and then help their spaces reflect the best and coolest version of themselves.

What makes “HOME” different from your typical designer home tour?

It’s different because it is 100% original art. No mass produced, weird abstract painting. Also, because it’s not about showcasing every trendy design technique in one room. It’s about telling a story in each space. We love that. With our spaces, you get a feel for the character who resides there — down to the little details.

Erin Loechner’s presentation on Friday focuses on the importance of the Internet and social media for up-and-coming artists. Have any artists that Birdhouse features caught your attention through a strong and smart Internet/social media presence?

We haven’t showcased local artists that we discovered through the Internet. But I have found artists that I really enjoy after I saw their work on blogs. We’ve even placed some work for clients after we sourced things through blogs or Esty. That’s why I think it is important for our local artists to embrace being online a bit more. There are so many people out there that will never get a chance to love their stuff otherwise.

Birdhouse strongly supports local artists. What are some of the reasons behind incorporating original local art into Birdhouse’s interior design work?

My degree is in studio art, so I think that is why I know how important having original fine art pieces is in your home. There is nothing more telling of your personality than the art you have in your space (expect for maybe books and music). When I see mass produced and generic pieces being used from “designers,” it kills me. That is sort of like telling your client that you don’t trust them enough to have a personal style and they should look and be like everyone else. I want to encourage people to develop their tastes and using local artists is all the better because they often get to be a part of the creative process with our clients and each person has a new experience to build on.

In addition to visual art, “Home” touts to also feature original art in all mediums, including textiles and furniture from local artists. Is this something new for you guys?

It’s actually not. We love doing custom work for people in all sorts of ways. We have done handmade benches, tables, sculptures, pillows, etc. That’s the coolest part of working with an interior designer. You get to have things specially made for you!

What role is the Union for Contemporary Arts playing in “HOME”?

The Union for Contemporary art is our philanthropic partner for “HOME”. We think their mission is amazing and are pleased to have a portion of the ticket sales go to directly support their 2012 programming.

Really, shouldn’t we just rely on the trusty MoMA Desgin Store catalogue for all our home decorating needs?

I wouldn’t say all, but my husband might. I certainly agree that it has some rad stuff in it. And, who doesn’t have $500 to spend on a clock? Right?