Monday, March 29, 2010

An Art Museum Chicken Coop Exhibit


Comment:
The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is currently exhibiting a novel chicken coop exhibit. You cannot say it's not art because it is, and it's unexpectedly delightful. Many talented people were involved in the construction, planning, in depth study and design of this project. Students from the University of Colorado's Environmental Design team under the guidance of CU Professor Richard Saxon from the Art and Art History Department, created the “Chicken Shack Village” photo spread and three of the five chicken coops in the exhibit.

One design for some lucky chickens is a strawbale house and another collects rainwater from its roof. All looked like a whole lot of fun to live in, if you are a chicken, or maybe, a kid. Rob Pyatt, College of Architecture and Planning, led his "design and build" class to construct a metal industrial strength model, also on display, to market for homeowners.

The art museum, and thus, this project is located adjacent to where the Boulder Farmer's Market is held and viewing is(was) free on market days.

The museum display included live chickens on exhibit the opening weekend. While I viewed the exhibit, the chickens were there, in and out and all around the houses in my imagination. And if anyone reading knows how many beautiful chicken breeds there are, that is truly an artful subject.

Update: There is a new post about the metal coop, pictured below, which is now being marketed here.