The ArtHouse Chair

In February an email showed up in our in-box. It said:

“Arthouse at the Jones Center seeks qualified designers for a freshening of its visual identity and associated media in conjunction with our grand reopening in October, 2010.”

An invited RFQ of 33 design teams, we promptly pulled together our package for the March 5th deadline. While the RFQ outlined expectations for Arthouse from their design team, project scope, etc it also included one atypical request; a design challenge. Along with the stipulation on deliverable items, the task read as follows:

“All firms who wish to be considered must complete the following task and provide a selection of completed work in print and web design. Selections must include a minimum of one print invitation design and one web site.”

Fascinating.
Who is Jason Middlebrook?

“Jason Middlebrook (Hudson, NY) will be the first artist featured in the ground floor galleries. Create a print exhibition announcement for his exhibition, Jason Middlebrook: More Art about Buildings and Food, a commissioned site-specific project utilizing detritus from the building renovation to create unique large-scale furniture. Community potluck events will take place within his gallery.”

And this quote from Jason:

“One of my favorite albums of all time is the 1978 Talking Heads album, “More Songs about Buildings and Food.” My title is a spin off on that, “more art about buildings and food”! I love it because it pays homage to a great piece of art and it says so much about the history of the Arthouse building and my project. The big hit off this album was a cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” and even that is fitting for Austin.”

As there were no stipulations beyond a minimum of one print sample and one web sample, we produced several physical samples in each category including our work for the the AIA Homes Tour, Mark Odom Studio, Madrone, Lamberts, and award winning work for MAKE. A series of one of a kind posters declaring our qualifications, “5 things only FÖDA could say”, and our solution to the design task accompanied a PDF (an abbreviated version of which can be found Here.)

Whatever your feelings may be about the solicitation of spec work, we undertook the ‘task’ in the spirit it was delivered. The scope was small and provided Arthouse a clear tool for comparison. Our solution seemed appropriate and more importantly, inclusive. If the artist would work with architectural detritus for the opening to make furniture, then we would follow suit using scrap papers and various imagery to allow the public to make furniture, albeit smaller.

Thus, two dies would punch 3 usable forms from every piece of scrap paper or dead marketing material or job site waste that could be placed on the press, and some new printed material would be used to supplement the run with pictures of food or architecture. Postcards go out, extras remain at Arthouse. Chair legs and seat are popped out by hand, slotted for assembly with no glue.






Receivers assemble the chairs at home or—returning with them opening night—build collaboratively and create multiple—nearly infinite—variations on the art of their chair-as-table-setting-as-keep-sake-as-collaborative-art-piece.

Final demo chairs both, assembled and with uncut postcards, were shipped in a translucent carton along with posters, print samples, etc.

Unfortunately, they chose another design team. Them’s the breaks.

Client: Arthouse Request for Design Proposals
Creative Director: Jett Butler
Designers: Jett Butler, Sissy Emmons and Melissa Martin with assembly assistance from intern Brandon Gamm.
Task Postcard Photography: Jett Butler
Documentation: Jett Butler & Sissy Emmons
All material and concept ©2010 FÖDA Studio, inc.