What's New: Gretchen Maricak and Birmingham's Eco-City Now at Historical Museum

There's always something new happening in Birmingham's arts community. Birmingham Patch is dedicated to keeping you informed about what's going on around town, in your neighborhood and right down the street.

This week, we're taking a closer look at:

Gretchen Maricak and Birmingham's Eco-City

• Where:
• When: 1-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
• Cost: Adults $5; Seniors $3; Students $3; Children 5 and under are free

The Arts and Crafts Period in Birmingham's Eco-City Neighborhood
June 20-Nov. 10

Birmingham's Eco-City neighoborhood provided housing for workers in the booming auto industry of the early 20th century. Many of these homes incorporated principles of the Arts and Crafts era in their design and many still exist.

This exhibit explores the Eco-City development, and the philosophy and lifestyle of the Arts and Crafts period as experienced by middle and working class Americans. On display will be selected decorative items and furnishings, including Mission furniture, ceramic pieces by Pewabic and other potteries, textiles, lamps and other period-inspired pieces.

The Artchitectural Art of Gretchen Maricak
July 5-Nov. 10

Gretchen Maricak has lived in Birmingham for many years. As an artist as well as profession in the College of Architectural & Design at Lawrence Technological University, she has been working to help students learn the traditional technique of architectural colored pencil drawings.

Several of her renderings of Eco-City's Arts and Crafts-style homes will be on display at the museum, depicting how they might have looked in the 1920's when they were built. Also, an entire display will be devoted to selected pieces of her entire body of work over several decades, including examples of architecuturally-inspired pieces in various media, including pencil, intaglio, oil, ink, found objects, paper abd Masonite.

Descriptions courtesy of the Birmingham Historical Museum.

The Birmingham Historical Museum, made up of the John West Hunter House and the Allen House, are located at 556 W. Maple Rd., near Maple and Southfield. For more information, call 248-530-1928 or email museum@ci.birmingham.mi.us.