Reimagining Building Possibilities
For the month of November, Hank & Dolly’s Gallery is exhibiting Reimagining Building Possibilities by Lorie Lee Andrews, a whimsical and thought-provoking exploration of the vast potential of revitalizing vacant historic buildings in the community.
It all started with an abandoned brick building in Fountain Square that unexpectedly caught her eye one beautiful fall day. Lorie Lee Andrews, a skilled printmaker and painter, couldn't get the building out of her head. "It just hit me what a waste it was to see this building without a current purpose," she said. She started imagining what this building could be if and when it was occupied, from coffee shop to music store to laundromat, so she created an etching and multiple prints of the building, later painting in the prints and adding details with watercolor. The collection grew to about twenty-five different images of the revitalized building and was first shown at the Indianapolis Artsgarden in 2018. Andrews also added a story to the prints, creating a charming children’s book called Building Possibilities.
This show, Reimagining Building Possibilities, sprang from a grant Andrews received from the Indiana Landmarks Foundation, which emphasizes preserving historic buildings. The first print shows the original building, dark, boarded-up, and blackened from years of neglect. But in the following prints, it transforms into a freshly painted and brightly colored bakery, preschool center, shoe store, or barber's shop, a bustling hub of activity inside and out, in stark contrast to the state of the original building. Looking at all the prints, the character, and life the building takes on in each of them are remarkable, reminding the viewer of the huge potential for life and transformation that every vacant historic building has.
Alongside her own work, Andrews is also showcasing prints made by children in guided art classes at their schools. Andrews visited Fox Hill Elementary School and The Oaks Academy to teach a printmaking workshop and also to encourage students to consider the value of reusing and reinventing something old rather than simply discarding it. Similar to her work, the students created colorful, imaginative prints of their own music stores, pet shops, bakeries, toy stores, and even a freeze-dried candy store. One reason she included the kids' art, she says, is that children are so natural at using art to communicate their dreams and ideas, and in this, they can set a great example for adults.
Through her imaginative prints, Andrews showcases the immense possibility of vacant historic buildings in the community, specifically to be lively, unique shops and stores. About the show, she says, “My hope is that people will embrace the theme of reinvention, as well as the use of the arts to express intentions and ideas.”
Reimagining Building Possibilities can be viewed anytime in Hank & Dolly’s Gallery through November during Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The works can also be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through November.