Art of the Garage Tour

The Museum of Art in Fort Collins announced the tour, and I decided to go. The tour sounded tailor-made for me, as I had moved into a new art studio/garage this year, and hoped to get some ideas.

There were eight garages on the tour, and I was able to visit all of them. There were a wide range of garages represented, at some level representing some of the many ways garages are used.

The first garage was a unique two-level garage. It looked like a conventional two car garage, but included a basement accessed by two double-decker elevators. The elevator was halfway between the top and bottom position, so we could see how it worked. You can see a classic Mustang in the lower level.

The second garage that I visited was a photographic studio, with a white background and floor. The car is a rare alloy gullwing Mercedes, not owned by the photographer; we were told that it was worth six million dollars. The Mercedes looked great, especially as professionally lit by the photographer.

The third garage was a zero energy ready house, recently finished and still empty, except for a few paintings. The garage contained a Tesla, but was otherwise uninteresting; this was the only stop that was a real disappointment.

The fourth garage was a hobby printing shop. I enjoyed chatting with the printer's wife, who introduced herself as the "printer's devil", and looking at the old printing presses and other equipment.

Architect's home

The fifth garage and home were built by an architect with his own hands. The motorcycles in the garage were on loan; one had competed in the Baja 1000 race.

The sixth garage was an artist's studio, on the second floor of the garage. It included a porch with a view of the mountains. She was all about creative use of materials that would otherwise be thrown away. She is a weaver and a basketmaker.

The seventh garage was also an artist's studio. The artist was 80 years old, and trying to sell some of her lifetime of work.

The eighth garage incorporated the ideas of the author of the book "Your Garagenous Zone", Bill West; this is his garage, and something of a prototype. He is a big believer is visual storage; no need for labels or memory if everything is in plain sight. As you can see in the photos, he uses slatwall panels, which are much more attractive than pegboard. Slatwall is common in upscale clothing stores; there are many kinds of hooks and other accessories available.  He likes 42 inch counter height, which he sees as better for standing, with more storage underneath. He likes to have things off the floor, as it is easier to clean; refrigerators and other large items should be on casters.

I plan to apply to have my studio/garage included in next year's tour. Not that my garage is or will be a showcase, but it is a working artist's studio. This would provide an opportunity to show my art, as well as my studio. It would also motivate me to finish and clean up my studio.