By Fabiola Barral 

barralfa@grinnell.edu

One step onto the Art Haus front porch is an invitation to linger for a little longer. Upon entering, there is a wall atop the staircase with various figure drawings. Ellie Jung ’16 encourages any students to donate their artwork.

“We want to provide a space for people to display their artwork if they’d like, we have more than enough room for it,” Jung said.

Jung also suggested the possibility of creating a mini-gallery within their home of various student art specifically for anyone who wants their art put up for others to see.

Art Haus is one of three project houses that are off-campus while promoted and assisted by the college. While the other two project houses, Eco House and Food House, have existed and remained in their same respective locations for a few years, 1023 Park St. has housed various teams and clubs, such as Tennis and Dagorhir Swordfighting. The space holds eight people, specifically with two singles and three doubles. Art Haus was the brainchild of Becky Garner ’15 and Rosie O’Brien ’16, three art majors who wanted to promote their passion for the arts for anyone willing to be involved. Their idea to create the house derived from an art class a few of the housemates took last year.

“One of the big parts of why we wanted to do Art Haus is that there is a huge disconnect on campus between people who do art and those who know people who do art. We want to bring that together,” explained Zamora.

Since establishing the idea, Rosie O’Brien was took charge in organizing and making sure the project house idea went through.

Formerly known as “Tennis House” last year, there still remnants of project houses from previous years.

“Last week one of my housemates told me that the only channel available is ESPN,” said Hannah Southern ’14.

However, the house is now adorned with artwork both inside and out. One of such artworks is two life sized wooden bodies; one languidly lies in the grass, while the other lounges on the rooftop; his name is Mort.

“One day I just saw Rosie and Hannah arrive with these two real-looking bodies … it was a little strange,” Southern said.

The Art Haus residents are working on events and activities that anyone will be able to get involved with.

“We are planning projects that will really promote art as something that everyone can do, and also incorporating service projects as a way to help art students with projects and tasks that the Art department doesn’t necessarily do,” O’brien said in an email with the S&B.

Conveniently situated right behind Bucksbaum, the house aims for artists to be able to easily commute to a space to suit their creative needs.

“We want for art majors and music majors to come together and hang out here. Even if others haven’t had as much exposure with art we want them to come here and be able to experience it,” Jung said.

One of Jung’s contributions to the house is a large canvas painting of a circus scene she made in high school. This painting, displayed in the dining room, is in the background to family meals the house has. Another key detail of the kitchen area is the instant feeling of being watched. House member Doug Dale ’15 kindly gave their refrigerator the power of sight.

“When Becky and I first moved into our home we decided we’d put googly eyes on everything,” Zamora said.

Although Zamora and Garner were friends from the start, most of the house residents have only come to know each other in the past few weeks.

“We didn’t know each other very well at all,” said Corson Androski ’16.

One wouldn’t think that the residents ushering guests onto their couch were previously near-strangers, but their current unity is a testament to the tight knit community Art House is striving, and succeeding, to create.