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Boston Art Museum – School Project

This architecture school project was to design something for an odd, triangular island across from South Station in Boston. As with all of her school projects, Mindy developed an idea that was half building and half landscape; in this case, a museum covered with a multi-level garden. The public park atop a private museum included a confluence of paths, and presented a place of contemplation at a busy urban intersection. Mindy also developed a system of fixed and movable walls for the interior gallery spaces.  In this work, one can see the seeds of many of Mindy’s professional projects and social intentions; verdant nature intermingled with hardscape; a design for efficient energy use; flexible, modular partition systems; the use of private rooftops for public green space; and a high regard for culture and art.

In college, Mindy learned to paint using oils. Eventually, her speed and impatience led to acrylics which she intended to maneuver into an oil paint-like appearance.

After years of foundational instruction in which students were only allowed to use a hard pencil, Boston University’s Department of Fine Arts finally allowed its art students to paint in oils. These are images of oil paintings Mindy produced while in this program. Toward the end of this course, Mindy began to stretch beyond painting from life. The head of the theme park visitor shoved through the Statue of Liberty piece is one of those. So is the “Othello as a Busboy” piece which was supposed to be the first of a series representing Mindy’s honorable and impressive artist friends having to make a living doing other work.

Mindy used to carry a pad and drawing tools with her and sketch everywhere she went. Her close friend, Lou, was often a model for her.

Mindy’s chain-smoking, generally morose roommate Erika was a willing model. The drawing of Erika’s back in art class was Mindy being slightly perverse as the assignment was to draw the model who Erika was drawing.