By Ethan Hayes-Chute
2009 Biennial Artist

Well, the first week in the Museum has been great. Considering all the noise, mess, and clutter that my team (Lucas, Chris, Shon, and my dad, Jim) and I dragged in throughout the week, everyone at the PMA has
been really relaxed, easy going, and helpful.

Monday, Day 1, consisted of hauling the 12 main pieces (partially completed walls and floors) of the cabin and piles of loose boards in through the front door. We were able to set up the first floor of the cabin along with it’s ceiling by the end of the day, and I got some great birds-eye view time lapse footage of the whole thing from the second floor overlook. On Tuesday we (now with Bethany and Josh helping out) got the second floor walls up, plumb, level, and square, and WSCH 6 came by and did a segment on the project as well.

The next few days were spent siding the cabin, putting the roof on, installing the staircase, banisters on the porch, and various other more detailed aspects of the construction. This week I’ll spend my time fine-tuning aspects of the cabin (windows and doors, most noticeably) and begin bringing in the ‘objects of life’ that will furnish the cabin and give it that lived-in feel; but to get a peek inside, you’ll just have to wait until the show opens. As the Talking Heads say, “You can’t see it ’til it’s finished.”