From winterety at sbcglobal.net Mon Nov 17 09:46:51 2008 From: winterety at sbcglobal.net (sheryl lynn gerety) Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:46:51 -0800 Subject: [OldNorthBoard] FYI: plaques Message-ID: <6FA61B53-A9B3-408D-9737-EF3E3D05B48C@sbcglobal.net> Hi Val and other board members. I am meeting with Linda Fitz Gibbon, one of the more prominent local ceramicists, this morning to get some design ideas from her. I am taking those black and white grainy pictures of the various MRs and wanna be's to have something to look at. I have the Newman Center, 602 D, 503 5th, and then I need some corroboration. My copy of the suyrvey stps there at naming MRs, so I've also included 513 F, 643 F (Martin Richardson) which we've said we want to redesignate, and I'm also taking 516 E and 616 E as representative types in case the budget looks good to get these done too. Time to both be inclusive and narrow this list and double check it against my admittedly old and kind of uncertain info. I anticipate discussing plaques on the order of 1.5 feet with a border similar to the sidewalks. The information we want to show on them is date of construction and historic owner's name? I see this as fitting into the rectangular borders with a central motif that mirrors the home or building. My hope is that she could sketch something for the Board meeting Thursday, but perhaps it is more realistic to think about January. Given Rand's proposal that we commission a plaque for each MR then ask the owners if they want to display it makes a great deal of sense to me. While we really don't have a display venue excepting the Lyda Williams park for the unmounted plaques, we could also consider asking the Hattie Webber Museum to keep them until ownership changes hands? I am constantly asked to restate the info that the plaques would include. Is historic date of construction plus name sufficient? I think an artist's rendering of the appearance of the building now should be the "content" of the display, but perhaps I am thinking too abstractly. What would you like to see in the way of print accompanying these pieces of yard art? I am forwarding with this email a sample of Linda's work. I have picked up the sense that neither you nor Dan Quickert would be comfortable with color. If that is so then we would have to discuss the possibility of a more monochrome palette than you would see in the samples I am forwarding. Best regards, Sheryl From winterety at sbcglobal.net Mon Nov 17 09:47:36 2008 From: winterety at sbcglobal.net (sheryl lynn gerety) Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:47:36 -0800 Subject: [OldNorthBoard] Fwd: ceramic plaques References: Message-ID: <49CB47DC-E1B0-480C-BFF2-07FB37DAEDFD@sbcglobal.net> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Thanks for thinking of me. Hopefully we can make this fly. >> >> best, >> Linda > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/ondboard/attachments/20081117/152f414c/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: IMGP1027.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 179753 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/ondboard/attachments/20081117/152f414c/IMGP1027-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: IMGP0434.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 167489 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/ondboard/attachments/20081117/152f414c/IMGP0434-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: IMGP0274.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 195425 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/ondboard/attachments/20081117/152f414c/IMGP0274-0001.jpg From dequickert at omsoft.com Mon Nov 17 12:19:56 2008 From: dequickert at omsoft.com (Dan Quickert) Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:19:56 -0800 Subject: [OldNorthBoard] FYI: plaques In-Reply-To: <6FA61B53-A9B3-408D-9737-EF3E3D05B48C@sbcglobal.net> References: <6FA61B53-A9B3-408D-9737-EF3E3D05B48C@sbcglobal.net> Message-ID: <4921D1EC.8040600@omsoft.com> > ...picked up the sense that neither you nor Dan Quickert > would be comfortable with color. If that is so then we > would have to discuss... uhh... when did I get a rep for uncommon lack of color tolerance? that said, I do find the attached samples a bit gaudy for historical plaques on houses that were not historically flashy. More importantly, though - and I'm asking a question here, not making a pronouncement - with changes in house exterior colors over time, would not muted earthtones stand a better chance of 'fitting'? I could see an orange plaque looking good on a brown- or rust-colored house... but that may change when a new owner paints the house sky blue... Dan Quickert On 11/17/08 9:46 AM, sheryl lynn gerety wrote: > Hi Val and other board members. > > I am meeting with Linda Fitz Gibbon, one of the more prominent local > ceramicists, this morning to get some design ideas from her. > > I am taking those black and white grainy pictures of the various MRs > and wanna be's to have something to look at. I have the Newman Center, > 602 D, 503 5th, and then I need some corroboration. My copy of the > suyrvey stps there at naming MRs, so I've also included 513 F, 643 F > (Martin Richardson) which we've said we want to redesignate, and I'm > also taking 516 E and 616 E as representative types in case the budget > looks good to get these done too. Time to both be inclusive and > narrow this list and double check it against my admittedly old and > kind of uncertain info. > > I anticipate discussing plaques on the order of 1.5 feet with a border > similar to the sidewalks. The information we want to show on them is > date of construction and historic owner's name? I see this as fitting > into the rectangular borders with a central motif that mirrors the > home or building. > > My hope is that she could sketch something for the Board meeting > Thursday, but perhaps it is more realistic to think about January. > Given Rand's proposal that we commission a plaque for each MR then ask > the owners if they want to display it makes a great deal of sense to > me. While we really don't have a display venue excepting the Lyda > Williams park for the unmounted plaques, we could also consider asking > the Hattie Webber Museum to keep them until ownership changes hands? > > I am constantly asked to restate the info that the plaques would > include. Is historic date of construction plus name sufficient? I > think an artist's rendering of the appearance of the building now > should be the "content" of the display, but perhaps I am thinking too > abstractly. What would you like to see in the way of print > accompanying these pieces of yard art? > > I am forwarding with this email a sample of Linda's work. I have > picked up the sense that neither you nor Dan Quickert would be > comfortable with color. If that is so then we would have to discuss > the possibility of a more monochrome palette than you would see in the > samples I am forwarding. > > Best regards, > Sheryl > > _______________________________________________ > ondboard mailing list > ondboard at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/ondboard > > From winterety at sbcglobal.net Mon Nov 17 13:03:39 2008 From: winterety at sbcglobal.net (sheryl lynn gerety) Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:03:39 -0800 Subject: [OldNorthBoard] FYI: plaques In-Reply-To: <4921D1EC.8040600@omsoft.com> References: <6FA61B53-A9B3-408D-9737-EF3E3D05B48C@sbcglobal.net> <4921D1EC.8040600@omsoft.com> Message-ID: Answering Dan's suggestions/questions and then some: When I talked with Linda, she suggested she do some research into house colors at the period (s) in which the houses were built and use them as a basis for a palette, but ultimately the decision as to colors rests with us. I bet she finds yellow, gray and white which are not terribly exciting when taken alone but might could (Southernism) be worked up together? I don't know. I like the muted tones idea myself but don't know how that would look with the cream and vermillion of the 602 D house. As things move along Linda could help us with the contrasting elements. I'm no artist myself. In sketching out the preliminary design elements: *there could be a border motif that all plaques have in common. *The color pallet will remain the same for all plaques (that is, once colors agreed upon). The font will be the same in each case. *The size will be 12 inches rather than 18" because cracking becomes more likely with the 18" tile. *The words Merit Resource will appear above a stylized representation of each individual house, if they appear at all. *The name of the original owner/resident will appear on the house as part of a rail or soffet or other design element. Or, should we elect not to use the MR term, the original family name will appear at the top. *The date of construction will appear below the central design. Concerns that we raised and were discussed: What is enough information? Is the term Merit Resource one that would add or detract from the overall meaning of the work? In some cases, it may be that the house is not yet MR as in the case of the MartinRichardson house. Which five houses** exactly will we choose since the money we have (our $400 plus $400 from the city) will allow Linda to spend some time working out details, playing around with colors. Whether the overall appearance should lean towards institutional (when it is not) or artistic (covers a lot of ground, I know) because I know granite has been suggested as well as this idea -- I bear responsibility for it -- of ceramic as being weather proof and least likely to be nabbed with the elasticity of design a given. Linda can have a sketch to us by the time we meet in February since she is already committed to building for a show in late January. Meanwhile she will take input from all of us. **I left her with photos of the 5th and D Victorian bungalow, 602 D, the Pedder bungalow on E (not according to my paperwork MR), the California bungalow on E (also not MR), the crafstman on F (our next project with HRMC will be to ask them to redesignate that structure), Dan and Patty's house (not MR in my paperwork). I did not leave info about the Newman Center and St. James since in the past (or so I have recalled this) they were not amenable to any sort of recognition of historical status? So, five houses. But I want to get some clear understandings from the Board. Are these the houses we intend to recognize? I also have in my own mind accepted the suggestion RAnd Herbert made at the last Board meeting, mentioned in my earlier note. We commission the plaques, offer them to the current owners and display any rejects at Hattie Webber or in the Lyda Williams park. I'll go over all t his at the meeting and ask for email input as anything occurs. On Nov 17, 2008, at 12:19 PM, Dan Quickert wrote: >> ...picked up the sense that neither you nor Dan Quickert >> would be comfortable with color. If that is so then we >> would have to discuss... > > uhh... when did I get a rep for uncommon lack of color tolerance? > > that said, I do find the attached samples a bit gaudy for historical > plaques on houses that were not historically flashy. > > More importantly, though - and I'm asking a question here, not > making a pronouncement - with changes in house exterior colors over > time, would not muted earthtones stand a better chance of 'fitting'? > I could see an orange plaque looking good on a brown- or rust- > colored house... but that may change when a new owner paints the > house sky blue... > > > Dan Quickert > > > > On 11/17/08 9:46 AM, sheryl lynn gerety wrote: >> Hi Val and other board members. >> I am meeting with Linda Fitz Gibbon, one of the more prominent >> local ceramicists, this morning to get some design ideas from her. >> I am taking those black and white grainy pictures of the various >> MRs and wanna be's to have something to look at. I have the Newman >> Center, 602 D, 503 5th, and then I need some corroboration. My >> copy of the suyrvey stps there at naming MRs, so I've also >> included 513 F, 643 F (Martin Richardson) which we've said we want >> to redesignate, and I'm also taking 516 E and 616 E as >> representative types in case the budget looks good to get these >> done too. Time to both be inclusive and narrow this list and >> double check it against my admittedly old and kind of uncertain >> info. >> I anticipate discussing plaques on the order of 1.5 feet with a >> border similar to the sidewalks. The information we want to show >> on them is date of construction and historic owner's name? I see >> this as fitting into the rectangular borders with a central motif >> that mirrors the home or building. >> My hope is that she could sketch something for the Board meeting >> Thursday, but perhaps it is more realistic to think about >> January. Given Rand's proposal that we commission a plaque for >> each MR then ask the owners if they want to display it makes a >> great deal of sense to me. While we really don't have a display >> venue excepting the Lyda Williams park for the unmounted plaques, >> we could also consider asking the Hattie Webber Museum to keep >> them until ownership changes hands? >> I am constantly asked to restate the info that the plaques would >> include. Is historic date of construction plus name sufficient? >> I think an artist's rendering of the appearance of the building >> now should be the "content" of the display, but perhaps I am >> thinking too abstractly. What would you like to see in the way of >> print accompanying these pieces of yard art? >> I am forwarding with this email a sample of Linda's work. I have >> picked up the sense that neither you nor Dan Quickert would be >> comfortable with color. If that is so then we would have to >> discuss the possibility of a more monochrome palette than you >> would see in the samples I am forwarding. >> Best regards, >> Sheryl >> _______________________________________________ >> ondboard mailing list >> ondboard at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/ondboard