House Kindling Party

House Kindling Party

House Kindling Party is an artist project that was to help imbue the new home with love and positive energy. I have come to recognize and value the nature of ritual in life and in my work. With House Kindling Party I am attempting to design an instance for people to gather that is slightly off normative and slightly enhanced in what it offers to a lived experience.

House Kindling Party

The first House Kindling Party was co-hosted by artist, collaborator, and cohort mate, Jordan Rosenblum in his new NE Portland home one day after signing the paperwork finalizing the purchase in December of 2018. The event was the first get together in the home taking place even before the home was fully furnished. The event goal was to help imbue the new home with love and positive energy. The party coincided with the third night of Hanukkah of which the Gugenheim-Kedem family presided over our celebration of that holiday as well. The event featured traditional Hanukkah food items including matzo ball soup and potato latkes. At the end of the event participants collaborated to build a House Kindling Mobile to leave behind and grace the vaguely furnished home.

House Kindling Party 2

House Kindling Party 2 came about when artist, collaborator, and cohort mate, Emma Duehr bought a new SE Portland home with their partner Luke Fall 2019. Emma is interested in turning their home into a yet to be named art space offering artist residencies and facilitating artist projects. I thought this was a perfect context to pitch House Kindling Party 2. Together we co-facilitated the event featuring a meal prepared by Grandmother’s(s) Kitchen, a plant exchange facilitated by Emma, and collaborated with guests to build a House Kindling Mobile facilitated by myself. Jordan Rosenblum made an appearance to gift Emma and Luke a fragment of his House Kindling Mobile which has changed forms many times and still remains present in his home.