Alexander Girard, Interior plan (detail), Miller House and Garden papers, IMA Archives.

The opening of Miller House and Garden has been wildly successful, with sold out tours for five solid months.  The home where Cummins CEO J. Irwin and Xenia Miller raised their children illustrates the masterful skills of the renowned mid-century architect Eero Saarinen.  The garden, designed by Dan Kiley, offers a lush contrast to the stark structure.  But, the explosive colors, textures and folk art inspired by interior designer Alexander Girard give this house its soul.

Girard is perhaps best known as the textile designer for Herman Miller Furniture Company from 1952 to 1973. One of the pre-eminent designers of his generation, Girard’s work has experienced a surge in popularity in the last decade.  His spirited designs now can be found on Kate Spade bags, Electra bicycles and Urban Outfitters pillows.

In Columbus, Indiana, Girard-inspired designs have never fallen out of fashion.  His influence is a testament to the friendship he shared with the Millers, especially Xenia.

If you know where to look, you’ll see his handiwork throughout the city.  Start with North Christian Church, which is full of tell tale signs of Girard’s handiwork.  The church was yet another example of a collaboration between Saarinen, Kiley and Girard (Saarinen died three years before the church was completed in 1964).

North Christian Church.

Sitting at the center of the hexagonal sanctuary is a substantial communion table, ringed by 12 seats for the church elders. Throughout the year, the cushions on these seats will transition from green to red to purple to white, in step with the liturgical calendar. This mirrors an idea Girard incorporated successfully in the Miller’s home. Cushion covers and pillows in the conversation pit were changed with the seasons, featuring pale neutrals in warm months and deep reds in winter.  The interiors of both the Miller House and North Christian Church are clean, stark and neutral.  Girard switched out the textiles to transform the interiors with the changing seasons.

Girard added additional ornamentation inside the church, with elaborate rod-iron flower stands in the main sanctuary and candelabras of similar design in the baptistery.  Also in the sanctuary, one can sometimes see a brightly-colored “Tree of Life” appliqué, designed by Girard, although the piece is showing signs of wear and is rarely on display.

Clients of the Saarinen-designed Irwin Union Bank (now operating as First Financial Bank) in downtown Columbus enjoy the collection of George Nelson desks and Saarinen chairs.  Since all the exterior walls are made of glass, there is limited wall space for art.  Two interior walls are adorned with textiles from India.  In fact, nearly-identical textiles are on display in Girard’s collection at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In 1964, Girard designed a streetscape plan for the Victorian-era structures that line downtown Columbus’ Washington Street.  Working with a group of downtown business owners, he recommended a color palette of 26 colors.  According to a brochure about the project, “One of the startling aspects of the proposal and one which was of immediate appeal to young people in the community was Girard’s use of bright accent colors for decorative details and windows, with the most popular being the bright orange bay window…” Over time, 80 percent of the downtown buildings repainted in Girard’s color scheme.  Today, infill construction and redevelopment of the area has minimized the impact of Girard’s plan from decades ago.  But one downtown Columbus building is vintage Girard.

301 Washington; photo by Don Nissen.

The former offices of Irwin Management are located at 301 Washington.  Locals know the building simply as “301.”   Joseph Ireland Irwin, J. Irwin Miller’s great-grandfather, operated a dry goods store in this building.  After establishing one of the city’s early banks, he remodeled the building in 1881.  His holdings grew and through the shrewd business dealings of his son and great grandson, the family’s business holdings grew.  They included partial ownership of Cummins Engine Company, the diesel engine manufacturing company founded by W.G. Irwin and Clessie Cummins.  Even after J.I. Miller guided the company to profitability, he continued to keep his offices at 301.  In 1973, he hired Alexander Girard to renovate the structure.  The building was recently sold to Cummins Inc. for offices and training space.  However, plans are in the works to open the reception area and Miller’s office, with the original furnishings, for public tours in the spring of 2012.

When thinking about glass houses, the first that leaps to mind of course is Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut – a shimmering glass pavilion without curtains or window coverings of any kind – a bold statement indeed.  But having no curtains did not mean that Johnson wished always to live in a fishbowl.  For those moments when even he desired privacy, Johnson retreated to the Brick House, a nearly windowless structure just steps away.

The more ordinary homes built for those of us with less-than-Johnsonian daring must accommodate our desire to have both light and views, as well as enclosure and privacy, depending on the hour of the day or whether one wishes to move about the house en déshabillé.  The Miller House was planned as a fully functioning family home, making privacy and control of light levels at the windows components of the program that architect Eero Saarinen had to accommodate.  One of the most memorable experiences that the house provides is impact of the views of the landscape and gardens through broad expanses of ceiling-height windows.

These, as well as smaller windows all required curtains.  In addition, two interior spaces, the den and the dining room, could be closed off from the main living area with curtains.

All the exterior windows have two layers of curtains – a semi-transparent “glass curtain” immediately adjacent to the window, and a denser curtain just inside.  In the bedrooms, the inner curtains are heavily lined and opaque so that the rooms can be darkened effectively for more comfortable sleep.  In the living areas, the inner curtains are denser than the glass curtains but have an open weave that further filters light without blocking it.  In the original scheme, the light filtering curtains were of textiles designed by Jack Lenor Larsen, while the bedrooms featured inner curtains designed by Alexander Girard.  The children’s rooms, for example, made use of his “Quatrefoil” design in several colorways.

The curtains on the smaller windows operate manually by means of cords and pulleys – quite straightforward.  At some point in the process of designing the house, someone – perhaps one of the Millers, perhaps Saarinen – decided that for ease, convenience, or drama some of the curtains should be motorized.  The curtains on the west side of the main living area, the longest expanse of glass in the house looking out to the most important landscape view, were among those chosen for motorization.  Here the motors help with the task of moving the heaviest and longest curtains.  The curtains in the master bedroom are also motorized, with the control switches located on the headboard of the bed.  What luxury to be able to open the view to the Dan Kiley landscape before one’s feet have even hit the floor!

Today, such systems integrate the drive motor with the traverse mechanism within the curtain track in a single proprietary package, such as those manufactured by Somfy.  The drive shaft of such a motor directly engages a belt inside the overhead track to move the curtain.  The motors are small and easily hidden by the draperies they control.  Simple, elegant, and easy.

In the 1950s, it was a little more complicated.  The integrated systems, it seems, were yet-to-be-designed things of the future and Saarinen’s office had to decide which components to select to build the motorized system they desired.  Correspondence suggests that they had worked on similar problems before, and rather than shop around or put the system out to bid, wished to use motors manufactured by the Draw-Matic corporation of Michigan because they had been less troublesome than others.  The tracks and traverse hardware appear to have come from Kirsch.  By all accounts, the motorized curtains in the Miller House were never trouble-free and required a fair bit of repairing and adjusting throughout the years.  The drive pulleys tended to be a particular problem – with wear they lost traction on the curtain cord and failed to move it.

Problematic though they might have been, the Millers retained the Draw-Matic motors through all the years they lived in the house.  The state of the art changed, but the Millers’ curtain system remained stubbornly fixed in the mid 1950s.  Obtaining parts to keep things going became more and more difficult.  While Draw-Matic exists today, the firm stopped manufacturing curtain systems a number of years ago, and the style of motor used in the Miller House is now completely obsolete throughout the industry.  Draws-Matic’s stock of old motors and parts is now exhausted.

Not knowing exactly the direction to take to try to repair the ailing curtain systems, I made a number of phone calls including one to Somfy, whose regional representative, David Towslee, patiently explained the nature of the business today.  He visited the Miller House to see the curtains and look at the Draw-Matic motors, many of which have been removed for repair. David brought with him a remarkable stroke of good luck; he confirmed that he had found a small cache of old Draw-Matic motors and parts in a drapery shop in Cincinnati.  Checking an image of the Cincinnati items against the Miller House motors, he determined that they were an exact match.  After a brief flurry of phone calls, we agreed on a purchase price.  The motors and parts are in Columbus now; with luck they will help us get some of the house’s gee-whiz curtain system back up and running.

Miller House & Garden.

The Miller House and Garden is a preservation project that has many blessings to count. I was reminded of this not long ago when I received a call from a gentleman in North Carolina who had become involved in efforts to preserve Richard Neutra’s Kronish House in Beverly Hills, California. Richard Neutra’s work is a defining element of California modernism – think of Julius Schulman’s photos of his Kauffman house in Palm Springs.  Unfortunately, the Kronish house is considered extremely vulnerable in Beverly Hills’ high-value real estate market and preservation-averse regulatory environment.

For the moment, it seems that the house has been granted a brief reprieve from demolition, which will allow Dion Neutra, Richard’s son, and others interested in the property to pursue a means to acquire the property and put it to a sympathetic use.  It will be a tremendous challenge, no doubt, but preservation is always a challenge, and each project presents its challenges in a unique fashion.

Richard Neutra's Kronish House (photo courtesy of Marc Angeles / Unlimited Style / August 1, 2011).

The Miller House and Garden project, in comparison with many others, almost seems to have had a charmed existence from the start.  While talking about the Kronish house with Dion Neutra, I became even more aware of the extraordinary alignment of stars that helped us along.

Early Planning

While imminent threat can galvanize efforts to save a property, hearing the bulldozers in the distance can be discouraging indeed.  Members of the Miller family were well aware of the significance of their home and had begun to think about providing for its preservation before its builders, J. Irwin Miller and Xenia S. Miller, had passed away. In 2007, a large group gathered in Columbus to discuss the futures of the Irwin Home (now a bed and breakfast)  and the Miller House and Garden. Among those present were representatives of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Indiana Landmarks, Yale University, Harvard University, Ball State University, IMA, and Columbus area civic organizations. Discussions quickly reached a consensus that the two properties would likely have to develop independently of one another. Possible uses, maintenance needs, and potential preservation partnerships were among the topics of the day. The IMA’s strong interest in the Miller House and Garden led to the museum taking ownership of the property as a gift from members of the Miller family in 2009.

Funding

Funding preservation costs money. Sometimes it costs tremendous amounts of money. Old buildings can be notorious money pits, and the care of historic landscapes is a lot more complicated than keeping the grass mowed. Almost no organization can afford to take responsibility for a preservation project without significant ongoing financial support. In cases in which preservation requires the purchase of the property as well as funds for its upkeep, the scale of the challenge is greatly magnified. The fact that members of the Miller family were willing to give their home to the IMA, and that they and the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller foundation gave $5 million to establish an endowment, made it possible for the IMA to accept stewardship of the property.

Strong Partnerships 

Changing financial environments have affected historic properties in numerous ways, but one positive result is the bringing together of partners to meet preservation challenges that individual organizations or persons could not address. For the IMA, the perfect partner has been the Columbus Area Visitors Center. Functioning in some ways like a garden-variety CVB – promoting tourism and interest in its community – it is almost unique among its peers in operating tours of the extraordinary modern architecture in Columbus, Indiana.  The Visitors Center already had and was willing to share (and expand where necessary) the infrastructure that existed for its architecture tours to make it possible to provide tours of the Miller House and Garden.  These included: a building in which to receive and orient visitors; gift and ticket sales; restrooms; recruitment, training, and scheduling of tour guides; recruitment and scheduling of shuttle vehicle drivers; administration of tour ticketing and scheduling…the list goes on. Partnership with the Columbus Area Visitors Center increased the value of the IMA’s financial resources tremendously. Had it been necessary for the museum to create what the Visitors Center was willing to share, the IMA’s resources would have stretched beyond breaking.

With the Visitor Center’s assistance in supporting tour operations, the IMA’s involvement could play more to its strengths. A 55-minute drive from Columbus on Interstate 65 and Indiana State Road 31, the IMA has on its staff deep resources of expertise in buildings and mechanical maintenance, horticulture and grounds maintenance, museum registration, curatorial areas related to the Miller collections, financial management, and historical interpretation.  The museum can deploy these as needed to support a small core staff to work on site.

Location 

The real estate mantra. It’s equally true for preservation projects. Columbus has attracted students, enthusiasts, and casual visitors for years, coming in to the city in the thousands annually to view its uniquely concentrated distillation of modern American architecture.  As a possible steward for the Miller House and Garden, the IMA knew that there would be a strong, established audience base for tours. Had the Millers for some reason built their home 50 miles from Columbus as a lone architectural outpost it would have been no less compelling as a work of architecture and design, but it would have been tremendously more difficult to get a viable audience for tours or other programs. Opening the Miller House and Garden to the public has strengthened Columbus’s range of offerings, which has benefitted the city’s architectural tourism generally.

North Christian Church, designed by Eero Saarinen. Columbus, Indiana. (Photo by Greg Hume).

Quality

The birth rate for historic house museums in America has been on the decline, and not without reason. Visitation levels have been declining at many sites, and many more struggle to find ways to survive and stay relevant for audiences in the twenty-first century.  Some have shifted interpretive emphasis, while others have ceased to operate as museums. Cities and towns across the country display the houses that tell the stories of their communities, usually through the histories of prominent families that built the houses that later (mostly twentieth-century) generations felt deserved preservation. While each is unique, when viewed in the aggregate there are areas of significant similarity that diminish many properties’ potential to stand out beyond local or regional interest, which makes the historic house museum option much less viable as a preservation mechanism today.

The Miller House and Garden is a property with exceptionally good aesthetic and historical genes, making it strong enough to stand on a national stage, and a good fit for an art museum as an adoptive parent.  Its architects and designers were outstanding talents who left little comparable work elsewhere:  Eero Saarinen, Dan Kiley, and Alexander Girard. The property was well maintained and retains a significant proportion of its original furnishings. The story of its builders, J. Irwin Miller and Xenia Simons Miller, touches on many interesting and inspiring subjects, especially those concerned with the Millers’ interest in civil rights and social justice.  Taken together with its location, it’s a property that has the right stuff to make it a successful historic house museum.

Timing

Who wouldn’t agree that the time to hit a trend is when it’s on the upswing? Interest in modernism is increasing, with mid-century expressions garnering significant attention.  Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House are recent additions to the list of attractions, both feeding the interest in modernist masterworks.  The Miller House debuted in the midst of this rising attention, just as the work of Saarinen and Kiley is receiving renewed interest, and as significant attention focuses on Girard for the first time.

Looking at the Neutra office website and seeing the ticking countdown clock for the demolition of the Kronish house is sobering indeed.  It’s an inspiration for preservationists to count their blessings where they can, plan their strategies, and support each other’s efforts.

Time and time again, the Millers made generous gifts that would enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Columbus, Indiana. While their support of great architecture is widely known, their gifts of public art have made an equally profound impact on their hometown.

Henry Moore’s, "Large Arch," Columbus Indiana, 1971.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller were great fans of English sculptor Henry Moore (1889 – 1986) and his work was part of their personal art collection. In 1971, two years after I.M. Pei completed his Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, the Millers watched proudly as the five-and-a-half-ton Large Arch, by Moore, was lifted off a flatbed truck by a crane and set into place on the library’s plaza. It was commissioned and purchased by the Millers to provide a visual anchor to the plaza. Its organic form offers a perfect contrast to the geometric shapes of Pei’s library and Eliel Saarinen’s First Christian Church. Today, it is possibly the most photographed feature in all of Columbus.

Jean Tinguely and his work, "Chaos I" in Columbus, IN.

Chaos I is a 7-ton, kinetic sculpture by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely (1925-1991). The 30-foot high, motorized piece is the largest work by Tinguely in the United States. Since it successfully marries art and engineering, it is a fitting centerpiece for a city known for both its great architectural designs and its world-class manufacturing operations.
The architect of the original Commons Centre, Cesar Pelli, first suggested to J. Irwin Miller that a sculpture by Tinguely would be the perfect at the center of this facility that served as an urban park and a retail center in the heart of downtown. Pelli stated, “We would like a great magnet, a focal point such as the old town clock…a place for people to meet and greet one another.” The work was commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. J. Irwin Miller and Miller’s sister, Mrs. Robert Tangeman. Tinguely, a colorful character, took up residence in Columbus for nearly two years and completed the piece in 1974.

Jean Tinguely, "Chaos I," 1974.

For the past three years, it has occupied a climate-controlled box while the Commons was razed and rebuilt in the heart of downtown Columbus. The residents of Columbus are delighted at the return of this beloved sculpture. The sculpture returned to life when locals celebrated the grand opening of the new Commons on June 4 with a ceremonial flipping of the switch.

Dale Chihuly’s "Yellow Neon Chandelier and Persians"

Mrs. Miller was very involved in the operations of the Visitors Center, an organization that originated as the agency to host visitors and to provide tours of this growing architectural mecca. In 1995, Mr. and Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Robert Tangeman, and other local donors, funded the renovation and expansion of the center.

It was architect Kevin Roche who suggested that a work by glass artist Dale Chihuly would create the perfect focal point for the stairwell windows. The artist proposed a blue chandelier, but Mrs. Miller, who was known to have a great eye for color, was opposed to the idea. Blue light, she said, was not flattering to women. She requested the color yellow instead. The chandelier radiates gold light from its yellow neon center through 900 pieces of hand blown glass in four shades of yellow. The Persians, in sunny yellow and watery blue and green, cascade down the window. Today, visitors of all ages delight in these cheerful glass sculptures that greet them as they begin both city architecture tours and tours of the Miller House and Garden.

Bernar Venet’s "2 Arcs de 212.5°"

Positioned in front of the Commons is French artist Bernar Venet’s 2 Arcs de 212.5°, a red sculpture that is typical of his minimalist work in steel. It seems to balance precariously. This work, like his others, reflects his love of mathematics and his habit of investigating material, form, balance, and spatial perception. Mrs. Miller purchased the piece for her home, but gave it to the Columbus Area Arts Council in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary in 1998. It was temporarily relocated during the Commons reconstruction but now is installed near the new main entrance of this sparkling downtown jewel.

Miller House

I was moved by I.M. Pei‘s sleek lines. Seduced by Eames‘ furniture design. Amazed by Harry Weese‘s understanding of light. But in all this courtship, something unexpected happened. An unmistakable tug at my heart strings and a tummy full of butterflies. I fell madly in love with landscape architect Dan Kiley. Well, to be exact, I fell in love with his landscape architecting skills.

Kiley knew the landscape a structure sits on is just as important as the structure itself. It’s a balanced, complementing relationship. A gentle dance across a crowded floor. Swoon.

I wandered through Kiley’s shaded clean grid patterns, well-trimmed shrubs and meticulously placed trees. All were in linear harmony with the horizontal and vertical lines of the structures at their center.

Kiley's work outside Saarinen's North Christian Church

I know what you’re thinking: “He’s so not your type!” Those who know me are aware “linear” and “well-trimmed” are rarely associated with my aesthetic approach. I’m more of an asymmetrical, scruffy and slightly overgrown kinda gal. So what was it about Kiley that stole my heart?

Mark Zelonis captured it in this post detailing the reverent experience he and Ed Blake (landscape architect for the IMA’s 100 Acres) shared while visiting the Miller House garden, designed by none other than my new beau, Dan.

Ed first witnessed the site decades ago while on a work assignment in Columbus. He was then only able to peek through the already tall arborvitae hedges guarding the property’s east side, but knew the place was indeed very special. After all, one of the 20th century’s masters of landscape design, Dan Kiley, had worked his magic here. For all of us in the field, this is a place for reverence.

Miller House garden

Columbus is adorned with Kiley landscapes, both public and private. Perhaps the most cherished are the grounds surrounding North Christian Church, the last building architect Eero Saarinen designed before his death in 1961. It is the last of three buildings in Columbus that Saarinen and Kiley worked on together. The building is woven into the fabric of the site like a fine Girard textile. I was lost, and found there.

Lucky for you, I won’t keep my Danny Boy all to myself. I’ll share him in the form of a Dan Kiley tour I put together  just for you (with the help of the Columbus, IN Visitors Association):

- North Christian Church: The entry sequence consists of a long curving drive that runs through open woods of old native hardwoods, to a series of parking lots formed into courtyards and camouflaging vehicles by high hedges and perimeter trees. Maple allees define much of the perimeter of the property. A small meadow bounded by woods, allees, magnolia grove, and hedges affords the single unobstructed view of the building.

Eero Saarinen's North Christian Church (1964)

- Irwin Union Bank: The 1954 Irwin Union Bank building was an early collaboration between architect Eero Saarinen and Dan Kiley. The building is flat-roofed, made of steel and glass in the International Style. Kiley wanted an office building within a garden. Kiley surrounded the base with thick groundcover and place it inside a grove of honey locust trees to connect inside and outside.

Irwin Union Bank (1954)

- Miller House and Garden: “A “classic of modern horticulture, unsurpassed in the United States…” — The Magazine Antiques. The IMA recently acquired the landmark Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana. One of the country’s most highly regarded examples of mid-century Modernist residences, the Miller House was designed by Eero Saarinen, with interiors by Alexander Girard, and landscape design by Daniel Kiley.

Miller House and Garden

Miller House is slated to open to the public next year, but don’t sit around waiting til then to dive deep in to all the design goodness Columbus has to offer. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall head over heels too.

Danny Beyer, sporting the new IMA Blog t-shirt

The IMA joined Flickr a little late in the game, but I feel like we are really starting to use it in some interesting ways.  My colleague Despi recently created a set featuring the new IMA blog t-shirts.  You’ll be hearing more about that.  Our conversation department has been active creating individual case studies on art objects.  You can learn about a recent Thornton Dial acquisition here (complete with video), or the treatment of a Saarinen Sideboard.  It’s an interesting glimpse into some behind-the-scenes action at an art museum and a new way of discovering engaging content.  Look for more of these conservation case studies in the very near future.

2009 will bring lots of activity to the IMA, especially in 100 Acres: The Virginia B.  Fairbanks Art and Nature Park.  The Nugget Factory will be working very closely with the contemporary department to document the art installations, capturing artist interviews and developing new visitor experiences.  On Flickr, we created a set dedicated set to Type A’s involvement in this space, here (I recommend the videos).  Under development, is the official 100 Acres Flickr group.  We’re still tweaking it, but please feel free to join and contribute your photography.

IMA’s Horticulture department was kind enough to place some new signs across the beautiful IMA campus.  We often spot photographers walking our grounds and we would love to see their perspective.  I hope these signs encourage or inspire our visitors to go online and shape IMA’s presence on Flickr.  I mean that.

We really want you to get involved in Flickr

IMA blogger Noelle, also just completed a Flickr article in PREVIEWS, the publication for members of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  I told you we love Flickr, perhaps a little obsessed.  If anyone is interested in a copy, leave a comment and I’ll send you one.

And finally, Museums and the Web will be hosting their annual conference in Indianapolis next April.  They’ve created a group requesting images of Indianapolis.  It will give conference attendees from all over the world (Australia, Japan and Holland) a chance to discover our city and check out the new airport.

I’m all Flickr’d out.  Have any Flickr ideas?  Let me know.