The future home  of                                 Mind's Eye Manufactory

The historic Hart Building, 393 Main Street, Ferndale, California

Ferndale at dawn

Built in 1896, the Hart Building has been home to many interesting endeavors. Most recently, it was the home and creative headquarters of the late Hobart Brown,  metal sculpting artist and "Glorious Founder" of the now-world-famous Kinetic Sculpture Race. Most people in town still refer to the building as "Hobart's", as he had been such a fun and prominent figure here since 1964.

Hobart Brown upstairs in his studio

Clif from KHUM officiating at the finish line of this year's Kinetic Sculpture Race. The race begins in Arcata, crosses streets, sand dunes, Humboldt Bay, more roads, more water...and finishes directly in front of Hobart's (The Manufactory).

The Hart Building has gone through several incarnations over the past century as various saloons, a cigar manufacturing shop (during Prohibition), and upstairs, a brothel...hmm.  Well, there seems to be a long, illustrious history of fun, frivolity, and passion surrounding our new digs. Perfect!

Now begins the task of clearing out, cleaning up, repairing and converting the downstairs into the coolest multi-media artisan workshop that has ever been. The 2000 square foot space will be divided into two areas; a gallery/showroom space on the Main Street side and a fully equipped workshop in the back portion. Between the two areas will be a sound-deadening wall fitted with a wide bank of windows so that visitors to the gallery can look through and see wooden boats being built, molten bronze being poured, blacksmiths at the forge...all the bustle of a creative workshop. The gallery/showroom will be a managerie of fine and fantastical human-made items for sale, but its main purpose will be to awaken the imaginations and sense of wonder of those who walk through our door. There will be a reading area with two comfy stuffed chairs and a large bookshelf crammed with fascinating and rare books we've gathered over the years, all relating to craft, hand tools, and making things.  Visitors will be welcome to spend entire days (if they wish) sitting beside the warmth of Viola Russ-McBride's old parlor stove, reading up and finding inspiration to create. They will also be welcome to purchase a bronze sculpture or a one-of-a-kind hand carved marrionette. Or to commission a custom-made, tailor-fitted uluxtax (a traditional skin-over-frame sea kayak) or a Norse sailing faering...all made within the walls of the Manufactory.  

The late artist, Viola Russ-McBride's parlor stove, salvaged from her Candystick art studio when the building was rennovated in 2008. We will be fully restoring the stove, which, as you can see, will involve re-casting a part or two. It's easy to imagine the artist gazing into the glowing mica windows of the stove, gathering her thoughts and inspiration. We'd like to think that this beautiful little stove will once again coax inspired thought and creativity within our Manufactory.

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