RIDGEFIELD — Turns out birdhouses can be a lot more than, well, homes for birds. At least that’s what a few Ridgefield residents and business owners seem to think.
Those folks are using the birdhouses to display and distribute small pieces of art. They’re calling them word houses and hope the idea will help connect people in the area and be a bigger part of Ridgefield’s art scene.
At least seven word houses are on display in front of Ridgefield homes and businesses. Each one has a clear plastic container (exactly like ones found on “For Sale” signs) attached to it that holds multiple copies of poems, quotations, short writings or pictures. The idea is people cruising down the street can stop and take a look at the art and take home a copy.
Merrilee Lee, owner of Ridgefield Wellness & Nutrition, has had a word house perched outside her fitness center for several months.
“It’s really cool, too, because you’ll see people walking down the street and they’ll read what’s in your word box,” Lee said. Sometimes they’ll grab a copy to take with them, she said.
The idea started with Gail Alexander of Ridgefield Kayak, who had her first experience with something similar to a word house three years ago when she was recovering from surgery at a friend’s home in Portland.
Her friend printed copies of short stories and placed them on a table in front of the house, Alexander said.
“As I recovered … I would sit in the living room and watch the joy that would come from children and some adults when they would stop to read,” she said.
Alexander shared the idea with a few folks in Ridgefield.
“It was one of those little lights that went on,” Alexander said. “We’ve got so many artists. I think of Ridgefield as a very creative community. I thought how cool would it be to see the work of local artists housing the literature that maybe we all feel in our hearts and souls.”
Local artist Kathy Winters jumped on board and helped organize things, Alexander said.
“She (Alexander) said it got really popular, so we decided to do it in Ridgefield,” Winters said.
Individual businesses or people buy the birdhouses. The wood used to build posts for the houses to sit on was donated by Joe Burton. The Lion’s Club, Bj Babcock and Jean Morrow donated money for the project. Paint was donated by Ridgefield Hardware and several others donated time to support the project, Winters said, “so it’s a real community effort.”
Word house owners try to switch their art out once a month, usually in time for First Friday, Winters said. The event is held in downtown Ridgefield from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. Businesses stay open late, provide refreshments and special deals, and local folks display art, Winters said.
The houses will be used to hide clues for a treasure hunt during this year’s Hometown Celebration, the first Saturday in December. Parts of a poem and clues will be placed in the word houses, Winters said.
Alexander also has one box in front of her kayak shop.
How do word home owners pick art to display?
“It’s whatever might speak to each person,” Alexander said.
In October she put a song called “Say Yes to the Morning Sun” in the box. The song was written by one of Alexander’s friends while she was going through chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. During another month, she displayed one of her favorite poems, “Spirit of Place” by William Stafford.
She hopes that someday the word houses will line walking trails in Ridgefield.
Paul Suarez: paul.suarez@columbian.com or 360-735-4522.
