In 2010, Allied Works completed a design proposal for a new Art Preserve in central Wisconsin. The Preserve is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the work of “outsider”, self-taught artists and art environment builders from across the Midwest, the US and internationally. The new museum and grounds will house the world’s foremost collection of these visionary works, and will feature visible storage, research and curatorial workspaces, event spaces and extensive landscape restoration.
The proposal envisions a series of linked stone courts that order and scale the landscape and define specific sites for installation and curation of diverse creative works. The walls also serve to screen distant views and guide the visitor through a sequence of distinct experiences and environments, ensuring each artist receives the proper focus and attention. In the opposite axis, vaulted roof forms—reminiscent of porcelain shells—span the courts and provide shelter, enclosure and a range of proportions and daylighting conditions to suit the collection. In the same visit, one may encounter small figurines and collages, light-sensitive drawings and murals rescued from demolition and entire reconstructed houses or landscaped spaces representing an artist’s entire life’s work.