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Art Omi presents a two-part installation and public barn-raising event celebrating communal construction and social collaboration.
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Get matched →Staging Area: A Barn Raising in Two Parts (Part Two) is an installation by Erin Besler that celebrates the communal and performative dimensions of a barn raising. Part One was presented as an exhibition in Art Omi's Newmark Gallery in early 2025. Part Two opened July 26, 2025 with Let's Build Together, the installation of a barn structure in the Sculpture & Architecture Park at Art Omi.
During this collaborative event on Saturday, July 26, the public was invited to take part in hands-on construction of a new barn structure designed by Erin Besler. All were welcome to gather at the site to participate in building, enjoy refreshments and music, witness the process, and be part of this shared moment of construction.
Few structures have been as intensely labored over as the barn. From community raising weekends and feminist pedagogical projects to preservation efforts, barns across rural America are sites where distinctions break down between amateur participants and experts, nature and culture, individuals and collectives, and manual trades and intellectual pursuits. While American barns are often tied to romantic myths of isolation and self-sufficiency, collective barn raisings emphasize exchange and skill sharing. Catering kitchens, woodcraft workshops, and informal childcare unfold at the edges of the building process, weaving everyday life into construction. These practices challenge conventional notions of property and innovation, fostering systems of reciprocity and community over individualism and profit.
Curated by Julia van den Hout, Senior Architecture Curator, with Guy Weltchek, Curatorial Assistant. Commissioned by Art Omi. In collaboration with Build Hudson. Special thanks to Justin Den Herder, TYLin.
Erin Besler (she/they) is a co-founder of Besler & Sons, a studio that designs buildings, software, objects, exhibitions, and interiors. Their interests focus on architecture as a collective project, exploring the social, pedagogical, and material aspects of construction. Their work has been recognized by the Architectural League of New York, a United States Artists Fellowship, the Rome Prize in Architecture, and the Graham Foundation. They teach at Princeton University in the School of Architecture.
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Build Hudson LLC is a design-build firm with an integrated workforce development program for teenagers and young adults based in Hudson, NY. It offers on-site training in construction trades to youth in Columbia and Greene counties through partnerships with local schools and community organizations. Build Hudson focuses on social justice, housing, and climate-smart building principles.
Art Omi's programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Major support for this exhibition is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Additional support is provided by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, as well as the Princeton University School of Architecture, University Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Humanities Council.