Think of it as an “Our Town” for the younger set. Two talented brothers have pooled their creative artistry and combined it with six months of labor, creating a child-sized streetscape that would make Thornton Wilder proud.
The Mid-Hudson Children”™s Museum unveiled its new permanent exhibit, “Rivertown,” at the end of November. The 2,000-square-foot town has everything boys and girls need to enjoy the imagination nation: a hands-on construction site, a firehouse, a Spanish bakery, an Indian grocery store and a community center are all part of Rivertown”™s children”™s avenue. It”™s a place where they can enjoy grownup activities and learn about other cultures in a positive way.
The adult world can sometimes be a cold and forbidding place. In Rivertown, children can do what they see their parents do, but without the cares and woes that go along with it.
Rivertown”™s young visitors can use the realistic-looking oven to “bake” Mexican cakes and breads in the bakery; go shopping and smell the array of spices at the Indian market; perhaps don a costume to play dress up; or put on a hardhat and pair of gloves to try their skills at carpentry, absent the power circular-saw. Perhaps some intellectual stimulation or a place for reconciliation is in order? They can go to Rivertown”™s “community center” and learn to speak Chinese or just say “I”™m sorry” to a playmate if any harsh words were exchanged on the construction site.
The concept for Rivertown came from museum Executive Director Ed Glisson and his staff, who wanted to create an interactive experience for children. It was time for a museum makeover and a small city for children became the vision. When Glisson asked brothers Jeff and Jeep Johnson to come up with a conceptual design and saw the finished model, he was hooked; and once he saw it, he hooked the brothers into building it for the museum.
“Ed knew we had talent, but wasn”™t sure we could really build anything,” laughed Jeff Johnson, a part-time furniture design teacher at SUNY New Paltz. “He took one look at the model, and that was enough for him to ask us to finish the job ”“ build the complete town from top to bottom.”
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The brothers, who live in a circa 1900 firehouse in the heart of downtown Poughkeepsie, made sure to include a replica of their unusual home in the exhibit. When children visit Rivertown, they can slip on firemen”™s gear and climb aboard the fire truck inside the Niagara Fire Station.
The siblings originally come from the Midwest, but since they bought the firehouse in 1999, they”™ve put down roots in the Hudson Valley. They quickly became part of the Poughkeepsie downtown community. “We worked a lot with the city to restore it and make it livable,” said Jeep Johnson of the firehouse. “We got to know everyone, and as time went on we became more and more involved with the revitalization of downtown Poughkeepsie.”
Their first collaboration was designing the interior of The Artist”™s Palate, a restaurant on Poughkeepsie”™s Main Street; their second came when the Mid-Hudson Children”™s Museum commissioned them to build the Rivertown exhibit.
“When we were working on it, children were coming in to use the other parts of the museum,” said Jeff. “As our work progressed, they would peek in and ask how many more days till Rivertown would be ready. We actually started a countdown ”“ talk about stress! Nobody wanted this project to be delayed a day, especially once the kids”™ excitement started building.”
“The real appreciation came on opening day,” said Jeep. “We didn”™t truly comprehend what the exhibit would mean to the kids until a little boy came in and ran into the ”˜building blocks”™ exhibit (the construction site) and excitedly put on a helmet and started sawing away with his plastic saw. He was so happy. It was then that it hit us just how much joy our work would bring to the children. It was really a joy for both of us.”
While both work in different media ”“ Jeff”™s forte is creating one-of-a-kind pieces of wooden furniture, while Jeep, who made documentaries before switching career gears, is a glassmaker. Jeep was originally involved in The Clayworks, also based in Poughkeepsie, but turned his attention to glassmaking. “I”™ve always loved cooking, so what I”™m considering is creating serving items, works of art you can enjoy on your table.”
While they are busy renovating and restoring their firehouse home and filling custom orders, both brothers agreed they wouldn”™t mind trying their hand at another collaboration ”“ maybe a custom kitchen ”“ one that would allow them design and creative freedom.
“Let”™s just say it would not be your ordinary cherry-cabinet-and-island kind of deal,” said Jeep. “But it would be a remarkable one-of-a-kind work of art.”
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