The Mildred House
The site of Mildred’s Lane was once the property of Mildred Steffens. This was her house. Before that, as far as we can research, at least two other families lived there in the 19th and 18th centuries.
The Mildred House has been the subject of an ongoing archaeology project. At its peak, we gutted the ground level and created an installation with Fellows of Mildred’s Lane. We then gutted the upper floors in sections to show the layers of time and the lives of others who lived there. The result is a small museum we call Mildred Archaeology.
Horse Shed House
The Horse Shed House is the first building occupied at Mildred’s Lane. J. Morgan Puett and Mark Dion lived there for several years. In 1997, Puett gutted and installed the shack. This small field station is significant to their artwork revolving around small buildings.
For Dion and Puett, this building was home until the Main House was built. The collection contains excerpts from their collection of books, taxidermy, artworks, and archives. Many are love gifts during Dion and Puett’s partnership over the years together. The Horse Shed House is still a favorite overnight stay for friends and colleagues coming and going at Mildred’s Lane.
Kitchen Laboratory and Digestion Choreography
The Kitchen Laboratory is a site of potentiality. It is one of several installations comprising the Main Lodge of Mildred’s Lane. A taxonomy of tools are fixed and ready to activate by the Digestions Choreographers, one of many Labor roles of Mildred’s Lane. Stand at the counter for a few minutes to visually understand where everything goes. Most everything is exposed, and you will quickly become oriented by seeing the room and understanding the democratic system's aesthetics. We experiment here with more than food. We seek a more sustainable future, and this research and implementation begins in the domestic environment.
Kitchen Laboratory, 2018. Photo: Robyn Lea.