Interfield is an immersive artwork by artist Dennis Maher and Assembly House 150 that has transformed two everyday classrooms at the Burchfield Penney Art Center into a densely-layered, inspiring environment within which to make and explore art. Through the use of specially crafted furnishings, sculptural walls, and other artifacts, Interfield combines the functions of an educational museum space with dream-like visions of an interior living room and garden grotto. The work is conceived as an interactive field of evocative objects to be discovered, touched, rearranged, played with, studied, and interpreted.

This collaboration between Maher and Assembly House 150—the organization he founded that connects art, design, and construction with skill-building in the construction trades—expands upon Maher’s practice of creating dreamscapes for the imagination. It blends newly crafted objects with architectural components, furniture parts, and found artifacts. Interfield has been realized through contributions by local artisans, students, and tradespeople working through Assembly House 150 and its programs—while also teaching skills to aspiring builders. 

This installation is presented by the Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation.

ABOUT ASSEMBLY HOUSE 150 (AH150)

AH150 is a nonprofit art, design, and construction incubator and experiential learning center.  AH150 creates inspiring, wondrous environments for all to experience the art of building. The organization brings together artists, architects, designers, building industry tradespeople, artisans, preservationists, students, and apprentices, to build awareness of the built environment, teach skills in design and construction, and work together on projects that empower people through creative action.

ABOUT DENNIS MAHER

Dennis Maher is an artist whose work spans the fields of sculpture, installation art, architecture, and design. He works with buildings and their contents— including walls, floors, ceilings, furnishings, architectural salvage, models, and other objects— to create spaces where imagination can thrive.  Maher’s projects result in dream spaces and wondrous environments that fuse pragmatic realities such as labor, work, and shelter with art and pure creativity.  Maher is the creator of The Fargo House, founder and director of Assembly House 150, and a professor in the Department of Architecture at the University at Buffalo.