The first thing to know about the house at 1905 Garling Drive in Bloomington is that you cannot miss it.
Tucked within a nondescript neighborhood of mid-century ranch homes is the house Tom Kirk built. Several years ago, Kirk, the former co-owner of Henson Disposal, started adding scrap metal sculptures to his home and yard.
By 2022, he’d expanded to an empty lot in downtown Bloomington, starting with a sculpture of a concrete lady lounging under the Main Street bridge and adding onto his home, building a prototype for a future indoor, large-scale, interactive art gallery modeled after St. Louis’ City Museum.
The other thing to know is that visitors to this weekend's open house should wear sensible shoes and prepare to venture through tight spaces and heights. The House on Garling throws open the doors to the concrete, rusty metal jungle gym Kirk and his two eldest children currently call home, an annual tradition that’s drawn increased attendance as the house nears completion — again.
The late 2021 sale of Henson Disposal was completed this spring, making Power House Art, the umbrella name for the house, sculpture park and future indoor gallery, Kirk's full-time gig.
Kirk employs visual artist Aianna Zachary and has contracted additional sculptors and painters — not to mention contractors and laborers — to finish the 2 1/2-story addition he built onto the house after he said it was done.
On the outside, a whimsical mural by Peter Thaddeus covers three sides of the addition, his only instructions to paint like an elementary school child. On the inside, Rick Harney, who sculpted downtown Bloomington’s bronze Abe Lincoln on a park bench, is in the middle of making two Egyptian-inspired side-by-side figures — out of concrete.
There are surprises around every corner, like the concrete grotto Zachary built atop a twisty metal staircase.
“It’s the hardest thing that I’ve sculpted, hands down,” Zachary said. “But that’s what I love about these projects. I’m constantly learning. I’m constantly challenged.”
Zachary is not a trained sculptor and had not worked with concrete prior to working for Kirk.
“Concrete is difficult. It’s disagreeable,” she said. “It wants to slump.”
Making the blocks that form the grotto’s archway framing a molded frieze — the star of which is a giant octopus — was the most difficult part.
“Solving a problem over and over, and over again makes you better,” she said.
On Oct. 1, the House on Garling also will be available as an Airbnb. Guests may find themselves sleeping beside a half-pipe or in an excavator bucket, or relaxing on a giant wheel gear with a view of Harney’s sculptures illuminated by east-facing stained glass windows created by Kirk’s father, Mike.
“I’d like it to be comfortable,” Kirk said. “We’ll have some spaces that are soft. But this house isn’t about comfort. It’s about cool and fun.”
As Kirk nears the limits of what his house and property can hold, he’s primed to take what he’s learned from this proving ground to make his version of the City Museum a reality. He hopes it will be in Bloomington.
“They’re very supportive of this home. They’re wonderful at the sculpture park. We just have to come to an agreement on the inside of a building,” Kirk said. He owns two buildings in Bloomington’s downtown warehouse district near the 410 Sculpture Park on Madison Street, which might be it—and might not.
“I’ll do it, I just don’t know where," Kirk said. "Wherever I do this, that’s where I’ll spend the rest of my life.”
The House on Garling's Open House runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1905 Garling Drive, Bloomington. For a $10 donation, guests can self-tour the home, buy original pieces and hear live music — there may be snacks, too. powerhouse-art.com.
