Works by Michael Singer, Sigrid Miller Pollin, Charles Rose, and various other local artists. For the first time in our region, a landmark exhibition on sustainable, contemporary architecture and environmentally-sensitive building practices will take place at The University Gallery, Fine Arts Center, UMass Amherst. This three-month long project will run from February 10 through May 9, 2010. The exhibition, its related lecture series, and the Green Lounge* are designed to deepen the public’s understanding and use of ‘green’ design, while demonstrating that the key elements of sustainability can be accessible to all.

Sustainability has become an accepted concept that applies to people from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. It requires broad systemic thinking around critical economic, social, as well as environmental issues. The exhibition will address these issues, while providing a springboard for thought-provoking questions, discussions, and commentaries. The specific focus on the Pioneer Valley will highlight our region and its forward looking communities.
The Pioneer Valley is rich in sustainable buildings that mirror national green trends in architecture and design. Through models, photographs and virtual tours, the exhibition unites diverse works from large scale science buildings to private residences, low-income housing, and intimate gardens of natural inspiration—all of which illustrates the many ways that green design can help solve our environmental crisis. Greening the Valley includes works by nationally and internationally renowned figures as well as prominent architects from our region.. The goal of the exhibition is to bring together examples of green design, highlight their aesthetic and sustainable attributes, and impress upon our audience the visual and material accessibility of those features. This exhibition is guest-curated by architectural historian Margaret Birney Vickery, Ph.D.