House systems: the feature in British schools grouping children together into a various houses, aimed to create community out of a large, otherwise unconnected group of people. Think Harry Potter— sorting students together around common ideas and fostering friendly competition and a group identity.

House Systems, the current exhibition at the Hedreen Gallery, essentially aims to do exactly the same thing.

The almost year-long endeavor, created by co-curators Whitney Ford-Terry and Jessica Powers, uses the house systems model as the basis for a variety of smaller systems, all revolving around various forms of community. Yacht Club, the new system in a series that has included a "Book Club" and "Fort Club," aims to explore the deep maritime roots of the Pacific Northwest and culture surrounding it. While each new theme discusses the importance of community, Ford-Terry and Powers are creating an entirely new arts community themselves.

"We want to welcome whoever is interested to drop by and partake in the experience," said Ford-Terry. "There's an ongoing element of being able to meet new artists and people, so there's a lot going on."

From the beginning of their time at Seattle University, the curators have worked to create a warm and welcoming tone for the Hedreen, talking with students and groups like ArtSideOut to create programming that broadens the gallery space to embody more than just a room with art on display.

"We wanted to create a program that would encourage face-to-face communication," said Powers. "We have programming that's event-based, not necessarily based on specific objects, but instead on what artists can create in the space."

The only work currently on display in the gallery is a collection of maritime tools and artifacts on loan from the Nordic Heritage Museum, designed to give artists inspiration for the various events held at the gallery and an anchor for the main theme of Yacht Club.

In order to give artists the opportunity to meet other artists and the community, various programs were created including a weekly lunch with lectures about the current system and Face Time, when different artists are invited to the gallery to exercise their creative freedom in whatever way they choose, while also opening the event to the public to partake every other Saturday of the month,.

"We want to bring a diverse group of audiences together," Powers said. "We hope there's something here for everyone."

Each Face Time features different artists determined just two weeks in advance. Last Saturday's event featured two artists from Canada leading a skill-share workshop about knot tying.

"It's an old-timey practice everyone used to know," said Sam Wilcocks, one of the visiting artists. "As part of our artists group in Vancouver, we worked through a book of knots collaboratively, and wanted to use this for Yacht Club."

At the workshop participants could learn how to make a variety of knots under the skillful tutelage of Wilcocks and fellow nautical art enthusiast Erik Hood. The curators emphasized that the events are a platform to provide artists with an opportunity to do whatever they wish, and create whatever they want in the four hours they spend at the gallery, whether it can be displayed later or not.

"We'll see what happens with the knots," Powers said. "We're just interested in what the artists create, although I hope they stay here."

For Powers and Ford-Terry, the most important aspect of any event held at the gallery, and the goal of the gallery itself, seems to be transparency and availability in order to create a space for the community to enjoy.

As the only building on campus that faces the street, and with the added display benefits of a building that was formerly a car dealership, the two are excited to use this opportunity to open the gallery and art opportunities on campus to a wider audience.

"We're looking forward to meeting new artists, and even just seeing people on the street," Powers said. "It's exciting to learn something new, and people should not be turned off by not knowing someone."

"We would love to have as many people come by as possible," Ford-Terry added.

For more information about the Hedreen, stop by from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Olivia may be reached at ojohnson@su-spectator.com