One could easily argue that the multi-year the HOME House Project was the apogee of the Artist and the Community (AAC) series at SECCA. AAC was a staff driven initiative that brought some highly acclaimed artists to the Piedmont area of North Carolina to work with Community partners on issues that were important to this area. Residencies ranged from two weeks to two months. Artists included Fred Wilson, Maya Lin, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Leslie Dill, Mr. Imagination, and others. 

Guided by that spirit, HHP exploded that format, inviting architects and artists (from student to professional) to design affordable and sustainably-built single-family houses, based on designs from Habitat for Humanity plans. The response was over-whelming and worldwide: from the more than 800 individuals and teams from the US and sixteen countries who registered, we received more than four-hundred and forty designs. All were exhibited. Awards were given to twenty-five groups selected by an outside jury. HHP included the competition and exhibition (traveled to ten cities across the US), a book published by M.I.T. Press, documentary film series, glossary and displays of sustainable materials, and a build stage (Cincinnati built the first two).
 

Goals for the Multi-year Initiative

-To provide inspired design in the affordable housing market for those who historically have been omitted from entering the dialogue.

-To establish a new housing model in terms of design, energy efficiency, environmental consciousness, and cost effectiveness that can help change the stigma attached to affordable housing.

-To showcase the most recent advances in sustainable design.

-To foster new partnerships with people, organizations, and communities across the US involved in the creative applications of affordable design.

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Major Outcomes
-Bart Harvey, then CEO of the Enterprise Foundation in Columbia, MD called to introduce himself and announce a new Green Building Initiative, a 555-million dollar program that was influenced by the HHP.
-More than 90% of the HHP participants offered that no one has ever asked them to be involved in this kind of creative problem solving. 

The last outcome proves that museums everywhere have the capacity to initiate and creatively address important issues.; that there are many talented people who are willing to help and become an equal partner and contributor. The hard work is laying down the groundwork for that to occur.

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The exhbition/project traveled to 10 cities across the US and host orgs created multiple relationships with their communities and their particular needs.

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More Info on the book/project here

(even though the book is out of print, copies can be found online and most libraries)