"What's so artsy about the suburbs?" That very question is what led me to the IMA lecture and exhibit by Indiana artist Emily Kennerk. The idea of her exhibit, SuburbanNation, challenged even my modern mind. Kennerk uses mass produced materials like siding and timber to recreate the suburban sprawl. Her life-size installations command the attention of an entire room. Three, actually. But you'll have to see "High Density," "Untitled" (Porches) and "Welcome Home" to believe it.

Kennerk's works are unlike anything I imagined to see in a museum. They're a bookmark in time and place. Relevant now, reflected on later. She has a unique vision, defined by her eye for line and negative space. Her ability to "remove her hand from her work" is at times both mind boggling and impressive. Most of all, what sets her apart is her out-of-the-box portrayal of otherwise in-the-box subjects, like the suburbs.

Her exhibit, though masterfully unique, did not go unmatched by the opening party that followed. The front mall donned a picnic scene torn from the pages of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, complete with games of cornhole. Red- and white-checked table cloths blanketed the dozens of tables filled to capacity. The spread of hamburgers, corn on the cob, pasta salad and cupcakes was fit for a suburban king. Just when I'd had my fill, the faint tinkering of ice cream truck tones caught my ear. Sure enough, I could pick out my favorite flavor of frozen novelty, curbside. Soon I was so wrapped up in the party that I forgot to look down at the last installment. "Boundaries" was created in the front lawn by using traditional lawn-striping techniques, colliding in chaos.

SuburbanNation is showing until October 7th, 2007, in the Forefront Gallery and, of course, the front lawn.