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Allegany Playhouse

Jason Tinney
1/13/2009

From the outside, the place looks like other handsome, red brick buildings that line the streets of downtown Cumberland—nothing unusual. Of course, Alice probably didn’t think there was anything unusual about that rabbit hole, either.

But inside? Be prepared. When you enter the 6,000-square-foot loft-space home of artists Beth Piver and Andy Vick, you’re entering a wonderland that any Mad Hatter would be happy to settle into for a cup of tea.

Oceans of color swirl, rolling waves of blues, greens, oranges, and yellows splash against walls where wild-eyed characters reside in captivating paintings. Zebra stripes crisscross settees, and pink faux fur covers swivel chairs.

As if the Wonder Twins’ powers had activated, glass doors from a department store and the hood of an old Ford pick-up come together to form a dining-room table, while in the kitchen, hundreds of super balls are ready to spring from table tops. A chorus line of mannequin legs decked in bumble-bee-striped socks dances along the wall of an open-air studio. Flashing pastel lights walk hand-in-hand with buckled industrial metal, and a vintage 14-foot cloth advertisement announces: “Circus Sideshow…Strange People…Entertaining in Person.”

Whimsical fancy takes flight, and you can almost hear the carnival organ as the sun drips down over the hills of Cumberland; radiant beams stream through windows, illuminating a home that runs wild in the amusement park of the imagination.

“I should clarify,” says Andy. “I’m not responsible for any of this.

“She can tell you why she is so crazy,” he adds, referring to his wife’s particular taste for interior design.

Beth and Andy—married 18 years this past fall—relocated from Northern Virginia to Cumberland, Maryland a decade ago and established their studio in the second and third floors of a turn-of-the-century building once home to the International Order of Odd Fellows, boxing matches, and a bowling alley.

Today, Beth Piver Designs, which specializes in handmade jewelry, sculptures, and paintings, flourishes. And for the last five years, Andy has served as executive director of the Allegany Arts Council.

With its twisted-tin-pipe hairdo and toothy grin, the modified hood of a Volkswagen Bug hangs on the kitchen wall. “That was one of the early pieces that I think, in some ways, set the tone for the whimsical nature of the rest of the house,” Andy says.

Then there’s the pink pipe.

“I woke up one morning,” Andy recalls, “and there was a bright fluorescent pink pole painted downstairs. I don’t think I really knew what was coming.”

“Shocked” is how Beth describes her husband’s reactions to her furtive additions made in the middle of the night.

“She gets a great kick out of not saying anything and seeing how long it takes me to notice that this is now painted or that’s now covered in fur,” he says. “That happens quite frequently, I must confess, because I’m more square than she is.”

“Well, the pink pole thing,” Beth interjects. "He was mad when he woke up and saw that.”

“Over time, I have realized that she does have a vision for the space, and why should I fight it?” Andy says. “I’ve mellowed in the last 10 years. But initially, it caused me some grief just because it’s not my style. I’m more of a minimalist.”

“But now you like it,” says Beth.

“I love it. Aside from being totally bizarre and fun, it’s really functional,” he explains. “This is a comfortable place to live. I’m used to all the frenetic colors, so I don’t see it as crazy anymore. I mean, I can see it’s crazy, but it doesn’t prevent me from relaxing. It’s a very well thought out, functional place.”

The first floor consists of Beth’s studio, guest bath, and bedroom, two sitting rooms, an office, and a storage area. The second floor, with its vast open space providing a view of the first floor, includes a dining room, bathroom, kitchen, TV lounge, bedroom, and a third sitting area. Many of the rooms utilize “repurposed” furniture and fixtures, and each one has a distinct Beth Piver flare, which Andy describes as “Early Modern Freak.”

So why is Beth so crazy?

“When I was growing up,” she explains, “my mother decorated her house as she wanted it to be decorated, and that included my bedroom. I had flowers and all kinds of girly things that were not me. I think once I got out on my own, this all just came out. You know, kind of like rebellion to what was going on in my childhood.”

Not surprisingly, reaction to the Piver/Vick home is as varied as the place itself.

“There are a few people that kind of get a little freaked out,” admits Beth.

“We have friends who have been here who think it is absolutely ridiculous,” Andy says. “They would have no part of wanting to be in a place like this. That’s cool. It really does run the full spectrum of people saying nothing, to, every now and then, someone who is just so blown away.

“We’ve had parties here where people, instead of socializing, just go off and literally explore every nook and cranny and soak in every piece of art and look at every nuance. That’s really neat to see.”

Since being designated an Arts and Entertainment District, Cumberland has blossomed into a creative hub, and artists like Andy and Beth continue to venture to western Maryland, putting down roots and giving the mountains a whole different hue.

“We’re just one example of what is going on here,” says Andy. “When you see what can happen in this kind of community, and how these old spaces can be transformed to vibrant living and work spaces, it let’s people know what can be done. And people are doing it.”

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Jason Tinney1/13/2009

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Jason Tinney
1/13/2009