Art
Selective Focus: Twin Ports Terror
If you’re into spooky stuff, horror, or Halloween, you may be interested in a new project, Twin Ports Terror: A Haunted Duluth publication. It may seem a bit out of season as Spring approaches, but organizer Brooke Zarn fills in the details, and explains that they’re hoping to gather written and visual material before Halloween.
What is it?
Twin Ports Terror is an effort by the curators of the Haunted Duluth website (Matt Rasmussen, Sean Zarn and Brooke Zarn) to provide a platform for local writers and artists to share their stories, poems, artwork and photography within the horror genre. These items will be published on the Haunted Duluth website starting on Half-Halloween (the end of April), and continuing on as the Halloween season approaches. We’ll also look to host some story-telling events and perhaps publish a printed zine if there’s enough interest.
(more…)
My Partner is Starting a Cult
There’s a church revival going on in Lincoln Park, but it’s inspired by art, not God. My partner of nearly 25 years is one of the instigators of a self-proclaimed “cult.”
I guess you could say I drank the Kool-Aid a long time ago because I can’t say I was shocked when he announced his plans.
Life with Troy Rogers, aka Robot Rickshaw, is never dull. He builds musical robots so that he can cart them around Canal Park and the Lakewalk for pop-up performances while wearing a hazmat suit and gas mask with a teddy bear strapped to his chest.
“What have you been up to lately?” Troy’s aunt asked recently, trying to make conversation at a family event. “I’m starting a cult,” he deadpanned.
There were no follow up questions or small talk. Just a perplexed expression from the pious Catholic and an uncharacteristically quick end to the conversation as she escaped to the next room. (more…)
Split Rock Review, Spring 2020
The new issue of Split Rock Review, formerly edited from Duluth, now finding its home in northwest Wisconsin, is now available.
Ophelia Prowls the Chapel
Model: Cam Rose. Mask by Jill Holmen. Photos taken at the Embassy, the art church at 2701 W. Third St., the new home of Embassy 35 (the pop-up at the Catalyst fest last fall). Watch for events there soon.
Upcoming Duluthy Projects
This Duluth Canal Cam screenshot viewed in Austin, Texas suggests a worldwide performance staged here is not only possible, but desirable
1.) The Duluth Canal Cam Dancers and Marching Band. This is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 29, at 4:30 p.m.
Selective Focus: Josh Rude
Josh Rude’s work through his company Glørud Design (his family’s original Norwegian name), is probably most visible in the stylish paddles he’s been making and selling at various locations around the area. He also works that style and attention to detail into larger and smaller-scale pieces such as cabinets, tables and vases. This week, we look at some other pieces that he has made, and a brief history of his path as a woodworker.
JR: Glørud Design is a wood shop in Duluth’s harbor front that focuses on custom woodwork and furniture, as well as paddles for canoe, kayak and stand up paddlers. I’ve been doing this for five years.
I grew up in a small town in northwest Minnesota, where working with your hands was a way of life. I always found great joy in being outdoors, spending time on my grandparents farm or being in the woods. The natural environment was always a draw, setting the stage for my work.
There is not a single route that led me to this work. While in university and graduate school I worked with a small construction company owned by my uncle, giving me an understanding of the use of tools. In the summers I would work as a canoe guide on the Gunflint Trail, setting the stage for paddle making. The first summer I guided is where I also met my wife, Natalie (Studio Haiku), for whom the first paddle was made. (more…)
Selective Focus: Member Show at the DAI
Tonight (Thursday, Feb. 6) from 5-8 p.m. is the opening of the annual Duluth Art Institute Member Show. It’s a great way to see and meet people from around town who make all kids of art. From painting, to sculpture, to photography, to mixed media, there’s a wide variety of mediums and experience on display until March 1 in the Great Hall of the Depot. (more…)
Selective Focus: Elizabeth Pawlik
Liz Pawlik is a self-taught metalsmith, making jewelry under the name “Fond of That.” She describes herself as a “curious, full-fledged dabbler” also exploring photography. Her love of photography shows in the product photos for Fond of That. The pieces thoughtfully displayed, and the textures, scale and unique qualities of each material are beautifully highlighted.
EP: I’m the metalsmith and jewelry designer behind Fond of That. Mere curiosity and the desire to create made me start my self-taught exploration of metalsmithing. I’m drawn to the challenge of turning raw materials into wearable art through the movement of my hands, fire and strength. I will not stop learning, experimenting and adding to my literal and figurative toolbox. You’ll find common shapes in my work, as well as texture, asymmetry and organic flair sprinkled throughout. Mobiles have recently been added to my collection after I created one for my son’s nursery.
(more…)
Selective Focus: Yarrow Mead – Silversmith, process video
Yarrow Mead and her jewelry work were featured on Perfect Duluth about one year ago. This video by Keegan Burckhard shows what goes into her process of working with silver.
Links:
Selective Focus: Yarrow Mead
Yarrow Mead Metals
Keegan Burckhard
Selective Focus: Tommy Kronquist
Tommy Kronquist began his career as a graphic designer, and combined his minimal, classic aesthetic with a love of skate / snowboard culture and Lake Superior activities like hiking, biking kayaking and the occasional surf session. His company, The Medium Control is know for screenprinting and apparel with bold, clean graphics. He has a show at the Duluth Art Institute, and will be hosting an opening reception and artist talk Thursday, February 6, 5-8 PM.
TK: I grew up in the country on a hobby farm with horses in Annandale, MN (near st. cloud). Here my love and inspiration of nature was born. I lived outside exploring, creating and building with my brother and friends. My mom worked at Powder Ridge ski area, which somewhat became our daycare while starting skiing at age three. This is where my passion for snow sports thrived. I was heavily inspired and involved with the snowboard / skateboard culture; sports that respect and promote creativity and the individual. A strong innovative community was developed here mainly due to the fact that my friends ran the skate/snow shop in St. Cloud (Sticks / Youth Shelter Supply). My parents were very supportive in my creative outlets and allowed me to travel for snowboarding. Inspired by travel I would get up to Duluth / Spirit Mt. for snowboard competitions and for fun. Which led me to cast my college decision of UMD quite easy with Spirit Mt. being so close.
(more…)
Jessica Lange: Behind the Lens (in Duluth)
A CBS feature on Jessica Lang’s photography and her roots in Minnesota. She gives a tour of the area with emphasis on Highway 61, the title of her book of photography.
Selective Focus: Duluth-area Film Festivals in 2020
If you’re a fan of film or an aspiring filmmaker, here’s a quick list of festivals in the area you can get involved in by attending or submitting your work. Each has a different focus and flavor, but for those interested in the art of filmmaking, there are opportunities for involvement at many of levels beyond being an audience member. (more…)
Selective Focus: Carly Jandl
Carly Jandl is an artist still exploring all the options, currently working in painting and jewelry. She also helps others get their work in front of an audience by hosting pop-up events. This week in Selective Focus we get a close-up view of her small-scale artwork and bigger goals.
CJ: Northern Exposure Art is an ever-changing endeavor. My passion began with acrylic painting, and slowly continues to morph as I find other projects to satisfy my creative brain. I am currently focused on commissioned paintings, crafting rainbow earrings, and designing logos. I basically take whatever my creativity tells me to do and run with it. (more…)
2019: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
Here it is, Perfect Duluth Day’s annual collection of things that were stapled to telephone polls, taped to lavatory walls, pinned to bulletin boards and uploaded to websites. As usual, by no means is this a comprehensive collection of local rock posters, nor is it a carefully curated archive of the best. It’s just a bunch of them we noticed and didn’t lose in 2019. (more…)
Snow-Fort City Build/Sledding Party
WDIO covered the event which happened on the solstice, Dec. 21. Thanks to all. #snowfortcity has suffered from the recent rains etc but all great cities have been destroyed at least once.
Acceptance Speech, Mayor of Snow-Fort City
Thank you, distinguished citizens, for conferring upon me this office of Snow-Fort City Mayor. It is no small honor to assume my half-imaginary duties in this pop-up, collaborative, city-planning art fantasy at the edge of Lake Superior. “City” is an aspirational term for this arrangement of snow walls and monuments in Duluth’s Leif Erickson Park. Snow-Fort City’s true location lies somewhere within our skulls — like all cities. My Facebook post initiating construction was shared more than a hundred times in just a few hours, and it attracted the Duluth News-Tribune and KBJR-6/CBS-3, which tells me the vision of the snow-fort city is the real object. Almost none of the post-sharers, newspaper readers, or TV viewers made it down to the actual Snow-Fort City. They are content to view it with their eyes closed, in its most pure form: the Platonic one.
It literally came to me in a vision, like the origin of so many great cities. In a way, like Duluth itself. I remember the words of George Nettleton’s wife from 1856, when her husband’s mind swam with dreams of Duluth-as-future-city: “I thought he had a pretty long head to see that there was going to be a city here sometime when there was then nothing” (Duluth: An Illustrated History of the Zenith City by Glenn N. Sandvik). (more…)
Snow-Fort City, Day 8
I am running for Mayor of #snowfortcity. (more…)
Kip Praslowicz: “Photo Walk to Work”
Photographer Kip Praslowicz documents his adventures walking to work on the Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend blizzard. When someone from out of town asks you “What was it like?” this just about covers it.
His photos are also on display at the UWS Kruk gallery until Dec. 18.
Snow-Fort City, day 7
#snowfortcity day 7. Leif Erikson Park. Best day yet and perhaps even the last. The weather’s turning subzero for a while but we had this one last great day of wet, buildable snow to top things off. (more…)
Snow-Fort City, day 6
#snowfortcity day 6. Leif Erikson Park. The fort of the tree people is the most durable and impressive structure so far. Albeit unfinished, the vision and craft of its architects (principally Morgan Pirsig) is impressive.
Snow-Fort City, day 4
#snowfortcity day 4. Come at me, bro. Found lots of damage this afternoon as I rolled up, so, much of the day was spent in repair mode. (more…)
Snow-Fort City, Day 3
#snowfortcity Day 3: it’s a thing now. There are 7 nodes of activity in various stages of completion, but we have successfully transformed Leif Erikson Park. (more…)
Snow-Fort City, Day 2
It was a great day to build a #snowfortcity with volunteers Stephen Bockhold, Sean MacManus, and others including an unnamed mom with two kids in tow who attested she was a #peoplesfreeskate participant last winter. One of the kids she was with, who I’ve never seen before, called me “Aquaman” unprompted on camera while KBJR-6/CBS-3 was filming: hope that makes the final cut. (more…)
Snow-fort City, Day 1
#snowfortcity
Day 1. Duluth’s Leif Erikson Park. Most of my time was taken up by Duluth News-Tribune reporters who showed up – oops got in the paper again. Otherwise slow going with cold powdery snow – spray bottles and water make the job easier so bring those. It’s sort of Day 2 since some folks built this formidable snow fort yesterday, and got the base of another one started. It’s sort of Day 3, since I built a proof-of-concept wall before the blizzard, but it blew down so I restarted it today. A huge help was Morgan Pirsig et al. who laid down a solid sled trail which helps define the space. It goes so fast we need to bank it by the stage now. Troy Rogers aka Robot Rickshaw showed up and we demonstrated proper wall-building technique for the media. A season-long project to turn the park into a citizen-led collective art installation and playground.
Selective Focus: Holiday Pop-ups
The Thanksgiving weekend blizzard wreaked havoc on Small Biz Saturday and some of the Pop-Ups in town, but we have tried to update this list with the rescheduled events.
These are the true “get ’em while you can” offerings, pop-up markets where a wide variety of art, food products, clothing products and more are on display. There are usually snacks, maybe some hot chocolate, and lots of other people milling about, so the atmosphere is a lot more fun that adding things to your online cart.
Some are small, some are huge. Each market has its own vibe, check the websites and event pages for special instructions on parking, hours etc.
Let us know what markets we’ve missed in the comments, or by sending an email.
(more…)