Art
Carved Stone Project Placement Experiment
Stoneworker Sean MacManus and I hatched a plan to use his Celtic stonework pieces to fashion an underwater stone garden, geocache, and/or orienteering course. This video is footage of my experiment to test the feasibility of lashing the stones around the base of a boulder. I had two of the stones, each identical with backing mounts affixed with mortar, and I had two ropes. I found this project much more difficult than I imagined, and it failed as a proof of concept as the mortar weakened and would not hold the ropes. This was in addition to simply being deucedly difficult to accomplish even in just a few feet of water. The shot of the stones towards the end by the green leaf is after the mortar failure when I decided to abandon the attempt. I was beat and so left one the stones overnight. The final shot is me retrieving it. After this, I experimented with trying to wedge the stones in place but that didn’t work either. The entire project (still evolving towards this summer) generated a lot of footage of me swimming around enigmatically with these stones, which has already been released here.
Economic effect of the arts in Minnesota is big
A couple weeks ago Creative Minnesota went on a road show to promote the findings of a major study. The data showed the arts have been having a major economic effect in Minnesota. The Arrowhead is the second-most vibrant region, though it is only the fourth largest in population. Here’s more information on what was presented.
Diving with the Triquetra Stone
Summer 2014 placement experiment with MacManus Stoneworks’ triquetra stone, towards an eventual permanent placement in an underwater orienteering course or geocache concept. More deets in summer 2015.
Selective Focus: Love
Kip Praslowicz, untitled
Some very sweet images this week, and I’m genuinely glad to see so many of you contented, but there must be angst, some “sturm und drang,” yes? The theme isn’t all rainbows and unicorns- this love business, as a salient hair band once averred, it “scars, it wounds and mars.” How we suture the injuries we sustain and those we inflict defines us more than any cleaving to cloying ideals. (more…)
Underwater Carved Stone Portraits
Collaborating with Sean MacManus of MacManus Stoneworks, our plan was to create an underwater geocache or orienteering course of his carved stones in Lake Superior. The summer of 2014 saw me performing initial placement experiments. This failed to yield any permanent way to affix the stones underwater, but it did generate several video portraits of the stones in situ. A follow-up video will detail the work I did to try and place these stones underwater. Summer of 2015 will see more progress and additional ideas. Meanwhile, enjoy~
The Duluth Film Collective
The Duluth Film Collective is looking for filmmakers. All aspects of film production: directors, writers, producers, editors. (We’re also always looking for film lovers, as well.)
We hold monthly meetings at the Zeitgeist and Creative Coffees: a creative work-shopping opportunity to discuss scripts and other projects you might be working on. Coming up: the director of the Duluth Superior Film Festival will be coming to speak at our official March meeting. Hope to see you there!
Any questions, please email duluthfilmcollective @ gmail.com.
Tim Kaiser Inferior Planets Double 7″ EP Crowdfunding
[vimeo id=”118568003″]
Tim Kaiser is releasing a Double seven-inch EP on vinyl this Spring and is doing an Indiegogo fundraiser. Why a double seven-inch and not a full-length LP? Because the music is done in such a way that you can play more than one of the four sides at the same time! Crazy! Big thank you to Lakefront Films for shooting the video.
Selective Focus: Capers
Kip Praslowicz, untitled
Maybe I slant toward the unorthodox, but I know that images exist of regrettable tattoos, cow-tipping episodes, and numerous other lapses in sense. Not that I’m remotely disappointed with this week’s submissions; stunts, escapades, etc. were very well-represented (ask Richard sometime for the story behind those axes and puckish grins). (more…)
ARAC seeking new board members
I have been a board member at the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council for, like, four years now. It has enriched my life immensely. Immensely. Consider joining as an Duluth member, at-large.
ARAC is currently accepting applications for the upcoming term starting in June. Positions that will be available include a board representative from Koochiching County and at-large members from any of the seven Arrowhead region counties.
For more information on becoming an ARAC board member and how to apply, click here.
ARAC Organizational Grants Awarded
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council awarded a total of $93,840 in two-year operating support grants in January. There were eight organizations awarded out of 11 applicants. The program awards up to $12,000 over a two-year period to established nonprofit regional arts organizations to maintain their ongoing operating needs and services. The following is a list of organizations granted:
- County Seat Theatre, Cloquet
- Lake Superior Community Theatre, Silvery Bay
- Matinee Musicale, Duluth
- Mesabi Symphony Orchestra, Virginia
- Nordic Center, Duluth
- North Shore Music Association, Grand Marais
- Northern Lights Music Festival, Inc., Aurora
- Twin Ports Wind Ensemble, Duluth
ARAC also awarded a total of $39,090 in rural and community art project grants. There were nine organizations awarded out of 10 applicants. The program provides grants up to $5,000 to nonprofit, regional arts groups to support community- or artist-initiated arts activities that will affect the group and/or the community it serves. The following is a list of organizations granted:
- Chalk.a.Lot, Two Harbors
- Cook Area Chamber of Commerce, Cook
- Friends of B’nai Abraham, Virginia
- Good Harbor Hill Players, Grand Marais
- Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus, Grand Rapids
- Grand Rapids Players, Grand Rapids
- Great River String Ensemble, Aitkin
- Itasca Choral Society/Itasca Community Chorus, Grand Rapids
- Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Championships, Virginia
Perfect Play or Musical of 2014: Renegade’s Red
It was close, and it has to be considered an upset. Renegade Theater Company’s two-character biographical play, Red, staged in the roughly 100-seat Teatro Zuccone theater, was the winner in Perfect Duluth Day’s poll to name the best play or musical of 2014. It edged out the Duluth Playhouse’s centennial-marking, big-budget musical production of Les Misérables, which was staged in the 2,200-seat Symphony Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
Duluth Grants Available
The Duluth Legacy Endowment Fund is issuing more grants this year. The endowment has already donated almost $34,000 over the years. Go to the website for information and application information. Deadline to apply is Feb. 1.
The DLEF supports valued Duluth community programs. Anyone from a group involved in these areas should consider applying:
- Arts and culture
- Beautification
- Education
- Environment
- Human service
- Parks and recreation
Woodblind – “Big Voice”
Some Woodblind for your weekend.
Reel North film and video call for entries
Reel North is a new film and video series at Zinema 2 that asks people to bring in any film/video they’ve made for a screening in front of an audience of their peers. It’s open to absolutely everyone and anyone who wants to see their work up on the big screen. The first event will be Tuesday, March 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. (more…)
Ken Marunowski @Zeitgeist
My friend, colleague and local artist Ken Marunowski has art on display at the Zeitgeist.
It’s a new body of work, and it’s worth a look.
Best Play or Musical of 2014 Nominations
It’s time again to look back at the previous year of locally produced theater and choose the nominees for Best Play or Musical. In 2013, the Duluth Playhouse Children’s Theatre’s production of Cats took top honors. What was your favorite play of 2014?
Robert Adams on Display
I stopped by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth, on College Street, to see the art on display by Robert Adams.
The exhibit includes didactic panels that really opened up Rob’s art to me. It made clear the conscious efforts to blend the formalism of Josef Albers and the playfulness of Rosenquist (or at least of pop art like Rosenquist’s) with a public commitment to the environment and a personal exploration of identity. (more…)
Selective Focus: Perilous
Richard Narum, untitled
Mother Superior seems to have held a prominent place in the psyche of many of you who considered our “perilous” theme. It conforms to a theory of mine regarding what makes this area so unique; when you’re daily reminded that life is tenuous, highs and lows are more pronounced, and halcyon days are more precious. (more…)
What’s in your beard?
If you heard MPR Arthounds where I said Minneapolis poet Brian Beatty (doing a reading tonight and free workshop tomorrow) will fit into Duluth’s Lumbersexual landscape, you might enjoy this YouTube gem, What’s in Your Beard? It features Mr. Beatty himself.
Where in Duluth?
Saw this one this morning. It’s tiny, but it stood out, so maybe someone else will remember seeing it.
2014: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
This is by no means a comprehensive collection of the past year’s gig posters, just 126 of them that caught my eye.
(more…)
Year In Review: Artist Interviews 2014 — July to December
New work by Elizabeth Kuth
All-in-all it has been an exciting year in the local Twin Ports art scene. I was able to interview and share the work of more than 25 artists again this year. My blog post today links to 15 of those interviews that were shared at Ennyman’s Territory from July through December.
Interviews with Local Artists
End of the year means summing up what’s been happening in 2014 so we can turn forward and face the new year. This morning I posted links to many of the interviews with local artists that I had the privilege of sharing from January through June. This was another great year for arts happenings here in the Twin Ports. Here are some of the people who make it happen.
Work by Karen Owlsley Nease who has recently transplanted to the North Country from Kansas City.