Art
Another (Unexpected) Duluth-Related Kickstarter
For those of you who know your comic book writers, the name Alan Moore is usually found at the top of most peoples “favorites” list (maybe because he’s an incredible writer, or maybe because he’s a fucking wizard and people are scared of him).
Anyway, I was watching Alan Moore’s Kickstarter video for the “His Heavy Heart” project, and was completely surprised to hear the Duluth connection!
Skip ahead to 3:45 if you want to hear Alan Moore drop Alan Sparhawk’s name as a collaborator on the project!
Post-PDDX Banners
Back in April we announced that we’d be retiring all of the old banners. Well, the day has come, happy birthday to us, and sayonara to the old banners. Welcome the new, fresh banners. The old banners have been archived on Google Plus. (more…)
A Night of Awesome in Duluth
Monday was awesome.
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Placing Literature in Duluth
Check it out: Placing Literature is a new website that maps scenes from novels that take place in real and familiar locations — like, you know, places in Duluth, as shown above. On the site you can zoom around the map worldwide and add new points of literary interest. (The hot spots right now are New York, California, around Lake Superior and the Orient.)
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Ennyman Reviews Sol Fest: “Plein Air Painters and Ayla the Mermaid Take Sol Fest Over the Top”
From the Ennyman:
“The setting, as I noted previously, was spectacular, the weather cooperating with enthusiasm. And the performers, as anticipated, were not only determined to make Sol Fest a spectacle, they were accompanied by some wonderful embellishments. I refer here to the plein air painters and Ayla the Mermaid… (more…)
Low drones the Garden
So, as many of you have probably heard, Low played the “Rock the Garden” show at the Walker Art Gallery on Saturday and caused a bit of a ruckus by playing just one 27-minute song.
Now MPR asks, “What do artists owe you?”
Cult auditions June 14 from noon to 3 p.m.
I know it’s short notice to post this here, but the audition scenes are pretty short (1-2 pages) and it really isn’t that intensive of a process. If you are interested in any of the roles, shoot me an email and I’ll send you the location and scene!
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So, was it horrible or wonderful?
During a spring in which the weather in Duluth was truly horrible, the movie Duluth is Horrible ironically opened on an incredibly gorgeous day. So, what did those of you who ducked out of the sun think of the flick?
Duluth artist wins prestigious McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the McKnight Foundation are proud to announce the recipients of the 2013/14 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Visual Artists: Catherine Meier of Duluth, and Joe Sinness, Amy Toscani, and Dyani White Hawk of the Twin Cities.
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Make Art, Protect Water
Last year, a group of musicians came together in Duluth to record a compilation album titled Industry. Peace. Environment. to raise awareness about sulfide mining and the permanent changes that upcoming decisions could have on the landscape they love. The album features original recordings by Charlie Parr, Snöbarn, the Murder of Crows and many others. The Arrowhead Story, a collective of creative folks interested in sharing the stories of land in Northern Minnesota, is issuing a call for art to adorn the album. Submissions can be in any medium, and should reflect a theme of tension between nature and industrial development. The submission deadline is June 27. For details and submission information, contact Deanna at everyrivertothesea (at) gmail.com.
The Industry. Peace. Environment. album release party will be on Sept. 7, with a pre-release show at Beaner’s Central on July 20.
Does Crispin Glover’s film It is Fine! Everything is Fine romanticize the rape and torture of women?
In the wake of the screening of Crispin Glover’s film, “It is Fine! Everything is Fine,” as part of the Duluth/Superior Film Festival last weekend – a film that romanticizes a man’s explicit sexual fantasies of the rape and torture of women – I have some questions for progressive Duluthians who were there and for our community as a whole.
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Firebrick?
I’m trying to locate some firebrick in town for an outdoor oven project I’m constructing. The best kind would be free, but I would be willing to pay a small amount for any straits that you may have laying around from that fireplace project or whatnot. I can certainly make good use outta used or slightly damaged bricks, granted they have at least one good side that I can put face up. I have made calls to several places around town, but would really just like to find a person around who has more than they need and wouldn’t mind me taking some (18) off of their hands. I’ll have you over for pizza when its constructed! Thanks in advance!
Board Openings at ARAC
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has several openings on its board of directors. It is seeking applications from individuals who reside in Cook County, Koochiching County, Duluth, as well as one or two at-large representatives, and possibly one college student liaison.
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What is North by North?
Can someone tell me what North by North is? (more…)
Great Gatsby got his start in Duluth
The blockbuster movie remake of Fitgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, doesn’t mention Duluth … but the book does (chapter VI). Check it out on Jim Heffernan’s Blog.
Lake Superior Writers 2013 writing contest winners announced
Lake Superior Writers is pleased to announce the winners of its 2013 Open Theme Writing Contest. The winners and their entries are:
Kathleen Roberts, poetry: “American Dream,” “The Fisherman” and “The Soldier”
Jill Hinners, short-short fiction: “Tending”
Jim Brakken, creative nonfiction: “Justice.” Also, Brakken is the author of The Treasure of Namakagon, a fact-based 1883 lumberjack adventure available at badgervalley.com, amazon.com, and many museums and shops in the northland. (more…)
Serenity Rings: A Custom Chainmaille Accessories Shoppe
Hello! This is a quick invitation for folks to explore my new Kickstarter project. We are looking to fund the new “North Woods Collection,” in which are five classic weaves of stainless steel chainmaille jewelry.
If you love chainmaille as much as we do you can check out my new ETSY online shoppe. For instant gratification, we have several items available in EG steel at the moment.
If you secretly harbor chainmaille desires, send me a PM and we’ll do what we can to fulfill your chainmaille fantasies. Thanks for exploring this project!
Encounter with the Ennyman
Ed Newman interviews several local artists and writers a month at his blog, Ennyman’s Territory. So I thought I’d return the favor. (more…)
Giant steps are what you take … walking home from Opera on the Moon
This was my first English-language opera. I’ve attended other operas (Kate is a fan of Verdi, and that is the limit of my opera experience, lots of Verdi), but I’d never been to an opera where I understood what was going on without a teletype screen.
And I loved it. (more…)
Tremont Hotel
Poem by Sheila Packa; video by Kathy McTavish.
PDD Banners
On June 29 PDD will be awarding $100 to the person who submits the best new banner. Everyone who has submitted one since Jan. 1 will be eligible. Pre-2013 banners will be pulled from rotation on June 29, but will be kept in archival storage and maintained by nice librarians with white cotton gloves at Google Plus. Banners from 2005-2009 can be found here.
We’re also looking for new Homegrown banners. Those submissions will be eligible for the same $100 prize. For full details on banner submissions, click here. The basic info is the image must be 960 pixels wide by 167 pixels high. The Perfect Duluth Day logo will be added by PDD’s art department. Send them to banners @ perfectduluthday.com
Poetry Motel’s Don’t Know Shit
Patrick McKinnon’s Poetry Motel released Don’t Know Shit on Bandcamp the other day.
Perfect Duluth Sound
The “Lake Superior ice sheets breaking at Brighton Beach” post reminded me how much I want some clean recordings of the amazing things the lake does with its ice. Does anyone in our PDD community have some field recording gear (418, 702 or the like)? And would this person be willing to head out on a sound hunt for these phenomena? We could barter some of my recordings or work something out. That crazy ice stuff just doesn’t happen in Seattle. I was back in Duluth in December with gear, but the conditions weren’t right. Here’s hoping…
Merch Madness
Kate and I walked downtown for Merch Madness and we found some friendly shopkeepers, some great deals, and some yummy food. (more…)
Magic Smelt Workshops
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The smelt are coming!
The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe is pleased to announce the opening of our 2013 Smelt Run Puppet Parade workshop, at 134 W. 1st St, between Pineapple Arts and Bella Flora! (more…)