Art
A Day of Art and Craftiness
Saturday was a day of art and craftiness, and I mean that in more than one way.
Art at the Zeitgeist
Like Ed Newman, I was at the opening at the Zeitgeist on Wednesday for AJ Atwater. Unlike Ed, I am not a talented writer. So, I link you here to Ed’s account. For myself, I found that the pieces were amazing: they played with my sense of depth. At moments, some of the color seemed to be a rip through the canvas; some of the fields of color seemed to recede into the wall. There is a technical awesomeness to this work.
Looking for a versatile jazz band
The event committee for MinnRoast 2014 has decided to switch the venue from Pantages to the State Theatre. Because of the larger, more professional venue we need to up the level of professionalism. We think we need a band (preferably jazz or big band sound) to carry the transitions and learn the accompaniments (currently there is just piano). This would be a paid gig and requires a lot of improvisation and thinking on your feet.
If you do no know what MinnRoast is …
Local(ish) author Roy C. Booth wins recognition
Novelist and playwright Roy. C. Booth is from Hibbing and still has family there, and he’s the special guest at the 21st annual Diversicon (held in St Paul, MN). Roy will share the stage with Jack McDevitt, Catherine Lundoff, and posthumous guests Cordwainer Smith and Peter Cushing.
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Changes to Arrowhead Regional Arts Grants
There are major changes coming in grant funding in the arts in our region. This notice will help explain some of them.
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Duluth native launches Kickstarter campaign to support local eco horror flick
Duluth native Jim Ojala has been a professional special makeup/creature FX artist in New York and Los Angeles and now wishes to bring his first directorial feature film back home. It is an eco-horror film called, Strange Nature, revolving around the real-life frog deformity outbreaks in Minnesota that spread across the country and where it might lead. Check it out and support if you can — and please share. Since the production will be casting mainly locals maybe you’ll even get a role.
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…)