Art
Outside Duluth
PDD local hero Brian Barber designed the cover of my new book. I think he did a good job. It makes me look like I know what I’m doing. You can buy a copy of Outside Duluth online via most major book retailers at my webpage.
A “Noteworthy” call for poetry submissions
The Duluth Poet Laureate Committee is seeking submissions of poetry for a collaborative project entitled Noteworthy. Twelve area composers/songwriters will each select a poem to serve as the inspiration for an original piece of music. There will be a performance of the readings and the music in May 2014.
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Native Duluthian Don LaFontaine was inspiration for the movie, In a World…
In a world where the greatest freshwater lake on the planet laps up on the shore of the Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas, there is now showing a movie that was inspired by the career of a native son – and nobody around here seems to notice. The movie is now showing at the downtown Zinema Theater. Check out Jim Heffernan’s Blog to get a run down about the movie, some good links to learn more about La Fontaine and to hear “the Voice of God.” And by the way … it’s a perfect movie.
Transplants
Last night was another night of hipness for me.
I joined Kate VTB and Katie B for dinner at the “last Thai restaurant standing,”Sala Thai in Woodland (remember, Thai Krathong closes this week). Yummy.
Then, off to Prøve Collective. The “Transplants” show featured amazing work by Rob Adams, Ray Allard, Rodrigo Bello, Zach Gorr, Marcus Meldahl, and Aphtin Rapp. Bello did the amazing image posted at the top, and his work was worth a thousand times the price of admission. (Have I mentioned how lucky we are that events like this, with music by the Crunchy Bunch, are free?)
Prøve has an Indiegogo Campaign working to help bring it to the next level. It deserves your support. My life in Duluth would be less without its efforts.
Minnesota State Arts Board Grantees II
Continuing my posting of FY 2013 grantees with implications for Duluth.
Partners in Arts Participation
Project grants to nonprofit or public human service organizations to give underserved individuals or groups opportunities to experience the arts.
Number of grants awarded as of May 1, 2013: 37
Total dollars awarded as of May 1, 2013: $523,000
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Grant Dollars Available
The Duluth Legacy Endowment Fund has thousands of dollars to give away this year. Last year, there were more dollars than requests. If you’re part of a group or know of a project that meets the criteria below, please click the link above for details. Application deadline is Oct. 1.
We fund volunteer and civic organizations working with the city of Duluth. Grants are awarded to projects in areas of:
- Arts & Culture
- Beautification
- Education
- Environment
- Human Service
- Parks & Recreation
Arts Funds in and to Duluth: Minnesota State Arts Board I
The Minnesota State Arts Board has released the names of the funded programs for 2013. Over the next few days, I’ll post the programs which name Duluth as a site or location. Most of this funding comes from the Legacy Amendment, the sales tax that supports environment, arts and cultural heritage activities.
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Venus DeMars and Lynette Reini-Grendall at Prøve Gallery
https://youtu.be/293BGty9tK8
On Saturday evening at the Prøve Gallery, Duluth was treated to a special acoustic performance by Duluth native Venus DeMars along with wife Lynette Reini-Grandell, who read from her poetry as part of the Duluth-Superior Pride Festival.
Call for Art: Nightmare Nasty
Washington Gallery is searching for grotesque, eerie, disturbing, weird, nasty, and uncomfortable pieces of visual art and poetry. The exhibit “Nightmare Nasty” will be opening Oct. 26. Gore, guts and everything in between are wanted.
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Skyline Art Gallery features local artists; showcases Duluth history
This weekend I visited the Skyline Art Gallery for its grand opening. This location, right near the crest of Thompson Hill is an area that I recognize as the spot where I feel like I am “home” and the awe-inspiring views of the great inland sea and the cities of Duluth and Superior open up before your eyes when approaching on I-35 from the south. I’m sure that many others have a similar sentiment, the owners of this gallery could be included in that group.
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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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