Art Posts

The Duluth Artwork of J. W. Perry

The photo of a painting above comes to Perfect Duluth Day via Dean M. Brickson, who wondered why there was no information online about the artist J. W. Perry.

Villiard aims high with ‘Waiting for Beds’

The Native American news website Buffalo’s Fire reports on Duluth artist Moira Villiard’s new project, “Waiting for Beds,” which looks at what happens to people who have to wait for a bed during a crisis, such as domestic violence, homelessness or addiction. The exhibit is on display at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth’s church at 835 W. College St. through September.

New screenwriting contest debuts in Duluth

What might be Duluth’s first screenwriting competition is one month away. “Unfinished Work: A Screenwriting Contest” will present some of the region’s finest screenwriters showing off a portion of their newest work. The event is on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Zeitgeist Teatro. Admission is free.

Above & Below: The rise, fall, and rise of the Duluth underground

The July 2004 issue of Twin Cities monthly magazine The Rake included a feature on the Duluth music scene. The Rake existed from 2002 to 2008 and its archives, including the Duluth article, are available online. The text of the now 20-year-old story also appears below, with images from the magazine.

Cherry Koch: Homebody

Minnesota Public Radio reports Duluth artist Cherry Koch is working on a new series of paintings called “Homebody,” is preparing for an Aug. 24 fashion show at The Main Club, will put the series “Rug on Fire,” back on view again for Duluth Superior Pride in August and September, and is co-curating the group show called “The Gayest Art Show Ever” at Prøve Gallery which opens Aug. 30.

The Slice: Blake Romenesko’s Lake Gossip

Blake Romenesko talks about the new Twin Ports history zine Lake Gossip, the first edition of which tells the quirky story of Duluth ice houses.

In its series The Slice, PBS North presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.

Bart Sutter’s new poetry collection revels in the natural world

Bart Sutter in the apple trees

Bart Sutter in the apple trees.

“Lake Superior is God.” Bart Sutter wrote that declaration in his 1998 book Cold Comfort, a collection of essays about “life at the top of the map.” The work was well received by readers, culminating in a Minnesota Book Award for creative nonfiction, and Sutter’s permanent status as a northern force.

Sarah Seidelmann and Her Spirit Guides

Sarah Seidelman in her studio.

Sarah Seidelmann is one of the four Arrowhead regional artists selected for the Grand Marais Art Colony Studio 21 Gallery this summer. She premiers her work at her exhibit, Making Love Visible beginning with the June 1 opening event. The show is on display through June 29.

Figure Painting at DPL

Saturday, the owner of Rogue Robot Games & Comics led a free class in figure painting at the Duluth Public Library.

The Peoples Temple: A Unique Duluth Resource

My friend and colleague Elizabeth Nelson has donated some remarkable materials to the archives at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The Elizabeth Nelson Peoples Temple Collection contains items relevant to the alternative religious organization founded by Jim Jones, best known for a mass suicide/murder in 1978 at its “Jonestown” settlement in Guyana.

Arrowhead Regional Arts Council announces grant recipients

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has announced its most recent grant recipients.

Duluth playwright to celebrate world premiere of ‘Two of Us’

Congratulations to my colleague, Mark Stanfield, on the forthcoming world premiere of his play, Two of Us. It will be performed Sept. 13-21 at the Watford Palace Theatre in England, with a transfer to Home Manchester, and then a national tour in 2025. The play dramatizes a last conversation between Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

More information about the play can be found at the Watford Palace Theatre site.

Fur Trade Nation: Linking Continents

One of Carl Gawboy’s earliest memories is seeing a muskrat skin hanging on the wall in his house. “My father trapped animals and sold them to a fur buyer,” Gawboy said. “That’s when my fascination with trapping began.” Decades later, that interest became the subject of Gawboy’s latest book, Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History, published by Animikii Mazina’iganan: Thunderbird Press. The release date is April 30.

Radio (A Reflection and an Event)

Before I start to talk about Luke Moravec and Bill Siemering, who visited the University of Minnesota Duluth on Zoom Wednesday afternoon, I want to talk a little bit about why I love radio so much.

Duluth Art Institute exhibitions moving to U.S. Bank building

The Duluth Art Institute has announced the location of its new gallery space. After 50 years at the St. Louis County Depot, the region’s foremost public art venue will move its galleries to the fourth floor of the U.S. Bank Building at 130 W. Superior St.