Posts

Gettin’ it Done with Albert Ordean

Duluth’s Ordean Foundation was started 90 years ago by Albert and Louise Ordean. As part of the 90th anniversary celebration, the Ordean Foundation produced several videos, including an animated story about one of Albert Ordean’s adventures out west. Local historian Tony Dierckins of Zenith City Press makes a cartoon cameo. The video was animated by Brian Barber and written by Mike Scholtz.

The Junk Food Film Festival – April 2024 at Zinema

Hey all, this is my festival; I run it with my partner Marin. We used to host a film series called Midnight Movies at 7 at the Zinema and this will very much be in the same vein. We’ll be giving away prizes, have special guests, and eat a ton of junk food.

Please make sure to follow us on Facebook; we’ll be revealing the lineup in the months ahead as we get ready.

The Black Labels at the Red Lion Lounge in 2004

Gomez takes lead guitar on this ditty during the Winter Riot at the Red Lion Lounge — Dec. 18, 2004. This show featured a mix of surf, rock ‘n’ roll, and reggae tunes. If anyone still has a Winter Riot T-shirt, I’d be interested in obtaining it.

At the Rex? – Aug. 17, 2014?

Can anyone refresh my memory if this was a Hadjis or a Black Labels reunion show?

New Season of Intersections on WDSE

These stories highlight community members from across northern Minnesota with inspiring and enriching stories about overcoming adversity. This celebration of the human spirit will showcase the amazing, and often untold, stories of our fellow community members.

Book Trailer for Eric Chandler’s Kekekabic

I’m happy to announce that my new book, Kekekabic, is for sale now at Finishing Line Press! From now until March 25, you can preorder a copy of my book and it will ship to you on May 20. You can get a copy for $19.99 at finishinglinepress.com.

Selective Focus: A Year of Sunrises with Ron Benson

Stoney Point, March 6, 2021

Ron Benson, a Duluth glass and ceramic artist, began posting daily photos of sunrises over Lake Superior to Facebook during the first winter of the pandemic. I hadn’t known him as a photographer, so I was surprised. He posted these images almost every day, and they were amazing. I knew, and eventually thousands of people knew, that he’d be out perched on rocks as ice water slammed or sloshed, aiming a camera at the sunrise, every day. It was impressive.

Creating Apart: Ivy Vainio

Ivy Vainio is one of the artists featured in the Tweed Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic.” She’s a digital photographer who works at the American Indian Community Housing Organization. In this video by documentary filmmaker Mike Scholtz, Ivy talks about her artistic struggles during the pandemic.

A Bit of Ren to Lift Our Spirits

A little entertainment for you. My daughter, Ren, is in a Superior-based band called One Less Guest. With the band’s upcoming gigs cancelled for the foreseeable future, she has been taking violin song requests and live streaming every few days in the hopes of lifting our collective spirits. I thought someone here might be in need of a little music on a chilly, homebound Tuesday.
 

Arrival of Hon. James L. Oberstar in Duluth

A crowd of photographers and ship watchers convened at Canal Park on Jan. 14 to watch the Oberstar glide through the icy water concluding its final voyage of the shipping season. Come along for the ride as the ship chugs out hot plumes of steam and cuts a path through the ice.

Charlie Parr – “Where You Gonna Be (When the Good Lord Calls You Home)”

According to Charlie’s Facebook page, this video was nine years in the making.

Director of Photography – Erik Murphy
Sound Engineer – Jon Oelke
Editor – Lei Shi
Director – Lance Lundahl

Aerial photographer captures Duluth scenery

If Duluth’s views are breathtaking from ground level, wait until you see them from up high. Refresh you eyes with an unfamiliar perspective of familiar things.

Fever Dream – “Ever Child”

Diving the Breakwater Wall Ruins, 9/6/14

Duluth’s outer harbor, between the Vietnam Memorial and the red buoy, hides the submerged ruins of a hundred-plus-year-old wall (essentially stacked wooden cribbing filled with rocks) that predates the lift bridge and the canal. This is what they used to park ships behind for safe harbor — before its destruction in a gale. Been waiting to return here since last summer, finally got my window. Tried early in the day but the water was too cold. So I spent the day on Park Point beach, then hit it on my way back — water had warmed several degrees. Sun was going down so I had to act quickly. Similar imagery may be seen in my video of last year, “Freediving the Ruins of Duluth’s Outer Harbor.”

This current video represents going farther from shore (maybe halfway to the buoy?), and deeper than before (up to 15 feet or so as opposed to ~10). Next year maybe I will dive the buoy chain to the bottom (30 feet). It would have been nice to do this series of dives when I was fresher earlier in the day with more direct overhead sunlight (the water was clearer too), but it was simply too cold. By the time I got to it, I had walked several miles, was hungry, and had been given a beer and a couple slugs of wine (don’t ask). So I wasn’t as hardcore as I wanted to be — had to swim out far, then deep too, without benefit of a raft or anything, so I was pooped and not willing to risk any further depth. Next time!

Diving Among the Boulders and What I Found There

A series of dives one afternoon exploring a field of boulders.