DAI Membership Exhibition Announced

Detail of piece by Adam Swanson,  a local painter. 

One of my favorite art events each year is the Duluth Art Institute Annual Membership Exhibition which holds its opening celebration sometime in January. Nearly half the members of the DAI hold artist memberships and are thus invited to contribute something for the show. The show is exciting because it features new work by area artists, that is, work that has been created in the past year.

The opening reception this year will take place January 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Union Depot (506 West Michigan St) and is free and open to the public. During the reception, everyone in attendance is invited to cast a vote on a write-in ballot for a favorite work. The ballots are counted that evening and a People’s Choice award is announced at the end of the night.

“We like to think of the Annual Membership Exhibition as a ‘show-and-tell’ for the past year in the arts,” said DAI Interim Director, Dana Mattice. “It is a great way to check in and see new work by familiar faces, as well as to discover new artists. The exhibit is really representative of the Twin Ports visual arts scene and is one of our most popular shows.”

Last year there were nearly 200 pieces on display. Those who can't attend this year's opening are encouraged to visit the Depot's Great Hall during a lunch break or weekend afternoon through February 15 to soak it in.

Official sponsor of this year's event is U.S. Bank.

In addition to the Membership opening on January 22, the DAI will also celebrate the opening of Emerging Photographers: UMD Photography Students, on view January 22—March 31, 2015 (sponsored by True North Color Lab). George Morrison: Drawing at the Horizon is on view through February 8, 2015 (sponsored by the Depot Foundation and the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation); and the 60th Arrowhead Regional Biennial is on view through February 15, 2015 (sponsored by North Shore Bank of Commerce).

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Speaking of calls for art, here's a reminder of the Vestiges call for art and stories from PROOF Magazine.

Of Note: Tonight Teague Alexy will be featured at the Third Thursday open mic at Beaners Central from 7-9. I believe he will be reading from his new book, How Lefty Stepanovich Turned Water into Wine. These Third Thursday open mic nights have become a fun event, interspersed with trivia and prizes.

While on the topic of books, my new book A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd is not yet in book stores, but can be found locally at  Beaners in Duluth and The Red Mug in Superior, as well as Goin' Postal on Tower Avenue.  And if you're not in the neighborhood, you can find it online here at Amazon.com.

Meantime... art goes on all around you. Celebrate it.