This Week's Second Friday Art Crawl including Tonight's Events

Although I missed it, I fully expect that last night opening at the Red Mug Coffeehouse was fun. Suzanne Johnson, the proprietor, always does a stellar job at these events. Last night was kickoff for a collaborative show of smaller pictures and paintings and works which will be on display till the end of May.

I have around ten small works in this show, along with a host of local artists including Sterling Rathsack, Erik Pearson, Adam Kloss, Larry Turbes, Esther Piszczek, Stephen Ljubovic, Ellen Sandbeck, Karin Kraemer, Karen Savage-Blue, Adam McCauley, Lynn Anderson, Laura Kirwin, Chris Monroe, Kenneth Marunowski. If you can make it for lunch the soup's always on and always good, as are the sandwiches, wraps and other fixin's. They also have free wi-fi so it's a nice place to simply sip coffee and get out of the office.

Here's a quick rundown of happenings, with special thanks to Esther Piszczek.

Tonight at Pizza Luce from 7-9 p.m. there's a very special opening that might surprise you.

Also tonight at the Sacred Heart Music Center, 201 W. 4th Street 7-9 PM, Thursday, 5/7
Life House Variety Show: A Night Of Song, and Poetry, Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, and Rock by area youth; $3.00 At The Door, or One Nonperishable Food Item

2nd Friday Art Crawl

This is the second weekend of the month, so you might as well amp up for the Art Crawl Friday evening.

On Friday night you can start at Pierce & Piszczek Fine Pianos, 405 E. Superior Street 6-8:30 pm. For those who missed April's event, come on out and see a little Northwoods mixed with patterns among the pianos, one of which is a little more artsy than the rest.

That is, unless you start at the Book Launch Party for Eddy Gilmore's Emancipation of a Buried Man at Amity Coffee, 4429 E. Superior Street (Lakeside) 6:30 PM  Recently reviewed by Naomi Yeager in the Budgeteer News, I interviewed Gilmore here earlier in May.

Benchmark Tattoo, 1831 E. Eighth Street
Dan Hansen's work was placed at Benchmark Tattoo in April but is still exhibiting through the end of May. It is worth the trip up the hill to see it! Stop in at Sara's Table kitty-corner across the street while you're in the neighborhood.

Beaner's Central, 324 N. Central Avenue New Artist Reception, tonight at 6 pm: Christine Valento's Elementary Student Showcase from Laura MacArthur with music by Duluth Jazz Band Mangolith at 7 pm

The Nordic Center, 23 N. Lake Avenue 7-9 PM
Patterns & Mermaid Tales: Artwork by Kirsten Aune, Alison Aune and Joellyn Rock
It almost feels like The Nordic Center is Alison Aune's home away from home.

Red Herring Lounge, 208 E. 1st Street
Artist Reception: New Paintings by Brent Kusterman

Sacred Heart Music Center, 201 W. 4th Street 7-9 PM, Thursday, 5/7
Life House Variety Show: A Night Of Song, and Poetry, Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, and Rock by area youth; $3.00 At The Door, or One Nonperishable Food Item

Studio 15 at 15 3rd Avenue W.
At 6 p.m. there's an Emily Hayes Artist Reception with music by Brothers Burn Mountain and DJ Nola. Kudos to Lydia Walker for what she's added this past year to the Duluth art scene.

* * * *

As for later this month, we're one week away from a major retrospective of world-renowned Duluth watercolorist Cheng-Khee Chee on May 14 at the Tweed Museum of Art, UMD.

Later in the month is our annual Duluth Dylan Fest with a week's worth of events culminating in the May 23 Acoustic Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan at the Sacred Heart Music Center, 201 W. 4th Street. Tickets and information

Hopefully all this is accurate. Most of it is. Isn't it exciting that we live in a region that has so much happening that one person can't keep track of it all. The Duluth News Tribune doesn't, the Reader doesn't, the Transistor doesn't, nor does social media... but we're all doing the best we can.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.