Local Art Scene: Springing into Summer at the Tweed and the DAI

"This Way to the Tennis Court" by Neil Sherman

The weather here in the Twin Ports is a lot like the roulette wheel in Las Vegas. If we call sunny days red and rainy days black, then when betters see four red spins in a row they start betting on black because it seems like the odds of black being next are increasing, when in reality the odds on every single spin are identical. So it is here with the weather.

I note this because when I saw the forecast for a lot of rain this coming week, my first thought was, "That's O.K., let's get it out of the way so when the Plein Air Festival arrives in a couple weeks, we will have nice weather. In point of fact, it will be what it will be. But that's not all bad. The artists coming have strategies for accomplishing their work outdoors... and it's going to produce some great work no matter how tomorrow's weather unfolds.

Besides, we have some great places to go (the rest of us) to get out of the stormiest. Here are a few highlights of shows you will want to take in sometime this summer, at the Tweed and the Duluth Art Institute. The price of admission can't be beat. Make it a date night, with a special friend, or any friend. Or, just take it in while your in the neighborhood...

An Opening Reception at the Duluth Art Institute

Tomorrow evening, Thurs., June 29 from 5 - 7 p.m. there's an opening reception to celebrate two new exhibitions and an artist-designed game of croquet. See the art, enjoy some refreshments, and listen to jazz guitar by Briand Morrison. New on view:

Jonathan Thunder

“Peripheral Vignettes: Jonathan Thunder ” will be in the George Morrison Gallery. Thunder is a painter and digital media artist whose solo exhibit will reveal a new body of paintings of Ojibwe deities placed in a contemporary context, as well as showcase the artists animations. A catalog with color images accompanies the display. See his films show on the big screen Thurs., July 20, 7 p.m. at Teatro Zuccone, and hear him speak about his work and sign books on Tues., Aug. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at DAI Galleries.

“Play: Robert Dewitt Adams, Elizabeth LaPensee, & Christopher Selleck” will be on view in the John Steffl Gallery. The three featured artists explore games, gaming and game mechanics in their work. See a fascinating installation of Great Lakes map sculptures constructed from Battleship games; check out “Honour Water,” an Anishinaabe singing game for healing the water, and “Invaders,” a remix of the arcade classic “Space Invaders”; and explore issues of masculinity, identity and sexuality through interrogations of hyper-masculine sports. Tie-in events are offered throughout the run of show, including a game night with Dungeon's End Fri., July 7; an artist talk Thurs., Aug. 10; Kids' Games Tues., Aug. 15; and a lecture, “What Games Tell us About Human Nature,” Wed., Aug. 23.

Croquet Designed by Artist Robb Quisling will be available to play in the Corridor. Yes, you read correctly. You can actually play this game! Both exhibits and the game are on view through Sept. 4, 2017.


Plein Air: Paint du Nord Returns to Duluth

Wendy Lacksa's "Duluth Nocturne" from 2016 Plein Air Duluth

• Festival: July 9 – 14, 2017

• Group Paint: Mon., July 10, Lincoln Park neighborhood

• Quick Paint: Tues., July 11, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Lake Superior Zoo

• Group Paint: Wed., July 12, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. at Glensheen

• Opening Reception: Fri., July 14, 5 – 7 p.m. at Blacklist Beer. Prizes awarded by juror Matt Kania; live jazz performed by Randy Lee Trio

• Exhibition: July 15 – Aug. 27, 2017, Blacklist Beer

Thirty-four outstanding artists from Minnesota and beyond have been selected to participate in the Duluth Art Institute’s third annual outdoor painting festival, Plein Air Duluth: Paint du Nord, from July 9 – 14, 2017. Duluth offers wonderful inspiration for painters with postindustrial buildings nestled on a hill leading down to the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, and surrounded by pristine wilderness. En Plein Air means “in the open air,” and artists will work outdoors to quickly capture the landscape in shifting, natural light, immortalizing Duluth scenes. Many will post their painting locations on social media, using the hashtag #DuluthPleinAir17, so that the public can watch them transform canvases from blank slates to completed works. In a new twist, resultant works will go on view at Blacklist Beer downtown. For details and a list of participating artists please see the attached news release.

Two Important Shows at the Tweed

Linda Naughton Watercolors @ the Lakeside Gallery

Featured artist for July at Lakeside Gallery will be Linda Naughton. The opening reception is slated for Saturday, July 8. Looks like another good show, directly on the heels of Sue Brown Chapin's "Woods and Water."

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