April Twin Ports Art Happenings: Woo Hoo for Spring

Sue Rauschenfels. "Welcome to the Twin Ports"

A big thank you again to Esther Piszczek for all her efforts to pull together so much of the information we rely on to stay posted with regards to the many ways and places art is being shared in our community. The Twin Ports Art Blog that she maintains is a useful resource and you should bookmark it if you haven't already.

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There are always things to see at the Tweed Museum of Art on the UMD campus, so if you have a little time where you aren't sure what to do, or if you would like an inexpensive but rewarding date with a friend or loved one, discover the Tweed.

The Duluth Art Institute is similarly a community asset, located in the Depot, and the Zeitgeist Arts and Cafe should also be on your short list of places to become familiar with. I mean, sometimes it's raining and not quite warm enough to just enjoy go walking and singing in the rain yet. And as for the DAI. there is still time to see the Biennial, which is on the fourth floor landing of the Depot till April 15.

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So without further adieu... (Can you believe it? I recently read a blog in which someone wrote, "Without further ado." This would be almost as bad as writing, "Much adieu about nothing.")

OK, enough blather. Here are some events for the next two weeks. To get a more comprehensive view, I insist you visit Twin Ports Art Blog: Art In April

Shawna Gilmore will have a show at the DAI this summer.

Mondays, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 5:30 p.m.
Tangling Mondays, Mount Royal Library, 105 Mount Royal Shopping Circle
This group meets in the the old Yarn Harbor space, which was taken over by the library awhile back (on the left when you walk in). It is open to anyone, but primarily focused on pattern drawing. Bring your supplies and something you want to finish or start. No instruction, no fee, no organization. It's wonderful to tangle together, if schedules align, and lovely to tangle alone. If you find yourself alone, no worries, another Monday is right around the corner.

Tuesdays, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 12:30-3 p.m.
Open Studio at the Duluth Depot, 506 W. Michigan Street
The Duluth Art Institute offers a regular Tuesday open art-studio session at the Depot. People of all abilities practicing all artistic mediums are invited to bring their own supplies and join the weekly group. Cost: $5 plus a DAI membership (first session is free).

Wednesday, April 3, 5-7 p.m.
Reporting Duluth Opening Reception, Glensheen Mansion
"To kick off the exhibit and event series, the press and public are invited to the lower level of Glensheen’s Amusement Room. There will be a brief press conference at 5:15 pm. Light refreshments and cash bar will be available. Reporting Duluth is a collection of 17 large scale photographs (4 ft. by 6 ft.) that depict important moments in Duluth and Northeast Minnesota over the last 150 years. Alongside these photos will be a historic article/column written by the Duluth News Tribune from the era the photo is from. Lastly, there will be a minor amount of text to interpret what you are seeing. Caution: Some images may be graphic for children and contain adult subject matter.

The exhibit will be free and open to the public during Glensheen’s business hours from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Access to the exhibit does not grant access to tour the mansion. Guests may purchase tour tickets onsite or at glensheen.org. On View: April 3-June 2"

Wednesday, April 3, 7-9 p.m.
In Tandem: An evening of music, poetry, photography, film and dance inspired by a single short story, Teatro Zuccone, 222 E. Superior Street
Wilting Point, a short story by Tina Higgins Wussow
Film by Dave Mehling; Photography by Kenneth Bloom; Musical composition for dance by Max Mileski; Choreography by Annie Roseen; Poetry by Ellie Schoenfeld; Music from Ann Kathryn and the Cuckoo Bees. Tickets: $10

Thursday, April 4, 5-7 p.m.
Quilts are Magic Opening Reception, UWS Holden Fine Arts Building, The Kruk Gallery, UWS Superior, Catlin Avenue and 19th Street, Superior, WI
"Scott Lunt, aka Starfire, has been a fixture and founder of the flourishing music scene in Duluth. In 2014 he visited McTavish Quilt Studio with his mother and ended up getting hooked on quilting. Since that visit he has made nearly a quilt a month. He draws from the fabric of Duluth — both figuratively and literally. Taking inspiration from the built environment and music scene in which he is enmeshed, Lunt sees the process of cutting, piecing, working with color and texture as something akin to conjuring spells and the quilts produced as evidence of his magic."

Friday, April 5, 5-7 p.m.
Free First Fridays, Duluth Children's Museum, 115 S. 29th Avenue W.
The Duluth Children’s Museum’s First Fridays are back from September through May. The museum is free from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday, April 5, 5-8 p.m.
WTF! Art Exhibit Closing Reception, Prove Gallery, 21 N. Lake Avenue
"WTF! (What The Feminist!) is a community art exhibit focusing on feminism and equity for all. Artists are from Duluth and surrounding areas. See the works on display one last time, enjoy live music and spoken word. Live events begin at 5:30 p.m."
EdNote: Esther's collaborative piece, May you live..., created with calligrapher Brenna Jordan, is a part of this show. Both Brenna and I plan to attend the closing reception. Prove Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 4-7 p.m.

Sunday, April 7, 1-4 p.m.
Ragtime Rendezvous, Concordia Lutheran Church, 1708 John Ave, Superior, WI
"April, Spring is in the air, let's start the weekend off right, with some rollicking good ragtime music. All are welcome."

Thursday, April 11, 3-4 p.m.
Crafternoons for Kids, Blue Room, Mount Royal Branch Library, 105 Mount Royal Shopping Circle
"Drop in for a fun make-and-take craft project. No experience or sign-up required. Age Group(s): Preschool, Kids, Tweens"

Photo by Iy Vainio

Thursday, April 11, 6-8 p.m.
Native American Artists Panel Talk, Tweed Museum of Art, Main Gallery, 1201 Ordean Court
"The Tweed Museum of Art invites you to partake in a panel discussion about the current exhibition Intersections. Dyani White Hawk, Steve Premo, and Karen Savage, the featured artists, will participate in a panel conversation moderated by Professor Jill Doerfler, Chair of the UMD American Indian Studies Department. They will address several topics, including their careers, artistic styles and themes, and discuss how their work intersects with other artists. Intersections, an exhibition of contemporary Native art from Minnesota-based artists, features works primarily from the Tweed Museum collection."

Thursday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.
Making All Things New: The Saint John's Bible and the Legacy of Christian Art, College of St. Scholastica, Mitchell Auditorium, 1200 Kenwood Avenue
"The Rev. Eric Hollas, a monk from Saint John’s Abbey, will examine how artists have tried to illustrate the sacred throughout the history of Christianity. The talk will include discussions of the Saint John’s Bible, a contemporary expression of the word of God."

Friday, April 12, 5-7 p.m.
Food, Photos, Water Bar, Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center, AICHO, 212 W. Second Street
"This event features a Wild Rice Cook-Off, Photo Contest Showcase, and Pop-Up Water Bar, a unique bar experience offering samples from different water sources from around the region. The Food, Photos, and Water Bar event is a portion of the We Are Water exhibit Fond du Lac is hosting March 10- April 22 at the Great Lakes Aquarium. This tri-fold event is designed to engage the community by providing them a place to share their local water stories (photos and essays), to promote traditional and locally sustainable food (wild rice), and offer different narratives of science and regional water issues (Water Bar)."

Friday, April 12, 6-8:30 p.m.
Flask: A Focus on Form and Function Closing Reception, Nordic Center, 23 N. Lake Avenue
"This exhibition is inspired by the flask or flagon, a form used in Nordic and other cultures throughout history for carrying liquids from place to place. Curated by Duluth potters Karen Keenan and Bob DeArmond, Flask presents contemporary variations of this form by area clay, wood, metal, glass, and fiber artists. Refreshments by Vikre Distillery and Northern Waters Smokehouse and live music including drinking songs with Arna Rennan and Lise Lunge Larson."

Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Nice Girls of the North 2nd Saturday Marketplace, Lakeside Lester Park Community Center (the former Lakeside Library), 106 N. 54th Ave. East
"Free coffee, cookies, and a friendly atmosphere await while you browse a collection of handcrafted clothing and bags, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photography, personal care products, baby items and much more. One central checkout, most major credit cards accepted."

Sunday, April 14, 1-4 p.m.
imagineAday Creativity Retreat, The Duluth Women's Club, 2400 E. Superior Street
"Led by Artist Creativity Coach Clare Cooley, each retreat includes a creative presentation, 'Flowga' gentle movement & breath awareness for all levels, & examples of the retreat's creative project. Cost: $25 covers materials, tools, instructions, & light refreshments. Participants take their creations home with them. For questions contact ClareCooleyCollection@gmail.com."
Future Retreat Dates: May 12, June 9

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OK, this is a start. For more, visit the Twin Ports Art Blog.

CALLS FOR ART
There is a Call for Art for Duluth Dylan Fest. The theme is North Country Inspiration. Details here: https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2019/02/duluth-dylan-fest-2019-call-for-art_16.html

ALSO, the Encore Theater in Cloquet is seeking artists to show at their next major show. The theater has a nice gallery space where people hang out during intermission. Art gets seen and sometime purchased. Details in the body of This Blog Post.

And finally, this...