Items of Note: Things To See and Do in the Twin Ports Arts Scene

Blood Moon by Karen Nease

Well, let's start with the fact that it is Homegrown here in Duluth. No one calls it the Homegrown Music Festival anymore, just Homegrown, because the locals all know what that means. If you're a nightowl, you've got no end of options though I am not going to elaborate here. The one band I'd really like to see plays at midnight, so I won't be there. La dee da. For a complete schedule visit the Homegrown Music Festival website.

Thursday (Tonight!)
Karen Owsley Nease is conducting an artist talk tonight about her show titled Found Horizons, hosted by the Duluth Art Institute in the George Morrison Gallery at 5:30 p.m. I took a sneak peak a few days ago and it's a dynamic exhibition of new work to which she has dedicated immense number of hours for more than a year.

Mark your calendars for May 14, 5 - 7 PM to make sure you attend the full DAI reception for the new shows in all three galleries including the Poetics of Evolution in the Steffl Gallery featuring work by Carolyn Halliday and the iPhone images of Duluth-based designer Cody Paulson in the hallway gallery. Paulson's collection is called Port City Supply Co. It's all in the eye.

Friday

Click to enlarge.

Todd Eckart and His Band on the Playlist, Karen Sunderman host. Ms. Sunderman will also host the Poetry Showcase at Red Mug Coffeehouse during Duluth Dylan Fest on Tuesday, May 19. And Eckart will be performing later that week at the Acoustic Salute to the Music of Bob Dylan. Do you have your tickets yet? The poetry event is free; the concert is a fund-raiser foe the Armory Arts and Music Center.

Saturday
Ruby the Dogumentary at the Red Mug. Seating is limited so you may want to be there early. This one of a kind event will be a live screening with both the producer (Marc Percansky) and the star (Ruby the dog) at the Red Mug Coffeehouse.

Looking Ahead
As noted earlier, on Thursday May 14 there are two major openings slated. The DAI Gallery Reception at the Depot will go from 5 - 7 p.m. and that same evening there will be an Opening Reception for the Cheng-Khee Chee retrospective at the Tweed from 6-8 p.m. That would be another especially good evening to get marked on your calendars.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Hope to see you on the scene.

Duluth Art Scene: Coming Attractions

Carla Hamilton at the Red Mug thru end of April

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl

A few tips for the week ahead.

Tonight @ the Red Mug
Opening reception for Carla Hamilton's Pocket Full of Unicorns
I know I'm just one of many fans of Carla Hansen's original expressions. If you are unable to attend tonight's opening at the Red Mug in Superior, then be sure to grab a soup and sandwich sometime over the next month for an impressive array of new work.

Friday
Opening reception for Dan Hansen @ Benchmark Tattoo. Get a preview of Dan's upcoming show here. This show will be u throughout the month of April.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The April Tweevenings at the Tweed will be presented by Dorian Beaulieu.  This free event begins at 6:30 p.m. Beaulieu is a ceramist and faculty member at Lake Superior College. During the course of the talk, Beaulieu will reference artists and their ceramic works according to the theme Mark of the Fire, from the exhibition Resurfaced, Reformed: Evolution in Studio Ceramics.

Thursday, April 9
Cody Paulson's Port City Supply Co is slated to run from April 9 to June 4 at Duluth Art Institute. Paulson's photography features Duluth imagery in a uniquely modern manner. The reception is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. on May 14, and a special Design Pop Up Shop will be available June 4 to June 6, 2015 featuring artists curated by Paulson alongside more of his design work.

“Cody Paulson is an emerging talent whose images have a voice that is specific to Duluth. It’s like you are looking at a visual identity manual for our town,” said Anne Dugan, DAI Executive & Artistic Director.

While many local photographers focus on the spectacular natural beauty of the area, Paulson takes a distinctive approach to documenting the region. He finds text and fonts from the backs of trucks, portions of hand-painted signs on brick alleyways or blocks of paint on industrial buildings. Geometry and color feature heavily in his work and the industrial roots of Duluth play a starring role in his port town portraits.

Paulson is also known around town for serving as senior design director and videographer at Swim Creative and as the founder and owner of Jambox Shred Gear, a clothing collective that creates skate and snowboarding apparel.

Saturday, April 4
In the mood for music, good pizza and a brew? Make it over to Thirsty Pagan and catch Amy Grillo and Gene LaFond. If I'm not mistaken Jeredt Runions' paintings still decorate some of the walls.


Meantime, life goes on all around you. Be part of it.