Fermenting Twin Ports Poetry Scene Produced Exquisite Moments in 2013

The first section of this blog post appeared in The Reader as part of a 2013 Arts Year in Review feature. The second half was gracious submitted by Kathleen Roberts of the PROVE Gallery, Duluth.

"Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance." -Carl Sandburg

Opportunities to hear live poetry in the Twin Ports seem as pervasive as good views of the lake from Skyline Drive these days. This comes as no surprise to those following this subset of literary arts as a number of nationally recognized names have connections here, including Barton Sutter, Louis Jenkins, Jim Northrup and internationally honored lyricist/bard Bob Dylan.

Even a casual observer can see that the poetry scene here has become increasingly integrated with the avant garde arts scene. 2013 gave ample opportunities to experience this first hand. For example, Adeline’s Salon hosted a poetry event in July with four featured poets followed by an “open mic” involving other poets present. Pineapple Arts on 1st Street drew a large crowd of all ages to a poetry event in June. Double Dutch, the relatively short lived business at the intersection of Lake and Superior, hosted several art and poetry events in conjunction with the Second Friday art crawls. Poets Lewis Mundt and Bob Monohan were among those who gave readings there.

Dylan Days this year incorporated an afternoon to poetry featuring many of our more familiar local names sharing poetry inspired by Bob Dylan’s music and poetry. Former Duluth poet laureate Sheila Packa served as moderator of the event that took place in the Zeitgeist Atrium.

Twin Cities poets have also found a warm welcome from our local literary arts scene which is a-swirl with the energy of youth. Award-winning Minneapolis poet Dobby Gibson shared his work at a well-attended evening at the PRØVE Gallery where several other poetry readings have taken place in conjunction with the art and music of their Second Friday openings. (Special thanks to Kathleen Roberts for championing the poetry action there.) And Sierra DeMulder, 2-time National Poetry Slam champion, gave us a piece of her heart at one of our newest arts venues, The Underground, formerly the Duluth Art Institute Children’s Museum space.

The poetry highlight of 2013 for me personally was veteran poet Al Hunter’s Beautiful Razor: love poems and other lies at Trepanier Hall in March. What made the reading compelling was the accompaniment by a set of guest musicians that included Kathy McTavish, Frank Montana, Michael “Waabi” Furo, Jake Vainio, and Larissa Desrosiers. The eclectic instrumentation – cello, flute, guitars, keyboard – produced a wonderful backdrop of sound that served to amplify the sometimes haunting, sometime melancholic emotion in the readings. It was a night to remember.

Al Hunter shares from Beautiful Razor

2013 MONTH BY MONTH OVERVIEW
Poetry events this year included…
January: Sharkhooks at Double Dutch
February: Bitters art exhibit and poetry reading, featuring Lewis Mundt, Seth Feralin, Kat Mandeville, Amy Lynn, Paris Kelvakis, and Kathleen Roberts
February; Warner Reading Series presented Bob Hicok at Somers Lounge
February: St. David's Day open reading
March: Al Hunter's 'Beautiful Razor' book launch at AICHO
April; Cracked Walnut Reading Series at Prøve Gallery, featuring Ryan Vine, Bob Monahan, Joe Maiolo, Mary Bue, Sheila Packa, Julie Gard, and Tina Higgins
April: Minnesota Book Award Finalists read at Prove, featuring Jim Johnson, Patricia Kirkpatrick, and Dore Kiesselbach (not present: Todd Boss)
May: radio pluto, including spoken word and motion poems from many local artists
May: Prøve Gallery and Duluth Superior Film Fest host Lynette Reini-Grandell w/ Venus DeMars, featuring Kate Harrison and Kathleen Roberts
May: Daylan Days poetry event at the Zeitgeist Atrium
June; Poetry Show at Amazing Grace, featuring Briana Zora, Seth Feralin, Lewis Mundt, and me June, radio pluto opening at Carbon Chroma in Northeast Minneapolis, featuring many local artists and poets
June: Open Mic at Pineapple Arts with featured musical guests Crunchy Bunch
July: Waterworks Poetry Readings at the DAI, featuring Sheila Packa, Liz Minette, and Kathleen Roberts
July; radio pluto film and live readings at Redstar
September; rock (verb) poetry reading at Redstar, featuring Ryan Vine, Kate Harrison, Daniel O (Goody Night), Katelynn Monson, and Tina Higgins, followed by open mic
September: Spirit Lake Poetry Series kickoff party, featuring readings by Ellie Schoenfeld, Connie Wanek, and Sheila Packa September: Poetry Open Mic at Pineapple Arts with musical guests Teach Me Equals
October: radio pluto/loom at Prøve and Gimaaji, featuring live poetry reading and motion poems from local artists
October; Spirit Lake Poetry Series presents Sierra DeMulder at The Underground
October; Open mic and book swap at Beaners, hosted by Tina Higgins
October; 'Dropping into the Flower' book release, featuring Susan Deborah King
November; Duluth All Souls Night, featuring readers Ellie Schoenfeld, Sheila Packa, and Kathleen Roberts
November: Spirit Lake Poetry Series presents Dobby Gibson at Prove November, Lights Off poetry reading at Redstar, featuring Amy Clark, Crystal Gibbins, Rocky Makes Room For Them, and Kathleen Roberts
November: Sharkhooks at Prøve Gallery, with featured guest Peter Pain
November: 2nd annual Coffee and Cigarettes, featuring various local artists, poets, and musicians, at 2104
December: poetry open mic and book swap at Beaners

The Versatile Doris Sampson and More, March 8

Snapshot of Doris Sampson's more recent interests.

Duluth, MN ~ Tomorrow night's gallery hopping here in the Twin Ports has some extra-special treats. In addition to the TEXT show at the Prove which I shared here Tuesday there are the usual events at Ochre Ghost and Washington Gallery, and there are bonus openings at Double Dutch, on the corner of Lake and Superior, and Doris Sampson's opening at Just for the Season Gallery in the Holiday Center. The time to plan your trek is now.

I'm willing to guess that everyone in the region is familiar with Sampson's work but doesn't know it. Her series of paintings featuring the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and subsequent rescue efforts can be seen in numerous locations around the Twin Ports, from the Canal Park Marine Museum to Fitzgerald Hall in the DECC to the reception areas of numerous Twin Ports business establishments. Her skills in are well honed when painting realism, especially the angry sea.

But Sampson is much more than this. I visited her home/studio in West Duluth a couple years ago and was impressed by her range. She is a superb draftsperson who has creatively poured herself into her work for over four decades now. I look forward to seeing what she exhibits tomorrow because Ms. Sampson not only has an imagination, but the talent to do something with it.

Sampson's show is called The Versatility of Doris Sampson, and if you're available during the day she's doing an artist demonstration from noon till 3 p.m. Opening reception will be from 4 p.m. till 7 p.m.  Just for the Season Gallery isn't "just for the season" and if you work downtown you should make it a monthly destination to see what's new. Sampson's work will be featured there through the end of March.

Double Dutch at 1 W. Superior St. is a welcome addition to the gallery crawl that takes place on the second Friday each month downtown.  Tomorrow eve they will feature artwork by Brian Ring and Ryan LeMahieu with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m.

Over at the Ochre Ghost photographer Andy Hartman is showing his work from 7-11 p.m., two blocks down the alley from the Prove show that is featuring 19 artists this month. And two blocks up the hill from the TEXT Show you'll find a two woman show by artists Mary Hunt and Monica Ares. Their opening runs from 4:30-8 p.m, so my guess is to catch it all, you may start with Just for the Season, hop up to Washington and then find a place to park down on First Street. (That's my plan, anyways.)

Hunt’s show is titled “Privacy No More,” dealing with privacy in a digital age. Hunt has an MFA from the University of Delaware but left academia eight years ago to work on her own. She now lives and works in Washington Studios Artist Cooperative.

Ares’ exhibit is titled “Beneath Perceptions.” Her images are created with various media including oil on masonite, graphite on Mylar and more. Personally, I can't wait to take it all in.

Hope to see you on the scene.