A Few Snapshots from the 64th Arrowhead Regional Biennial along with Everything & Nothing

The Arrowhead Regional Biennial is a juried show that has been organized and administered by the Duluth Art Institute (DAI) for more than a century. The Biennial is a juried art show featuring painting, prints, sculptures and drawing. This year's event was curated by Awa Kawaguchi, and hosted by the Tweed Museum of Art on the campus of UMD. 

This year's Biennial conincides with a major event in the life of the DAI. This past year a decision was made regarding their home at the Depot, which will now be called their "former home" in a few months. In short, the DAI is in a time of transition as it seeks a new location while striving to seamlessly maintain its commitments to the local arts community. 

This past Saturday I was happy to be present for the closing of the 64th Biennial. UMD's annual Art & Design Faculty Staff Exhibition was also on display. Aptly titled Everything & Nothing, the Faculty/staff show never disappoints.  

What follows are some of the images I captured to share here. First, selections from the Biennial.

Examples of work from 

Everything & Nothing

This was on a wall leading to another section of the gallery.

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

The DAI Member Show: Fun to See What Everyone Has Been Up To

The primary mandate for artists participating in the Duluth Art Institute's Member Show is that you submit something new, something created within the past year. Yes, there are other rules (no A.I. art and size limits, for example) but overall it's an opportunity to showcase your current direction and interests. 

The opening reception took place Wednesday, June 1 in the Great Hall at the Depot. There were more than 150 artists' works on display and an enthusiastic vibe. The social component is almost as important as seeing what everyone has been working on.

As always, there were sculptures, prints, paintings, drawings, ceramic works and etchings. And, as always, the show is a vivid reminder that there's a heckuva lot of talent in this region. There's so much truly remarkable work that it is near impossible to select a "Best of Show." Nevertheless, like nearly everyone else, I did cast a vote.

Here are a dozen items that especially caught my eye. (EdNote: There were many others that captured my eye, but reflections made them hard to photograph.)

Like many others, Aaron Kloss delights in our region's white birches.

Hover by Shelley Breitzmann. A landscape muted by fog,
A bird floating low over the field. (Acrylic on canvas)

Ceramic artists were well represented, though these are from an exhibit
in the Steffl Gallery. (L) Iron Red Flask by Robert DeArmond.
(R) Vase, fireclay stoneware by Karen Keenan.

Shorthand in Red. Mixed media on panel.

Treehouse Love. Oil and wax on Arches oil painting paper
by John Ulrich.

Deuteronomy. Relief print by Tom Rauschenfels.

Deuteronomy (detail)

Spring fire. Eulsion on canvas by Charles Nahgahnub

Larix Laricina. Beer, charcoal, ink; by Lucas Anderson.

And they danced by the light of the moon. Julia Peterson, mixed media.

Autumn Royalty. Digital photograph on canvas by Ivy Vainio.

Freed Spirits of Petros. Photography by Tim Beaulier.

Regina Apis, et al. Linoleum print on lokta paper by Todd White

What a Child Knows. Acrylic on canvas, by Alexa Carson.

What does Santa eat? Children's book illustration, digital by Brian Barber.
The reflection on the glass is not part of the work.

Leading with our Hearts. Acrylic and paper on canvas, by Alison Aune.

Minimum Rage by Emily Koch. Oil on wood panel.

A Reflection of Ennyman

Again, try to stop and see this show before it departs June 18.

There's some excellent work upstairs in the galleries as well.

DAI Hosts Special Event Addressing A.I. and Art

AI collaboration with the author.

Last night the Duluth Art Institute hosted a panel discussion with the working title AI Art: A Human Discussion. The 90 minute panel discussion, moderated by DAI director Christina Woods, took place via Zoom and featured five guests from various arts-related backgrounds. Rick Kollath is an illustrator who makes pictures the old fashioned way. Kathy McTavish is a transmedia artist who has worked extensively in coding and the creative application of technology. Ben Moren is a Twin Cities multi-media instructor, Jonathan Thunder a fine artist, and Alexis Elder a philosophy associate professor who has a background in tech ethics and fostering creativity. 

The discussion touched on many relevant themes. One recurring theme was "Where is this headed?"

Will children learn to draw by telling their phones to make pictures? Will pro illustrators be a thing of the past because AI can make fast, cheap pictures? How will copyright laws change? What are ethical and unethical applications of AI art? 

Kathy McTavish stated, "This moment is pivotal." ChatGPT, a "Large Language Model", has brought AI research to a far wider public than in years past where AI was more or less something the geek world thought about deeply. Right now, schools everywhere are grappling with how to use AI and ChatGPT.

Some of the discussion revolved around what is lacking or missing in AI generated art. "A painting is hand-made. As art it has a value," one panelist said. "Artists' processes are important." 

Is the amount of time it takes to make something (or clean up afterwards) what gives it value?

A Post-Modern Man. (AI collaboration)

Ben Moren is currently training an AI model. In his view three considerations are important features of art. (1) Intention  (2) Process  (3) Observation. He went on to compare art to collage. 

Jon Thunder said he pays his bills with his art. He noted that there are different categories of businesses and individuals buying art. People who buy clip art for their ads are not the clients someone like Thunder relies on. 

Rick Kollath then asserted that "AI cannot compare to hand made art."

"The human spirit, that's where it's at," Thunder replied.

Kollath pointed out that photography changed art and "AI will change art in ways we cannot yet imagine."

Kathy McTavish drew attention to the exorbitant costs involved in running the machines that enable us to create a picture AI. "I don't want to participate."

There were occasional statements that could have been elaborated on. One of these was "AI as function of a Colonizer." And "does AI create Accessibility?"Or to put it a different way, "Who gets access."

The relationship between technology and our environment was mentioned as well as the relationship between technology and mind formation. "Are we outsourcing our thinking and being exploited?"

AI is not the first insertion of technology into life. Many of us who were around in the Sixties remember mimeograph machines that enabled us to mass produce a newsletter. The capabilities of Photoshop emerged with the advent of personal computers. 

Before it goes too far, should we dismantle AI? One person asked if maybe it's time to dismantle Capitalism.

Hmmm. Now that's a whole different question.

* * * 

Illustrations on this page were AI collaborations with Dream by Wombo using original paintings by the author as a starting point.

11 Days Left to See Robert Patrick's Currents at the DAI

The Duluth-born artist Robert Patrick has been featured in the Duluth Art Institute's Morrison Gallery at the Depot. His current exhibit is called Currents, featuring large images that hang on the walls like tapestries. The roiling images are painted on canvas tarps, which is an unusual feature of the s

Note the stipple like detail

Detail from a mid-range perspective.

Related Links

Duluth Art Institute

Patterns

Patterns: Paul Simon's Prosaic Pathos

The Annual Member Show at the DAI Is Always A Favorite: Here's Some of What You Missed

Nicholas Needs A Moment. Shawna Gilmore
Charcoal and acrylic on cradled wood.

Last night was the opening for the annual Duluth Art Institute Member Show, which is routinely my favorite art event of the year. Held in the Depot's Great Hall, it gives local artists and fans a chance to peek at what everyone is doing. It is a show for member artists and the one rule, as far as I know, is that you can only show something new, as in something you've done within the last year.

The show is a good reminder of how many talented artists we're rubbing shoulders with in this town. And it was good to see faces again -- or at least eyes, since there was a mask requirement. An out-of-towner recently referred to Duluth as an Art Mecca. Although that is a big title to live up to, it's certainly impressive how many artists there are here and how many genres they work in. 

Duluth Suuperior Sheepish Orchestra. Damita Beyer.
Acrylic on canvas

And if you've been paying attention at all, you privately know that what we saw last night was only scratching the surface as regards the breadth of work being done. 

I love the variety of themes, too. And the titles. Naming things is just something people have been doing since the beginning of time. I do my best to include the titles of the pieces. 

Here's a smattering of pieces I saw last night at the opening. 

The Artist. Jonathan Thunder. Acrylic on canvas.

Alvin. Anita Curtis. Acrylic on canvas.

Joy in a Jar. Kelly Schamberger. Oil on panel.
The painting is better than the photo I took, but I loved the title.

Love and Trust. Susan Krochallk. Acrylic on canvas.

Strength. Lin Rose. Watercolor, Arches coldpress paper, oil pastels.
The reflection of windows, etc is not in the art but it produced such 

an effect when I looked at this that I kept it to share.

Porky Pine Meat. Scott Murphy. Oil on aluminum.

Perhaps. Linda Glisson. Acrylic on paper.

Real Time. David Austin. Acrylic and mixed media on canvas.

Escape. Lisa Kosmo. Water-base oil on canvas. 

I missed the title on this, but it was by Patricia Lenz, a former
director of the DAI.

In addition to the artwork in the Great Hall, there was some official business conducted (DAI Board Members elected) and an artist talk by Christopher E Harrison whose "paper art" was used to illustrate Jacob Lawrence's The Migration Series.

And then there was also... the food. A wonderful selection from 
some of our classiest eating places. Food is art, too.

If you work in other media, there are spaces for you as well.

FWIW DEPT.

Duluth Dylan Fest continues tonight with the Singer/Songwriter contest at Sacred Heart. There will be additional events Saturday and a farewell brunch Sunday. Full schedule of times and places here: https://duluthdylanfest.com/duluth-dylan-fest-2022/