The Ceramicists: More Cool Shots from the Park Point Art Fair

The dictionary defines ceramics as "pots and other articles made from clay hardened by heat." Making things out of clay is something so simple a child can do it, yet even after a lifetime the master ceramicists are learning new things about firing techniques, glazes and the possibilities of the medium. Like writing, playing an instrument, or drawing, it's something everyone can enjoy. But mastery is something wholly other.

Making pottery goes back to ancient times. It must have been interesting when the first clay bowls were actually placed in a fire and hardened. Shards of broken bowls and pots are among the items most often found in archaeological digs. More than 2500 years ago the prophet Isaiah wrote "Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." And Jeremiah expressed similar sentiments after being instructed by the Lord to go down to the potter's house.

I like the look of Gail Rosenquist's pieces.

In 1981, when Susie and I were living in Mexico, we worked at an orphanage that was walking distance from a small pottery business, two or three people working on wheels making bowls, among other things. There was also a brick making business, of a much larger scale, in the direction of town. Both processes involve taking raw material out of the ground, shaping it and baking it.

All this to say that we saw some wonderful ceramics at the Park Point Art Fair this past weekend. Here are a few pieces I especially liked.

The familiar designs of Husby Pottery.

Richard & Rosetti Gruchalla (here, top right and below)
were awards Best of Show this year.

The ubquitous Karin Kraemer

Related Links
Tate Rich Talks About Ceramics and Community Art
Making Bowls at the North Pole

Upcoming Art Events This Week
Adam Swanson's Science Art will be showing at Karin Kraemer's Duluth Pottery, 5-9 p.m. Tomorrow
Friday evening from 4 till late is the Duluth Art Walk.
And let's not forget the Free Range Film Festival in Wrenshall

Meantime art goes on all around you. Do it in Duluth.

Tentative Rules for 2016 Dylan Fest Music Video Contest

There's always music at Dylan Fest. (Pictured: The Freewheelers)

It's coming up fast, the 2016 Duluth Dylan Fest. In addition to many of the traditional events, such as the Blood on the Tracks Express and the Singer-Songwriter Contest, a number of new activities have been added this year to honor the Northland's native son, as well as give visitors, friends and fans more opportunities to participate or simply mingle.

One of the new events for this year's festival, which coincides with Bob Dylan's 75th birthday, will be the Dylan Music Video Festival. In some ways this contest reminds me of a filmmaker's version of the Rubber Chicken Theater's Chicken Hat Plays, a mini-X-Games for actors and playwrights.  The difference is that in the Chicken Hat Plays, teams have 24 hours to write, rehearse and perform a play. In May, filmmakers will have 48 hours to film, edit and complete a music video for a Dylan song.

The finished music videos will be screened at 7:00 p.m. at the Zinema 2 in downtown Duluth. The audience will vote for their top three films which will then be given a wider re-screening during the Duluth Superior Film Festival, which takes place here the following week, June 2-5. And, of course, there will be some "awesome prizes."

Here is the current status of the rules, courtesy Andy Bennett and the Duluth Dylan Fest committee.

FILM SELECTION AND FEST KICKOFF

The contest will kick-off with the filmmaker’s selection of a Bob Dylan song selection card on Sunday, May 22nd at the Dylan Festival launch party at 7 p.m. at Carmody Irish Pub. All filmmakers must be present at this event to select their film selection card. (EdNote: The annual Dylan Trivia competition is slated for 9 p.m., so stick around.)

PRE-PRODUCTION
The only pre-production work that can be accomplished prior to Sunday, May 22nd at 7 p.m. is the following:
a. Organizing Crew
b. Organizing Cast
c. Securing Equipment
d. Scouting and Securing Locations

MAKING THE FILM
All work on the actual music video must take place between the DYLAN FILM FEST TIME FRAME, which is 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 22nd and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24th. Any creative work in advance of this time frame is prohibited. Creative work includes, but is not limited to:
• Writing the script
• Rehearsing
• Costume/Set Design
• Shooting
• Editing
• Sound Design
• Rendering
• Outputting to tape or other media

CONTENT
No stock footage or footage shot or created at another time may be used.

Animation and special effects are permitted, but must be created during the Dylan Film Fest Time Frame

Still photographs are permitted, provided that the team has the rights to them. The photos do not need to be created during the Dylan Film Fest Time Frame.

RUNNING TIME
Your finished music video, including the required credits spelled out below, can be no more than 20 seconds beyond the official song time detailed on each song selection card.

REQUIRED CREDITS
Before the finished film begins, you need to have:
• 3 seconds of black
• A 5-second title card with: team name or director name, and song title
• 2 seconds of black

OTHER STUFF
• You may use any type of film or video camera to film your music video. You can use as many cameras (or as few) as you want.
• No harming animals. Please and thank you.
• All cast and crew must be volunteers.
• Film must be presented at the Zinema 2 in one of the following formats:
o (preferred) a playable DVD
o a self-contained SD Quicktime file with no proprietary codecs on either
o a USB flash drive

* * * *

To learn more about this year's celebrations, gatherings, music and more, visit the Duluth Dylan Festival Facebook page.