Twin Ports Gallery Progressive Begins Tonight

I mentioned it Monday so you can't say I didn't warn you. The gallery hoppers will be out tonight. If you've been hearing people talk about the vibrancy in our local art scene, the Gallery Progressive would be a great opportunity to get out and catch the flavor of what's been happening.

New photography by Andrew Perfetti at Goin' Postal

This week Goin' Postal in Superior has been re-painting walls and putting in long hours organizing and prepping for a show featuring at least fifteen and maybe as many as twenty artists. I'll have an assortment of new paintings there and am looking forward to many new artists who will be part of tomorrow night's events.

Across the bridge, Pineapple Art Duluth has dressed up its walls with a new coat of paint and has done some re-decorating with a lot of new art and heart. Pineapple Art is alternate art store run by artists, not big box retailers. It's come to my attention that the gallery is getting ready to place a new order for art supplies and will pay shipping if you have something you need. Stop by during the day today or tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to see what's new.

Just for the Season Gallery is having a reception today from 3-7. They are not just for the season, though. Edna Blanchard is the featured artist with her current show titled "Hang It All." I love the word play.

A lot of artists enjoy language as well. Sometimes the titles of John Heino's photos leave me in stitches. Recently one of his photos of the front tip of a boat reflected in the water was titled, "Take a Bow." When I reflected on this, it made me want to paint a picture of a man carrying the limb of a tree he'd just cut off and call it, "Take a Bough."

Phantom Galleries Superior is having an art party tonight from 5-9 p.m. The name of their event is Front and Back, with featured artists Angela Howarth, Cecilia Ramon, Terry Millikan, Luke Krisak aand Chris Watten in four locations. In addition, at 7 o'clock they will be taking a flashlight tour of the Back Door alley murals that were created this year through the alleys. Way cool.

Much more could be said, but this is probably enough. I just wanted to remind you that there's some really amazing creative work being produced in our region and this is a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of a portion of it.

The full schedule for the galleries and artist talks appears in today's Wave in the DNT (thank you) or in my Monday blog post.

Hopefully I'll see you on there, wherever that might be.

Twin Ports Gallery Progressive: Autumn Edition

Art for everyone!

I don't know if you've noticed, but there is yet another new art gallery in Downtown Duluth. It's not really a new gallery, but a new location, I believe. Art in the Alley had formerly made its home in Superior, but is now located at 230 East Superior Street, in Duluth. Energetic works by Melanie Sternberg were featured on one wall beginning late September, and this week Tonya Sell of Oulu, WI will be featured during the Autumn Edition of the Twin Ports Gallery Progressive.

I hope you're setting aside at least one of the two evenings for this week's rockin' art activities here. If you're not a regular gallery hopper, this kind of event is perfect for getting a small taste of the wide variety of visual arts being created, from the esoteric to naturalist wonder, from out of this world photography to 3-D entertainment and even some live painting.

Here's how the two day event is being billed, with gallery schedules following.

When: Oct 11 – 12, 2012
Where: DULUTH/SUPERIOR
Description: Twin Ports Gallery Progressive: Autumn Edition Thursday and Friday, October 11 & 12 FREE Visual arts exhibition spaces are collaborating again on a two day massive, multi-venue, multi-media gallery progressive. Mark your calendars and break in your comfy walking shoes because there’s a serious amount of art in this town!

THURSDAY, October 12

1. The Northern Prints Gallery - 318 North 14th Avenue East, Duluth
www.northernprintsgallery.com
Thursday, 5-8pm and Friday 1–6pm, Open House

2. Phantom Galleries Superior
1112 and 1412 Tower Ave, Superior
www.facebook.com/SuperiorPublicArt.SPACES
Thursday, 5-9pm - Art Party: Celebrating new art environments in vacant storefronts and 'Back Door' Project Featuring: Flashlight Tour
7pm (starts at 1412 Tower)
Artist Talks: Luke Krisak, Chris Watten, Terry Millikan, Cecilia Ramón , Angela Haworth and 'Back Door' Project Artist's Recognition.

3. Duluth Art Institute
506 West Michigan, Duluth
www.duluthartinstitute.org
Thursday, 5:30pm
Artist Dialogue: Eric Dubnicka and Jeremy Schock

4. Just for the Season Gallery
Holiday Center, 207 West Superior Street, Duluth
Thursday, 3–7 pm Gallery Reception
Friday, 2–5pm Artist Demo
We will be hosting a reception for our featured artist of the month, Edna Blanchard, who’s exhibit “Hang it All” is comprised of her oil and watercolor paintings.

5. Pineapple Arts 
124 W 1st St. Duluth
pineappleartscenter.com
Thursday and Friday, 10am-6pm
Artwork from the volunteers at Pineapple Arts plus hands on work stations.

6. Waters of Superior 
395 S. Lake Avenue, Duluth
www.watersofsuperior.com
Thursday and Friday, 10am-9pm

7. Zeitgeist Arts 
222 East Superior Street, Duluth MN
www.zeitgeistarts.com
Thursday and Friday, 11am-midnight. UDAC's Art Junction show

FRIDAY, October 12

8. American Indian Community Housing Organization
202 W. 2nd Street in Duluth
Friday, 6 PM
Naamijig: Honoring Our Traditions Photography Exhibition
Experience life on the "powwow trail" through a collection of Ivy Vainio's photographs

9. Washington Gallery
315 North Lake Avenue, Duluth
www.wsacduluth.info
Friday, 6-9pm  Opening Reception
Rabbit Meat Bunnies: Crucifixion, Sex, and Rabbit Hunting and New works by Greg Green

10. Duluth Photography Institute
405 East Superior St. Suite 140, Duluth
www.duluthphotographyinstitute.com
Friday, 6-9pm
Gallery Reception: iPhoneography

11. Ochre Ghost
22 2nd Ave E, Duluth
, 6 – 10pm
Joe Nixon: 2, 3 and Eighth Dimensional Works

12. Goin Postal
816 Tower, Superior
Friday, 6pm
Featuring new work by over 15 artists including Ed Newman, Jeredt Runions, Andrew Perfetti, Carla Magnuson, Amanda Christine, Dustin Keliin, Becky Brandt, Chelsey Miller, Emily Rose, Joe Polecheck, Lindsay Graskey, Justin Sinks, Colin James Wiita, Kym Young, John Heino and more.
Art show: 6PM at Goin Postal with concert and live painting to follow next door at Bev's Jook Joint.

13. Perry Framing 
216 East Superior Street, Duluth
Friday, 10am- 9pm

14. Art in the Alley
230 East Superior Street, Duluth
www.artinthealley.com/
Friday, 5-7pm
Tonia Sell - paintings, ceramic sculptures and felt

15. Prᴓve Gallery
21 N. Lake Ave Duluth MN 55802
www.facebook.com/ProveCollective
Friday, 7pm-11+ PM
1 Year Anniversary Show! A celebration of artists that have shown this past year.

16. North End Arts Gallery
1323 Broadway, Superior
Thursday and Friday, 11 am -5 pm.
Diana Randolph: The Natural World
Oil paintings and pastels exhibition and poetry book, Beacons of the Earth and Sky.

IN SUMMARY
Two cities, two days, sixteen galleries, parties, lectures, concerts, awards – it’s a lot for the Twin Ports to handle but folks from the visual arts community think we’re up for the challenge. Special recognition and respect goes to the brave soul who makes it to all the stops. If you are one of these who makes it to all the events and galleries, I will personally give you one of my ink drawings for your support of the arts here in the Twin Ports. That's a pledge. Hope to see you on the scene.

Wordless Wednesday: April 25

Images from last Thursday's Gallery Progressive.

Last Night Was Fun. Let's Do It Again

Where does one even begin? Last night was simply wonderful celebration of the arts in our community. The Earth Day Gallery Hop has been a late April tradition here in the Twin Ports for many years, but this year's pre-party grand openings seemed to jump it up a notch, thanks to the enthusiasm and energy of our Duluth Art Institute.

The festivities began in the Great Hall at the Depot and then spilled out into the various sections of the cities. The night, though brisk, was refreshingly late April.

I myself primarily took in the Superior galleries and events last night, beginning with Goin' Postal where I have been showing a lot of my paintings these past two years. John Heino had some new pictures including a spectacular piece of what appears to be driftwood, reflected and re-directed in unexpected ways. Carla Magnuson, Eric Horn, Tara Stone, Sharon Davis and others shared the space which is a business by day but has become something of a meeting place like the plazas in small Mexican towns where people gather to learn what's going on in the scene, courtesy Andrew Perfetti, proprietor.

Tonya Sells' productivity binge is nothing short of remarkable, much of it on display in one of two Phantom Galleries Superior, Ellen Sandbeck and Jim Grittner occupying the other.

Saturday I will try to make it to the Canal Park galleries and mosey about the other downtown spaces where artists showcase their stuff.

As for the future, I was reminded of the Olympian city-wide Luci d'Artista that takes place in Turin as artists from all over Europe contribute to transform the city itself into a spectacle of arts and lights. As our local galleries continue to work together I see great potential for the enrichment of our Northland and beyond. For now, the future remains unwrit.

If at all possible check out your favorite galleries in this weekend's Earth Day Gallery Hop. Visit the Duluth Art Institute website for details.