Team Spirit and Hat Trick -- Two Exciting Exhibitions Open This Week at the Duluth Art Institute

"A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz."
~Humphrey Bogart

120 baseball covers (detail)

As every fan of baseball knows, April is when it all begins anew. As the great Hall of Famer Honus Wagner put it, "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." There's nothing quite like the opening of a new season. Your team has yet to lose a game and you have an abundance of hope in your heart that this is your year.

So it seems only appropriate that this week the Duluth Art Institute is hosting a baseball themed exhibition titled Team Spirit featuring a collaboration with Jen Dietrich and Robb Quisling. Quisling is an artist, art teacher (Hermantown school district) and former student of Dietrich who teaches at UMD. (It's actually about a variety of team sports, but with spring in the air it was necessary to start with baseball.)

Even though I played the game in my youth and have followed the sport all my life, the exhibit brought out facts that even I didn't know. One piece is a construction made of 18 leather ballgloves. Yes, I did know each team has nine players and 18 is the total of two teams of nine. But did you know that each game uses 120 baseballs? Dietrich and Quisling have one piece that features the leather covers of 120 balls. They have also concocted the smells of baseball. Were you aware of the process that's involved in preparing those balls for each game? And there's more.

Dietrich grew up as a "tomboy" and that "spirit" remains embedded in her DNA. You can see my review of her last show here. She even married a football player.

In my "sneak preview of the upcoming show I had a chance to talk about the relationship between the artists. Quisling noted that he "wasn't good at understanding conceptual art." Dietrich helped bring his comprehension into a higher level of clarity.

Their collaboration aims at bringing out nuances and layers of meaning in this sport and others. For Quisling sports are about companionship. Another part of the Morrison Gallery will feature rock climbing as well, another activity which involves achievement in collaboration with others. Dietrich brings yet another layer to the game... the smells. I myself always think of the leather, There's also sweat. And for the fan there are those hot dogs.

One portion of the exhibit will address the current issue of concussions in football, an issue that has come under the spotlight of journalist scrutiny the past several years, especially after Junior Seau's 2012 suicide. This is an especially interesting and thought-provoking set of pieces with some clever juxtapositions.

The Steffl Gallery will play host to a celebration of hockey and art titled "Hat Trick." If you know hockey, a hat trick is when a player scores three goals in a game, an impressive feat at any level of the game. And the works on display here as impressive. Tim Cortes is a nationally recognized sports artist and his finely honed photo-realistic drawings in colored pencil are remarkably striking. I had to ask, "Are these photos?" "No," I was informed.

Not a photo. It's colored pencils. 

According to the DAI description of the show, Cortes’ work has been displayed at the US Hockey Hall of Fame and at jersey retirement ceremonies for NHL and NFL pros. It can be found in the private collections of sports heroes like Troy Aikman, Dale Earnhardt, Wayne Gretzky, and Shaquille O’Neal; and his murals can be seen at Target Field’s “Champions’ Club” lounge. The artist currently lives in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood with his wife and children, and coaches youth hockey and baseball. Paired with Cortes’ work will be a variety of paintings and sculptures that celebrate hockey including work by Robert Pokorney, Sue Pavlatos, Josh Nelson and Roger Nieboer. An art-making piece that the audience can engage in, designed by DAI Executive & Artistic Director Anne Dugan, will also be part of the experience.

The opening reception for both shows is this Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at the Depot. It's not to be missed. On the other hand, this is Jen Dietrich's last show before leaving to move to Colorado. She will most certainly be missed.

* * * *

AND TWO MORE DAI EVENTS

On Friday, April 15, the Duluth Art Institute will host two grant program informational sessions by the Minnesota State Arts Board in the Ruth Maney Room of the Duluth Depot (506 W Michigan St). Session one, a general information session, will go from 12 – 1 PM and will consist of two Arts Board program officers giving a brief overview of all Arts Board grant programs. Session two will take place from 1:30 – 2:30 PM and will provide an overview of Minnesota’s program and public art commissioning process. These are free and open to the public, although registration is encouraged. For more info, please see the attached news release.

On Saturday, April 16, from 11 AM – 2 PM, the DAI will host a Free Family Day at the DAI Lincoln Center for Arts Education (2229 W 2nd St). At these events, children can experience fun, hands-on arts activities. Family outings can be expensive, but this program is accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and income levels. All the projects and supplies are provided free. This session will feature Earth Day-themed projects and is sponsored by Whole Food Co-op and the Lloyd K Johnson Foundation.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Have you been noticing?

Local Art Seen: Support at the PRØVE

Vision Chair

It's been just over three years since the PRØVE Gallery's inaugural exhibition. A lot has changed since those first shows by the PRØVE Collective, but one thing has remained constant. Their original mission was "to become a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints as well as fostering a greater appreciation of the modern arts, expanding community and providing cultural exchange. The gallery’s ambitious aims include presenting monthly shows, collaborating with like-minded arts organizations and create networking opportunities that benefit the arts retail environment." The gallery has remained a central place to see compelling art that goes off the edge of ordinariness.

Last night I was able to attend an opening reception for Support, a show curated by graduating students of UMD Professor Jen Dietrich's senior seminar course. The students have spent the semester working hands on with PRØVE to develop concepts, learn about the daily operations of running the gallery, and the process of developing an art exhibition in a professional setting. 

Assembling this show, Support, included putting out a call for entries from the UMD campus and selecting pieces for exhibition. As a collective, they have curated and decided to give back to a known mentor of students, Brian Hendrickson.

Hendrickson has been a long-time support for multitudes of students at UMD. He helps build frames for large canvas paintings, solves problems related to building foundations for projects and aids in installations. He's a helping hand when needed, and his unheralded service has been greatly appreciated. Now, he's in need of support in his battle with cancer.

The work, all by students, reflected a wide range of styles and attitudes. Some of the pieces were visual essays, and all deserved more engagement. A jazz ensemble provided atmosphere with a good crowd showing their support for this labor of love by the students.

Floating City by Yinghui Meng

* * * *

A Few Endnotes
Less than two weeks till Christmas. There are several events today where you can buy local and support the arts. There is a Duluth Armory Celebration at the Armory Annex (former Perkins) on London Road is having an event featuring arts, crafts and pottery workshops, along with live music. 5::00 till 8:00 p.m.

Noon till 2:00 Chris Monroe is doing a signing copies of her new children's book Bug on a Bike at the Fitgers Book Store.

2:00 till 4:00 p.m. there is a book signing for my new children's book A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd at The Red Mug Coffeehouse in Superior. My illustrator Ian Welshons drove up from Stillwater and will be signing copies of the book as well.

Trepanier Hall is hosting Biiboon Bimaadizimin: Winter Good Life, with artists and artisans selling a variety of cool things, also with music and more.

And Nice Girls of the North has merged with the Second Saturday Marketplace. They will be open in Laeside from 10:00 a.m. till 3:00 today.

It's a really warm one today. Can it be spring already? Make the most of your day.

Opening Reception for UMD Art & Design Faculty Biennial: What We Do

October 18, 2014 - 6 to 8pm

Quick Note: The Tweed Museum of Art is hosting the 2014 Faculty Biennial exhibition, featuring artwork created by the Art & Design faculty, School of Fine Arts, at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

WHAT WE DO is an exhibition of new artworks by UMD art teaching faculty. The exhibition highlights their creative achievements, from traditional to new media. What We Do emphasizes the significance of artistic achievement derived from research, practice and intelligent imagination. For more information, visit our website at www.d.umn.edu/tma

Why I do what I do
"Most design professionals are in a highly complex working environment, both technological and methodological. In many situations the communication challenges are multilayered. Design challenges must be explored from multiple viewpoints; client, user, designer, societal needs, purpose. Yet in the end design communication is often one on one."
- Janice Kmetz, Art & Design Faculty

This exhibit will be on display through March 22, 2015, but if you come to the opening you can meet the artists/faculty in person. Highly recommended.

Opening reception: Saturday, October 18, 2014 from 6 to 8pm - Tweed Museum of Art.

According to their announcement there will be a limited edition of screen printed posters created by John O'Neill on sale at the reception. This event is free and open to the public.

FINE PRINT
The Tweed Museum is a fiscal year 2015 recipient of an operating support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. The Tweed Museum is one of seven units in the School of Fine Arts, UMD. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE EXHIBITION: WHAT WE DO
Art & Design Faculty Biennial 2014, University of Minnesota - Duluth

Alison Aune ● Fatih Benzer ● Steve Bardolph ● David Bowen ● Gloria DeFilipps Brush ● Jen Dietrich ● Darren Houser ● Betsy Hunt ● Elizabeth James ● Jeffrey Kalstrom ● James Klueg ● Janice Kmetz ● Victoria Lehman ● Robin Murphy ● Ryuta Nakajima ● Matthew Olin ● John O'Neill ● Kristin Pless ● Robert Repinski ● Joellyn Rock ● David Short ● Eun-Kyung Suh ● Rob Wittig

Join us!

Summing Up Last Night's Art Stroll

Uppercut by Tyler Johnson

Over the past several years we've gotten spoiled. Warm weather came early, and Jack Frost recoiled northward. Not so in 2013 as we've just been docked with more than a foot of snow and drifts as high as three feet in certain places around our property. Naturally when spring comes early I remind people that it wasn't that long ago we had eight-inch snowstorms on the second and third weekends of May. And three years ago I had to wear gloves in July. So, let's just make those necessary mental adjustments and get on with it.

Despite being snowed in all day yesterday, I was able to make it out to several art openings on Second Friday downtown here in Duluth. Another great evening of art and social experiences.

We started at the Washington Gallery where Flo Matamoros and Tyler Johnson were displaying original work in the two regions of the gallery. Both are younger artists expressing themselves in different styles. Matamoros presented images she created using a Sharpie on cardstock or on wood panels. Most were simple but some exemplified a greater complexity, playing off the natural grain of the wood. She also showed several paintings for a total of 30 pieces.

Detail from "Practice Makes Perfect"

Johnson, who is a fledgling staffer at the Duluth Art Institute, presented some interesting work that became moreso as you dug into it. Many of the pieces conveyed a recurring sports motif and I inquired as to its significance. Johnson said that he'd been reflecting on American ideals and certainly sports has become a high profile example of what our country seems to be about. He asks the question, "Why is the Golden Boy our standard?"

Detail from "Practice Makes Perfect"

The pieces themselves varied but always gave a sense that there was more there than meets the eye. That is, were one to ask about what was going on in the pieces we'd have a good evening of discussion going. On one wall, for example, there is an X and an O, with the football characters interspersed strategically here and there. Upon further investigation I learned that the X and O were derived from the X's and O's that coaches make when outlining a play on the drawing board. "Wilson, you go here and Swanny will hit you on three."

Interestingly enough much of Jen Dietrich's exhibit at the PROVE Gallery also featured sports related iconography. Dietrich the football fan has made visual some interesting observations about gender perceptions by superimposing the images of powerful women over NFL legends. We see Hillary Clinton paired with Dick Butkus, except the all-star middle linebacker is only visible through Ms. Clinton's features, not alongside it. Mike Ditka and Gloria Steinem share another composition, as do Vince Lombardi and Elanor Roosevelt among others.

A handout helped explain the backstory for these pieces. "This new body of work investigates my all-consuming obsession with American cultural identity as well as personal identity." It's interesting that when men are aggressive it can be deemed strength and leadership, but when women are aggressive they are deemed bitchy.

Dietrich also presented a set of seven compositions featuring Ed Hochulis, a lawyer who has become one of the most popular referees in NFL history.

Sandy Gillespie

The dynamic work of Sandy Gillespie filled the back half of the gallery. Gillespie is a Minneapolis artist who has recently returned to the midwest after 22 years in Alaska in order to be near her children and grandchildren. The new work expresses her struggle through this year of transition, what she calls her "personal conversation with loss and grief, betrayal and anger." The materials she works with are uncommon: encaustic, journal pages, hair, nails and acupuncture needles.

We strolled down the alley to Ochre Ghost after this, which brought us into the psychedelic mindscape of Zachary Moser. The space had been converted into a multi-media montage of images, animations and something wholly other. The show was titled New Mythology: An Installation by Zachary Moser. If you missed it because the weather held you back, they will be opening their doors this afternoon from 4 - 5 p.m.


Meantime... life goes on. Keep your eyes open and take it in.

Artist Interviews: Best of 2012 (Part II)

The author w/ Rosvall Eyeglasses

It appears that these year-end compilations of artist interviews are becoming an annual event. I have certainly spoken with a lot of interesting people. I've also learned much and it has been my privilege to share their insights and experiences with a wider audience. Here's part two of my 2012 artist interviews, a small collection of examples as to why the Twin Ports arts scene is so vibrant right now.

Fruit from a Long Dialogue with Artist Ann Klefstad

Ann Klefstad (Part 2)

Ann Klefstad (Part 3)

Eight Minutes with Richard Hansen and the DuSu Film Festival

Eight Minutes with Northland Painter Aaron Kloss

Ten Minutes with Artist Wanda Pearcy

Eight Minutes with Artist Morgan Pease

Heino Magic

Eight Minutes with Artist/ Water Advocate Tonya Borgeson

Eight Minutes with Artist Wynn Davis

Spotlight on Photographer John Heino

John Heino (Part 2)

Five Minutes with Minnesota Artist Patricia Canelake

Jen Dietrich’s American Iconography

Ryan Tischer Discusses Washington Gallery and Artist Collective

David Moreira Talks About the Art of SkatRadioh

Andrew Floberg piece, one of many great events @ Washington Galleries

Read my upcoming article in this week's Reader for a look back at the 2012 Twin Ports arts scene. Visit tomorrow for more artist interviews from our local scene and abroad.

Studio Time with Artist Jen Dietrich

This is part two of my interview with Jen Dietrich, UMD art professor. In our initial communications she stated that a visit to her studio would be beneficial in understanding her current work. Indeed, the studio visit proved exceedingly helpful.

Jen Dietrich's Lakeside home gives her close proximity to the university where she teaches. Like many artists that I know, myself included, a portion of her garage has been converted into a studio. The tidy compact space is brightly lit, amplified by clean white walls. It gives the impression of being well insulated and tightly buttoned, a necessity for Northland artists who hope to also do four seasons in their art spaces.

Her current work focuses on feminism and NFL football in a manner that would otherwise be difficult to envision until you see it firsthand. Her baseball series consisted of male figures, but this current series is football players and coaches with female characters overlaid.

Dietrich showed her strong comprehension of the game that came in part from marrying a man who played football. She explained that there are both offensive and defensive players on a football team, a very different setup from baseball. “The offensive line is often more intelligent, protective and nurturing than the defense,” she noted. “The approach to the game by offense and defense is almost polar opposite. It’s such an interesting contrast because I never thought about it on that level.”

She mentioned some of the female athletes she knew growing up and how she had begun overlaying their images over these male icons, Darah Torres over Greg Nettles, for example. It was a way of feminizing male icons so to speak. Some of the paintings that I saw in progress at Dietrich’s studio included one of Mike Ditka who would be overlaid with Gloria Steinum and another of Bud Grant underneath Madeline Albright. It’s definitely an unexpected take on the national pastime.

During my visit, Dietrich made a number of interesting observations on various themes that we touched on. “The dialogue is what keeps art alive,” she said.

A little later we circled around one of the current trends of our time. “In post-modern times, the original is not valued as much due to digital reproduction… Not everyone is physically rubbing oil paint on surfaces but nearly everyone can do Photoshop.”

"How did your interest in film come about?" I asked. "And what prompted you to collaborate with Sarah Nitschke to form Underbelly Films?"

"The film we started in 2004, which has really pre-occupied Sarah and I. It was especially challenging being a single mom with three kids. (Dietrich is now four years married to a man from Iowa and the family has six children between them.) 

The film they produced is called Naked Vision. It's a documentary about the painter Philip Pearlstein. After watching the film I went online to find this summary at imdb.com. Ironic, imperturbable, mischievous and fascinating, Philip Pearlstein's controversial creative vision continues to drive him forward, upstream against time and art history. In depth interviews with famous art world figures, Chuck Close, Richard Armstrong, Robert Storr, Pearlstein and others, help to reveal what is behind the man and his paintings.

"One thing that really attracted me to Phillip was that he just wears beige. He's non-flamboyant, and productive," Dietrich stated.

He was also a friend of Andy Warhol's while in school in Pittsburgh and actually played a part in Warhol coming to New York. He was a little older than Andy, and Andy's mother felt better about her son venturing off to the Big Apple if the two went together.

Dietrich said the film direction was "quite fulfilling and a great example of pushing the envelope. (It had) all the components of a great tale-- Alaska, art world icons, 15 minutes of fame (literally), paying it forward and, of course, New York City.

"Sarah was my colleague at UMD. And in 2003 we attended a conference together in New York. The film's inception happened then."

It's apparent that Dietrich has a strong work ethic, and seemingly boundless energy. She is easy to engage as her mind is nimble and her stance toward people very open. It's easy to see why her students appreciate her instruction.

The images on this page are "works in progress" that reveal a bit of the process behind her vision. We'll look forward to the opportunity to see this new series once it reaches fruition. What you see here is not what you'll get.

Thank you, Jen, for your time and for opening up your space.

Jen Dietrich’s American Iconography

UMD art professor Jen Dietrich is an intelligent mix of broad experience and creative expression with a strong positive rating from students whom she has served. Pretty much a trifecta in my book. We first met in late March after an episode of Robert Hughes' Shock of the New film series presented by the Duluth Art Institute. Dietrich was a guest speaker that day, fielding questions like a shortstop.

The following is a description of how she approaches her work, excerpted from her website:

My inspiration is American icons,
My vehicle is paint, and
My obsession is the painting process.
My process of working involves no magic,
No mystical elements, and no special inspiration.

EN: How did you first come to take an interest in art?

JD: Sometime during my Junior year at UMD. I was a German and international relations major. I took an art history course and realized that dates and artists came very easy whereas German vocabulary was work. I ended up with a double major, a BA - German and a BFA pre-grad painting and drawing.

EN: What attracted you to painting?

JD: I was lucky enough to have natural talent for realism from a very young age. I was always drawing realistic figures but never considered it a viable career direction.

EN: I really enjoyed your baseball series. What can you tell us about how they were conceived and executed?

JD: First, I'm a closet jock and sports fanatic. I love watching and playing, however, I knew I wanted to investigate a postmodern perspective on the American iconic game of baseball. It had to be more than merely realistic drawing of players. That came too easy and was not unique by any means.

I started to draw comparisons with religion and the rituals surrounding both baseball enthusiasts and religion. The title of the show was Baseball: A Secular Religion. I attended many farm league games in southern Minnesota, analyzing and observing everything from the crowd to the bat boys. I loved this direct participatory research.

Here’s a little backstory on the Baseball series. I played fast pitch softball in high school (Hibbing) and also summer league. We actually went to state. I was starting third base and back-up catcher. Although I loved both positions for different reasons, my passion was catching. My heroes were Johnny Bench and Thurman Munson. I looked forward to putting on the armor (shin guards, mask, chest pad.) It felt like heading into battle. I loved getting in the dirt and being the field marshal of the game. And this is what I learned from further investigation and looking through adult eyes and a body that can no longer play. I always thought that the game depended on the catcher/pitcher relationship and that the game hinged on the moment the pitcher released the ball from fingers, thereby the pitcher was the catalyst. However, the pitcher gets the sign from the catcher. This is no great surprise to many, however, it was all I needed to reaffirm my passion for the position of catcher. The field marshall of the game, the captain, the commander-- calling all the cuts, dictating the plays from the moment the ball connects with bat. Whew! As you can see I'm not objective.

Anyway, that is a fun series and I seem to revisit Baseball each spring with fresh eyes. I'm not finished with that subject. Currently, I'm focusing on football. 4 years ago I married a man who happened to be a former college tight end and place kicker. Needless to say, having a source close is wonderful and insightful. The baseball series was males. This current series is football players and coaches with female characters overlaid. A studio visit will help at this point.

EN: You also have barn themed paintings. The two together remind me of Field of Dreams. Is there any connection between farms and baseball in your work?

detail

JD: For the past 15 years I've been working on the topic of American icons and each series addresses a different sub-theme -- American barns, baseball, the Kennedys etc. I was born in Wisconsin and while I was living in Alaska I started missing the barns. That was my thesis project.

EN: How did JFK influence your generation since you were born after he was assassinated?

JD: We were raised by parents whose dialogue was always pro-Kennedy. It was very much embedded in the everyday dialogue. It was centered on politics, not religion. For some reason even the next generation was influenced by and fascinated with the Kennedys. I see it in my kids. They carry this torch for Kennedy.

EN: How did your interest in film come about? And what prompted you to collaborate with Sarah Nitschke to form Underbelly Films?

detail

JD: When I was in Alaska for nine years at the Alaska Art Institute, we had a week long summer program for teachers, and I called Chuck Close. He couldn’t come because of handicap issues, so I called Philip Pearlstein and he came. Afterwards he mentored me and said to Sarah, “We have to get him on film.” He was one of the last left from abstract expressionism movement of that era, part of Leo Castelli’s first opening. He taught with Ad Reinhart in Brooklyn and was a classmate with Andy Warhol whom he lived with for 6-8 months.

As artists we’re all compared to Andy… Phillip is polar opposite. Being small and intellectual, he was also a contrast to the brawly male type of Abstract Expressionists.

We started the film in 2004, which really pre-occupied Sarah and I. It was especially challenging being a single mom with three kids.

CONTINUED

Photo of Dietrich's image of Hillary (and details) is a work in progress and part of her newest series. This portion of my interview with Jen Dietrich appeared in this week's Reader.