Resonance: Tribute to John Steffl Reveals the Extent of His Impact on the Northland Arts Scene

Anne Dugan, arts curator, shared remarks about John Steffl's life and work.

Wednesday, September 19, the North Shore Bank of Commerce held an opening reception for a retrospective featuring artwork by the late John Steffl. Titled Resonance, the event turned out to be a virtual "who's who" of nearly everyone important in the local arts as well as attendees from out of town like an extended family paying tribute to someone whose life has been a fountain of influence.

It's well-known that the former UMD instructor, DAI director, North Shore Bank curator and artist has been at war with cancer for many years. Early this summer he passed away at home at age 69. The exhibition, which will be on display through December 7, is a tribute to a man whose work and life inspired many others.

One of his ceramic pieces, probably worth its weight in gold.

His creative expression flew in a variety of directions, and the work displayed captures several of these wings. He initially came to Duluth to get a Masters degree under the tutelage of Glenn Nelson, one of the most well-known teachers of ceramics in the country. Several examples of Steffl's ceramic work are on display at the bank.

No one would have criticized him for remaining a ceramicist. His creative explorations led to large-scale paintings that searched for the boundaries of design and liberation. If you visit the bank you'll see many of these large canvases that seem at times to be an expression of what Picasso once said, that “every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

I remember being impressed with his large canvases
when I first arrived in Duluth in 1986.

When John Steffl was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2004, ceramics and painting were no longer viable for him due to the debilitating nature of his treatment. This did not stop him from curating some fabulous shows at the NSB. His new fascination as an artist became flowers, and much of his flower-themed digital photography can be seen in the bank's hallways this fall.

The reception ran from 5:00 till 7:00 p.m., punctuated by a some remarks by three speakers. Larry Johnson, retired CEO who had been with the bank 55 years, welcomed us and then introduced Annie Dugan, who has now taken on the mantle left behind by John as curator for the North Shore Bank. Annie, as always, brings an exceptional brightness and knowledge to events like these, noting John's influence and highlighting features of the work on display.

She then introduced Neil Cuthbert, former VP of Programs for the McKnight Foundation. Neil began by describing how he'd hit it off with John when the met 30 years ago. This was, of course, a problem, because it is somewhat understood that foundations must remain somewhat immune to personal influence or favoritism and keep a professional distance. John was director of the Duluth Art Institute at the time and Neil admitted he was impressed with what John was doing there when their friendship began. According to Neil it was through John's leadership that the DAI became a "community." Because of Neil's statewide reach he could see that what was germinating here was unique in Minnesota, opening peoples' minds to the arts. He stated his conviction that the vibrancy of the arts here in the Northland could be traced to John's influence.

The cross-section of artists of all stripes present here last night would certainly seem to affirm that there was a measure of truth in these remarks.

If you are able, find a way to visit the North Shore Bank sometime this fall. It's located at 131 West Superior Street, a section of downtown not plundered in the first phase of the Superior Street renovation. And if you go, be sure to pick up the handout, which includes not only pricing but also Ann Klefstad's excellent distillation of Steffl's life and career.

It goes without saying, the spread from Duluth Grill was exceptional as alway.
A special thank you to Tom Hanson and crew.

Related Links

Community Remembers Artist, Curator John Steffl
"Sick" -- About the Tweed Acquisition of a recent Steffl work.

Meantime art goes on all around us. Get into it.

Twin Ports Arts Happenings: Second Half of September

There's some very cool new work @ Art on the Planet, Tower Ave, Superior

Autumn is in the air. We had frost on the roof of our garage a couple days back. In a few weeks the rich glory of the season will be bursting through the trees.

For events tonight and the first half of the month check THIS LINK. What follows are listing for art happenings for the second half of the month.

But first, let's start with Thursday's Earth Rider Fest
Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 13-15.
1617 North 3rd Street
Superior, WI 54880

Three evenings of music under a Big Top Tent, with some of the Twin Ports hottest performers including Teague Alexy, Woodblind, Feeding Leroy, Black River Revue, Ingeborg von Agassiz, Black-Eyed Snakes and more. The event celebrates an inaugural year of achievements including mashing its first batch of Superior Pale Ale in September of 2017. Since that day, Earth Rider was voted Best Brewery at the Gitchee Gummee Brewfest, North Tower Stout won a bronze at the World Beer Cup in the oatmeal stout category, and the readers of Lake Superior Magazine voted to give Earth Rider a Best of the Lake award. Full details here.

Saturday, September 15, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
34th Annual Fall Fest, Chester Bowl 
We used to go to this every year when our kids were young. Great event then and probably even moreso today. "Music, food, crafts, locally grown fresh produce, vendors, and informational booths about local programs. The annual event has grown over the years and will host over 130 vendors, a great line up of music, 8 food vendors, face painting, and activities for children and families. Music Lineup: 10-11:30 a.m., Emily & the 35's, 12-1:30 p.m., Black River Revue, 2-3:30 p.m., Superior Siren (solo show)

Suggested donations of $5 per person or $10 per family will be accepted at the entrance to support Chester winter program scholarships for kids in need who want to participate in winter sports. Rain Date: Sunday, September 16, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Visit the website (blue link above) to get information on Fall Fest's free shuttle service.

Tuesday, September 18, 6-8:30 p.m.
Wine & Weave with Sue Brown, Duluth Fiber Handcrafters Guild Studio at the Depot, 506 Michigan Street
"The looms are warped and ready to weave. Enjoy the fun of weaving without all the prep work…and with a glass of wine. Complete a rag rug place mat and get a taste of what weaving on a floor loom is all about." Cost: $35 ($40 non-members)

Wednesday, September 19, 5-7 p.m.
Resonance: A Celebration of the Art of John Steffl
North Shore Bank is hosting an exhibition of the work of the late John Steffl, whose immense contribution to the local arts has been immeasurable. A true artist he also influenced countless students while teach ceramics at UMD. An active promoter of public art he curated shows at the North Shore Bank for many years. Another hat he wore for a season was as Executive Director of the Duluth Art Institute, for which the balcony gallery there was named in his honor.

Steffl once wrote: “...transubstantiation is transforming pain and fear into a universal resonance... one of the gifts my upbringing left me with was the ability to see beauty and sacredness in the world."
For more details about the show and the venue, check out this Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/255869075065669/

Thursday, September 20, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Chelsea Branley @ Art on the Planet

Third Thursdays in Superior, Art on the Planet & Wine Beginnings, 1413 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI
Art on the Planet and Wine Beginnings, as well as other Superior businesses are offering special events or incentives (sidewalk sales, street performers, special sales or samples during extended hours, etc...) Third Thursday of each month through October! Watch the social media hashtag #thirdthursday for updates!

Saturday, September 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
ART on Tap, Bent Paddle's New Taproom, 1832 W. Michigan Street
Join many local talented artists in this relaxed setting as they share their creative talents and ... maybe, have a beer!

Monday, September 24, 7-9:30 p.m.,
Art, Naturally: Karen Savage Blue, Painting under the full moon, Hartley Nature Center, 3001 Woodland Avenue
Karen Savage Blue grew up roaming the fields of Hartley and is excited to share this natural sanctuary with participants of all levels. Paint with an award-winning artist whilst sipping a beverage under the full moon. All supplies and one beverage included. Cost: $40/session

About the Art, Naturally monthly series: Immerse yourself in nature to connect with your creative side. Local artists lead one evening painting, felting, and sketching classes at Hartley Nature Center. All materials and one beverage included. Class tuition includes a non-refundable $5 registration fee. Made possible by Hartley Nature Center, the Duluth Art Institute and Western Bank.

Sunday, September 23-Saturday, September 29, 7-10 p.m.
One Week Live, Beaner's Central Concert Coffeehouse, 324 N. Central Avenue
Another whole week of live bands, including a song writer's competition. Click on the website above for a list of bands, times, and dates. Nightly Admission: $7.
Acts include: David Dondero, Plucked up String Band, Band Called Truman, Rich Mattson and the North Stars, Drew Peterson, Jacob Mahon, and many more.
Visit THIS LINK for full slate of bands and dates.

Friday, September 28, 4-9 p.m.

Downtown Duluth Arts Walk, multiple locations
"The Downtown Duluth Arts Collective presents this night of art and entertainment, featuring Downtown Duluth art galleries, eateries, bars and performance venues. The Downtown Arts Walk is a multi-location, walkable, year-round event held on the final Friday of each month. Posters and flags bearing the logo are up at each location. The Downtown Duluth Arts Collective is a group of colleagues representing more than 25 arts businesses and groups, individual artist studios and cultural centers." Look for the DDAC Flag/logo at participating venues (attached). Email manager @ josephneasegallery.com or call 218-461-8380 for more information. FB Page

September 28, 29, 30, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour 
Larsmont Schoolhouse, Scenic Highway 21 and other locations in Two Harbors.

This weekend was selected because 99 times out of a hundred it is the most beautiful weekend of the year to be traveling about on the Scenic North Shore, one of the most beautiful drives in North America. The open studios is simply icing on the cake. Full details of the art spaces you can visit are here on the Studio Art Tour website.

"The Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour offers visitors a variety of artistic talent to peruse while enjoying the autumn splendor of Minnesota's North Shore. Glass, ceramics, woodwork, painting, printmaking, jewelry, sculpture, and photography, will be exhibited, demonstrated, and offered for sale on this tour. Many sites are providing hands on activities.The tour is well-marked along Highway 61 and the many adventurous side roads between Two Harbors and Duluth.

"Look for the bright neon green signs and balloons with the tour’s logo. Included in the website above (click blue text to link to site) is a downloadable map, addresses, and contact info for your GPS convenience." [Author Note: Although I enjoyed the last two years of exhibiting at this fair, I am not a vendor this year, however, I will enjoy visiting all of my talented LS 20/20 artist friends as they share their talent during this wonderful 3 day tour.]

We'll see you on the scene.

Local Art Seen: The North Shore Bank of Commerce Collection

John Steffl and Sarah Brokke share the moment.

Yesterday I wrote here about Thursday evening's joint opening receptions for the DAI Biennial, the George Morrison exhibition, Jo Wood's "Meaning of Home" and the North Shore Bank's impressive retrospective, if you can call a show that when it is a bank's collection and not an individuals. The images shared here are from this latter event, curated by the respected John Steffl, himself a noted potter and painter.

"From the Collection" features works from every decade beginning in the 1960's up through the present. It includes impressive paintings in oil, gouache or acrylic plus woodcut and intaglio prints, photography, watercolors and ceramics. There were 57 pieces in all, and what struck me was how much this art show at the bank felt more like visiting a show in someone's home. We were even permitted to explore the executives' offices and conference rooms to engage the works this banks management team has the opportunity to experience on a daily basis.

"T.R. Buffalo" by Steven R. Meyer

Some of the work was breathtaking. Nearly all gave one an aesthetic lift.

Many of the artists' names were familiar. Jay Steinke, Craig Blacklock, Carl Gawboy, Cheng Khee Chee, Cecilia Lieder, Lee Englund, Adu Gindy, Karen Savage Blue, Scott Murphy.  But there were many others of whom I myself was unfamiliar and it made me curious to see more by this artist and that.

The show was accompanied by a handout that thoughtfully offered more information about the works one was viewing. And the food... catered by Duluth Grille, was itself a masterful creation of delightful flavors. Those Scotch eggs with a dollop of Hollandaise were incredible.

Andy Messerschmidt's "Misti Mountain Flop"

Misti Mountain Flop detail

"Arapaho Bay" by Irv Taran

View from above.

"City View" by Edward Evans

"Dichotomy" by Don Furst, with a ghostly selfie.

In the office of Mr. Lewis.

The event was a privilege to attend. The bank's support for the local arts makes an impressive statement. Sharing their collection in this manner made it especially memorable.  Mr. Steffl's statement about the show offers this observation:

"It is also worth noting that Fred Lewis II has several excellent pieces fashioned by local artists gracing his walls and is following in his father's footsteps as a volunteer on the DAI's board of directors. Perhaps it is a matter of karma, but it would seem that NSBC has become both a repository for cultural assets as well as for those financial... and through its actions acknowledges that a healthy community requires both."

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this such an exceptional event.

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This Day in Art History: Georgia O'Keeffe was born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, 1867

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Of Note: Next Saturday November 22, from 2:00 till 7:00 p.m. Cecelia Lieder will be hosting an opening reception for her solo exhibition at the Northern Prints Gallery, 318 North 14th Avenue East, across the street from Burrito Union.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Celebrate it.

Local Art Seen: DAI Biennial and Highlights of the North Shore Bank of Commerce Collection

North River I, by Cameron Zebrun.

A month ago I was installing several of my paintings at The Break Room, a new place on Fourth Street downtown that's brought a whole new vibe to the place where the old Twins Bar used to be. I got into a conversation with a bartender there who is new to Duluth, having come here from Portland or somewhere up in the Northwest. He made the observation that there's a percolation taking place in the arts scene here, the kind that precedes something big emerging. There's an electric vibrancy under the surface, he said, like a breaking dawn, not a twilight like other places he's been.

Thursday night this sense was fully in evidence at the Duluth Art Institute 60th Arrowhead Regional Biennial which was held in conjunction with the Biennial-Themed Collection at the North Shore Bank of Commerce. The Biennial showed us the variety, strength and sensibilities of our current crop of artists while John Steffl, who curated the North Shore Bank show, pulled out all the stops to make it evident that this town has had a vibrant art scene long before now. The artists who have contributed so much locally have laid the foundations for the rest of us who strive to make a contribution to the arts community going forward.

Earth Scraper by Susan Kachor Conlon

The DAI's Arrowhead Regional Biennial—the longest running biennial in the Midwest—is a juried show assembled this year by Diane Mullin, Senior Curator at the Weisman Art Museum at the U of MN in Minneapolis. The reception took place from 4 - 7 in the DAI John Steffl Gallery and Great Hall of the Union Depot. The Biennial included prizes sponsored by Lizzard's Art Gallery & Framing ($250), CPL Imaging ($500) and the North Shore Bank of Commerce ($1000).

The DAI's interim director Dana Mattice thanked the sponsors and introduced juror Diane Mullin who acknowledged the challenges of selecting the final works to be displayed. The diversity of contributions was only a part of that challenge.

It was intended to be an "evening to remember" and for those who were out last night it was indeed that. The 2014 Arrowhead Biennial featured artists from the entire Midwest including Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada. Mediums included photography, sculptures, mixed media and painting. It's considered and important show and inclusion can be a significant moment in the career of featured artists. The exhibit, now on display through February 15, 2015, features 26 works of art.

George Morrison paintings and drawings created a buzz.

In addition to the Biennial, the George Morrison Gallery featured a George Morrison exhibition, which I considered surprisingly impressive and very different from what I expected. The Hallway Gallery features Jo Wood's Meaning of Home.

In short, there's much to see if you can find a way to get down to the Depot and/or to the North Shore Bank on Superior Street.

The photos on this page are from the Duluth Art Institute event. Tomorrow I'll share pictures from the fabulous collection at the North Shore Bank of Commerce.

Collage 4 (Family Memories) by Carmen Gutierrez-Bolger

An abstract expression by George Morrison.

DON'T FORGET tonight's art events... An opening reception for Broc Allen and Michael Smith at the New York Building in Superior, 5-7 p.m. It's a new Phantom Galleries show with what is certain to be some exceptional work.

At Trepanier Hall be sure to see Leah H. Yellowbird's show in the Gimaaji Building (former YWCA). Over at the PROVE Gallery on Lake Avenue this month's theme is Plys with Purpose. And up top of the hill Lenore Lampi's 2-Day Holiday Sale. Why wait till Black Friday to start your Christmas shopping.

Speaking of Christmas... it's never too early to order copies of my new children's picture book for your children or grandchildren. It's A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Engage it.