Community Mural Underway in the Lincoln Park District

North Shore Scenic Highway 61 (Gary Firstenberg photo)

A number of years ago I took a tour of St. Petersburg with an eye to taking in all the murals that decorate the walls of the city's Warehouse District. It was inspiring, and even though I felt it a little unfair that their muralists can paint year-'round, I felt proud of how much public art there is here in the Twin Ports, with more being added annually.

This month I saw a mural underway in Two Harbors that passersby will take delight in soon. Did you know that 4 million cars a year pass through Two Harbors heading up the North Shore to our various park or further on to Thunder Bay and back? I also learned there's going to be a new mural added to the Historic Duluth Armory sometime soon.

My aim here is to showcase the new mural being painted on a wall of the community resource center in the West End. The project design and execution is being spearheaded by lead artists Moira Villiard of the Fond du Lac tribe and Red Cliff artist Michelle DeFoe. Besides adding still more brilliance to the ever evolving Lincoln Park District, the mural itself is has a great story to go with it.

In addition to utilizing Anishinaabe symbolism to provide insight into some of the city's Indigenous history, a portion of the mural will incorporate designs submitted online to Villiard by youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lincoln Park Resource Center, 2024 West 3rd Street

According to Villiard and DeFoe the dragonflies were largely designed by youth and are a symbol of resilience and transformation, and serve as a relevant reminder of our need today to grow and transform our lives in ways that allow us to live fully. Through cultural imagery, including a hand holding asemaa and references to wild rice, the mural also serves as a reminder that even in uncertain times, we shouldn't forget the stories of the land we reside on and the people who were the first stewards of Turtle Island.

Several youth groups have also participated in the early painting stages of the mural, including a youth group from the Steve O’Neil apartment building. Social distancing has been important throughout.

Dragonflies (detail)

This project was funded in part through an Art Project grant by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and through a grant program awarded by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation in partnership with the McKnight Foundation to the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) arts program (the “Art in the Present Moment” initiative).

Related Links
St. Petersburg's Warehouse Arts District: Inspiration and Lessons for the Twin Ports

Moiira Villiard's Paintings Honoring the Children

Moira Villiard has been producing excitement with her work ever since she appeared on the local arts scene several years back, a young artist with an extra-large heart and ambitious desire to make a difference. Her active role in the community has been noticed big time.

During the month of October her paintings and digitally designed posters have been on display in the Zeitgeist Atrium as part of an exhibition titled The Rights of the Child. In her artist statement she points out that the United States is the only country that has not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Villiard is a multidisciplinary artist whose work has grown in complexity and significance, Currently she is a full-tine Arts & Cultural Program Coordinator at the American Indian Housing Organization (AICHO). She is also a freelance writer, creative/community consultant, editor and graphic designer as well as a member of the Bush Change Network and co-director of the Twin Ports-based variety show, A Goody Night.

Here are a number of images from this Zeitgeist exhibition.

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If you've never been to the AICHO Gift Store, this next two months would make an excellent time to visit. The holidays are coming and you will most certainly find some things both locally made, unique and memorable. 202 West Second Street.

Related Links
Moira Villiard: Getting Real
Moira & Steveboyyi @ The Red Mug

Local Art Seen: Sandbeck and Villiard Explore Issues Surrounding Endangered Species and Endangered Lifestyles Portrayed

Ellen Sandbeck (left) with Moira Villiard

Friday evening the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) paired two disparate artists in what might appear to be disparate themes under the single heading, Endangered. Upon deeper inspection the two bodies of work share the same root, an exploration of our impact as people on the lifestyles of Native peoples and our impact on the more vulnerable creatures of the animal kingdom.

Both artists have been making an positive impact with their art, and I was intrigued when I learned they were doing a joint show. Moira Villiard's paintings captured my eye from the first time I encountered them at a PROVE Gallery show a few years back. She's an emerging artist worth watching with a lot of future ahead of her. I've been following Ellen Sandbeck's work since the 1980's and the paper-cutting technique she's developed produces work that is jaw-dropping in its ornateness and beauty.

"Niu Ox" -- Conservation status: Vulnerable

Few people realize that Ellen at one time produced books of stencil patterns for Dover Books when she was younger. Her skills and interests have been diverse as have been the directions in which she focuses her creative energies. An author of several books on topics as varied as Green Housekeeping, worm wrangling and horticulture, her special skill producing paper cutouts is most noteworthy. One can see that although making stencil patterns fell to the background, the skillsets involved never went away.

"Interconnected" -- Moira Villiard 

Like any polymath, her wide-ranging interests intersect and produce permutations such as the incorporation of animalia from the Chinese zodiac. A couple years ago her worm business (worms assist in composting and produce organic food for plants) brought her to Southeast Asia on a business trip. Similarly, her daughter currently lives in China, and these influences have been absorbed by the ever-developing artist. Her own natural ability to focus and her attention to detail make the work she is now producing quite striking. And she's shows no signs of slowing down.

It was fun overhearing a few people making comments indicating their awe at the detail in Sandbeck's pieces. But both artists have this as their primary aim: to make people think about what we as a culture have been doing, how we are endangering animal species and lifestyles.

Endangered opened Friday in the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center. One side of the room feature Ellen's paper cut depictions of endangered species. On the other side, Moira's illustrations depict the history of wild ricing and delve into what’s at stake in terms of a way of life in the face of sulfide mining. The exhibit will be on display through the end of August.

"Waterways" by Moira Villiard

"The Chaos of Ghost Fish" -- Moira Villiard

"Protect Water" by Ellen Sandbeck

Giclee reproductions also available for both artists' work.
Ellen Sandbeck pieces displayed here. 

Related Links
Getting Real: New Work by Moira Villiard
An Introduction to Painter Moira Villiard
Ellen Sandbeck's Buddha-A-Day Project (2013)
Ten Minutes with Ellen Sandbeck (2008)

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

Local Art Seen: Homegrown Illustration Show at The Prøve

This being the 20th Anniversary of Duluth's Homegrown Music Festival, the Prøve Collective assembled a special Illustration Show to commemorate the occasion. The show featured illustrations of 20 cultural lluminaries from the region dressed in the Homegrown Chicken mascot, as envisioned and created by 20 different local artists. It was a way of honoring individuals who have contributed to  making Homegrown a success and the regional arts scene vibrant.

The Prøve chose artists from a variety of sectors--teen, emergent, established--with an opening reception on Friday April 27 to kickoff the 2018 Homegrown. The show will remain on view through May 18. The Illustration Show is a first-time collaboration with the Duluth Art Institute. who also shares a common mission to engage the community through contemporary art.

There were 20 artists and thus 20 illustrations. Each was presented with a quality paper of the same size and instructed to produce a piece in any medium. The pieces were then affixed in idential displays with borders created to showcase the art.

The show took place the same evening as the 2018 Goin' Postal Spring Art Show in Superior, so I had to capture these images earlier in the evening. Here's some of what I saw.

Chris Monroe

Brian Ring

Eric Dubnicka

Jillian Dollars

by Erica Pauline

Nelson on Nelson

by Moira Villiard

And last but not least...

Illustration by Devon O'Shaunnessey
Maybe our former mayor can start a Homegrown in D.C.
and make America great again through art and music.

Stay current on all PROVE Shows at ProveGallery.com

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With Homegrown in the rear-view mirror, where objects are closer than they appear, it's time to look forward to the next big fest which includes still more music, art, poetry and all things Dylan. For more information visit BobDylanWay.com

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

Local Art Seen: Moira, Steveboyyi & Wendy Red Star

Moira Villiard's new direction.

Surrealistic impressions by Moira Villiard

Steveboyyi

Wendy Red Star and Sharon Louden were at the Duluth Art Institute Friday for the opening reception of Reservation Pop in the Morrison Gallery, followed by a lecture on The Artist as Cultural Producer. The ideas in the work were expanded in book form by Sharon Louden. The first images here are from that event. The following are several additional images from last night's show/fund raiser featuring work by Moira Villiard and Steveboyyi Makubuya of Uganda.

The DAI event included a Saturday workshop hosted by Louden.

Painting by Moira Villiard at The Red Mug.

For those unaware Steveboyyi, who was with us from Uganda this past winter, had sustained an eye injury when he was younger, which was recently re-damaged shortly after his return to Africa, resulting in an optic nerve atrophy. The young artist is now blind in one eye, which was a devastating blow. The fund raiser aims to help Steveboyyi get back on his feet as well as, if possible, to be able to get corrective surgery one day.

The paintings and cards based on his art are available for sale at Red Mug. If you would like to simply contribute cash for Steveboyyi, who not only has a passion for art but also for helping orphans in Uganda -- as he was raised in an orphanage --  contact Moira (rhymes with Theory) through Facebook or here in Duluth at the American Indian Community Housing Organization where she works.

Moira Villiard talks with artist/author Ellen Sandbeck.

Meantime, are goes on all around you. Think about it. 

Local Art Scene: Moira and Steveboyyi Art Opening/Fundraiser @ The Red Mug

Tonight at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. there's an art opening / fundraiser featuring paintings and drawings by Moira Villiard and Steveboyyi Makubuya at the Red Mug Coffeehouse on the corner of Hammond and Broadway in Superior.

Here is the announcement that was sent this weekend:

MOIRA / STEVEBOYYI ART OPENING AND FUNDRAISER

DULUTH, MN - On Tuesday, September 12 artist Moira Villiard will be hosting an art opening, birthday celebration and fundraiser at the Red Mug Coffeehouse in Superior, WI from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Her colorful portraits and surrealism will be displayed alongside artist Steven Boyyi's most recent body of incredible paintings that depict animals and daily living in his home country of Uganda. Prints and original smaller artworks will be available for purchase at the opening and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public, with 100% of sales of Steveboyyi’s work going towards his medical and living expenses following his denial of reentry into the USA.

Steveboyyi is currently back home in Uganda where he's facing a series of hardships related to his health. He was diagnosed with permanent blindness in one eye as a result of a traumatic injury, and suffers from multiple life-threatening conditions that surfaced in the months after returning from the USA. Despite these ongoing obstacles, his dream continues to be bringing art to children who grew up just like him through Dream of Duluth: A Global Street Outreach Initiative.

About the Artists:

Moira Villiard

Moira Villiard is a young, independent traditional artist, activist, muralist, writer, designer and filmmaker who, by some feat of pluralism, hopes better our community through these niches. She’s known for her live painting demonstrations at cafes, fledgling businesses, event openings, and in classrooms; a major part of her philosophy is making art accessible and interactive. Stylistically, her artwork ebbs and pulls between the realms of portraiture, illustration and surrealism.

She currently works as the Cultural Program Coordinator for AICHO Galleries in Duluth, MN, curating art shows, connecting with native artists, aiding in the development of community outreach strategies, and organizing culture, arts and language-based workshops for both housing residents and artists alike. An established visual artist herself, Villiard's career as a professional painter began with the help that AICHO provided at her first art exhibition 3 years years ago. Since then, she has been featured in over 100 gallery exhibitions, art workshops and demonstrations, and has worked as an event coordinator for a variety of different community institutions. She currently serves as a freelance editor and graphic designer, as well as the Vice Chair for the Executive Board of the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and is a coordinator of the Twin Ports-based variety show, A Goody Night.

In 2014, Moira came down with a chronic pain condition that prevented her from painting with her dominant hand for the next year or so. Towards the end of 2015, she underwent surgery and continued in her recovery until she was able to finally (and carefully) paint again that summer. She is currently working on a series of surreal paintings exploring topics related to commodity fetishism, "infrastructure", data clouds, blackbox technology and other arbitrary systems and concepts that form the invisible backbone of society.

Steveboyyi Makubuya

Stevenboyyi is a young artist from the streets of Kampala, Uganda who dreamed one day he might come to the United States and share his talents with the world. Towards the end of 2016, through both hardship and miracles, he found his way to the U.S. with the help of a local church and on a foundation of his artistic talent.

Steveboyyi doesn't know when he was born (though he picked a birthday of October 12 for himself in his later years). Brought to a children's home at the age of around nine months, he grew up without the knowledge of his name, his parents, birthday, or even the presence of a family. When the orphanage closed its doors, Steven was 17 -- he continued his life back on the streets, relying on his creativity and courage to survive daily obstacles. He cites the rain as his enemy and the birds as his friend during this time.

Steveboyyi had been making art since the age of 13, when the orphanage was visited by a local man who taught the children the core techniques of ironing ginger cloth with wax and painting it with watercolors. He paid attention to the man’s work and tried it for himself, developing the style he uses to this day. At the age of 20, just a few years after the orphanage closed, Steveboyyi began gathering bits of trash from the streets and incorporating it as color in his artwork. Having lived on the peripheral edge of society and in spending so much time on his own, his art became a sort living, breathing, meta-cognitive portrait of everyday life in Kampala.

“I base the pictures on my life and the lives of most of the African children who grow up on street and have talents which can be helped to become better people in the world," says Steveboyyi. Little did he know, his artwork would become a catalyst for bringing people together and enabling healing to take place in their lives.

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Learn more about Moira in this Perfect Duluth Day story.

Read my 2015 interview with Moira Villiard here and here. 

Learn more about the artist Steveboyyi of Uganda.

More about Steveboyyi can be gleaned from this DNT story. 

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

Local Art Seen: Introspection at the Prøve

Friday evening the Prøve Collective featured a very exciting show by the All Black Zine, a themed quarterly that highlights people of color, especially artists and activists. This show's theme centered on the inner dialogue that artists experience and the complexities of living in today's world: "Introspection." Painter Moira Villiard (whose self-portrait is pictured here to the right) made me aware of the show, a young artist whose career I've been especially paying attention to.  Other artists with work on display included Kholofelo Matsafu, Yuta Uchida, Marcus Brown, Dominic Bisogno, Tony Salazar Mejia and Axel Lurssen.

Here are photos of several of the pieces I saw, in case you were unable to attend.

Another exciting show opened Friday at the new art space Studio 3 West, "Natural Abstractions" featuring work by Elizabeth Kuth and Stacie Renné. Ms. Kuth, whose work stands up to comparisons with the likes of Arshile Gorky and the best of the New York School, will be in the gallery space this Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. for an artist talk. Will I see you there?

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