Art For Earth Day is a Rich Twin Ports Tradition

Water Is Life. Gail Rosenquist @ Lizzards

Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.
--Winston Churchill

Today is the 26th anniversary of our annual Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop in the Twin Ports. The forecast for aesthetic enrichment is: Excellent. The weather forecast is: Uplifting. A light breeze, warm temps and sunshine to accompany us through the morning as we spring into the season.

The Earth Day Gallery Hop is the most tangible step that we're heading into the fullness of a new season of arts activities in the Northland. In just one week the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival will kick off (April 28-May 5). In a month Duluth Dylan Fest--with music, art, poetry and more--will arrive (May 18-26). On the heels of Dylan Fest is the DuSu Film Festival (May 29-June2).

Here are some items of note for Twin Ports Arts followers. Special thanks to Esther Piszczek for her work assembling all the useful info for our local arts community. Visit the Twin Ports Art blog that she manages for more more. Meanwhile, Get out and make a day of it today.

The ubiquitous Karin Kraemer

Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop
"The 29th annual Gallery Hop features a free bus tour to galleries all over the Twin Ports. Tour local galleries, visit with artists and watch demonstrations. Free parking will be available at DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace, the lot west of the Depot and lot G at UMD."

Participating entities: Art Dock; Duluth Art Institute; Duluth Pottery; Joseph Nease Gallery; Lake Superior Art Glass; Lizzards Art Gallery and Framing; Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center; Siiviis; Tischer Photographic Gallery; Tweed Museum of Art; UMD Department of Art and Design; Waters of Superior. MORE DETAILS HERE

Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 
EarthDAI Market, Duluth Art Institute's Lincoln Park Building, 2229 W. Second Street "The EarthDAI Market will feature handmade works of art from the Duluth Art Institute Ceramics Studio and many local artists. Live music, food, and beverages will create the perfect ambiance for loving the Earth. Art demonstrations and activities celebrating our beloved mother earth, reminding us to do our part as a community. Please, join us in the festivities and celebrations. The EarthDAI Market is happening in conjunction with the Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop."

Saturday, April 20, 1-3 p.m.
Earth Day Gallery Hop: Beadwork Exhibit, Nordic Center, 23 N. Lake Avenue

Saturday, April 20, 1-3 p.m.
Family Day/Art Education Open Studio, Tweed Museum of Art, Sax Brothers Gallery Space, 1201 Ordean Court "Dr. Alison Aune, Art Education Professor in the School of Fine Arts at the Unversity of Minnesota Duluth, and her Art Education students are offering this community event in conjunction with the celebration of Earth Day. Participants are invited to make and take a beautiful Finnish Himmeli mobile to hang at home. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served."

Edges by Karen Owsley Nease @ Lizzard's

Saturday, April 20, 4-6 p.m. 
Opening Receptions, Lizzard's Art Gallery and Framing, 11 West Superior Street
Edges: an Exhibition of New Oil Paintings by Karen Owsley Nease
"Karen's oil paintings explore the edges created when two colors meet. Based on her observations of Lake Superior, they present two distinct styles of painting: that of minimalist color fields of distant horizons, along with dramatic, naturally depicted waves coming ashore."

Water Vessels: Water is Life, Handcrafted Pottery by Gail Rosenquist
"Gail is in awe of, and humbled by the water and waves she has been blessed to spend time watching by Lake Superior and on the island of Hawaii. She is painfully aware of threats worldwide to this irreplaceable resource. This earth day project is her celebration of this amazing giver of life."
On view: April 20 - May 25

* * * *

As you move forth into this celebration of Art for Earth Day

may your lungs be filled with fresh breezes, and your souls as well.

Ars longa, vita brevis.

Art is long, life short. --Hippocrates

Local Art Seen: Studio 101 on Art for Earth Day and a Noteworthy New Idea for Art Buyers

THE WEATHER could not have been nicer for yesterday's 28th annual Gallery Hop here in the Twin Ports. Though there were fewer participating galleries this year, the red carpets were rolled out all around and it was a perfect day to leisurely make the rounds. A dozen galleries welcomed friends of the arts with open arms, or rather, doors. And treats. And warmth. 

STUDIO 101

A number of people whom I spoke with yesterday did not know about Studio 101, so I thought it would make a good starting point here. The is derived from its location on Bob Dylan Way (Michigan Street at the bottom of First Avenue East). This loose  collective of veteran painters has been renting this space for eight years. Their work was featured last year at the Duluth Art Institute where they invited other artists to join on Wednesdays to paint a live model in the Steffl Gallery.

The location of the space has a couple of nice features, one of them being large plate glass windows that allow for a generous amount of light to illuminate the out rooms. Because the group does figure painting on Wednesdays, there are interior spaces for more privacy. 

The painters here include Dorothea Diver, Goran Hellekant, Mosswren (Constance Johnson), Cot LaFond, Dale Lucas and Larry Turbes. Lee Englund, who also paints with the group, spent the winter in Arizona and will be returning soon.

* * * *

While visiting Studio 101 yesterday several artists were in a discussion about art buying when all of a sudden a new idea emerged. It was like a revelation, an Aha!

Here is some backstory. I have many times over the years attempted to encourage people to buy paintings or pieces, in part because I want to see artists receive the financial remuneration they need to survive. My argument would go like this: "You can enjoy this painting today for a few minutes, or you can take it home and enjoy it for the rest of your life." I follow up by stating that on several occasions I've here people lament not having purchased a painting they saw when they were in Seattle or Albuquerque, wishing they had today what they briefly enjoyed in a gallery.

HERE'S THE NEW IDEA (Capitalized to underscore its importance). Sometimes price is the barrier that keeps people from making a purchase, so What If two or three friends went in together to buy a painting they all loved and then they time-shared the painting. Perhaps it is a $900 painting and three people want it. They can all pay $300, sign an agreement to each have it for four months of the year. Or perhaps it is a $4000 Leah Yellowbird painting and four people each pay a thousand dollars for the privilege of having it in their homes three months each year.

What do you think?

For what it's worth, here are some additional images from Studio 101.

Next Friday, April 27

Three More Great Art Events

Here's the Lineup

The Inimitable Leah Yellowbird

SAME EVENING

* * * *

MARK YOUR MAY CALENDAR 

SPRING INTO THE TWIN PORTS MUSIC AND ART SCENE 

WITH ALL THESE GREAT EVENTS

PLUS HOMEGROWN.

Full Schedule Here

Is It Really True? Fake News and Other Misinformation

THROWBACK THURSDAY

With all the bluster about "fake news" lately, here's a post from seven years past that addresses the same issue. The lingo may change but the issues remain the same. In fact, the situation may be worse, as we're pretty much lacking in fact-checkers. 

Is It Really True? 
(October 2010)

Did you know that October this year has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, and that this happens only once every 823 years?

That was something I saw Tweeted a few minutes ago, but I really do not have any way to verify it. Seems hard to believe. What do you think?

That's the way a lot of stuff is online. You read it, and it is stated so factually that your brain just nods its assent and you absorb it into your knowledge base. But how much of that knowledge base is misinformation that you just swallowed uncritically?

Misinformation didn't just begin with the Internet though. P.T. Barnum famously quipped, "A sucker is born every minute." Even before the online age, credible sources would be getting it wrong. For example, in 1949, Popular Mechanics asserted that "computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." The wording implies a fairly large measure of doubt, but we'll go out on a limb and weigh the possibility of it, even if unlikely.

The New York Times once warned that the electric light would cause blindness. How could it not be true? It was in the New York Times! Well, journalists make mistakes just like everyone else. Unfortunately, when it's in print it remains in print a long, long time. Whereas when it's on a blog or website, hey guess what? I can delete it or fix it in a minute.

That's a scary thought, too, though. If everything is transitory, if everything can be re-arranged, what's left that's firm and solid?

Better stop my rambling and get on with the day. Y'all have a good one.

* * *
For What It's Worth Dept.

Duluth's 27th annual Art For Earth Day Gallery Hop is this weekend. The DNT has assembled a nice summary of places to go and what you can expect to find.

Local Art Scene: This Friday It's the 2017 Goin' Postal Spring Art Show

"To see we must forget the name of the thing we are looking at." --Claude Monet

The Japanese Footbridge, by Claude Monet

For the record, here is a painting you will not see at the show because it is currently in the Impressionists gallery of the National Museum: Monet's Japanese Footbridge. What you will see at Friday's Goin' Postal Spring Art Show are a wide variety of artists who work in a range of mediums, including painters, photographers, sculptors, scribblers and craftspersons. The weather should be nice, and the afterparty is slated to be great, featuring Israel Malachi, Woodblind, Revolution Jones and a special performance by Laura Velvet and the Bookhouse Boys.

If you're a follower of the local arts scene, Friday will be a perfect appetizer for Saturday's Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop. You'll likely want to put this weekend on your calendars.

Here's another Monet quote, which probably applies to more than art: "It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly."

My original Dogs of War is slated to be on display Friday.

There's plenty more happening this week in the Twin Ports. Be sure to check your local listings. ;-)

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Art for Earth Day Open Studio at UMD

Advice to all you art students, 

and all you folk who take a moment now and then to read this blog:

“Be who you are and say what you feel, 

because those who mind don’t matter 

and those who matter don’t mind.” -Dr. Seuss

Meantime life goes on all around you. Enbrace it.

Local Art Seen: Art for Earth Day Open Studio at UMD

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.” 
 ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

Saturday the Twin Ports celebrated Art for Earth Day. One of the annual venues is the UMD art department which opens its studios for the occasion. Here's a portion of what I saw... with more to come soon.

This last image here was a painting that I found especially interesting. The juxtaposition of Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends with Eugene Peterson's The Message and a book on Automotive Mechanics stopped me in my tracks for a few minutes. I wanted to know who did this and pondered what the underpinnings of this selection for a still life. Finally, I wondered what three books I would select for a painting of this sort.

And that's my question for you. What three books would you paint if you had the skills? 

Meantime... life goes on. Cool.

River Memories -- Cleveland's Cuyahoga River Fire Department

The first years of my life I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland called Maple Heights. It was a new development with new houses and new families, and lots of kids to play baseball and football with. The elementary school was a half block away, and beyond there was a forest, and great places to go sledding.

Nearly all my memories from that time are good ones. The 1950s was something of an age of innocence for kids like me. Only later did I come to learn that not everyone grew up with such a carefree existence.

There are, however, many experiences that we have that lay dormant and unremembered, but they are in there, only awaiting a trigger to unwrap them. One of these for me was our class trip to one of the fire station on the Cuyahoga River. That's right. The river had a fire department with four fire stations because this river was so polluted it would catch on fire.

One memory from that time was a political cartoon in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It showed a man and his son fishing from a little boat that was being eaten by chemicals as they sank. An editorial that day talked about how there were no fish left in Lake Erie because of the pollution and that the great lake's beaches were closed because the water was no longer safe for swimming. Something needed to be done.

Strange how far along the river's condition had gone before it was recognized that something needed to be done.

Here in Duluth the One River, Many Stories project has been in full swing with its focus on the St. Louis River upon whose shores reside the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior. As a result of attending a few of their meetings my memory of the Cuyahoga and that class trip to the river's fire station came up to the surface. I was probably in fifth or sixth grade at the time. And the stat I remember most vividly was that the river had caught fire four times that year.

Reflecting on that experience I decided to do a Google search to see how accurate all this was. Turns out that the quality of life for that river was far more shocking than I'd realized, and this fire business went on for a far longer time frame than I'd imagined. According to this story in Time the Cuyahoga's woes became a catalyst to draw attention to all our nation's waterways. In 1969.

My class trip was in 1962 or '63. And the river had been catching fire since the 1930s, if not earlier. That stat from this Tony Long article was my biggest surprise. The river had been catching fire all my life. Fortunately, those fire stations are now closed and Lake Erie is now living. The lesson there is that things really can change when people put their minds to it.

Today it's the 46th anniversary of Earth Day. Here in the Twin Ports they celebrate with an annual Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop. As we think about the future, let's remember: "We've come a long ways, baby."

Photo Credit: Photo from Time.com story shows a fireboat tug putting out a fire on the Cuyahoga in 1952. Used without permission and will be replaced if requested. 

Local Art Seen: Earth Day Weekend Gallery Hop

Today in the Twin Ports is the Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop, which includes a shuttle for those desirous to avoid parking hassles. I was able to make it to several locations last night and desired to share some of what I saw in order to encourage others to get out today to experience it first hand.

My first stop was Phantom Galleries Superior, where Maria Sippola and Adetomiwa Gbadebo shared the space John Heino and I filled in our 2011 Red Interactive show.  The pop-up gallery is housed in the New York Building on the 1400 block of Tower Avenue in Superior. If you should visit today (10:00 a.m. - 5: p.m.) you will be greeted by an immense energy. Gbadebo's dynamic color explosions fill the wall spaces, with fascinating ceramic and sculptural works by Sippola standing on pedestals throughout the hall.

Sippola has been an art student at UWS. "A Modest Assortment of Interjections" is her Graduate Exhibit.

Yoruba artist Adetomiwa Gbadebo hails from Nigeria and lives both in the Twin Cities and Africa. I asked about his influences, seeing similarities to Basquiat in his work. He stated that Julian Schnabel has been an influence, especially as regards the scale of his pieces. The artist told me that one of his paintings is 52 feet long, but was not on display here.

On his website he describes himself in this manner:

Born Prince Adetomiwa A. Gbadebo in Abeokuta, Nigeria; Prince Gbadebo uses his Yoruba heritage and experiences to create his pieces based on emotions and the journey that life stitches; as well as embody a spiritual trance while he creates. As multiple beginning ideas develop in his conscious and unconscious mind, they tend to evolve into much more with the guidance of his Yoruba ancestors, Orisha’s and Philosophies. He also pushes to teach humanity to truly see what they are choosing not to, question all conscious solutions given; while selflessly aiming for positive progression for all alike and different. Yoruba spirituality and cultural music as well as activist and Afrobeat founder/musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti also has a huge influence on why he creates fierce and strong works of art today.

Prince Gbadebo states “I create art for my future, my family’s future, my ethnic future, Nigeria’s future and for those around the world; who need inspiration and hope to deal with humanities prosperities and discords. I create to challenge peoples’ previously unquestioned intellect. I want my people as well as those foreign to my existence, be reminded of where they have come from (their existence as human beings) and where they need to go, for a sustained equilibrium of life”.

Humbly he states, “I am just a Yoruba man and mortal; a vessel sharing his philosophies and journeys with others, for a better enlightened future for humanity; socially, morally, economically and spiritually”.

Phantom Galleries will also be open Sunday as well, from Noon till 3:00 p.m.

Across the bridge it was good to connect again with Linda Powless whose work is on display in the Gimaajii-Mino-Bimaadizimin Gallery at Trepanier Hall. The title of her show is "Journey" and the variety of pieces were assembled to display the lessons she has learned along the way in her life experience.

From here I slid over to PROVE Gallery for the whimsical Homegrown Illustration Show in which regional artists were assigned (or selected?) local bands and persona to paint or draw. The presentation was fun, with decorative "frames" painted on the wall around each piece.  (These I will share in a separate post later this weekend)

A new show at Lizzard's Gallery has been installed, titled Feathered and Aquatic Creatures Abound. In addition to the new work you will find works by a variety of local favorites including Patricia Canelake, Adam Swanson, Aaron Kloss and Scott Murphy.

For a list of galleries open today for the gallery hop visit their Facebook Page.  Now in its 25th year.

Lizzard's

Adam Swanson

Patricia Canelake

Linda Powless shares her Journey

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

Upcoming Twin Ports Arts Happenings of Note for Your Calendars

Tonight at the DAI

Plenty to see and do this weekend.

Tonight
The Duluth Art Institute is hosting a multimedia performance of George Morrison images accompanied by original jazz guitar compositions by Briand Morrison. It's a free event that will begin at 6:00 p.m. Karen Sunderman of the Playlist states, "Briand Morrison is a brilliant jazz guitarist. The Playlist caught up with him in Grand Portage as he prepared this show. Take a peek and stop by the performance at the Duluth Art Institute. Thank you for bringing him to town!" Sounds like you'll want to doublecheck your plans and see if you fit this in.



Friday

Two events recommended. Journey with Linda Powless at the Gimaajii-Mino-Bimaadizimin Gallery in Trepanier Hall (the former Y at 202 West 2nd Street.) Linda describes her show with these words:
"Come view a collection of pots, clay sculpture and other pieces of work that have defined a journey of self discovery." Kathy McTavish will provide musical accompaniment with Sheila Packa reciting some poetry as well. Event runs from 5 - 7:30 p.m.

And earlier this week I already mentioned The Homegrown Illustration Show at the Prove, which you will not want to miss.

Saturday

The Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop is an annual event that has traditionally taken place on the Saturday that coincides most closely with Earth Day. Since Earth Day was yesterday (if you didn't notice, Google gave us clues all day) so the event is Saturday, this year featuring nine Twin Ports galleries and art spaces. You can read brief overviews of each in today's DNT or go directly to their web space here.  A shuttle will be conveying folks around from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. but if you can't make it, each and all of these art spaces will welcome you back any time for the rest of your life. Nevertheless, this is a good tradition and usually their puttin' on the dog as they say, so it is an extra special time to see what the local gallery scene is about.

One of the highlights of the Gallery Hop takes place at UMD where the Department of Art & Design is opening its doors to the public for its Annual Student Exhibition at the Tweed Museum.

Art & Design's Annual Student Exhibition runs April 7 - April 30, 2015 at the Tweed Museum of Art but on Saturday there's an Open Studio event that includes classroom tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities, live music, and an affordable art sale of student work. The studios are located in Anderson Hall, Montague Hall, and the Humanities Building at 1201 Ordean Court on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus.

Visiting the Open Studio last year brought back all kinds of fond memories from my experiences as an art student at Ohio University. You don't have to have been an art major, however, to have your heart stirred.

Linda Powless piece from Journey

The Open Studio event is a joint effort created by UMD student groups, including the Art Guild, Photo Alliance, Media Arts Club, Mud Guild, Impressive Collective, Art Education Club, Art History Symposium, and the Student Design Organization. Students will display creative work and demo various art processes such as stone lithography printmaking and screen-printing, ceramics wheel throwing, welding, and digital art techniques including video game creation. The public is invited to take part in a photo booth, art education activities, video game tournaments, interactive painting, piñatas and more. Student work from all art and design areas will be on display, including the senior portfolios of the UMD Graphic Design majors. Affordable art, ceramics, posters, cards, and food will be available for purchase, in addition to Open Studio T-shirts. The Open Studio event promises to be a fun and interactive day, perfect for all ages and families!

After touring the Art & Design studios, the public is welcome to attend the Annual Student Exhibition Reception, which will be held at the Tweed Museum from 4 - 6 p.m. The exhibition reception will feature live music, refreshments, and an awards ceremony at 5 p.m. to announce the exhibition prizes and honor UMD Art & Design scholarship students.

As if this isn't enough,there will be a rooftop barn dance in Bohannon Plaza, featuring local musicians and dance callers, Four Mile Portage, from 6 – 8 p.m. The invitation concludes, "Bring a creative spirit, wear your dancing shoes, and join us on April 25 at the UMD Department of Art & Design, where we have fun down to a fine art!"