Almost Wordless Wednesday: Local Arts Scene-- Get It Local with Wendy Up North

This coming Saturday, December 14

at Concordia Lutheran Church 

2501 Woodland Avenue

Neighbor-Made

10 a.m. till 3:00 p.m.

 A Wendy Up North Event

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STAY CURRENT WITH ALL 

DECEMBER ARTS HAPPENINGS

AT THE TWIN PORTS ARTS BLOG

Local Art Seen: Sirpa Särkijärvi's Transcriptions Comes Down Today

Last night the Downtown Duluth Art Walk had a number of things happening. I made it to a few, including one last visit to Sirpa Särkijärvi's exhibition at Joseph Nease Gallery. Särkijärvi is a Finnish painter whose striking images offer a visual smorgasbord of freedom within form. Her painterliness is inspirational and served as a prod to get back in the studio.

A new feature of the gallery, now in its third year, is a small reading room with comfortable chairs and a growing collection of art books. Each artist who has been featured at JNG is being asked to suggest three books which the gallery will purchase and add to their library. The gallery is already a quiet space to get away. This added inspirational accompaniment will benefit all who take advantage of it. (The Tweed has a great library of art books as well, far more comprehensive, but less convenient for a lunch hour getaway--unless you work on campus.)

Here are photos I took last night in order to share here in the event you failed to get downtown for this show.

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detail from another piece.

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detail from the above

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What art books would you recommend?

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A nice little getaway where you can make yourself at home.

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For more information on Sirpa Särkijärvi, visit the artist’s website sirpasarkijarvi.com.

For more information on Joseph Nease Gallery, visit josephneasegallery.com.

Local Art Seen: UWS Student Show @ Kruk Gallery

"Dreamland" -- Jared Bush

Last Thursday I had a chance to attend the opening reception for the UWS Student Show at the Kruk Gallery in Superior. I always enjoy student shows, in part because I like seeing the work itself, but also because I like seeing the students' influences. Here are some pictures from the show, which is still on display at the Kruk. Special thanks to Annie Dugan who helped curate the exhibition.

We were in Superior in part to post leaflets and fliers about our Call for Art for this year's Duluth Dylan Fest. The theme is North Country Inspiration, and I am guessing that nearly every artist in our community has created something in response to the inspiration of our region. Please consider sharing. Brock Larson, co-founder of the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art has agreed to help curate and hang this show.

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"DNA" -- Jill Scudder

There are lots of art events on the docket again this coming two weeks. Duluth Art Institute, Master Framing Gallery, Douglas County Historical Society, Joseph Nease Gallery, Glensheen and other venues have events slated. There even an event at Bob Monohan's newly renovated Hostel Du Nord. Be sure to check out the listing here at Esther Pisczcek's Twin Ports Art blog.

"The Secret Beneath Reality" -- Sonia Fields

"Victory" -- Victoria Hull

"The Beast" -- Luke Sakowski

untitled -- Ana Reyes Lam

Name unintentionally lost.

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

Local Art Seen: Checking In with Twin Ports Painter Brent Kustermann

Brent Kustermann's current show at the Duluth Art Institute is titled From the Basement. His paintings defy easy definition. He works in a variety of mediums that include found objects in addition to paints and pigment on canvas. Kustermann considers it to be the duty of an artist to bring a unique perspective to the world, a process “never fully mastered.” I became aware of his paintings through a number of exhibition in 2014.

EN: You state that the duty of the artist is to bring a unique perspective to the world one lives in. What is your "unique perspective"?

Brent Kustermann: I feel that the world of art is positioned within the individual. For me, it is highly personalized and internalized. It is a deeply subconscious endeavor relying on intuition as a guide to produce the picture. Within the realm of art the individual is increasingly demystifying their own mythology only for a deeper wonder toward creation. The evolution of thought and integration of the psyche allow for the perpetual discovery of self and creation while attempting to thwart the ego. This is what makes my art unique.

EN: What prompted you to pursue a career as an artist?

BK: Art has always been a large part of my life. I have often questioned whether or not I chose to be a painter or if it chose me. There have been attempts to put aside the notion of painting throughout my life and this has proved futile. The desire to make paintings becomes a nagging necessity and the only way to quell that desire is to give into it fully and get into the studio and work. With regard to making art a career it seemed evident that I really could not have hundreds of paintings lying around the house. In the past few years if have also taken myself and my work more serious. I have decided to focus on bigger venues to exhibit including quality galleries, art institutes, and the like.

EN: Tell us about your process of making paintings and how do you know when a piece is finshed?

BK: The process of creating paintings for me involves a fairly abstract idea that I mull over for awhile. Sometimes I will sketch and continue to let the ideas take some form that I can attack. For example, in ‘Lung/Lago’, I was thinking about the great lake we live next to and I was thinking of how we as a human race take these things for granted. That moved onto the idea of fish and how they are being fed our pollutants. That moved into the idea about the US Army dumping those mystery barrels into the lake. So, before I digress too much, I will have a bunch of semi¬abstract ideas and then start working and reworking sometimes covering a composition completely looking for the feeling and aesthetic quality that will satisfy those abstract ideas. And, I am not looking for ready made ‘pretty’ pictures. I am attempting to capture the essence of the abstract and the painting is complete when it decides to be complete.

EN: Who have been your biggest influences?

BK: My influences are many. The German Expressionist and Viennese Actionist have a heavy emotion that I truly appreciate for its raw and emotional force. The Abstract Expressionist have a heavy influence on me. The ability to really let the power of self¬expression loose is what is so seductive about that school along with a desire to obtain the sublime. And then there is Picasso’s ability to create massive movements and then just as easily leave them behind for the next.

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From the Basement will be on display at the DAI through November 6 in the galleries on the 4th floor of the Depot.

TONIGHT there will be an artist talk at 5:30 featuring the three artists currently on display -- Brent Kustermann, Adam McAuley and David Asher Everett. The talk will begin at 5:30 p.m.

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

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Sarah Brokke at The Red Herring

Two seriously talented local painters: Sarah Brokke (L) with Elizabeth Kuth

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This week, the Duluth Art Institute has been hosting a major even called Plein Air Duluth. 35 painters from across the country are spending a week here to do "open air" painting in the Northland. You can read details here and see their work at the DAI from July 17 till the first week in September. You may also follow along and see some of the amazing paintings being produced each day by means of the Facebook page that has been created for to document this week's activities.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Cool, huh?