Seven Reminders and a Few Comments About the Poetry Scene

Relatively early in life we discover that memory is not a perfect entity. Consequently we develop systems for reminding ourselves to do thing like take out the garbage or lock the doors, or maybe to member the phone charger when we go on the road.

I'm not sure how many people tie a string on their finger, but I've known people who did that. I myself make lists. I also wake in the night and write things down that I think of and fear I'll forget in the morning. Post-It notes on the bathroom mirror have proven exceedingly useful.

Business software today would be incomplete without its calendars and reminders. I can't imagine how many meetings I would have missed had I not had that pop-up appear to remind me of the meeting in fifteen minutes.

Here are a couple reminders for Visual Arts Week, followed by some remarks about the amazing resurgence of poetry here in the Twin Ports.

1. For a fairly comprehensive (but not wholly complete) calendar of arts events, be sure to Bookmark the Duluth Art Institute page dedicated to Visual Arts Week.

2. Today would be a Good Day to Visit the Tweed Museum at UMD.

3.Tomorrow is the Superior Gallery Hop on Broadway Street, featuring the Phantom Galleries Superior, but also the Red Mug, North End Arts Gallery and the Mud Sisters. The Superior arts scene has been blossoming nicely.

4. Thursday, classic pianist Eric Himy (hee-mee) will be in our neck of the woods, performing at the historic Oldenburg House. This will be an unforgettable evening of music in a striking setting.

5. Thursday there will also be openings at the Duluth Art Institute (David Moreira) and the Duluth Photography Institute.

6. Then there's Friday. So much going on I will probably address it Thursday.

7. Other events of note coming up include Scarlet Rivera's return to Weber Hall next week along with Gene LaFond and Courtney Yasmineh to kick off the 2013 North Country Dylan Celebration.

The Twin Ports Poetry Scene

I remember the year when I first noticed, really noticed, the early blossoming of spring, the rich green of new leaves bursting from their buds after a grey winter. I wondered how I'd never really noticed this before. It happens every spring, but kids growing up are pretty much pre-occupied with other things and simply don't notice what's happening around them as they worry about fitting in, or how their favorite baseball team is doing.

I say all this because I find the Twin Ports Poetry Scene to be flourishing in ways I'd never noticed before. Like my personal revelation of spring's splendor as a young adult or late teen, I hesitate to say here that this is something new. It may have been going on all along and I simply hadn't noticed.

All this to say that tonight there's an Open Mic Poetry Reading at the Pineapple Arts on First Street from 7 - 9 p.m. tonight. And, for the first time there will also be poetry readings as part of Dylan Fest, week from this Saturday, at the Zeitgeist Arts Atrium, led by last year's Duluth Poet Laureate Sheila Packa. You are cordially invited to both these events. At Pineapple Arts tonight you may also share a song you've written. It's a grass roots creative celebration. It's North X North.

r a d i ø p l u t ø

Here's one of the more interesting invitations to an art opening that I've ever received. This Friday night, at the Prøve Gallery, Downtown Duluth. By Kathy McTavish, who has prøven herself to be an excellent addition to the collective. It's certainly inviting to me.


r a d i ø p l u t ø

vacant spaces ... lost transmissions
the old gardner building
... the tremont hotel

(across lake avenue / from the prøve)

one night

artists:
rodrigo bello, julie gard, chris hagen, michelle matthees, don mctavish, kathy mctavish, erika mock, nickolas monson, marc neys, sheila packa, kathleen roberts, rocky makes room, jacob swanson, garrett tiedemann, tony zappa

radio pluto notes
(some initial sketches, fleeting thoughts ...)

a transmission
barely beating
static ... low hum
hidden codes
a signal or pulse
a faraway station
some long ago message
a memory
blue planet
last bird
telegraphed warnings
distant memory
stuttered thoughts
a paper a bottle a shore
broadcast from pluto
lonely planet
banished planet
cold planet

vacant building
there were voices
gray birds
there were ghosts
blue windows
cold coffee
cold hands
shadows
dusty salvation
red neon
black skies

antennas
short wave
receivers
theramin sirens / dream songs
a typewriter
late night manuscripts

manifestos & broken plates
cold coffee

blue boat
red caravan
sanctified nomads
wandering knapsacks
cinematic looms

wireless telegraphy
electrostatic coupling
lightning detectors
glass tubes & iron
filaments
an experiment

save the world
turn back the clock's
relentless grinding
moloch's pale teeth
iron gears &
scythe

first lighthouse
fire & mirror
first transmission
isle of wright
radio transistor

charcoal light wire wood steel celluloid
digits pigment graphite vellum canvas rope threads filaments
cloth reeds lines language

to pierce to etch to fold to weave to imprint
to scrawl to stain to speak

friction

a loose band of thieves
crows with broken suitcases
pickpocket orchestration

flea market galleries
dimly lit
hallways
a can of paint
an alley
a wall
night drawing


Take me to the radiopluto website . 

Spotlight on Painter Sarah Brokke

It's Visual Arts Week here in the the North Country, an extravaganza of arts-related events on both sides of the bridge including Phantom Galleries Superior's opening receptions Wednesday evening from 5 to 9 p.m. This is year three for the Phantom Galleries, and it's been thrilling to see the variety and caliber of our local talent. New venues have opened up for this month's show, both of them off-Tower, which is now torn up for reparations. The Habitat for Humanity has opened its doors at 1621 Broadway for a Rachel Nelson's "Pilgrimmage" exhibit and Patricia Davey's "Glass Exposed." And the Old Superior Antique Depot at 933 Oakes at the end of Broadway will have still more including the paintings by Sarah Brokke.

Brokke is a painter and from the first I was was drawn to her work, which has been displayed at the Zeitgeist and Duluth Art Institute, among other spaces in town. The exhibition has been described in these words: "Her large scale paintings for this installation explore the feelings of the fragile balance we all hold during this time..... to both be at peace and still be able to step into and care about the bigger picture of what is happening in our world often polarized. Sarah says ,"I am an Artist who seeks truth through the medium of paint. I am a woman, in truth, who seeks to actively define my roles as teacher, mother, daughter, wife, partner, sister. My work is a visual record of that journey'."

I've been impressed by her work, some of which I share here.

Cleansing Breath

EN: To what would you attribute your early attraction to painting?
Sarah Brokke: At age 8, I attended an exhibit of Impressionism at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I remember being entranced with the luscious color of paint. Later I found the very tactile nature of building something out of that color extremely engaging.

EN: What life lessons did you bring back to the States after studying in England?
SB: My studies in England were early on in my Undergraduate education. Ultimately, my travels there informed my decision to go into the Arts, as it afforded me distance to see my future aspirations clearly. It also taught me that travel was an invaluable way to breathe.

Senzo Titolo (Nonostante)

EN: You also minored in modern dance. Does choreography cross over to influence your painting in any ways?
SB: I compose a painting much like I would choreograph a dance. The movement, layers, tones, and my utilization of the figure definitely have their origins in my study of choreography.

EN: You also lived and studied in Italy for a spell. What were the highs and lows of that experience?
SB: The most wonderful part: Being surrounded by Art and Artists on a daily, hourly basis. The least wonderful part: Living in the city of the Renaissance, Florence, eventually created a voracious hunger in me for 'other' Art. I clearly remember going to visit a collection of the work of Alberto Burri and finding it the equivalent of a cool compress.

EN: In what ways does living here at the edge of Lake Superior inspire and influence you?
SB: The color. The air. The people. I find it hard not to be inspired by where we live. It is as if we live at the edge of an ever-changing Rothko painting.

Clasp

EN: How do you find the balance between making art and teaching art? How does each inform the other?
SB: I consider myself quite lucky to be passionate about both. To be honest, when my work in the studio is going well, my personal excitement about art making helps to influence my teaching. When my studio work is not going as well as I might hope, seeing my students exploring their own paths is unbelievably inspiring. I am thankful every day to have such complementary focal points in my professional life.

EN: Where can people see more of your work?
SB: Upcoming exhibitions at the Zeitgeist Atrium, opening May 6th, and The Phantom Gallery on Broadway in Superior, WI: Opening May 8th. I will have work displayed at the Duluth Art Institute‘s Water Works Exhibition starting June of 2013.

# # # #

This week is year one of the North x North Experience here in the Twin Ports, a celebration of arts and music. While you're in Superior Wednesday be sure to visit the North End Arts Gallery and the Red Mug at the corner of Broadway & Hammond, for art, poetry and an accordion rap. All exhibits are free, and the appetizers scrumptious.

For a full listing of Visual Arts Week Events across the Twin Ports visit the DAI's dedicated page of current activities You can also follow all the North x North Music and Arts Experience events on their dedicated Facebook page. 

NXN Visual Arts Week Is Here

It's here. NXN Visual Arts Week has arrived in the Northland. Along with the art, it's also supposed to warm up and pretend to be spring.

The idea of devoting a week to the celebration of visual arts is neither unique nor new. Ottawa, for example has been celebrating the arts with a week of gallery openings and shows from April 25 thru May 4 this spring. NOW HEAR THIS: This week it's our turn. So even if on one level this is nothing unique, on another level it feels remarkably new.

This is Year One of North x North, the Music and Arts Experience. To make it happen has been a monumental effort by a whole lot of volunteers. Some artists and events didn't get listed in the press packets. Some galleries may not have been included in the calendars. But from where I sit, even with a few fumbles and blocked kicks, the game is on and the local arts scene is moving the ball down the field.

For a quick overview of some of the events lined up this coming week, check out the DAI Visual Arts Week page. You'll see times and places for events at Lake Superior College, Pineapple Arts, Tweed Museum, Phantom Galleries Superior, Lake Superior Glass, the Duluth Art Institute, Prøve Gallery, Washington Gallery, Ochre Ghost, Northern Prints Gallery Goin' Postal, and more. And more.

The schedule shows happenings nearly every day at Pineapple Arts. (I have had a few pieces there) If you can only make it to a few, try dropping in Tuesday for their exhibition, Faces of Earth: Art by Children and Youth. It's is a celebration of K-12 student work assembled by six UMD art ed alumni art teachers, an experimental exhibition in this experimental space. There's plenty more in that space the rest of the week in an effort to support art in the schools.

A quick plug for the 2013 Goin' Postal Spring Art Show. It's Friday the 10th. There will be as many as 20 artists' works displayed, including many of my usual pieces plus some new things. My John & Yoko painting will be auctioned off along with some other pieces by other artists. There will be an afterparty at Bev's Jook Joint next door with live music and more.

I mention this in part to note that Tower Avenue is torn up and to find the gallery/event you'll want to enter through the alley from Ogden. Undoubtedly there will be signs. Just follow the yellow brick road.

Study for John & Yoko

Early version of John & Yoko, mixed pigments on panel, 36"x 24"

Beatles Help DuSu Film Festival

Help! I need somebody.
Help! Not just anybody.
Help! You know I need someone.
Help!  ~ Lennon/McCartney

In 1965 The Beatles starred in their second full-length feature film titled Help. The rating for this film at imdb.com is 7.1, which means it has a lot of likes and not that many critics. I s'pose this is because the film actually had a plot. It's popularity was not due to the acting. But you already knew that, right?

The film was a vehicle for developing and dispersing some new Beatles songs, and to attract a little cash. This morning, the movie is a vehicle for sharing some information about this year's Duluth Superior Film Festival, and (hopefully) to attract a little cash for the festival's Kickstarter campaign.

Disclaimer: I receive nothing from this blog entry.

The correct title for this post should read, Beatles' Help; DuSu Film Festival.

But it is what it is. As is the film festival, now in its fourth year.

The Duluth Superior Film Festival is in fundraising mode, currently running an active Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for this year’s festival. Evidently they are not wanting to lean too heavily on their many sponsors and, I suspect, the Kickstarter Campaign

can be a form a getting the word out.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1498114599/the-duluth-superior-film-fest-advises-you-to-take

They're not trying to raise millions to produce a film. They're looking for a modest amount to properly show the films, $2000 to help make this event a more complete experience. Unlike your typical cinema visit, the DuSu and similar film festivals will have directors, producers, screenwriters and actors on hand to give more insight to the film they created or were part of. The Q&A sessions after many of the films are worth the price of admission. The extra money helps fly these industry professional here for these first-hand encounters.

The Kickstarter Campaign winds up at the end of this weekend.  Festival director Richard Hansen has indicated that they have a great list of benefits for contributing…not the least of which is an All Access Pass for $25, which I personally consider a steal since we were paying $50 for that same pass the past three years.

Some of the films we've seen here the past couple years were later picked up by HBO and other cable channels. It's a serious, annual 5-day event, screening numerous independent films, producing multiple music performances, and hosting parties in celebration of film, music and art. I don't think The Beatles will be here, but who knows, maybe the next Beatles will be featured here in one of this year's films. Imagine. Stranger things have happened.

Here's my interview with Richard Hansen in advance of last year's Duluth Superior Film Festival.

And here's a link to the DSFF Kickstarter page.

This month we're celebrating the North X North Music and Arts Experience here in the North Country. This week the Homegrown Music Festival has been busting out walls. Next week will be Visual Arts/Gallery Week,  week, followed by Theater/Ballet/Symphony week and Dylan Days, and ending with the Duluth/Superior Film Festival to bookend a fabulous month of arts excitement.

My recommendation: try something new, something you've never done before. Eventually you might want to do it all.

Life Notes About Nothing

Nothing comes out of nothing. Or rather, everything comes out of something.

I came out of my mother’s womb. I was birthed out of a family history. The words I write today come out of my mind. The ink flows out of my pen. My thoughts give birth to ideas which emerge in words, sounds, pictures and actions.

Everything comes out of something. Nothing comes out of nothing.

These were some of my thoughts as I was thinking about the Big Bang Theory. Where did the bang come from? Out of nothing? If there was nothing, how could something happen?

In the beginning…

Yesterday I had an interesting conversation on an airplane. At one point the woman I was speaking with (I'll call her Dee to protect her identity) asked, “If you had two hours in God’s presence where you could ask God anything you wanted, what would you ask?"

That question didn't come out of the blue, out of thin air, out of nothing, either. We'd been talking for quite some time before such personal explorations could be broached. A framework had been established. But now, the question was out there.

Before I share my first reply, I’ll ask you: What questions would you ask God? You have two full hours. (This is for you to answer to yourself. No need to send me anything.)

I only had one question initially and after that my mind was blank. Its been a decades-long recurring theme for me and it always comes back to this: Why am I here?

In the moment I really didn’t know what else I could ask. Later, as I was driving home other questions finally began to emerge. Where does beauty come from? Why do we respond to beauty? Or rather, why do I respond to it the way I do? Why is beauty beautiful?

That was the first set of personal inquiries. Many more questions soon followed.

Maybe you have questions for God. Maybe asking the questions will unlock something for you.

I have one more for you. When are you going to get around to taking that personal retreat you’ve always promised yourself? Perhaps it’s time to get re-centered.

The world pushes and pulls us in so many directions. There are so many voices telling us what we should do, who we should be, where we should go. In the midst of all this "noise" there's a still small voice... within. Remember who you are.

On another topic...

Once again it’s Homegrown Festival this week in the Twin Ports. There’s music in the air. It’s coming from everywhere. Even this didn't come from nothing. Our music scene has emerged from a rich music tradition. And from a vibrant creative culture that invites you to visit, or even join. It's really something.

Catch the groove and let it carry you… away.

Wordless Wednesday: Marc Gartman's Fever Dream