Local Art Seen: Washington Gallery and AICHO

"A Captain's Log" by Grandson

“Sometimes I arrive just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter.” ― Ansel Adams
 
Friday evening I attended two art events and enjoyed both.The first, called Lake Effect, featured work by photographers Samantha Pranger and Brett Grandson. It's impressive how many ways photographers who see the same things we all see can so effectively capture those secret moments to share them with a wider world. The natural beauty of this region creates infinite possibilities, especially for those fascinated with the Great Lake Superior. Weather conditions shift continuously and the opportunities for discovery are endless.

Brett Grandson, a lifelong resident of Duluth, had four large black and white photos on display in the east room of the gallery. Three were taken on Minnesota Point here in Duluth and the fourth, "Dancing Into The Night," was taken at Joshua Tree National Park in California. Grandson's images were printed on canvas and stretched, all of them 24"x 30" or larger. Grandson culled these from his Sticks and Stones Collection - 2013. The fourth piece was playfully titled, "Captain's Log," captured after a thunderstorm had passed over the city. "The size of the waves made it difficult to capture this image because the log was constantly being pushed around as the waves crashed in. A ship waiting to enter the harbor had weathered another storm on its journey home," Grandson wrote in the show's leaflet notes. The juxtaposition of ideas and image produced this title and evocative image.

Samantha Pranger (left)  arrived on our shores from across the state, having grown up in the Milwaukee area. Her choice of University of Wisconsin in Superior (UWS) was more for the distance from home and the in-state tuition. What she found here was a new home, and like others who visit the lake has an effect on them.

"I was my photographs to help people see the beauty that surrounds us, as I experience it every day," she states. "My goal is to convey the everyday world in such a way as to show people how extraordinary it truly is." Her ten gallery wrapped canvas pieces effectively do this.

Down the hill and two blocks east there was another exceptional event in Trepanier Hall, the former YWCA building that now is home to the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). I'm not sure what I expected so the occasion offered an element of surprise.

Duncan Konczak

Initially I walked past Michael Lemon's remarkable paintings to reach the main room where walls were liberally decorated with paintings by artists Duncan and Tom Konczak, and Avery Makes Room. Jake Vainio provided ambience with subtly sensitive strokes on an electric guitar. My immediate impression was that this was more of a family gathering. All ages were present and the sharing of the art was a social experience and an occasion.

I was struck by the quantity and colorfulness of the art. It entered my mind that our Native American brothers and sisters have suffered immensely yet the work displayed was comprised of brightness and color, rich and full of wonder. Each piece was its own justification.

As I was leaving a spent some time examining the intricate detail in Michael Lemon's paintings. Lemon is from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe out at Cass Lake. The paintings were amazing, many (if not most) created in something reminiscent of pointillism. But the more I studied the images it struck me that the surface was more like the Indian beads I once made a headband out of as a boy. Except Lemon is using a very fine-point brush. Little dots of color, conspiring to tell stories.

And Lemon had stories to tell. He described an encounter he had with a man in Massachusetts who told how the Lord spoke to the man in a dream about a thunderbolt that would be sent to North Dakota. Lemon said he had had the same dream. All of this was tied to the current shale field boom currently underway there.

Lemons paintings are worth exploring further. This exhibition will be on display thru mid-October, so if you are able try to check it out.

Fox by D. Konczak

Jake Vainio helped create a mood and it was good.

Starry Night Over Duluth

Advertising Lessons from One of the Great Ones: David Ogilvy

"A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time." ~Henry Ford

On the face of it, the quote above from Henry Ford comes across as amusing and thought-provoking. It caught my attention about five years ago when one of the ad salespeople who contacts me regularly began using it as a tagline in their signature. The housing market had collapsed and the economy was in shambles with one of the consequences being a serious erosion of advertising dollars at the same time as news stand magazine sales were tanking. In short, the pincers were on for print media publishers.

So one of the sales reps from one of these magazines added the Ford quote to his sig line, to encourage us not to quit putting out our message. This would not have bothered me except that a short time later I had a second ad rep adding this statement to his emails.

Five years have passed and at least a half dozen different ad reps have used Henry Ford's admonition... to the extent that as far as I'm concerned it's become a cliche and a byword. Its gotten stale.

There are so many great quotes and insights on advertising out there. Why must everybody key in on the same one? My recommendation: find something fresh.

One place to find gems is in the writings of David Ogilvy.

I'm well aware that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for advertising. Many people find F. Scott Fitzgerald's pithy sentiment more to their liking. "Advertising is a racket, like the movies and the brokerage business. You cannot be honest without admitting that its constructive contribution to humanity is exactly minus zero." That's pretty harsh. Will Rogers' assessment of the advertising profession profession goes like this: "Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need." Often this does appear to be the essence of it.

Calvin Coolidge, on the other hand, called advertising "the life of trade." And Anton Chekov stated that advertising was "the essence of democracy." That's pretty heady stuff.

Yesterday, while thinking about all these things -- triggered by yet another email with the Ford banality -- I went looking for a fresh batch of ideas from Mr. Ogilvy that I could offer up to these sales folk who mean well but have gotten tiresome. Here's a good place to start... 13 Timeless Lessons from the Father of Advertising.

Here's one from that list: of timeless lessons: "Do not … address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium. When people read your copy, they are alone. Pretend you are writing to each of them a letter on behalf of your client."

That's a lesson I've taken to heart in all my writing. I don't know how many people will read these words today, but as far as I'm concerned, you're the only one. I'm writing for you. Thanks for being there. Hope you're having a good weekend.

Featured eBook of the Day: The Red Scorpion

Twin Ports Arts Scene: Tips for Staying in the Loop

River scene by Ken Marunowski

Over the years I've noticed that there is so much happening in the local arts scene, but no "single source" for staying connected to it all. When international sensations like Elton John or Dylan perform here in the Northland it's front page news and even has the broadcast media buzzing. But there are still so many other things happening in the visual, theatrical and film arts... how does one stay in the loop? How can people enjoy events and discover new artists when they aren't aware that there's been an opening or a show?

Well, here are a few places to look. It takes a little work, but like panning for gold in the Black Hills, if you know where to go and have the right tools, it really isn't that hard.

For years the first place I always looked in the past was in the Duluth News-Tribune's Wave section which can be found each week in their Thursday paper. It starts on the back page of the Sports section and is usually 2-3 pages of stories and "Best Bets." It tends to be strong on events by organizations that have a good PR system like the Duluth Playhouse, the Tweed and the Duluth Art Institute. It's weak when it comes to all those venues that don't have professional staff news-generators.

Tonight, for example, there will be a wonderful art experience at Trepanier Hall (202 W. Second Street, Duluth) with artists Duncan Konczak, Tom Konczak, Avery Makes Room and Mike Lemon and music by Jake Vainio (with possible surprise guests.) This is the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) facility that hosted Al Hunter's evocative Beautiful Razor reading earlier this year. You probably would not know this without help from our newest resource on the scene: Social Media.

Facebook, Twitter and blogging have really changed the face of our community arts scene. Across the country there are vibrant local writers groups and arts groups connecting with one another. I learned about Friday evening's Art-Music-Food event through a posting on Twin Ports Arts Align this week. TPAA is a great resource for keeping tabs on what's happening here in our region. There is so much to see and do that you would not hear about if you only relied on the paper. You don't have to participate in posting or be making art in order to just lurk and get updates on events and arts related discussions. Lots of great ideas out there... a lot of smart and talented people. It's a vibrant FB community.

Ken M and Carrie at Lake Ave Cafe

The only place I saw reference to Ken Marunowski's opening last night at the Lake Avenue Cafe/Restaurant was there at the Twin Ports Arts Align. Ken does plein air (open air) painting and is part of Lee Englund's circle in that regard. I had a beer with Lee and Rosie and learned that there's a huge event this weekend with 70 plein air artists from all over gathering at the artist colony in Grand Marais this weekend. Sounds awesome. (Word of mouth is another great way to find out what's going on.)

Lee said he met Ken at an extreme plein air painting event a couple years ago and they became fast friends. They no doubt have mutual respect for one another's skills and attitude. If you get a chance head over to the DeWitt Seitz Building and check out Ken's work which will be on display now for a while this fall. His paintings of this summer's tall ships are getting a lot of attention and appreciation. (The food is equally stellar, by the way.)

Englund described for me the extreme plein air event where he and Ken met. It's held mid-winter 40 miles up the Gunflint Trail. The painters must cross-country ski into the area pulling their equipment on a toboggan. One year temps were 20 below zero. If you think artists are sissies, you have another thing coming when you consider this breed.

Tall Ships by Marunowski

For those of you who follow things on Twitter, a good way to catch a few events is to look for the #duluthart hashtag. It's not comprehensive but will certainly bring you a few things you won't find elsewhere. And if you're doing art yourself here in the Twin Ports, start using the hashtag for your own posts so we can see what you're up to and share it elsewhere.

For what it's worth tonight at Washington Gallery there's a photography exhibition called Lake Effect featuring  images of our great lake by Brett Grandson and Samantha Pranger. The opening will be from 6-9 and is almost certain to offer up some breathtaking images.

As for other methods for staying in the loop, get into the habit of picking up The Transistor and The Reader. The Reader's "arts" section is now in the back, but not hard to find once you know where to look.

Meantime, tomorrow there's a North Central Windows Project First Harvest Festival to in Central Park at 717 6th Ave East in Superior, with music and more. Like many music and arts events these days it's a fund-raiser for a good cause.

To the artists of our region: thanks for making it happen!

Wordless Wednesday: Stuff I've Seen This Summer

Ken Marunowski Opening and Nancy Miller Unveiling

I was recently talking with a blog reader from Brooklyn who has been impressed by the caliber of art coming out of our Northland. Confidentially, not everything here is MOMA worthy or comparable to Dali/Picasso and their ilk, but it really is remarkable how much depth there is in our regional talent pool.

This past winter I had the pleasure of discovering the art of Ken Marunowski, a local artist whose experience is far more extensive than our little neck of the woods. This Thursday from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Ken will be having an art opening at the Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar in the DeWittz-Seitz Marketplace featuring a selection of oil paintings made this summer. Ken does work in a variety of media and especially seems to enjoy plein air (open air) painting. The images here are from July's Sol Fest at the Oldenburg House in Carlton.

Ken Marunowski (left) and Lee Englund

If Monday the 16th is not already checked off on your calendar, and Virginia (on Minnesota's Iron Range) doesn't feel too far from home, you may want to drop in for the unveiling of the Bess Metsa Mosaic Rose. Artist Nancy Miller does absolutely marvelous sculpture and mosaic work. A couple years back I had the privilege of showing some of my Dylan paintings at the Ochre Ghost where her mosaic Bust of Dylan was displayed. Impressive. On the 16th there will be live music and special guests there in the rose garden next to the Natural  Harvest Co-op. The party begins at 5:30....

Enjoy!

Tweed and DAI Bring Special Events Here This Fall

Untitled, by Norval Morrisseau

From September 10 through March of next year the Tweed Museum of Art is hosting a major exhibition titled Blood Memoirs: Exploring Individuality, Memory, and Culture through Portraiture. Amber-Dawn Bear Robe is the guest curator of this show which features a compelling exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper and video, all of which explore identity through the eyes of native and non-native artists. According to the Tweed's announcement regarding this show, "The exhibition looks at the contemporary vision of the "North American Self" by spotlighting how the artists choose to represent themselves, revealing a complexity of identity, a shared human constituent, and a mutual platform for dialogue."

The opening reception for this exhibition will be held the evening of Tuesday, October 22, 2013 with a presentation by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe followed by one of the artists in this exhibit Adrian Stimson, present as his alter ego "Buffalo Boy", who, through performance, provides visual commentary on the Buffalo Bill shows of the past as well as other identity issues.

The following evening internationally known filmmaker Chris Eyre will be introducing and showing his film "Skins" from 6:00-8:00 pm in Montague Hall 70. Eyre has been described as "the preeminent Native American filmmaker of his time" by People magazine. Mark you calendar.

National Juried Show "Possession" to Unveil This Week at the Duluth Art Institute

By Lenore Lampi

The Minnesota Women’s Ceramics Association (MNWCA) has assembled a show called Possession, a celebration of all things clay at the Duluth Art Institute. This was the MNWCA’s first national call for ceramic artists and the response was robust. 64 artists from 27 states submitted work for consideration in this grand event. And in the Steffl Gallery New Work by Robin Murphy will be on display. The opening reception for both exhibitions will be Thursday, September 19, 5-7 p.m.

I spoke with Tonya Borgeson of the Snoodle Studio regarding another feature of this show. Because of her involvement in clay and firing workshops around the country, she know the excitement that can come from the workshop portion of events like this, especially since our region is so alive with ceramics artists.

Borgeson has been with the MNWCA for seven years having attended numerous workshops including the Redwing Cearamic Workshop. She approached the Duluth Art Institute three years ago to host this major event which included and exhibit and workshops, developing the concept in conjunction with curator Annie Dugan. Workshops will be conducted Saturday at the DAI's Lincoln Center September 21.

By Holly Lacour

The title for the art show came from a discussion by the MNWCA in January. They talked about various potential themes and brainstormed about rhythm and life force and endurance. The idea of waters had already been a theme this summer. Ultimately they came upon the intrinsic possession of one’s skill and the personal possession of objects.

This is a juried show by two widely respected, internationally acclaimed artists, Eva Kwong and Mary Bohls. From the numerous submissions the judges selected 32 pieces that evoke a play with the understanding of ownership and control, passion and property.

When the MNWCA began it grew by word of mouth, attracting increasing numbers over time. They support both men and women artisans.

For more information on this show, visit mnwca.org/   Be sure to pre-register for the workshops if you want to participate.

Recycling

Are you recycling yet? Here in Minnesota it's mandatory, but even though I don't like overly intrusive government I think it's O.K. Landfills can't keep expanding forever.

Recycling is the process of creating things of  value from discarded things that are used. Recycling used paper, glass and cans is finally becoming a way of life for most of us in a culture whose wastefulness is almost legendary.

Ideas can be recycled, too. The times may change, but there have been many long dormant insights, maxims, proverbs and sayings that can be an invaluable help for us in every facet of our lives. We don't necessarily need to come up with new formulas for living. The old ideas, maxims and proverbs still speak to us if we would but recycle them and put them into practice.

Have a conflict you're avoiding? A stitch in time saves nine. You've been as to speak on a special occasion that might open more doors in your career? Strike while the iron is hot. Don't know how to assess a situation at work or a difficult financial decisions? Two heads are better than one. Moving to a new house? Many hands make light work.

Proverbial wisdom abounds, for those who have ears to hear. The Golden Rule --"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"-- is a powerful maxim that has inspired a multitude of generations and makes a great creed to live by no matter what age you live in.

Just because something is new doesn't mean that it's better. There is real value in recycling the best ideas and principles of those who have gone before us.