Two Northland Events Celebrating Our Pollinators

Where would we be without our bees? You could never have dreams of milk and honey, that’s for sure.

The next two weekends there are a pair of events in Carlton vicinity dedicated to honoring our pollinators. Bee advocates want to increase awareness for the vital services our pollinators perform. Plus, like who doesn’t love honey?

For this reason there are a number of BEE FRIENDLY Advocacy Events slated for 2019, two being in the next two weekends.

On Saturday afternoon July 13 from 4:30 till 7:30 p.m. there is a Bee Friendly Advocacy Gathering at the Free Range Film Festival Barn on the outskirts of Wrenshall.  Full details of this an the other 2019 events can be found here at this Bee Friendly Events page.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND, JULY 20

THE CITY OF CARLTON IS CELEBRATING 

BEE FRIENDLY DAY

which includes

9 a.m.

Bee Friendly Bike Ride to Jay Cooke Park

(@ Carlton Bike Rental)

10 a.m.

Bee Friendly Yoga

(@ Oldenburg House)

11 a.m.

Bee Friendly Story Hour
Emma Bee Book author Pamela Fish Carlson
(@ Carlton Bike Pavillion)

Noon
Dan Dan the Monkey Man
Music fun for kids.
(@ Carlton Bike Pavillion)

1 p.m.
Bee Casso Sidewalk Art 
Chalk Drawing, Face Painting & more
(@ Four Corners County Lot Downtown)

1 p.m. 
Pollinator Garden Tips & How-Tos
SWCD Presenters
(@ The Greenhouse)

EVENTS RUN FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM 
HONEY FOR SALE 
INFORMATION ON POLLINATORS FROM U OF M EXTENSION

Some things are for the birds.

These events are for the bees.

Twin Ports Art for July… Places to Get Your Art Fix

“Technique without art is shallow and doomed. Art without technique is insulting”—Dorothy Alexander

Ryan Tischer has new images & a 2020 Calendar.

I hope your Fourth was a nice one. Yes, there were clouds and a little rain on a few parades, but a great evening for fireworks. Summer has arrived in the Northland and there’s lots to see and do. This is not a comprehensive list, but should add to your ideas. Pick up a Reader to see what else is going on, and visit Esther Piszczek’s Twin Ports Art blog. (It’s actually your art blog, because she is doing this for you.) The URL is: https://twinportsart.blogspot.com

HERE’S THE LINEUP 

thru the next two Northland weekends

Saturday, July 6, 6-9 p.m.
Sunday, July 7, 12-4 p.m.
Blubby Clubhouse with artist Heidi Blunt, Prove Gallery, 21 N. Lake Avenue
"Blubby Clubhouse is a two-day-only exhibition of new work by local artist Heidi Blunt, whose emerging voice delights at the intersection of marginalized large bodies and a secret clubhouse of a feminine kid circa 1985. Blunt’s paintings of rounded fat bodies (called “blubbies”) come pouring off the wall with an open invitation for viewers to interact with the abundance of joy and playfulness in her current improvisational studio practice where a “more is more” mentality reigns. Blunt has a B.A. in Art, with an emphasis on painting and drawing, from the College of St. Scholastica and is currently an MFA candidate in visual arts at Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, Vt."

Original handwritten lyrics from Dylan’s Desolation Row and other
rare artifacts from the William Pagel Archive are on display at the
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. Admission is free.

Mondays, July 8, 15, 22, 29, 5:30 p.m.
Tangling Mondays, Mount Royal Library, 105 Mount Royal Shopping Circle
This group meets in the the old Yarn Harbor space, which was taken over by the library awhile back (on the left when you walk in). It is open to anyone, but primarily focused on pattern drawing. Bring your supplies and something you want to finish or start. No instruction, no fee, no organization. It's wonderful to tangle together, if schedules align, and lovely to tangle alone. If you find yourself alone, no worries, another Monday is right around the corner. Enjoy!

Visit the Duluth Folk School in Lincoln Park to see
bicycle art and some great looking bikes.
The food is good, too!

Tuesdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30, 12:30-3 p.m.
Open Studio at the Duluth Depot, 506 W. Michigan Street
The Duluth Art Institute offers a regular Tuesday open art-studio session at the Depot. People of all abilities practicing all artistic mediums are invited to bring their own supplies and join the weekly group. Cost: $5 plus a DAI membership (first session is free).

Wednesday, July 10, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Zentangle (R) & Wine with Esther Piszczek, CZT, Master Framing Gallery, 1431 London Road
Come experience the fun and relaxation of drawing simple, repetitive line patterns with pen and ink and pencil shading. No previous drawing experience necessary. Class Cost: $35; Supplies: $10 (or use supplies provided without additional cost). RSVP to episzczek@gmail.com. Seats are limited.

Thursday, July 11, 6-7:30 p.m.
Artist Talk: Jonathan Thunder and Zamara Cuyún: Long Night of the Floating Shell, Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center, AICHO, 202 W. Second Street
"Long Night of the Floating Shell explores an overlap in themes between two artists’ experiences as contemporary Indigenous artists navigating their connection to their ancestry and communities: Zamara Cuyún with roots in the Maya Highlands of Guatemala and Jonathan Thunder from the Red Lake Nation in Greater Minnesota. Thunder and Cuyún will be present to engage in dialogue about some of the underlying themes in their work and to answer audience questions. Refreshments will be served. On View through July 19

You don’t see on of these every day. Duluth Folk School.

Friday, July 12, 7-8 p.m.
Saturday, July 13, 7-8 p.m.
Dances on the Lakewalk, a festival of dance in Duluth, Lake Place Park/Gichi-ode’ Akiing, 214 E. Superior Street
"Under the artistic direction of Doris Ressl and Freshwater Dance Collective, the annual Dances on the Lakewalk returns featuring Minnesota choreographers, dance companies and dancers performing a variety of dance styles in a city park overlooking Lake Superior. Lake Place Park is located above the Lakewalk at Superior Street and Lake Avenue, with entrances either on Superior Street or from a staircase on the boardwalk at the corner of the lake. For more information, contact Doris Acosta: dorismarieressl @ gmail.com."

Friday, July 12, 9:05 p.m.
Greater Downtown Council's Movies in the Park: How to Train Your Dragon, The Hidden World (PG), Leif Erikson Park

Saturday, July 13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, July 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Moose Lake Agate Days 50th Anniversary, Riverside Hockey Arena, 20 Earl Ellen's Drive, Moose Lake "The 50th anniversary Moose Lake Agate Days features more than 100 vendors displaying Lake Superior agates, rocks, gems, minerals and crystals, along with other jewelry and art. There will also be a children’s play area and concessions inside and outside the arena."

Free shuttle service on Saturday
Featured Vendor: Erik Rintimaki – “Yooperlites”
Saturday: Famous Agate Stampede Down Elm Avenue
Sunday: Drawings for vendor bucks and other contests

Ceramic artists abound in the Northland.

Saturday, July 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Nice Girls of the North 2nd Saturday Marketplace, Lakeside Lester Park Community Center (the former Lakeside Library), 106 N. 54th Ave. East
"Free coffee, cookies, and a friendly atmosphere await while you browse a collection of handcrafted clothing and bags, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photography, personal care products, baby items and much more. One central checkout, most major credit cards accepted."
July Guest Artists: Barb Staffon: hand knits and felting, it's Christmas in July! and Lanae Rhoads: Mix Cosmetiques custom cosmetics

Sunday, July 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Meet on the Street for the Lincoln Park Midsummer Celebration!, Lincoln Park, 1900 and 2000 blocks of W. Superior Street
"This year, the Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative‘s annual Meet on the Street event is joining forces with Ecolibrium3 and the Duluth Folk School, for a celebration of the Lincoln Park neighborhood! Come down to Lincoln Park for a Fun, Free event! Climbing Wall! Bounce House! Resource Connections! Arts & Crafts! Warrant Resolution! Music! Food! DPD Cars & K9 Officer! Firetruck! Fender Blender! Big Red Bookshelf! Voter Registration! Aerial, Yoga, & Zumba with Ignite Studio, Facepainting!"

Sunday, July 14, 3-5 p.m.

Driftwords, Wisconsin Point, Spot #9
"The Duluth Poetry Chapter is hosting an outdoor poetry event available to writers of any experience level. Permanent markers are provided by the chapter for writing poems on driftwood collected from Wisconsin Point beach, and sidewalk chalk for writing poems in the street. Poems and photos taken during the event will be shared at the Duluth Poetry Chapter’s fall “Meet the League” event with the permission of the writers in attendance.

"Participants are encouraged to bring poems that capture the theme of “drifting towards” or “drifting away.” Interested photographers are welcome to collaborate on the project and can contact Jessica Morgan at morgan.jessicamarie@gmail.com for more information. In the case of poor weather, the event will be rescheduled."

Sunday, July 14, 7-9 p.m.
Gag Me With A Spoon - A Community Storyshare, Teatro Zuccone, 222 East Superior Street
"Adeline Wright hosts this evening of storytelling and open mic journal sharing in the style of the Moth and Mortified podcasts. There will be featured storytellers and a musical guest. Member of the audience are also welcome to sign-up on the night for an 8 minute open mic journal-sharing segment. Cost: $5 at the door." Listen to previous Gag Me With A Spoon podcasts.

Monday, July 15, 5-7 p.m.
The Nature of Place + Hybrid Forms– Healing the Soul, by Martin DeWitt and Andrew Webster, Zeitgeist Atrium Gallery, 222 E. Superior Street
"Martin DeWitt’s new paintings are inspired by the nature of place and recent travels exploring hybrid elements, multi-generation expressions, digital imagery scrambled, enamel and acrylic paint layered in compound color, texture and image integration on canvas.

"Andrew Webster explores the resiliency and vulnerability of nature while using locally sourced material, especially inspired by Lake Superior. An avid recycler and upcycler, Andrew is drawn to the elemental interplay between wood, stones and minerals ~ their interconnectedness and interaction and his relationship with them."

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While our art cannot, as we wish it could, save us from wars, privation, envy, greed, old age, or death, it can revitalize us amidst it all.
—Ray Bradbury

20 Years Ago Bob Dylan and Paul Simon Were On Tour Together and Shared a Stage Here in Duluth

Major coverage in one of our local rags preceding Duluth concert.

Every living artist of influence has lived through plenty of July Threes, but in seeing the stories on Expecting Rain about Brian Jones and Jim Morrison, who each died on this date in 1969 and 1971, respectively, it brought to mind the July 3 of 1999 when Bob Dylan returned to his home town of Duluth for the second time within a year, performing with Paul Simon and his band 20 years ago yesterday.

I don’t recall any reference at the time to that being the 30th anniversary of Brian Jones’ death, which is now 50 years, as noted in this story. What I do recall is how muddy Duluth’s Bayfront Park was after the hard rain, and how much fun some people had listening to the music while slip-slidin’ away. (O.K. the muck wasn’t fun for all.)

Paul Simon’s stature as a songwriter far exceeds his height as a man. His 13 song setlist was followed by a seven song encore, the last five being performed with Bob Dylan, who never looks tall but definitely made one realize how short Simon was.

On July 3 (yesterday) I picked up Robert Hilburn’s authorized bio of Paul Simon and was immediately drawn in to the story of Paul Simon’s life beginning with his ambition to be a baseball player, a passion I shared when I was young as well. Despite the shortcoming of his size, he excelled sufficiently to be a Queens all-star in high school. But lacking the “growth spurt” he’d hoped for as a teen, there was no way he could advance beyond the dream stages of this first passion.

Music, which had always been part of his life (his father performed for a living), moved in to fill the gap. And even though writing songs took more effort for Simon than for Lennon and McCartney for example, the work he produced became part of the soundtrack for our generation, expressing our hopes, anxieties and struggle to find a place for ourselves in a turbulent world.

You would think that being from New York would have given Paul Simon an edge in the influential music world there, but Hilburn’s account tells how Simon’s formative years including trips to England and busking in Paris before really getting traction at Columbia Records accompanied by Art Garfunkel.

Multiple pages were devoted to these two songwriters in their tour together.

Bob Dylan shows up in numerous sections of the book. Columbia producer Tom Wilson was one of the few execs there who supported John Hammond’s early enthusiasm for Dylan. Wilson saw Paul Simon’s potential as well. Similarly both singer/songwriters were performing at the same places in Greenwich Village. When Dylan’s Freewheelin’ was released Paul Simon was duly impressed, especially by Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall and the “enchanting love song that Simon liked,” Girl from the North Country.

The message that came through for Simon was just what he needed at the time. “Simon found in Dylan’s writing a natural way to blend his love of music and everything he’d learned in college about writing and the social order.” As he later acknowledged in interviews, he was liberated from having to produce pop hits, and could create music that appealed to him more thoughtfully. This is how Simon & Garfunkel’s albums became a part of so many of our lives at that time.

When Paul Simon and his ensemble joined Bob Dylan on the stage here in 1999, the song selections were especially interesting. Dylan’s setlist was heavily weighted to his Sixties songs in which he was a prophet for our times. Two songs were shared from Blood on the Tracks and two more from Time Out of Mind. Until the encore, Simon’s set only featured two songs from his Sixties recordings with Art Garfunkel. Instead he featured his international influences which most vividly emerged on his fabulous Graceland album.

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Related Links

Bob Dylan Setlist from July 3, 1999 in Bayfront Park, Duluth

This story about the death of Brian Jones appeared on Expecting Rain this morning. A daughter of Jones is claiming her father was murdered, an accusation that former crime reporter Anthony Scaduto alleged in his pointed bio Jagger: Everybody’s Lucifer.

The hard-boiled Scaduto had published a bio of Bob Dylan two years previous.

Photos on this page by the author. (except book cover).

To catch the flavor of this concert tour with Simon and Dylan, here’s a New York Times review of their concert a few weeks later in Madison Square Garden. “The Sound of Simon and Dylan.” If you don’t have time to read the story, here are two excerpts.

The two have much in common. Born in 1941, they are among the best and most expansive songwriters of their time, each with one hand firmly clasping the political and intellectual zeitgeist; they were both lifted out of the 60's Greenwich Village folk scene by Columbia Records and they are constantly reinventing their sound when their audiences least expect it. And Mr. Simon covered Mr. Dylan's ''Times They Are A-Changin' '' on the first Simon and Garfunkel album, while Mr. Dylan remade Mr. Simon's ''Boxer'' on his ''Self-Portrait.''

And two paragraphs later:
Where the cryptic Mr. Dylan is a tangled, dusty back road on which it is impossible to see more than a few feet ahead, the more transparent Mr. Simon is as obvious and scenic as a parkway. And though singing harmony is second nature to Mr. Simon, trying to harmonize with Mr. Dylan is like trying to catch a fly with chopsticks. As a result, ''The Sound of Silence'' turned from a haunting ballad to a cacophonous prophecy punctuated with a harmonica solo while ''Heaven's Door'' sounded slightly better when the two took turns singing.


Meantime, life goes on… and so is Bob’s Never Ending Tour, with shows in Germany, England and Ireland the next two weeks. You can read the reviews and other news at BobLinks.com

Local Art Seen: Vintage Bikes and Bike Art @ the Duluth Folk School

One of the coolest stories in our evolving Duluth saga has been the renovation of the West End. The transformation that has taken place is quite impressive as rundown abandoned buildings have one-by-one been renovated to become contributions to the community instead of eyesores here.

Lee Johnson entertaining at the Duluth Art School.

The renovated Clyde Iron Works became an anchor, joined by Tom Hanson's investment in the restaurant businesses here. The craft brewers that have sprung up and a variety of other new faces that were not here three decades ago made their contributions. These once-neglected spaces have begun to shine in unexpected ways, striving together to produce a vital and lively part of town, the Lincoln Park Business District.

One of the newer businesses here--and it seems like there's a new one every time I turn around--is the Duluth Folk School, across the street from Karin Kraemer's Duluth Pottery and next door neighbor to the OMC Smokehouse.

When I learned that long time DTA bus driver Lee Johnson, a super-talented, multi-dexterous jug band performer, would be performing at the Folk School from 3 to 5 this past Sunday, I made my way there to be part of it. I brought my harmonicas and joined for a couple songs as other brought their various instruments to be shared on Lee’s generous stage with other friends.

Painting by Adam Swanson

After a short while I began to notice a theme in the artwork that spread across the walls. Then I noticed the bicycles suspended from the rafters. At least 21 of these vintage bikes were donated by people who know and love bicycles. Old Schwinns were abundant, but many other unusual bikes as well. A Monarch Silver King Rocket owned by Mark Lavalier is one example. And a 1908 Lea Francis owned by Paul McLeete is quite striking, this latter having been built in Coventry, England.

Bicycle paintings by Adam Swanson are accompanied by handlebar-bike seat compositions that look like the heads of steer. Add Rolf Hagberg’s Motivity photographs, and you have an excellent tribute to biking here.

If you get the chance, stop in a grab a bite to eat, or sup some java. If nothing else this ought to be a place to check out soon, just for the bike art show and the art of vintage bicycles.

Here are more photos of Bike Art that will be on display throughout the month ahead. It’s much more interesting in person though. If you’ve not yet been there, use this exhibition as an excuse to go check out a new space in town.

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Rolf Hagberg’s Motivity.

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Pretty cool, eh? Creation by Matt Postier.

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Unless I’m mistaken, this is a print by Adam Turman.

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While there, don’t forget to look up… and reflect on your own bike history.

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This isn;t something you see every day.

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To each his or her own…

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Beaner’s Central to Mark 20th Anniversary with Name Change and Celebration

All smiles. Beaner's celebrates 20 years with party and a name change.

I doubt that there are very many cities like Duluth, Minnesota. Or maybe there are but we don't know their histories. The feature I am thinking of here is how all these various communities, like Gary/New Duluth, Kenwood, Lincoln Park, Lakeside, Piedmont Heights, Woodland, Congdon, and the Central Hillside all banded together over time and became the sprawling community that snakes along the St. Louis River Estuary northward toward Two Harbors along the tip of Lake Superior.

When Beaner's Central opened in West Duluth, it quickly became a community gathering place, generously warmed by its founding spirit, Jason Wussow. It's hard to believe Beaner's Central is celebrating its 20th year of sharing great coffee, music and eats here in what is also known as the Spirit Valley region of of our city.

Later this month Beaner's will be marking this 20 year milestone with a name change and celebration on July 26 and 27. 

Jason Wussow (L) with Dan Dresser. They're cookin'.

It's hard to even recall all the good memories that have been generated here. It's a very long list. I remember Jason & his compadre Dan Dresser's Cooking on the Car video launch in which Mayor Don Ness and his better half, and their friends were treated to an exquisite meal... cooked on a car manifold, of course.

The annual singer-songwriter contests, open mic storytellers, poetry events, and countless varieties of musical entertainment and production would produce a list too long to enumerate here. For sure, many well-known local acts began here or fine-tuned their chops here.

It's a place many in our community have called home at one time or another, and not just for the free wi-fi.

Going forward, I suspect that nothing will change as far as the music, the warmth, the people who make this place special or the other things that make this place unique. ONE thing, however, is changing. Beaner’s Central is becoming WUSSOW’S CONCERT CAFE.

It's funny how many of us midwesterners were oblivious to  the use of the name Beaners as an ethnic slur. Here in Duluth it was all about coffee beans. On one occasion, however, we had a visitor from California who was somewhat shocked by this former name and our lack of awareness. Alas... Live and learn. That's all changing now, and there's no time like a 20th Anniversary to sink home the new name.

Mark your calendars for July 26 & 27. The party is free and everyone's invited. Here's the lineup

Friday, July 26th:

6pm - Branditos
7pm - Jeffrey James
8pm - WoodBlind
9pm - Fractals
10pm - Father Hennepin

Saturday, July 27th:
An Outdoor Family Friendly Event including live music, square dancing, games, good food, and more!

Noon - Square Dance with Four Mile Portage & caller Kyler Ollah
1 pm - Best Dressed Dog Show & Ryan Lane
2pm - Dan the Monkey Man
3 pm - Ann Kathryn
4pm - Dave Mehling
5pm - Hardaybra
6pm - Cuckoo Bees
7pm - Charlie Parr
8pm - Salty Dogs

Jason wants to make sure to give shout outs to his sponsors.
Here are some great local businesses to support.
Alakef Coffee
Duluth Coffee
Earth Rider Brewery
Bent Paddle Brewing
The Party Store
and Zenith Books, whom Jason describes as "the best neighbors I've ever had."

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Matthew Kluber @ Joesph Nease Gallery: SFX

Our June Downtown Duluth Art Crawl was once again rewarding, as noted here yesterday. Here are snapshots of the Matthew Kluber exhibition at Joseph Nease Gallery. Titled Friday, I'm In Love, Kluber's work is a continuation of his optical explorations and work with projectors.

It's interesting that the elevation of art as something significant is nothing new. Here are some comments from ancient philosophers, followed by a handful of more recent statements and observations about the arts.

It is not strength, but art, obtains the prize,
And to be swift is less than to be wise.
'Tis more by art, than force of numerous strokes.
--Homer

Ars longa, vita brevis est.
--Hippocrates

Painters and poets have equal license in regard to everything.
--Horace

More recent philosophers recognize the importance of art as well.

"I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream."
--Vincent Van Gogh

"A genuine work of art must mean many things; the truer its art, the more things it will mean."
--George MacDonald 

"Art is the supreme task and the truly metaphysical activity in this life… "
--Friedrich Nietzsche,

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Any harm in inserting a selfie here?

Artists getting into it.... L to R: Kathryn Lenz, Kathy McTavish, Bruce Peckham,
Matthew Kluber and Dawn Kluber.

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Gallery manager Amanda Hunter shows Dale Lucas (Studio 101) some of the
work from previous shows.

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At the end of the day, art doesn't need to be explained. It needs to be experienced.

--L. E. Newman

Local Art Scene: Friday Night's Art Walk in Downtown Duluth

The hot summer sun sizzled on the streets of Duluth and in the surrounding countryside here, causing many people to consider moving North. (Just kidding.)  It was great weather for Friday evening's art crawl and the Park Point Art Fair yesterday.

What follows are some photos of things seen on the scene Friday, beginning at Lizzard's. There was even television footage being shot here and there.

Every once in a while one reads that "art is dead" and I would suggest that people who say this aren't paying attention. Postmodern philosopher Theodor Adorno stated,The coming extinction of art is prefigured in the increasing impossibility of representing historical events." I simply don't see it.

George Bernard Shaw compares art to an invisible mirror which reflects our dreams. And William Blake suggests that if you want to degrade mankind, degrade the arts first.

Elegant painting of a horse trailer by Michael DeWitt

The flip side would be to suggest that by supporting and encouraging the arts, we uplift not only our souls but also our communities.

Friday night Duluth celebrated the first year anniversary of the Downtown Art Walk, with generous quantities of sunshine and open doors at many galleries and studios. The images on this page were taken at several locations, offering a feel for what is on display this month.

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Natalie Salminen Rude

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The Door in the Wall. Painting by Michael DeWitt

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Five paintings by Karen Nease inspired by the Great Lake.

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Terry Millikan @ Lizzard's

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Colorful array at Pienapple.

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Yellow flowers at Pineapple Arts.

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Woman with Blue Tattoo. Robert Dewitt Adams.

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Pineapple Arts

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There's more, but I will save it for another day.