Upcoming Events of Note, Twin Ports Scene

RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NOTE

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Due to the forecast of Thunderstorms, the BEST DRESSED DOG CONTEST that was to take place at Wade Stadium tonight has been moved to the Essentia Heritage Center. It is believed that there will be an equal amount of fun at the new location as at the Wade. (Yes, that's a Wiener Dog wearing a bun.)

AT AICHO
Indigenous Economy & Entrepreneurs Series
202 W, 2nd Street, Duluth

Nick Hernandez, Indigenous Economy & Entrepreneurs Series

The American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), with support from the Duluth LISC and McKnight Foundation Seed Grant, is offering a three-part Indigenous Economy, Indigenous Entrepreneurs series. We are excited to welcome Nick Hernandez of Makoceag Agriculture Development on August 28 to share his expertise on launching Indigenous economic development and the business start-up process from an Indigenous perspective. Nick will share development strategies, planning process tips, and personal experiences from his work at Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation and his new startup organization Makoceag Agriculture Development.

We will have two FREE opportunities on August 28 in AICHO's Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center (212 W. 2nd Street, Duluth):

A. Workshop for Entrepreneurs from 2 pm - 4 pm
Nick Hernandez will present on business planning, startup process and food system enterprises. This workshop is geared for entrepreneurs, those interested in creating future enterprises, and community members who are thinking about Indigenous & local food production.

B. Community Presentation from 6 pm - 7 pm
Nick Hernandez will present on Indigenous economic development and creating local & Indigenous food system enterprises. All community members are invited to attend and enjoy an evening of knowledge sharing, storytelling, and being in community. Light food will be served before the presentation at 5 pm with time to visit before the presentation.

Please join us!

Nick Hernandez Bio: Nick Hernandez is a member of the Oglala Lakota Oyate and a citizen of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Nick is the partner to Liz Welch and the father of two boys Alee Jax and Kai Tyndall Hernandez. In 2019 Nick earned a master’s degree in Lakota Leadership and organizational management from the Oglala Lakota College (Kyle, SD). in 2015 Nick helped to develop the Food Sovereignty Initiative for Thunder Valley CDCand managed the initiative for 4 years as its Director. Today, through his many years of developing experience, training, partnerships and education in the realm of agriculture and food systems for his community and people. Nick’s passion and dedication are focused on developing Indigenous agriculture and food systems designed to regenerate healthy equitable communities, economies and our environments.



AT THE TWEED
Shocks and Surprises in a Gallery Filled with Sculptures.

Bill Shipley shares his passion.

Saturday, September 7 from 2:00-3:00 p.m.
"Shocks and Surprises in a Gallery Filled with Sculptures!" is a Gallery Talk topic that Bill Shipley is offering about Asymmetry: Three Dimensional Works from the Tweed Collection exhibition at the Tweed Museum of Art.

If you want to see a Fallen Angel in welded steel by Katherine Nash be prepared for a somber note, but if you need a cheery subject look at Judy Onofrio's Pair, Pear creatures.

Docent Bill Shipley will give a tour with highlights of the show, including two lyrical relief wall mounted works by Charles Biederman and paper and fiber sculpture by Leslie Bohnenkamp who made challenging work in both mediums. Ceramic art by Rudy Autio and Sterling Rathsack are also notable for their innovation and humor. This is a memorable show for its diversity and for the variety of materials used in contemporary sculpture.

AT THE NORDIC CENTER
The Never Ending Book: Paintings by Anna Sorenson
This is an ongoing conceptual project by Swedish artist, Anna Sorenson. A display of her work will be at the Nordic Center.

Events
Sept.10, a lecture by Anna from 6-7 pm at Montague Hall, UMD. Free & open to the public.
Sept. 14, reception at the Nordic Center, 2-5 pm. There is also a SunFunday for kids on Sept. 8, 1-3 pm.

* * * * 

Always more happening than time to share, but we do the best we can. 

Keep making art. Keep making a difference.

John Lennon Notes and Quotes to Start Your Week

Illustration by the author.

"I've always considered my work one piece and I consider that my work won't be finished until I am dead and buried and I hope that's a long, long time."
John Lennon Interview with RKO Radio on the day of his murder (8 December 1980)

* * * *

This past couple weeks I've been reading Philip Norman's Paul McCartney: The Life. Although some of the reviewers give it rather harsh scores on Amazon, I've personally found it a rewarding read because I've not read many books about The Beatles and thus there are more new insights and anecdotes than I was familiar with.

I still listen to The Beatles after more than half a century, and also internalized some of their individual post-breakup albums by repeated listenings.

There's no question that Lennon & McCartney were one of the greatest songwriting teams of all time. There's also little doubt that extreme fame has to do a number on your head. Finding personal equilibrium after the flume ride of Beatlemania took years and was real work.

One of the things that surprised me was how much abuse Linda Eastman received in marrying Paul. I was aware that Yoko was despised for extricating John from the Fab Four, and blamed for the breakup of The Beatles. I was pretty much unaware that Linda was often physically assaulted by Paul's female fans for making him "unavailable" and dashing their own hopes.

Fab 4 arrive in NYC, Feb 7, 1964.
Photo: Library of Congress. Public domain.

The book goes into detail about the context of their emergence as superstars. A good comparison might be the forest fires that raged in California last year. Conditions were right for an exceptional year for destructive blazes. Similarly, with Elvis in the army, Buddy Holly dead, and Jerry Lee Lewis out of favor for marrying his 13-year-old cousin, conditions were ripe for a super talented, outgoing supergroup to set hearts ablaze across the universe... or at least, across the seas.

When their solo careers began, after the breakup, it surprised me how harsh the critics were on Paul's first two albums. I had all those early solo efforts and enjoyed them all, including All Things Must Pass (Harrison) and especially Lennon's Mind Games.

John Lennon features prominently in the book, as it would be near impossible to tell any of their stories without their symbiotic others. The quotes that follow are Lennon's. When I read the quote at the top of this page it set me on a search for other Lennon remarks and observations.

John Lennon Quotes

"The thing the Sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility."--John Lennon

"It's better to fade away like an old soldier than to burn out."--John Lennon

"Nor do I think we came from monkeys, by the way...That's another piece of garbage. What the hell's it based on? We couldn't've come from anything--fish, maybe, but not monkeys. I don't believe in the evolution of fish to monkeys to men. Why aren't monkeys changing into men now? It's absolute garbage. It's absolutely irrational garbage, as mad as the ones who believe the world was made only four thousand years ago, the fundamentalists.
"That and the monkey thing are both as insane as the other. I’ve nothing to base it on; it’s only a gut feeling."--John Lennon

Photo: Jack Mitchell. Free public use via Creative Commons.

"These critics with the illusions they've created about artists — it's like idol worship. They only like people when they're on their way up … I cannot be on the way up again. … What they want is dead heroes, like Sid Vicious and James Dean. I'm not interested in being a dead (expletive) hero. … So forget 'em, forget 'em."--John Lennon

"Everything is as important as everything else."--John Lennon

"I don't mind people putting us down, because if everybody really liked us, it would be a bore."--John Lennon

"Above all else never let people know how physically unattractive they actually are. Everyone deserves to believe they are beautiful."--John Lennon

"We're trying to sell peace, like a product, you know, and sell it like people sell soap or soft drinks. And it's the only way to get people aware that peace is possible, and it isn't just inevitable to have violence. Not just war — all forms of violence."--John Lennon

"It's just natural, it's not a great disaster. People keep talking about it like it's The End of The Earth. It's only a rock group that split up, it's nothing important. You know, you have all the old records there if you want to reminisce."--John Lennon

"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. … I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."--John Lennon

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."--John Lennon


Related Links
Dylan's Tribute to Lennon Keeps Rolling On
A Leadership Lesson from John Lennon
Tomorrow Never Knows: The Beatles' Turning Point?
Mind Games

Local Art Seen: Kathryn Lenz at the Zeitgeist Cafe

"Wild Animal"

This month Kathryn Lenz's paintings have been on display at the Zeitgeist Cafe.  It's harvest season for gardeners and some of Lenz's work looks delicious. The show is titled "Out of the Kitchen" and it features a variety of  subjects including vegetables and animalia. Her paintings of bunnies are especially wonderful and seem to reflect her own gentle spirit.

Her artist statement is as follows:
This show focuses on a healthy natural environment as well as small things that capture one’s imagination during a day at home. It features a variety of experiments that I have cooked up recently from ingredients including fiberglass, glues, 3-d prints, jewelry chain, super gloss, acrylic paint and varnishes as well as applications of garden produce for mark making.

While there, be sure to check out Kathryn's "Master's Hand Mobile" which may become a blog post all its own.

If you need an excuse to visit Zeitgeist, the cafe menu is superb. Ignore the Superior Street renovation and just do it. If you're like most of us, you probably could use the exercise.

"Poppy Arrangement"

"In the Beginning"

"In the Beginning" -- Detail

"All In."

"Honey Can You Get It"

"Her Chocolate Duchessness"

"Vegetable Medley"

"The Prep Bowls"

For the record, Kathryn Lenz should be added to your Twin Ports "Artists to Watch" list. 

If you can get out for next Friday's Downtown Duluth Art Crawl make sure you drop in at the Zeitgeist. 

Related Link

Kathryn Lenz Breathes New Life Into Milton's Hell

Local Art Seen: New Work by Claudia Faith and Eric Horn

"So Sheep May Safely Graze" -- Claudia Faith

The Duluth Art Institute is preparing for their Fall Exhibitions now. Yesterday afternoon I slipped in to catch a preview and found the walls in the Morrison and Steffl Galleries are stripped bare, getting arranged for two new shows that will be presented here. In the corridor gallery there were five large canvases featuring paintings by Claudia Faith, all colorful and delightful, though her message is serious. 

The opening for these three shows will be mid-September. Look for announcements in all the usual places.

"Mothering in Pastel Light"

"The Chosen One"

"Flocking Toward Lovingkindness"

"Living the Lie"

While checking out Kathryn Lenz'z paintings at the Zeitgeist Cafe I spotted a pair of new paintings by Eric Horn in the Zeitgeist Atrium. Eric has been active in the Steampunk community in the past with large and bold concepts executed with passion Here are a pair of eye-catching images, emphatically extracted from pop culture. 

The late Stan Lee.

The Pop Icon formerly known as Prince

Related Links

Top Ten Things to See at the MN State Fair
Visit Twin Ports Art blog to see additional August Arts activities 

2013 Interview with Eric Horn

Info on tomorrow's Poets on the Water (see below)

Flashback Friday: 7 Years Ago Today (Plus a UFO Concern))

23 AUGUST 2012

1. Which one does not belong in this list of Mother Earth News cover stories?
a. Care and Cultivation of Permanent Garden Beds
b. Double-Duty DIY Solar Solution
c. Incredibly Easy Homemade Pizza
d. Learn to Be Self-Sufficient (Advice from Leading Experts)
Answer: These are all cover features in the 2012 Feb/March 2012 edition. Yummm. Pizza.

2. Just saw Being Julia this past weekend. I really enjoy watching Jeremy Irons. He is so very, very good in whatever he does. The film itself was much more interesting than I expected. Kudos all around.

3. There will be an autumn Twin Port Gallery Progressive in October, the 11th and 12th. Mark your calendars.

4. On September 8, Lee "Colorblind" Johnson and I will be performing jugband music at the Carlton Chicken Swap. Anyone know anyone who might be available to join us and play washtub bass?

Patricia Canelake

5. The Robinson Scott / Patricia Canelake opening at Lizzard's was well attended last night. Nice event, interesting works. Scott, who resides in Anoka, does glass work that is very much worth seeing. Canelake titled her portion of the show "Unleashed." Her large, loose paintings of farm animals and other topics swim in color. I especially liked her mixed media work. Lizzard's gallery is a half block west of Pizza Luce and the Tech Village on Superior Street.

6. We often think we have to move faster and sleep less to accomplish more. Jesus walked everywhere, never took a subway, did not have a smartphone, never wrote a book and yet continues to influence the world nearly two thousand years later. His career, once his life work really got started, lasted less than four years.

7. Currently watching a documentary on Woody Allen. My first date in college was to ask a girl whom I'd met in orientation to go to Woody Allen's Take the Money and Run. I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt. She did not laugh the whole time. I knew then that we had a problem.   

8. There is a call for submissions by the PROVE Gallery for their September show. The theme is whimsy. That is, they are looking for art that is whimsical in nature or created with that kind of light-heartedness. You can find details on Facebook.

9. A cat in the window is worth 100 points, right?

10. Why are people so fascinated with UFOs?*

11. I'm currently working on a poster comprised of images of my art assembled to form a bust of Dylan. Would you pay $5 for something like that? Would you pay $10 if half went to flood victim relief?

12. “There’s no black and white, left and right to me anymore. There’s only up and down, and down is very close to the ground. And I’m trying to go up, without thinking of anything trivial such as politics.” ~Bob Dylan

* I've been thinking a lot about how challenging it would be to be abducted by aliens. How would you get in touch with your family to let them know you were alright? There's probably no postal service up there. If you're married with children, how would the life insurance policy get settled, in the event you did not return? It's all very complicated. 

Fortunately I comfort myself with this life lesson: 90% of the things we worry about never happen.

Enjoy your weekend to the max.

Throwback Thursday: The Great American Pastime

"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer." ~Ted Williams

Photo by Nathan Gonthier on Unsplash

It's a long season. Beginning in the spring, when the birds fly north, you hear the first crack of the bat and hearts going pitter-patter awaiting the season opener... followed by the long weary road as the season wears on. Every day is game day with only the All Star break to interfere. By the time the season nears its end the birds are flying south, and up here in the Northland we wake to find frost on our car windows each morning.

September, just around the corner, is the month when pennant hopes come alive. We see which teams have enough pitchers left who can bring their teams down the stretch, because by this time there are a lot of tired arms out there.

Baseball is a game that has inspired many a poet, journalist, philosopher, artist and story teller. It's a sport that, to some extent, defines the American spirit. Despite numerous strikes that broke many a fan's heart, we still get that "feeling" in September as the days crawl toward the playoffs... At least, I still get that feeling.

I admit that I'm not the fan I used to be, but I still enjoy following the game. There's a ball field in Hermantown that I drive past on the way to the mall, and when I see kids out there playing I occasionally stop and watch a few pitches, watch the way a kid fields a grounder, how they carry themselves. Sometimes I wish I had my camera or think I should do a painting of the sprawling lush green grass, the lime white foul lines, the beige infield.

When I was seven I lied about my age to play in the Little League. This was back when kids went off to play baseball after school and through the evening and parents didn't wonder where we were all hours of the day. The team I played on was called the Mudcats, which came from a pitcher named Mudcat Grant, who was an ace for the Cleveland Indians. This was the spring of '60. Three years later Grant was the only Indian who made the 1963 All Star team which I saw live in old Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

It's hard to say whether life is more like baseball, or that baseball is like life. For sure, baseball has turned more than a few fans into amateur philosophers. Here are some quotes from one of many sources on the internet that collect such pearls, and a few new ones since this was posted in 2012.

"The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor." --Cincinnati Gazette, 1879

"When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing and as we sat there in the warmth of the summer afternoon on a river bank, we talked about what we wanted to do when we grew up. I told him that I wanted to be a real major league baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he'd like to be president of the United States. Neither of us got our wish."--Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Baseball is very big with my people. It figures. It's the only time we can get to shake a bat at a white man without starting a riot."--Dick Gregory, 1962

"Good pitching always stops good hitting, and vice versa."--Bob Veale

"Baseball exemplifies a tension in the American mind, the constant pull between our atomistic individualism and our yearning for community."--George Will

“If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there is a man on base “--Dave Barry

”Slump ? I ain’t in no slump. I just ain’t hittin’.”--Yogi Berra

”Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many players on the field?“--Jim Bouton

"All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street folks will say, ‘There goes the greatest hitter that ever lived.’”--Ted Williams

"Poets are like baseball pitchers. Both have their moments. The intervals are the tough things."--Robert Frost

"If it weren't for baseball, many kids wouldn't know what a millionaire looked like."--Phyllis Diller

"Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in."--Casey Stengel

"The seductiveness of baseball is that almost everyone with an abiding interest in it knows exactly how it should be played. And secretly believes that he could do it, if only God had seen fit to make him just a little bit less clumsy."--George V Higgins 

Well, y'all have a great weekend... whoever you're rootin' for.

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Foodie Fotos--Omelettes & Salads

Lettuce and other veggies home grown.

Most of the omelettes and egg salads on the salads

courtesy our brood of geese. 

Yummm.