2008 YEAR IN REVIEW by citizens of MN's arts community, plus reviews of new exhibitions, artist profiles, and more.
This month we've invited artists, critics, curators, and arts advocates in the North Star state to reflect on the tumultuous year just passed. It's been a fraught 365 days for all of us, between the weakening economy and the political foment of election season. At the same time, all this uncertainty nurtured a resourceful streak in Minnesota artists exhilarating to behold: the past year saw the rise of scrappy DIY arts criticism, interdisciplinary cross-pollination, and egalitarian-minded experiments in broadening the reach of artistic work to invite more public participation. There's a vitality and entrepreneurial vigor emerging on the state scene in the midst of all this adversity (and perhaps because of it). Maybe there will be a bright side to all this turmoil when all dust-ups settle: perhaps we'll find that these hardships will have the fringe benefit of refining our organizations' missions and core strengths, leaving our institutions and arts support systems stronger and reinvigorated on the other side. New for the week of January 26, 2009: 2008 YEAR IN REVIEW: Literature and Film
In this, the third of our four-part YEAR IN REVIEW series, local authors, readers, and filmmakers weigh in on the high points of 2008 in Minnesota literature and film. 2008 YEAR IN REVIEW: Theater, Music and Dance
For the fourth and final installment of our month-long look at the year in Minnesota arts, localactors, dancers, choreographers, and theater-goers respond take stock of the moments, both personal and public, from the last year in performance that are lingering with them into 2009. What Light: This Week's Poem: Jorie Miller
This week's poem, "Coronation" by Jorie Miller, was selected by poet William Stobb. miniStories: "Perfect Size" by Jodie Maruska
Jodi Maruska's bitingly funny, bittersweet little story, "Perfect Size," was selected to be a miniStories winner by author Michael Kimball. PODCAST: Some Assembly Required
This month SAR turns 10 years old! The podcast is celebrating the occasion by teaming up with mnartists.org for the 50/50 Project: the aim is to produce a compilation of fifty-second tracks, by as many as fifty artists, made from pieces comprised of at least 50% post consumer media content. Click here for the detailed call for artists. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: mnSPIN and ARTmn 2009
We've refined the submissions process for mnartists.org's competitive series this year, going from a quarterly cycle to an annual one. So, pull out your calendars: NOW is the time to get your entries ready for mnSPIN (mnartists.org's music series) and ARTmn (our new visual art exhibition program).
