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Issue #27.2 |
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In this Issue: Everyday Design
The proliferation of things in the average First World home is noteworthy, as much for the fact this stuff goes mostly unremarked as for the sheer quantity of mass-produced, semi-disposable goods lying around. This issue's featured articles direct our attention toward elements of everyday design—from Hello Kitty® to this season's hoodies and "fitness water" packaging—and, more importantly, to the place of these products in our lives.
PLUS: One for the Road highlights homegrown innovations in fashion photography, with a showcase of three winning MNfashion FLASH photos by design teams comprised of Minnesota photographers, stylists, and fashion designers
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| The Look of Things : "Thingdom Come," an essay by Glenn Gordon |
WE ARE THE INHABITANTS OF A KINGDOM VASTER THAN ALL CHRISTENDOM. Its name is Thingdom. Its realms are piled with goods in volumes so immense that the walls of our granaries would burst were it not for the ingenuity of bar-coded flow and just-in-time manufacturing. Without millions of faceless Chinese workers bicycling through the coal smoke in dust-masks on their Flying Pigeons there would be no Thingdom and no glory; none of the things that make the world go round would be around. There would be no Wal-Marts or Targets. There would be only thrift shops with crumbling paperbacks and used clothing fraying at the collar, retro boomerang-shaped furniture, scorched lampshades, dented aluminum pots, and bins full of the pathos of outgrown plastic toys.
Night and day, crazy as the car the clowns keep coming out of at the circus, the  cornucopia of Thingdom spills onto docks and freight terminals its container-loads of hoodies, bicycles, and Hello Kitty makeup kits; scuffs, clogs, and smoke alarms; ramen noodles and counterfeit designer purses, Mr. Potatoheads, Barbies laced with lead, shoes from Romania, shirts from Turkey, pants from Vietnam, electronica from Singapore, manga from Japan, leather jackets from Korea, and—letting a thousand flowers bloom—air mattresses from the Peoples’ Republic of China, the fragrance of their vinyl blossoming the minute their cartons are slit open. Thingdom engulfs us. Crashing across tribal boundaries, swatting concrete blast barriers aside, it sweeps all before it, a glut inundating without prejudice the devout and unbelievers both: Taliban with eyes rimmed in kohl and Promise Keepers with arms around each others’ shoulders in the Metrodome; men barbecuing in Eagan and people scraping lottery tickets with their last nickels in gas stations in Blaine; kids throwing stones at tanks in Gaza and frat boys in Ft. Lauderdale puking all over their Abercrombiewear. Everybody needs things ....continue reading this essay on mnartists.org
 Click here to read the rest of Glenn Gordon's eloquent (if ambivalent) essay reflecting on
on everyday design and the masses of stuff that unremarkably, but thoroughly, fill the corners of our modern lives.
About the author: Glenn Gordon is a writer, sculptor, and photographer. He writes for such magazines as Architecture Minnesota, The Rake, Rain Taxi, Public Art Review, and Woodwork.
Credits: Image of Hello Kitty® appears courtesy of the Sanrio website; middle right, SoBe® energy beverages. Photo of Glenn Gordon appears courtesy mnartists.org and the artist.
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Artist Opportunities
»CLICK HERE for a daily-updated list of many, many more opportunities for Minnesota artists in every discipline on mnartists.org |
CALL FOR DESIGNERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND STYLISTS: MNfashion FLASH, a quarterly fashion series presented by mnartists.org and MNFashion, is taking submissions from fashion design teams for the summer 2008 series
(Submission deadline is May 19)
CALL FOR WRITERS: miniStories, a new short-short fiction competition and publication series from mnartists.org, is set to launch and we're looking for flash fiction submissions in any genre from Minnesota writers
(Submission deadline is March 28)
CALL FOR MUSICIANS: mnSpin, mnartists.org's quarterly music contest, is launching its second round of competition and is seeking song submissions from local musicians
(Submission deadline has been extended to April 4)
JOB OPENING: Macalester College's Theater and Dance Department is taking applications for a part-time dance faculty position to begin in August 2008
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: The Interact Center is looking for volunteers to serve as ushers and sales attendants for their April shows (see the show you work at for free!)
CALL FOR COMPOSERS:
Nautilus Music-Theater is accepting applications for its 2008 COMPOSER-LIBRETTIST STUDIO, to be held May 3rd through May 20th at the Nautilus Studio in St. Paul
(Application deadline is April 7)
JOB OPENING: The East Side Arts Council seeks a visual artist to teach a
Visual Art class as part of the Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School Extended Learning Program
(Classes begin April 7) |
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Confessions of a Craft Show Organizer
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Are you an artisan or craftster ready to dip a toe into the craft show waters? Trish Hoskins, owner of Crafty Planet, answers your burning questions and offers step-by-step advice for making a successful go of selling your work on the craft show scene.
So, you're ready to turn your craft into a business by dipping a toe into the craft show waters. There are lots of questions confronting you, right off the bat: What do show organizers look for when selecting their vendors? What should YOU look for in the dozens--if not hundreds--of sales opportunities that present themselves? ....continues on mnartists.org
 Click here to get advice from No Coast Craft-O-Rama organizer and Crafty Planet proprietor Trish Hoskins' on how to break into and get the most out of the craft show circuit
Credit: Photo from the 2007 No Coast Craft-O-Rama craft show, courtesy of No Coast website.
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Art in Trial Size: Sample Night Live
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Get the skinny on the spunky new monthly theater series, Sample Night Live, which aims to introduce emerging performers to new audiences through monthly vaudeville-esque line-ups of wildly diverse acts--from gospel singers to strippers.
The strangest thing happened recently at Sample Night Live: After bite-sized performances from the likes of Ballet Minnesota, the MacPhail Suzuki Guitar Ensemble, and the Minnesota Shakespeare Project, a South Dakotan country singer named Elaine Peacock emerged with a medley of countrified patriotic and gospel songs. Prancing to and fro on the Bryant-Lake Bowl stage, all the while wearing a perma-grin worthy of the Great White Way, Peacock sang in earnest about the Golden Rule, the fortifying power of God’s love, and the virtues of U.S. citizenship. Tensions in the audience skyrocketed ....continues on mnartists.org
Click here to read theater critic Christy DeSmith's candid assessment of the bite-size new theater series Sample Night Live.
What: Sample Night Live
Where: Bryant Lake Bowl, Minneapolis, MN
When: SNL falls on the first Wednesday of each month. April's Sample Night Live showcase will be April 2 and Act One begins at 7:00 pm. (Act One is family-friendly; Act Two has adult-oriented performances)
Tickets: $15 (to see one or both acts)
Credit:
Slam poet Michael Mlekoday (one of the stand-outs of the March Sample Night Live line-up) (Photo: Mark Beshey, courtesy of Mlekoday's MySpace page) |
Behind the Screens: Jawaahir Dance Company's Girls' Night IN
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Lightsey Darst took in the new performance by Jawaahir Dance Company, Girls' Night IN, and found the show sensual and richly hued, if a bit uneven in its execution.
From the beginning, Jawaahir's Girls' Night IN: A Look Behind the Screens envelopes you in a sensual world. A vivid hanging greets you as you walk along the narrow Southern Theater entrance; rose petals sprinkle the stairs into the theater; a woman in full rustling, tinkling Middle-Eastern garb even offers chocolate chip cookies at the head of the stairs. Inside, the Southern’s rough-hewn arch is garnet-lit, hung with garlands of flowers. Before the performers arrive, you see fellow audience members wearing the thobe, a thickly embroidered overdress brilliant as a gem and adorned with sparkly paillettes. And it smells as if someone’s dotted rosewater on her pulse points ....continues on mnartists.org
Click here to read dance writer Lightsey Darst's dispatch from this show offering a uniquely feminine take on Middle Eastern dance and music
What: Jawaahir Dance Company presents Girls' Night IN: A Look Behind the Screens
Where: Southern Theater, Minneapolis, MN
When: Performances run March 26 through 30
Tickets: $27. Call the box office at 612-340-1725.
Credit: Production still from Girls' Night IN courtesy of Jawaahir Dance Company |
FEATURED COLLECTION: Elysium, Colleen Mullins' new photography exhibition at Bethel University Gallery 
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Artist Lex Thompson offers a personal essay responding to Colleen Mullins' new exhibition documenting the human-caused destruction of the urban tree canopies in post-Katrina New Orleans; browse through a related collection of a sampling of Mullins' revealing photography.
Click here to read Lex Thompson's essay and to browse through a collection of photographs.
What: Elysium: Urban Canopy Loss in Post-Katrina New Orleans at the Hands of Man, photographs by Colleen Mullins
Where: 9th Street Entry Gallery, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN
When: Feb 29 – April 12, 2008; gallery hours: Wed-Fri 3-6pm, Sat 12-5pm
Admission is FREE and open to the public
Credit: Photo from Elysium (7/07) by Colleen Mullins.
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Featured Forums: CultureHERD
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Talk about style, pop culture and the local music scene in these fun new forums moderated and created by Density Studios founder and acclaimed photographer Kate Iverson.
Whether you want to share your favorite local music finds, compare threads and talk shop about fashion design and the latest trends, or you're just looking for the scoop on where the good parties are this weekend, CultureHERD is where you want to be.
Click here to join the conversation—whether you're a veteran scenester or are new to the music and fashion scene in Minnesota, you're more than welcome to come on in!
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| Classes and Workshops |
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mnSpin Musicians' Workshop: "Don’t Hang the DJ: Breaking into Radio for Minnesota Musicians," features a panel of Twin Cities radio programmers, DJs, and professional radio promoters; a party sponsored by Summit follows the workshop.
(Summit Brewery, St. Paul, March 29, 4–6 pm)
Class: "Arts Writing—From Pitch to Publication" a two-evening workshop on the basics of arts writing and editorial protocol for print or online publication led by a+E/mnartists.org editor, Susannah Schouweiler and Twin Cities Daily Planet Arts Editor, Jay Gabler
(Pratt Community School, Minneapolis, April 17 & 24, 7-9 pm)
Craft Workshop: Learn to open your own online Etsy shop
(Textile Center, Minneapolis, April 22)
Artist Nexus Meeting - Duluth Art Institute invites artists to network at professional development series
(Duluth Art Institute-Lincoln Park Site, Duluth, April 2)
Class: Fractured Fairy Tales -- create new and exciting versions of fairy tales
(Lakeshore Players, White Bear Lake, March 27-May 22)
Classes for Young Students 8-13 -- First Class: Design-a-House: Architectural Design & Sculpture
(Gallery 13, Minneapolis, March 29)
Workshop: Facebook for Geezers
(Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, April 2)
Class: Wings: A Creative Writing Mentorship for Young Writers Ages 9-19
(Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, April 4)
Credit: mnartists.org logo design (bottom) by Clement Shimizu; mnSpin logo design (top) by Kelly Munson
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| Dance |
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Shapiro & Smith Dance - Next Steps and the debut of Proof with Maggie Bergeron
(Southern Theater, Minneapolis, April 3-6)
James Sewell Ballet - 15th Minnesota Season Begins
(The O'Shaughnessy, Saint Paul, April 4-13)
Coppelia - Continental Ballet Company presents a light-hearted, comical ballet about two young lovers
(Bloomington Center for the Arts, Bloomington, April 4-6)
The Piano Tuner by the performance ensemble Live Action Set
(Southern Theater, Minneapolis, April 10-13)
"like a movie i saw once" - From the series, Unbranded: Conversations in Performance
(Ritz Theater, Minneapolis, April 9-12)
Credit: Still from Next Steps by Shapiro and Smith Dance
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| Festivals and Group Shows |
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| Lectures and Readings |
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Writer Will Weaver and Filmmaker Ali Selim – "Sweetland: From Fiction to Film"
(Minneapolis Central Library, Minneapolis, March 28)
Wise Women Talk: Diane Mullin lecture on the questions raised by and a growing recognition for women in contemporary art
(Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, March 31)
Arnold Flaten Lecture: Mike Kareken discusses his paintings
(Saint Olaf College, Northfield, March 31)
5th Annual Writers' Festival and Book Fair - Keynote speaker, Faith Sullivan
(Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, April 5)
Artists' Discussion and Critique Seminar (Salon Series)
(White Bear City Hall, White Bear Lake, April 10)
Credit: Will Weaver (top) and Ali Selim (bottom). Photos courtesy of the Mpls Public Library Talk of the Stacks program
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| Music & Film and Video |
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Minneapolis/St. Paul Film International Festival
(Various venues, Twin Cities, April 17-May 3)
Electric Arc Radio finale, with musical guest (and mnSpin winner!) Bella Koshka
(Women's Club Theater, Minneapolis, March 29)
Bakken Trio chamber music performance -- EKSTASIS: A Soul-Searching Journey Across Four Centuries
(The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Center, Saint Paul, March 30)
Great Paschal Vespers - a candlelit Easter liturgy
(Saint Paul's Church on the Hill, Saint Paul, March 30)
Skampa Quartet play a lively Czech-oriented repertoire
(Saint Anthony Park United Church of Christ, Saint Paul, April 6)
Eels – The alt-rock icon "E" to perform with a 28-piece orchestra
(Pantages Theater, Minneapolis, April 7) |
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| Openings and Parties |
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Art Awakening: DAI 2008 Auction - annual fundraiser to support the programs and activities of the DAI
(Northland Country Club, Duluth, March 29)
Cynde x Cynde - an Art Sale and Benefit Party for Twin Cities Artist and Benefactor Cynde Randall
(Northrup King Building #322, Minneapolis, March 29)
The Penny Dreadfuls: works by Bohemian Press
(Northrup King Building, Minneapolis, Opening Reception April 3, show April 3-16)
Hand Printed: 2008 Printmakers Invitational
(The Grand Hand, Saint Paul, Opening Reception-April 5 Print exhibition-April 4-May 4)
Best of Midwest Landscape Painting - Grand Opening at new location
(Vern Carver & Beard Art Galleries, Minneapolis, Opening party-April 5 Exhibit-April 5-May 10)
Coppersmithing: Ancient Art - New Look - the copper artwork of Jan Campbell and Michael Kennelly
(The Spirit Room, Fargo, Artists Reception April 5, Exhibition through May 31)
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| Theater |
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Sample Night Live - a dozen ten-minute samples of events in the Twin Cities
(Bryant Lake Bowl Theater, Minneapolis, April 2)
When We Look - the stories of real women survivors of civil war and violence told in movement, theater, and live music
(Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, April 3-13)
Les Belles Soeurs by Michel Tremblay - "kitchen sink" comedy
(Saint Olaf College, Northfield, April 9-12)
Marc Bamuthi Joseph: the break/s - a dynamic new work by the charismatic poet/hip-hop theater sensation
(Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, April 10-12)
Credit: When We Look (photo courtesy of Intermedia Arts)
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| Visual Arts |
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Miscreants of Tiny Town, solo show by Alex Kuno
(The Belfry Center for Social and Cultural Activities, Minneapolis, March 30)
David Parker - Before Their Time: Child Labor Around the World
(Nina Bliese Gallery, Minneapolis, March 31-May 2)
Barriers - an exhibition of new work by Stephanie Guidera
(Concordia University, Saint Paul, March 31-April 7)
The Geometry of Intuition - exploring patterns and shapes as they form around objects of life and nature
(Acoustic Cafe, Winona, April 1-30)
Tiit Raid: New Paintings
(Thomas Barry Fine Arts, Minneapolis, through April 5)
Solo Fish show - plaster molds made from real fish
(Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, April 8-May 18)
Credit: What Goes Around Comes Around (detail), by Alex Kuno,
mixed media on panels, 30"x48," 2008. |
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You Are Here event listings are drawn entirely from the mnartists.org calendar, so if you want to improve the odds that you'll see your happening linked here, you'd better start posting your events!
We've made it super easy to begin: here's a step-by-step guide that'll show you how to promote your own events on the new arts calendar. Browse through more up-to-the-minute events listings or post a show of your own on mnartists.org's new DIY arts events calendar. |
The mission of mnartists.org is to improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with Minnesota’s arts culture. |
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