| access+ENGAGE the definitive alternative |
Issue #17.2 |
Forward to a friend
If you like a+E, pass it on!
In this Issue: Fresh From the Runway
—With a fabulous collection featuring a sampling of pieces from artists working in Minnesota's thriving design scene, curated by Design Collective's Christina Nguyen
Let's face it. Even if you have the motivation and budget to shop for the occasional one-of-a-kind, locally designed piece to spruce up your wardrobe, it's hard to know where to find the best homegrown couturiers. a+E is here to help: if you're looking for high style with personal flair, this issue's Mashup collection points you toward sassy, cleverly chic creations made by some of the hottest designers and craftspeople in the region's burgeoning fashion scene. (And as if you needed more inducement to shop, we've made the prospect irresistible with this issue's mnAccess coupon for a great discount at Design Collective's spring sale.) As always, You Are Here puts a sampling of the stunning array of Minnesota arts events at your fingertips. With a variety of happenings around the area in coming weeks, from the Red Hot Art festival and a couple of benefits for local arts treasures to a walking tour of Twin Cities architecture by writer Larry Millett, you'll want to have your date book handy.
|
 |
Mashup: Guest Curator Christina Nguyen of Design Collective |
FEATURED HERE ARE PIECES FROM TWENTY extremely talented designers, all of whose work you can find at Design Collective. Choosing favorites was quite a task—especially since we carry the work of more than eighty different Twin Cities artists, all noteworthy and all of them deserving of recognition.
With that in mind, this selection represents just a sampling, a cross-section of the local fashion scene: clothing, accessories, jewelry, and graphic designers in the area from a range of backgrounds and styles.
Some of them professionally design for a living and others dabble in their spare time. A number were trained at the most renowned design schools in the country, but many are self- taught. For others their craft was something passed down through generations as a family tradition.
Whether their style is classic and understated or quirky and whimsical, these designers share a common bond in the boldness that compels them to put their work in public view for criticism or acclaim.
Once you start noticing trends and personalities in the local design scene, it’s exciting getting to know these artists through their work. You can see the evolution of a designer’s aesthetic sensibility—their personality and influences—as it emerges in every collection, season after season....the full curator's statement and fashion collection are available on mnartists.org
—Christina Nguyen
CLICK HERE to read the rest of Christina's case for supporting local artists and shops and to see Christina Nguyen's selections of sassy clothing, unusual accessories, and fantastic jewelry from the local designers and artisans of Design Collective.
About the curator: Christina Nguyen is the owner of Design Collective, a boutique in Minneapolis that features the latest collections of over eighty local designers who make apparel, accessories, jewelry, and gifts. If you want to know more about her shop, you can read a profile of Design Collective that was featured in a back issue of access+ENGAGE by clicking here.
Photo credits: Husky by Marie Gardeski for Foliage (photo top left by Tiffany Bolk); Costume for Printmaking Ballet (2) by Eireann Lorsung (middle left); Hot Little Mamas Overnight Kit (middle right) by Chrystina Hanson; Photo of Christina Nguyen (bottom left) by Eliesa Johnson (Photogen Inc.) |
|
|
|
Homepage: Catch up on the latest features from mnartists.org |
|
|
Architecture
Walking Tour of Twin Cities Architecture with Writer Larry Millett
|
The Friends of the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public Libraries and the Minnesota Historical Society are sponsoring a series of walking tours of the architecture in and around various Minneapolis and Saint Paul neighborhoods by retired Pioneer Press architecture critic and Twin Cities historian Larry Millett who, along the way, will be offering up tidbits of information and history from his new book, The AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you’re interested in hooking up with one these tours, reserve your spot fast—the May dates filled up quickly.
Where: Various branches of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Public Libraries
When: June 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 19. Go to the Minnesota Historical Society website for tour times and reservations.
Tickets: FREE and open to the public
|
Dance
Minnesota Dance Theatre Presents
Close to Silence
Photo by JT Boatman
|
Minnesota Dance Theatre showcases its trademark versatility with the premiere of choreographer-in-residence Wynn Fricke’s Close to Silence, a contemporary work inspired by the gestures of Arabic letters and the poems of 13th century mystic Muhammad Jalaluddin Rumi. Close to Silence combines modern choreography with the spirit of the traditional Islamic whirling dances, with the aim of using the beauty of dance to transcend cultural conflict.
Where: The Southern Theater, Minneapolis, MN
When: The show runs from June 1-3 and 8-10. Friday and Saturday shows start at 8 pm; Sunday performances begin at 7 pm. Click here for performance details.
Tickets: $32 ($17 students and youth under 17) |
Design
Typecasting: Screening of Helvetica,
the film
Film still from Helvetica by Amsterdam Photo (Courtesy of helveticafilm.com and WAC) |
If the trend in documentary filmmaking is the exposé (think Who Killed the Electric Car? or This Film Is Not Yet Rated), then Helvetica both fits and breaks this mold. An unassuming (but globally popular) sans-serif typeface, Helvetica is authoritative, clean, neutral, orderly—perfect for the clean lines and clutter-free visual aspirations of 1960s and ’70s designers. Helvetica marks the directorial debut for Gary Hustwit, who made his name as producer of five acclaimed documentaries including the award-winning Wilco biopic I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. With interview clips from a number of illustrious graphic designers and typographers, this surprisingly engaging cinematic homage to a triumph of everyday design offers intriguing insights into the unsung cultural legacy of this humble, ubiquitous typeface.
Where: Walker Art Center Cinema, Minneapolis, MN
When: Thursday, May 31 screenings at 7 pm and 9:30 pm, featuring a discussion with director Gary Hustwit following the first screening.
Tickets: $8 ($6 WAC/AIGA members and students)
|
Festivals
Red Hot Art Festival
Poster art and Red Hot Art logo by Andy McInnis and Johna Reuvers
|
Red Hot Art is here again, with two stages devoted to live music and performance along with stalls displaying visual art of all kinds. And it's all al fresco in lovely Stevens Square Park for your early summer enjoyment. It’s a good excuse to painlessly take in some culture and to get a little wind in your whiskers at the same time. Can you think of a more perfect way to spend a weekend?
Where: Stevens Square Park, Minneapolis, MN
When: June 2-3
Tickets: FREE and open to the public |
Film
One, Two, Three Movie Series at the Soap Factory
Photo of brick wall courtesy Soap Factory |
Courtesy of Take Up Productions and the Soap Factory, there will be free outdoor screenings of three films in coming weeks—Billy Wilder’s classic Cold War comedy One, Two, Three (5/24), Bill Murray’s cosmological farce Groundhog Day (5/31), and finishing up with David Aronofsky’s metaphysics-minded indie gem Pi (6/7)—all shown against the back wall of the Soap Factory.
Where: The Soap Factory backyard, Minneapolis, MN
When: See One, Two, Three on May 24, Groundhog Day on May 31, and Pi on June 7. All film showings begin at 9:15 pm.
Tickets: FREE and open to the public |
Literary Events
Spiked Coffee: A Reading to Benefit Coffee House Press
 
|
A night of live music and readings by local luminaries—including writers from Coffee House Press, the Lit 6 Project, and the Creative Writing programs of the U of MN and Hamline—all to benefit Minnesota’s indie lit treasure, Coffee House Press.
Where: 331 Club, Minneapolis, MN
When: May 29, the fun starts 7 pm
Tickets: There’s no cover to get in but donations are encouraged.
|
A Life Among Letters And Paint: Poetry Reading with Roosterwoman and Penchant
Artwork by Riki Nelson
|
Riki Kölbl Nelson’s show (Roosterwoman) at the Susan Hensel Design Gallery is finishing out the month with a poetry reading by Penchant (a.k.a. Northfield Women Poets). “Roosterwoman” combines all things feminine—beauty, fertility, creativity—with the power and aggressive strength traditionally associated with masculine energy. The resulting work is a confluence of vivid imagery and text; it’s fitting that the exhibit will conclude with a celebration in verse.
Where: Susan Hensel Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
When: Friday, May 25 from 7-9 pm. The exhibit runs through May 31.
Tickets: FREE and open to the public
|
Music
CD Release for Last Great Winter
by Jeff Ray
|
Singer/songwriter Jeff Ray’s infectious, lyrical new roots record is out! Ray’s honeyed vocals and deft slide guitar stylings offer blues fare more contemplative than gritty, with a vibe that’s equally indebted to Ravi Shankar, Nick Drake, and Greg Brown. Simply lovely. The record’s in heavy rotation here at a+E HQ: listen for yourself before you take in a live show. You’ll not be disappointed.
Where: Dunn Bros on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul (June 20); KFAI Studios and 331 Club (June 27).
When: There will be CD release performances throughout MN and WI throughout June and July. Visit Jeff’s website for show times and venues.
Tickets: FREE and open to the public |
Theater
Desiderare: Desire for the Undesired
Photo appears courtesy Live Action Set
|
Robert Rosen, co-founder of Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune, directs the members of Live Action Set in a physically challenging new work about desire, taboo, and what happens in the layers between realization, repression, and expression. Desiderare: Desire for the Undesired (working title) is presented by The Red Eye as part of the New Works 4 Weeks festival, with additional support from the Jerome Foundation. The performers promise that the show will be “provocative, funny, and very, very human.”
Where: The Red Eye Theater, Minneapolis, MN
When: June 14-17, Thursday-Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday shows begin at 7 pm.
Tickets: $8-15 (Call the box office at 612-870-0309) |
Walking Shadow Theatre Presents:
Fat Pig by Neil LaBute
Shad Cooper and Celia Forrest, photo by Dan Norman |
Boy meets girl. Boy gets girl. Girl is large. Walking Shadow Theatre Company presents a brutally funny comedy about weight and romance. Playwright Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things and In the Company of Men) examines the nature of beauty and attraction in this story of love and weakness. This final production of Walking Shadow’s inaugural season, directed by Amy Rummenie, features Celia Forrest, Shad Cooper, Jennifer Phillips and Ben Thietje.
Where: The Playwrights’ Center, Minneapolis, MN
When: June 15-30. Click here for performance times.
Tickets: $16 ($14 students and seniors) |
Visual Arts
Green: Group show and Annual Rosalux Gallery Fundraiser and Raffle
|
See a ton of fantastic artwork by Rosalux’s talented member artists and support one of the Cities’ great indie galleries while you’re at it. Buy a raffle ticket for $5 during gallery hours from June 5-9 (or the night of the show) and place your ticket in the envelope by the artwork or item you want to win. Then come by the party June 9 to celebrate and see if you’ve won.
Where: Rosalux Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
When: The group show runs from June 5-9. Closing reception and Raffle Extravaganza is set for June 9 from 7 to 11 pm.
Tickets: Raffle tickets are $5 each. (You need not be present on June 9 to win.) |
Out on a Limb
New Work by Jennifer Davis
Artwork by Jennifer Davis |
Minneapolis artist Jennifer Davis will take you on a day tripper’s ride to remember in this solo exhibition. Davis, a prolific painter and collage artist with a growing national reputation, offers the dilute pastels of a taffy-colored universe, where a tethered manatee drifts above a delighted crowd or a pensive youth dreams unbridled fantasies about the horse that got away. Davis’s gentle sense of the absurd and atmospheric surrealist touches are earning her a place among the scene’s rising arts stars.
Where: Gallery 360, Minneapolis, MN
When: Show runs from June 2 through July 22. Opening reception is Saturday, June 2 from 7-10 pm.
Tickets: FREE and open to the public. |
On Growth and Form
Work by David Bowen
Artwork by David Bowen courtesy the RAC
|
David Bowen’s work is concerned with aesthetics that arise from interactive systems. He creates such systems to produce drawings, compositions, and objects based on environmental inputs, and for this exhibition, Bowen will construct a device based on the rate of growth, cell structure, absorption, and structure of plant nestled within a robotic armature.From the organic data captured daily from the plant a wall length drawing will appear over the length of the exhibition tracking the transformation. Cool, huh?
Where: Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN
When: May 19-August 27
Tickets: $3 |
Photo Exhibit by Northern Exposures Photography Club
Red Stick by Terri Huro
|
You can still catch the conclusion of this photographic celebration of the landscapes, flora, and fauna of the Northland in this collection of work from regional shutterbugs of all stripes, from amateur enthusiasts to seasoned pros.
Where: Kanabec History Center, Mora, MN
When: Exhibit closes May 31
Tickets: FREE and open to the public |
|
| mnAccess |
$5 off your purchase of $50 or more
Spring Sale – May 24 to 31
Don't miss our quarterly sale! 10% - 50% off of select clothing, accessories and jewelry.
Summer Collection Debut – June 1
Be the first to see and shop the latest collections of the best local designers!
Simply clip this coupon and take it with you when you make your purchase to redeem the discount.
This offer is not valid with any other coupon. Limit one coupon per customer. |
|
|
|
CREDITS
Project Director, mnartists.org: Kathleen Kvern
access+ENGAGE Editor: Susannah Schouweiler
Original e-journal design: Brand & Butter
Featured Contributors and Artists
Banner image (cropped and reprinted here with permission): Photo by Amy Pierce (originally published in the Spring 2006 issue of l'étoile magazine) features a puff sleeve metallic washed jacket designed by Princess Warrior, one of the artists featured in this issue's Mashup collection.
access+ENGAGE is a twice monthly e-journal offering indispensable,
fuss-free coverage of the arts in Minnesota and beyond
Email us with your comments and story ideas. And if you see something while you're out and about that you think a+E readers should know about, drop us a line and tell us about it . We'd love to hear from you!
You are receiving access+ENGAGE because you signed up to receive this along with other announcements and news from mnartists.org or because a friend sent this to you. If you're not already signed up to receive this free e-mag, SUBSCRIBE today. Best of all, it's FREE.
The fine print: mnartists.org is a joint project of the McKnight Foundation and the Walker Art Center. access+ENGAGE is distributed twice a month by mnartists.org, a free, nonprofit arts resource. We won't share your email address or information and we won't spam your inbox with advertisements. And if you're not regularly receiving a+E when you expect to, be sure you've added info@mnartists.org to your email address book so access+ENGAGE doesn't get filtered out as junk by your email provider.
P.S. If you've missed an issue, you'll be glad to know that back issues are archived on mnartists.org. Check it out!
And pssst: If you've been reading and enjoying access+ENGAGE, find a friend and tell them about it. We're still counting on you to pass it on. |
The mission of mnartists.org is to improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with Minnesota’s arts culture. |
|
