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Issue #34.1 |
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In this Issue: Hear Tell
For this issue, we're looking into the evolution of rock criticism as media migrates from the page to pixels. These days, print veterans are cheek-by-jowl with DIY 'zines and go-it-alone music bloggers —who are increasingly giving traditional journalists a run for their money in the competition for eyeballs and influence. What does all this mean for the craft of music criticism? Is there a place for long-form, edited musings on pop music in this digital media landscape? Or is the lavishly descriptive music essay destined to be a charming relic of media gone by, passed over in favor of sound clips, online video, and pithy one-line posts?
PLUS: A historic, never-before-exhibited collection of iconic American ads at the Red Wing Framing Gallery, an arts writing class for citizen journalists and aspiring critics, and a new call for poetry for What Light: This Week's Poem
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| FEATURE: Too Much Information? Music Criticism in the Digital Age |
 Veteran music writer and editor Megan Wiley asks:
With the migration of their writing from print to web,
are critics altering how they cover music? More important, is the trend toward digital content working in favor of the craft of smart music criticism or not?
IDEALLY, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION HAVE
a relationship far deeper than mere coexistence; the hope is that one furthers the other. As the mode of communication evolves from the written to the digital word, it seems inevitable that what is communicated will, itself, change as well. The Twin Cities has a well-established, thriving music scene, and accordingly—one could argue fortunately—we have a large number of music critics. These scribes write for both traditional media outlets such as the Pioneer Press, Star Tribune, The Onion and City Pages, and nontraditional media sources—webzines, blogs, and other online publishers—such as Reveille, More Cowbell, and HowWasTheShow. With the migration of their writing from print to web, are critics altering how they cover music? Perhaps more important: is the trend toward digital content working in favor of music criticism and the craft  thereof?
The Question of Competition
When technology levels the playing field—when your favorite blogger’s review of a show hits the web hours before the printed review finds its way online, and the blogger has access to the same MP3 file as the paper’s website—does the quality of a writer’s prose become more important? Or does the need for getting all the right pieces in place—the audio and video files, the links to the band’s MySpace page and some live concert footage on YouTube—eliminate the need for expressive prose? If the MP3 is right next to the description of the song, is the description itself still necessary?
A resounding ‘yes,’ say local critics. “Saying that you don’t have to describe the sound of the music because someone can just hit play on a widget,” says Reveille Magazine founder Steve McPherson, “is a little like saying we don’t need imagistic poetry when we’ve got cameras, don’t need books because we’ve got movies.” ...continue reading this feature on mnartists.org
 CLICK HERE to continue reading Megan Wiley's investigation into the evolving craft of music criticism in Minnesota as media migrates from print to pixels
About the author: Megan Wiley is an Edina-based freelance writer and the former online editor of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. (Photo: Elissa Kadue)
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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 ART VIDEOS: ARThouse seeks art videos a series of outdoor video shorts which will run during the holidays which will be projected vehicle and pedestrian traffic Dec. 13–Dec 31
(Submission deadline: November 22)
CALL FOR ARTISTS: The Art Shanty Projects has issued an
open invitation for proposals from artists working in all disciplines for the Sixth Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake in Plymouth, MN during January and February 2009
(Proposal deadline: October 20)
CALL FOR ECO-MINDED ART: Do It Green Minnesota is seeking sustainably crafted pieces for their Green Gifts Fair
(Submission deadline: October 24)
GRANT WORKSHOPS: Forecast Public Art is offering informational workshops for their grant programs that will walk you through the application process
(Various venues, October 9, October 11, October 14)
CALL FOR POETS: mnartists.org's literary series, What Light: This Week's Poem, is opening a new submission cycle for work by MN poets
(Deadline: October 31)
CALL FOR ART: A Reader's Art 9: Small, Smaller, Smallest at Susan Hensel Design Gallery is taking book art or miniatures submissions to be considered for this annual juried show
(Deadline: January 30, 2009)
ARTS NEWS: Read the newly released position paper that the MAEP Advisory Panel has just given to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Director, with their recommendations for the future of the MN Artist Exhibition Program
CALL FOR VIDEO: Great River Arts seeks entries for
H2O: Film on Water, a juried video exhibition set for fall 2009 (winning videos awarded $1000-$5000 awards)
(Deadline: April 15, 2009) |
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DESIGN: Letterpress Art, By Design
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Britt Aamodt offers an engaging profile of the up-and-comers behind Studio On Fire, which pairs the charm of old-world letterpress craftsmanship with new technology know-how and design savvy to come up with ingenious, gorgeous innovations in print design.
 Click here to read Britt Aamodt's feature on this ingenious design firm on mnartists.org
Credit: Ben Levitz, principal of Studio On Fire, in front of one of his letterpresses (Photo: Britt Aamodt) |
MUSIC: How Do You Suppose She Got to That Moment
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Alison Morse offers a lyrical profile of internationally acclaimed composer Mary Ellen Childs, whose movement-rich compositions weave between dance, visual art, music, and poetry.
Click here to read Alison Morse's engaging profile in full
Credit: Photo of CRASH courtesy of Mary Ellen Childs and the author |
DANCE: Intimate Attacks
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Lightsey Darst offers a revealing, eloquent reflection on Karen Sherman's provocative copperhead, a dance performance investigating human violence which just premiered at the Southern this month.
Click here to read Lightsey Darst's full essay on mnartists.org
Credit: Image from copperhead courtesy of Karen Sherman |
FEATURED COLLECTION: MCAD/Jerome Foundation Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibition (2007-08)
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Work by Jerome Fellows Matt Bakkom, Monica Haller, Colin Kopp Liz Miller, and Rosemary Williams
Where: MCAD Gallery, Main Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
When: October 3 - November 12, 2008
See a sampling of work from the exhibition and read the Kristin Makholm's introduction to this year's show on mnartists.org
Credit: Errant Ecosystem by Liz Miller,
2007, mixed media, dimensions variable (Detail installation view from Minnesota Museum of American Art; Photo by Rik Sferra) |
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Hosted by Minnesota artist Jon Nelson, Some Assembly Required features sample-based music and audio art by a variety of artists and groups working with bits and pieces of their media environments, giving something back to the cultural landscape from which they so enthusiastically appropriate.
This month’s highlights include interviews with artists representing two very different extremes on the program, not to mention a theme which literally rocks. Check out Episode 216 for our 2008 interview with one of the world’s most recognizable mashup artists: The UK’s Go Home Productions. Episode 75 features a rare look into the world of one our more experimental sound and video collage artist’s, Oregon’s Steev Hise, while Episode 76 is a mix of both worlds, featuring tracks which fit that week’s “rock and roll” theme.
 Click here to start listening to the last month's episodes of this nationally syndicated podcast on mnartists.org
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| Classes and Workshops |
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Class: Ways to Promote Your Image
(Northern Warehouse Artists' Co-op, Saint Paul, October 10)
Crosstrain: Interdisciplinary Performance Intensive - Weekend Workshops
(Studio 206, Minneapolis, October 11-25)
Class: Deconstructing the Fashion Shoot
(Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, October 14 and 21)
Class: Arts Writing - From Pitch to Publication co-presented by editors of mnartists.org and Twin Cities Daily Planet
(Pratt Community School, Minneapolis, October 16 and 23)
Class: Constantinople, Byzantium, Istanbul: History in Art and Architecture
(University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, October 21)
Class: Do You Want Some Drama with That?: Intro to Performance Poetry
(Emy Frentz Arts Guild, Mankato, October 11)
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| Dance |
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Not About Iraq - "a work of quiet but engrossing power" by Victoria Marks Performance
(Southern Theater, Minneapolis, October 9-12)
Luna Negra Dance Theater - Cugat!, a fast-paced, high energy work
(College of Saint Benedict Petters Auditorium, Saint Joseph, October 11)
Ronald K. Brown: Evidence - using movement to create a unique sensory performance
(Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Saint Paul, October 15)
Naked Stages l, 2008 - Bold New Performance Art for Adventurous Audiences
(Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, October 16-18)
Born to Be Alive - the season-opener for Ballet of the Dolls
(Ritz Theater, Minneapolis, October 22-November 2)
ARENA Dance's Dancin' With ETHEL
(Southern Theater, Minneapolis October 23-26)
Credit: Photo from Not About Iraq courtesy of the Southern Theater website |
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| Festivals and Group Shows |
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Saint Paul Art Crawl - come and visit with nearly 300 resident, guest and gallery artists
(Self-guided tour of over 250 studios and galleries, Saint Paul, October 10-12)
Red Wing Fall Festival of the Arts - 100 artists in historic downtown Red Wing
(Downtown Red Wing, Red Wing, October 11-12)
Bemidji First City of Arts: Studio Cruise - artisans in a 40-mile radius open their studios for this scenic drive-yourself tour
(Bemidji First City of Arts Studio Cruise, Bemidji, October 17-19)
Weekend Trunk Show: Heinz Brummel & Susan Sperl
(The Grand Hand Gallery, Saint Paul, October 18-19)
Credit: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by Diane Hansen, cut paper collage (photo courtesy of the Saint Paul Art Crawl)
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| Lectures and Readings |
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Eero Saarinen: "Beyond the Measly ABC"
(Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, October 10-12)
Rain Taxi presents: Twin Cities Book Festival
(Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, October 11)
Book Signing: Denis Gardner, author of Wood, Concrete, Stone and Steel: Minnesota's Historic Bridges
(Crystal Community Center, Minneapolis, October 15)
Mike Leigh: Moments - Regis Dialogue & Retrospective
(Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, October 15)
Noontime Series Lecture: "Memories of 1963 in the 2008 Presidential Election"
(Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, October 16)
Talk of the Stacks: Marilynne Robinson on Home, A Novel
(Minneapolis Central Library, Minneapolis, October 16)
Literary Legends: Author Khaled Hosseini (A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner)
(State Theater, Minneapolis, October 17)
Talk and Book Signing: Wing Young Huie, photographer and author of Looking for Asian America
(New Ulm Public Library, New Ulm, October 21)
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| Music & Film and Video |
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Glenn Miller Orchestra - Swing! Swing! Swing!
(Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts, Red Wing, October 9)
The Magnetic Fields - a rare Twin Cities stop by one of the most significant indie pop bands of the past two decades
(State Theater, Minneapolis, October 10)
Live music performance by JC Valerio
(Midtown Farmer's Market, Minneapolis, October 11)
Boiled in Lead - a beloved punk folk, world beat band
(Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts, Red Wing, October 11)
"Meditations on the Aramaic Lord's Prayer, Kaddish and Other Work" - part of the Artist Salon Series Art as Catalyst: Exploring Interfaith Connections
(Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis, October 12)
Heartland Symphony Orchestra
(Tornstom Auditorium, Brainerd, October 11-12)
Musique de France - an all-French program with full orchestra, including twelve harps!
(Cathedral of Saint Paul, Saint Paul, October 17)
Mason Jennings with Zach Gill - "blends the insights of a poet, the politics of a protest singer and the eclecticism of a jazz musician with a rock and roller's passion"
(Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, October 18)
Love: A Documentary - a world premiere of the locally-produced feature film (Homegrown Cinema series)
(The Parkway Theater, Minneapolis, October 13)
Childish Films @ the Library: "Halloween 'Toons for Tots"
(Minneapolis Central Library, Minneapolis, October 18)
Mike Leigh: Moments - Secrets & Lies & Life is Sweet
(Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, October 18 & October 9 respectively )
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| Openings and Parties |
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Form & Figure: Guillermo Cuellar, Doug Lew
(The Grand Hand Gallery, Saint Paul. Opening reception is October 11, and the show runs October 10-November 9)
Art at 801 Gallery- featuring the Pilot Arts Group
(Art at 801 Gallery, Minneapolis, October 11-February 7)
TalkingImageConnection presents "Between Roots & Branches: Stories and Poems Hewn from Local Trees"
(Northrup King Building, Minneapolis. Opening reading is October 11, the exhibit runs from October 9-12)
hearSIGHTED - Exhibition of work by R. Luke Dubois, Hindsight is Always 20/20, with live electronic music performances
(Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, October 11. There will also be a related discussion, "Net Work: The Art of Mining Data and Meaning," with R. Luke Dubois and Steve Dietz on October 12)
Halloween Haunted Basement – a beloved tradition featuring art that will terrify you!
(The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, October 17-November 2)
3-Minute Egg Launch Party – celebrate the launch of a daily arts video series
(Rosalux Gallery, Minneapolis, October 17)
Rope, 3-dimensional drawings by Monica Reede & Christy Wert's Decorative Ceramics
(Swan Song Contemporary Arts, Maiden Rock, WI. Opening reception October 11; show runs October 11-November 14)
Facementality By Booka B - discover Saint Paul's newest art gallery and see paintings on canvas, paper and found objects
(Nicademus Art and Framing, Saint Paul, Opening October 18)
Credits: (Top) Image courtesy of the Soap Factory; (bottom) Booka Tree by Booka B, 2008 (courtesy of Nicademus Art and Framing)
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| Theater |
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The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco - a must see show for anyone who enjoys high quality theatre with an absurd comic flavor
(Pangea World Theater, Minneapolis, October 2-19)
Ah Nagasaki: Ashes into Light - a world premier concert commissioned by the Nagasaki Peace Museum
(Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Saint Paul, October 11)
Bakken Evening Out: Monster Mash - live science theater performances
(The Bakken Museum, Minneapolis, October 14)
Don't Hug Me - the award-winning smash hit musical comedy
(Jon Hassler Theater, Plainview, October 17-November 16)
Electric Arc Radio presents new full-length musical Don't Crush our Heart!
(Ritz Theater, Minneapolis, October 18)
Saturday Puppet Shows for Kids at Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre followed by Take-n-Make workshops
(HOBT, Minneapolis, Saturdays at 10 am through November 22) |
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| Visual Arts |
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SCOTT STULEN: Why Are You Making Me Sad?
(Rossmor Building, Saint Paul, October 10-25)
Cream of Wheat; 1913-1925 - an exhibit of original illustration advertising art
(Red Wing Framing Gallery, Red Wing, October 10-November 2)
WARM Mentor Program Exhibition
(Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, October 11)
Flora, Fauna and Everything Great About MN
(Paramount Visual Arts Center, Saint Cloud, October 13-
November 8)
Minnesota Women Ceramic Artists Juried Exhibition
(Northfield Arts Guild, Northfield, October 15)
It All Depends: Work by Jennifer Danos and Natasha Pestich
(Art of This Gallery, Minneapolis, through October 26)
Federal Duck Stamp Contest - the winning design will be chosen during the contest
(Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, October 17-18)
Tetsumi Kudo: Garden of Metamorphosis
(Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, October 18-January 11)
Disenchanted Lullaby - Nash Primus' large acrylic/mixed media paintings
(Augsburg College Christensen Center, Minneapolis, through October 20)
Credit: Top, art courtesy of Scott Stulen. Bottom,
Tetsumi Kudo, Cultivation, 1968; artificial flower, flower pot, cotton, plastic, polyester, synthetic resin, artificial soil, artificial hair, vacuum tube 22-7/8 x 5-11/16 x 5-11/16 inches (Aomori Museum of Art, Aomori, Japan. Photo courtesy Aomori Museum of Art, Aomori, Japan) |
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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 site's member-driven arts calendar. Browse through more up-to-the-minute events listings or post a show of your own on mnartists.org's member-driven, DIY arts events calendar. |
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One for the Road |
Here We Are,
attributed to Enoch Bolles, 1920s, Oil on stretched canvas, 28" X 16" (Courtesy of the Cream of Wheat Company and Red Wing Framing Gallery)
Red Wing Framing Gallery and Grapefruit Moon Gallery present Cream of Wheat: 1913-1925, an exhibition of  never-before publicly exhibited, historic advertising illustrations from The Cream of Wheat Company. The images on view mark a touchstone cultural moment in early twentieth century and offer insight into the making of an iconic American brand.
Click here to browse through some of the images included in this one-of-a-kind exhibition at Red Wing Framing Gallery.
What: Cream of Wheat: 1913-1925
Where: Red Wing Framing Gallery, Red Wing, MN
When: On view October 10-November 2, 2008
Admission is FREE and open to the public
Credit: The World's Fare,
Edward V. Brewer, 1923, Oil/Mixed Media on stretched canvas, 31" X 40"
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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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