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Issue #9.1 |
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The Fashion Issue:
Clothing can be so much more than what you put on your body. At its best, fashion is personal theater, an intimate daily artistic expression. And when you find clothes that really fit you—in mood, form, and temperament—it feels like armor against the petty brutalities of the day. For us at a+E, fall calls to mind leather jackets and tall boots, cashmere and patterned tights, and thick, extended issues of the glossy fashion magazines. You may not realize it, but Minnesota is busting with high style of its own—we’ve got cutting-edge designers, runways aplenty, and fashionable frocks to make even coastal types green with envy. In the spirit of this most fashionable of seasons, we’re featuring eye-popping fashion photography, homegrown couture, and enough You Are Here happenings to keep your datebook full of must-see arts events. Because even those of us who've forsaken the seasonal fashion rat-race for other, less glamorous pursuits are still revitalized by a little stylish bling now and again.
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Zoom In: Photographer Samantha Bremer |
WE'RE WILLING TO LAY ODDS THAT THIS WON'T BE THE LAST TIME YOU HEAR ABOUT UP-AND-COMING photographer Samantha Bremer. Her work is distinctive both for its  flexibility of subject and tone and unconventional flair. With an eye for weird juxtapositions and uncanny details that would make David Lynch proud, at the same time, she has an instinct for composition, color and texture that’s perfectly at home in the worlds of both fine art and commercial fashion photography.
In spite of her formidable talent, when you first see her, she looks every inch the fresh-faced ingénue. And in this male-dominated industry, that’s not necessarily an advantage. “You hardly ever hear about female photographers who make it really big—can you think of anyone beyond Annie Leibovitz? It seems like it’s really hard for me to get people to take me seriously because I look so young. If I could just get them to look at my work…” But appearances aren’t everything. Bremer’s grit and tenacity belie her youthful looks—she’s been  working at odd jobs for ten years to put herself through school, all the while building her portfolio and shopping her work around.
A few years ago she moved from Minnesota to L. A., to go where the commercial gigs are and to attend classes at the prestigious Brooks Institute. These days, in addition to snapping photos for the men’s magazine Soak and fashion shoots, she supports herself  moonlighting at a number of sideline jobs—working the door at a popular after-hours club, serving as a full-time personal assistant for a CEO of a property management company, working retail for Aveda. And she feels lucky to have these jobs. “It’s really difficult to find work out here. Everyone is waiting tables, looking for a break into the entertainment industry. I’m lucky.”
Right now, Bremer’s submitting work to print magazines, posting her work wherever she can get it seen. (As you’ll see for yourself when you visit her extensive pages on mnartists.org.) Her images themselves are impressively varied—some are moody black-and-white photos reminiscent of the glamour days of Hollywood, a few are Fellini-esque absurdities. Her commercial fashion work is in turns sexy, exuberant, and vivid—connected by the pervasive sense that the feminine is beautiful, even defiant....
Read the full article and see a collection of Samantha Bremer's eye-popping work
on mnartists.org.
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Point of View: The Design Collective |
Hometown Haute Couture
Profile by Jessica Bennett
NEW YORK FASHIONISTAS MAY DISMISS US MINNESOTANS as being unconcerned with style. The image of pioneer women waiting by the stagecoach for out-of-date fashion plates to arrive is a hard one to shake—even now that we can all browse fashion week pictures online before the runway lights cool down.
True, it can sometimes be difficult to see our style under puffy parkas, and who really wants to traipse around the State Fair in Manolo Blahniks? Of course, those of us who live here know that the Twin Cities is a quiet but significant force in design. Our homegrown big box retailer Target has shamed the other megamarts by bringing big-name fashion to the populace, marketing Mizrahi and Phillippe Starck on the cheap, and cycling through “limited edition” lines by designers. But what can our hometown offer those of us who want something beyond the mass-produced, something no one else has, something unique?
The Design Collective is here to fill that need. Located just off Hennepin on West 26th Street, around the corner from a bubble tea shop, this boutique showcases some of the many designers who call Minnesota home. The storefront is narrow and long, a few steps up from the gently sloping street, with large windows all along the front giving it an airy feel. The spare, uncluttered layout is reminiscent of the boutiques of Soho and Nolita in New York—but the price tags are much more reasonable.
Owner Christina Nguyen aims to stock the store with items that can please a wide variety of clientele. “Most of the things we carry are reasonably-priced, with the exception of some very intricately-made couture items that are priced higher,” says Nguyen. But while some of those couture pieces aren’t exactly priced to sell, they won’t set you back much more than an off-the-rack designer piece at one of the high-end department stores, and at least here you can feel certain that your piece is both unique and  sweatshop-free.
The designers sell on consignment, and most of them usually seek the store out themselves, but Nguyen also scours places like the Craftstravaganza held at the State Fairgrounds for new talent. “When I first opened the Design Collective, I thought it would be challenging to find enough local designers to stock the store year-round with unique pieces and to find enough customers that were interested in them,” Nguyen admits. “Now that we've been open for more than a year, our number of designers has gone from the twenties to the sixties, and the style and quality of the things we carry has only gotten better with time.”
Most of the clothing is for (slender) women. But there are some great pieces for the guys, and lots of gorgeous t-shirts—some hand painted, some screen-printed, some inventively appliquéd. There are even a handful of ties, including a recycled retro number with “Wage Slave” stamped on it. Nothing like a snarky tie to get you through a dreary day in the cubicle.
For the working gals, there are many ways to jazz up the office uniform. Eireann Lorsung’s Bara line has skirts and sweaters with classic lines but ingenious fabric choices. Or how about a charming blouse by Project Runway contestant Katherine Gerdes (who was, incomprehensibly, booted off after only a few episodes)? Her classy, simple style is evident in her offerings here, when they’re still in stock.
And what about after work? Well, Hot Little Mamas can prepare you for a night on the town with their take on the overnight bag: a silky clutch—complete with condom, toothbrush, and panties—the right size to stick in your handbag, just in case. And you’re sure to need it if you wear a sassy party frock from Laura Christine, whose couture pieces come with handwritten care instructions....
Read more about The Design Collective’s unique fare—including ironic gifts for kids, recycled retro fashions, stuffed critters in the shapes of tofu and cassettes, and handmade jewelry to die for in the full article on mnartists.org.
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ARCHITECTURE
Three Black Houses:
A Tour of Homes Designed by David Salmela
Photos courtesy Duluth Art Institute |
You may have seen photographs, drawings and models of David Salmela’s structures in books and at the DAI’s recent exhibit, Salmela Architect. Wouldn’t you like to get inside these homes and take a look around? This is your chance to see Salmela’s cutting edge architecture (including the home he built for himself) and do your part to help a Minnesota arts treasure.
Where: Observation Hill, Duluth
When: September 17, from 4-7 pm
Tickets: $50 (Tickets are extremely limited, so call soon!). All Proceeds Benefit the DAI.
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ARTISTS
Participate in an online economic impact survey and ensure that ARTISTS' VOICES COUNT!
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Heads up to artists! Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts and the Minnesota Crafts Council are teaming up to do Phase 2 of an economic impact study of individual artists in Minnesota. The survey will be entirely conducted online, so if you’re a Minnesota artist please take a moment to fill out the survey. These are the kinds of studies that result in great public resources like mnartists.org, so make
yourself heard!
COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE |
DANCE
Duurbaar: Journeys into Horizon
Photo by V. Paul Virtuccio
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The award-winning Ananya Dance Theatre and Ananya Chatterjea team with world-renowned designers and musicians to pay homage to the power of women’s labor—in whatever form it takes. Particularly, Duurbaar is inspired by the dignity of the provocative organization Duurbaar, created and led by sex workers in Calcutta, which has one of the largest and poorest red-light areas in the world. On a more universal level, Duurbaar offers a profound examination of loss and struggle, sexuality and sensuality, and of women’s relationships to their femininity. Read an interview with Ananya Chatterjea, artistic director of Ananya Dance Theatre.
Where: The Southern Theater
When: September 14-17. Thursday-Saturday the show begins at 8 pm, on Sunday the performance will be at 7 pm. Post-show discussion on Saturday, September 16.
Tickets: $18 |
Celesta: a Collaboration between
the James Sewell Ballet Company and the Minnesota Orchestra
James Sewell and Brittany Fridenstine, photo by Erik Saulitis
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The Minnesota Orchestra (led by the famed Osmo Vänskä) has commissioned James Sewell and Company to create a new ballet set to Bartók's "Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta." Click here for audio samples and detailed audio visual treats on the show. James Sewell remarks, “In studying Bartók's score, I have been inspired by its many symmetries and inversions. The peaks of Bartók's music always occur in the golden ratio, and I have tried to use that same proportion to inform the choreography of the dance… The music's drama revealed itself as I choreographed… Images of violence, of combat, and abuse emerged from the music, images that for me resonate with the conflicts in Bartók's life and with life in our world today.”
Where: Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis
When: September 20-23
Tickets: Ticket prices vary. |
FALL ART CRAWLS
Katie Andreeva is part of the Arts Meander Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl
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What better excuse is there to tool around some of the loveliest countryside enjoying fall color in Minnesota than getting out to explore the many regional art crawls? Witness the artistic process in action, see creative minds at work and get a glimpse of these artists in their natural habitats.
Crossing Borders North Shore Autumn Studio Tour
Where: Lake Superior’s North Shore (individual studio locations here)
When: September 29 to October 8, 10am to 6pm daily
Arts Meander: Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl
Where: From Canby to Danvers, Granite Falls to Ortonville, and all points in between
When: September 29, 30, and October 1
The Studio Ramble Fall Art Tour
Where: Red Wing, MN
When: September 22-24 |
Annual Iron Pour Event in White Bear Lake
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Mark your calendars for the famously popular and always sizzling Iron Pour held in conjunction with the 8th Annual White Bear Art Walk. Using recycled iron from cast iron scrap and old radiators, the Iron Pour takes the art of iron-work to the next level. See experts of this ancient art merge elements of a red hot furnace and molten iron to create a roaring energy of sparks and flames. Bring the entire family and a lawn chair to experience for an evening of hot iron and cool art.
Where: Downtown White Bear Lake, MN
When: September 30 from 4-9 pm
Tickets: FREE |
LECTURES and PANELS
Sneak Peek: The Walker’s 2006-2007 Performing Arts Season
Photo appears courtesy the WAC archives. |
Every year Philip Bither, William and Nadine McGuire Senior Curator of Performing Arts, travels the world seeking performers to bring to the Walker. This is your chance to preview the 20+ dance, music, and theater events he’s planned for the new season, including the AfricaNOW: Currents of a Continent series, a once-in-a-lifetime marathon performance event around The Great Gatsby, and a Walker-exclusive evening of chamber ballet by master William Forsythe. Out There and Choreographers’ Evening return, bigger and better than ever, as well as return visits by old friends such as Improbable Theatre and Sankai Juku. Come meet the man behind the Walker’s performing arts program and learn why every show he presents is his favorite.
Where: Walker Art Center, Skyline Room, Minneapolis
When: Thursday, September 14 at 7 pm
Tickets: FREE |
"How Art Projects Build Community"
A Panel discussion in conjunction with Art Of Change exhibit
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In conjunction with Art Of Change, an exhibition of community-based photography, Stevens Square Center for the Arts and OverExposure would like to invite you to a community forum on “How Art Projects Build Community” for a dialogue that will examine the theories, practice, and support for public art projects that function as a conduit for community building. Panelists in the forum will include: Neal Cuthbert (Arts Program Director - McKnight Foundation), Kathleen Kvern, Project Director, mnartists.org), Mary Altman (Public Arts Administrator - City of Minneapolis), Peter Haakon Thompson (artist, founder, Ice Shanty Projects and the “A” Project. Come join the conversation!
Where: Stevens Square Center for the Arts
When: Tuesday, September 19 from 7-9 pm
Tickets: FREE (refreshments will be provided
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LITERARY EVENTS
SASE Women of Color Series:
Mind, Myth and Motion by Ka Vang and Shoua Lee
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This provocative event will present a no-holds barred reading of poetry by acclaimed Hmong writers Ka Vang and Shoua Lee. The reading, hosted by Sherry Quan Lee (the author of the popular underground favorite Chinese Blackbird), explores how identity is constructed by ourselves and by others, and how old legends perpetuate some traditions but can also empower women of all backgrounds and create social change.
Where: Patrick’s Cabaret, Minneapolis
When: Thursday, September 14, 7 pm
Tickets: FREE |
RESPONSE: A Joint Project of the Lake Superior Writers and Northern Printmakers Alliance
Summer Evening by Robb Quisling |
Artists of the Lake Superior Writers and the Northern Printmakers Alliance team up again for their second exciting exhibit of poetry and prints created expressly for the event. This time, the printers offered images to the poets, who responded with their poetry. The prints will be on display with their companion poems and the poets will read their poems at the opening. The Mood Swings will provide music. Achapbook will be published containing all the poems and prints.
Where: Northern Prints Gallery, Duluth
When: Show runs from September 28-November 11. Opening reception is September 28, 5-8 pm.
Tickets: FREE |
MUSIC
One Week Live Volume V: at
Beaner’s Central
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Beaner’s Central, coffeehouse and concert venue in one, is celebrating its seventh anniversary and that means one full week of live entertainment for you! You’ll be able to listen to over 20 musical groups throughout the week, with four bands playing most nights. (Amidst the other festivities, be sure to catch the third annual singer/songwriter competition on Wednesday night.) This year’s entertainment includes the duo Chris Kelly & Matt Cool, Dan Frechette, David Levin, Melodramatics, Stelly & Lefty, Gabriel James, Swimming with Nancy, Eeriearq, Jon Crocker, Molly Dean, Sara Softich, and more.
Where: Beaner’s Central, Duluth
When: September 25-30, shows begin each night at 7 pm
Tickets: Ticket prices vary. Week-long passes are available. |
THEATER
You Burn Me
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William Shakespeare’s classic tragicomedy The Winter’s Tale is reborn in nimbus theatre’s newest play as a gripping modern fable about the redeeming power of love and forgiveness. Created through an innovative workshop process, You Burn Me draws from an array of eclectic source material for inspiration: the poetry of Sappho, the drama of Charles Mee, Hmong folk tales, even Vaudeville.
Where: Minneapolis Theater Garage
When: Show runs until September 24
Tickets: Prices run from $10-$16. Visit the theater’s website for details. |
Portraits in Fertile Soil by
Karla Nweje
Design courtesy Karla Nweje |
As part of Center for Independent Artist's Adventure Festival this month, Portraits in Fertile Soil by Twin Cities-based performance artist and choreographer Karla Nweje promises to be particularly memorable. Part dance, part music, spoken word, and drama, the performance is chock full of colorful characters whose various portrayals celebrate the bravery and power of authentic individual expression with wit and candor.
Where: The Mistry Theater, Center for Independent Artists
When: Friday, September 22 at 7 pm
Tickets: $10 |
VISUAL ARTS
Reliquiae by Sam Spiczka
"Relics" image courtesy of the artist.
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Sam Spiczka's most recent sculpture series Reliquiae (Latin for "sacred relics") is a visual and visceral leap into the fissure that separates life from death, the sacred from the profane, and the past from the present. Each piece looks like an archaeological artifact only recently unearthed. These innovative wall sculptures offer a unique send-up to both rural Minnesota and the artist’s own heritage. Three large-scale outdoor pieces are being installed at Augsburg College to coincide with gallery show. Preview a collection of Spiczka’s work for Reliquiae on mnartists.org.
Where: Gage Family Art Gallery, Augsburg College
When: September 15-October 27. Artist gallery talk on Wednesday October 25, 12:30 pm.
Tickets: FREE |
Poster Offensive 3
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Coinciding with the 2006 mid-term election, Poster Offensive is setting out for the third time in two years “ to promote peace and democracy.” PO3 is billed as “an independent, nonpartisan poster show, which utilizes the politically potent medium of the poster to showcase contemporary interpretations and critiques of political and social issues.” And with artists like Aesthetic Apparatus, Mike Cina, Kelly Munson, and scads more talented Minnesotan designers participating, it also promises to be a treasure house of cool new art.
Where: Frank Stone Gallery, Minneapolis
When: Show runs from September 15-24. Opening reception is Friday, September 14 at 7 pm. |
Shelf Life: New Works by
Carolyn Swiszca
Pet Connection, 19" x 41", 2006
Bierstube, 19" x 41", 2006
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Swiszca’s work captures crumbling parking lots, newsstands, destitute strip-malls and other “neighborhood eyesores” with a fresh and witty approach to detail. Employing rich textures, color, and pattern, Swiszca embellishes these drab landscapes, infusing them with a droll charm—in the process, she makes ugly urban sprawl sort of… well, fun. She notes, “these stores and restaurants simultaneously make me laugh and fill me with a profound sense of doom.” How could one not want to know about that?
Where: Highpoint Center for Printmaking
When: Show runs through October 7. There’s also a members-only artist talk on September 28. (Call Highpoint to become a member and register for the discussion.)
Tickets: FREE |
For more up-to-the-minute events listings, check out mnartists.org
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mnAccess |
FASHIONISTAS UNITE!
Support homegrown haute couture and
look spectacular doing it
Special discount of $5 off any purchase of $50 or more
Monday to Saturday, 11 am-7 pm
Sundays, 12 pm-6 pm
The shop is closed Tuesdays
Offer good until September 30, 2006.
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CREDITS
Project Director, mnartists.org: Kathleen Kvern
access+ENGAGE Editor: Susannah Schouweiler
E-journal design: Brand & Butter
Featured Contributors and Artists
Banner image (cropped and reprinted with artist's permission): Untitled 28, photograph (detail) by Samantha Bremer. You can see Samantha's fashion spread in the October 2006 issue of Soak magazine.
Point of View contributor Jessica Bennett is a freelance writer, web designer, and costume designer based in the Twin Cities. As if that weren't enough, she also works on the staff of the acclaimed literary magazine, Rain Taxi.
access+ENGAGE is a twice monthly e-journal offering indispensable,
fuss-free coverage of the arts in Minnesota and beyond
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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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