News Cut: May 4, 2011 Archive

Live: The 2,000-mile walk

Posted at 11:21 AM on May 4, 2011 by Bob Collins
Filed under: Arts

Laura Wilkins is walking to visit her mother in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She's in Tucson.

Wilkins, an artist, is streaming her walk 24/7, with a camera strapped to her head, connected to a solar-powered laptop in her backpack. "My artwork is about community and connections," she says on her Web site. "I believe that safety comes from trust, community and collaboration. I hope to use social networking, both online and traditional, to safely cross the country."

Walkng Home from Andrew Brown on Vimeo.

(h/t: Lorrie Sarafin)

She wants people to join her on her walk -- it's about 2,000 miles -- and tell her stories. The closest she'll get to Minnesota, however, is Dubuque.

Watch live video from lmilkins on Justin.tv

'I see your pencil neck weasel and raise you a twit'

Posted at 12:10 PM on May 4, 2011 by Bob Collins (9 Comments)
Filed under: Arts, Politics

Not since Garrison Keillor and Jesse Ventura went at it has the world seen a politician vs. elitist artist fray like the one developing between Rep. Matt Dean and author Neil Gaiman. As I wrote on 5x8 this morning, Rep. Dean called Gaiman a "pencil neck weasel" for accepting Legacy Amendment money to give a speech at the Stillwater library.

Gaiman "tweets" back that Dean is a twit...

He doesn't stop there...

A Twitter war? Pass the popcorn!

Back to you Rep. Dean...

(9 Comments)

Minneapolis: City of right angles and glass

Posted at 1:49 PM on May 4, 2011 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)
Filed under: Arts

Developers today unveiled their plan for the blighted Block E in downtown Minneapolis. The solution is a casino, according to MPR's Brandt Williams, who also provides an artist's rendering of what the casino could look like.

Look familiar at all? Here's another artist's rendering of the proposed expansion of the Target Center next door.

... which looked very much like the initial proposal for the Orchestra Hall renovations...

These things almost never end up looking at all like the original artist drawings that are designed to get people excited about a project. If they did, downtown Minneapolis would look pretty much the same from building to building -- lots of high ceilings, right angles, and glass.

Even the original pitch for the new Twins stadium stressed lots of glass...

(4 Comments)