State of the Arts

State of the Arts: June 11, 2009 Archive

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We Art Minnesota: The Midtown Greenway

Posted at 6:38 AM on June 11, 2009 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Public Art, We Art Minnesota


Michael Croswell of St. Paul sent us this video submission for his favorite piece of Minnesota art. His nomination: the Midtown Greenway. Now already I know what you're thinking. "Midtown Greenway, "that's not art, that's a bike path!" But as you'll see in Michael's video, there's plenty of art to be found along the Greenway. Here's what he wrote to us:

My favorite example of public art that belongs to Minnesota is the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis. The Greenway is the most exciting and important public art that is happening in the Twin Cities right now! It is an interactive public space that merges art with visionary urban planning to create a beautiful inner city green zone that is used for leisure while providing an alternative method of inexpensive transportation for anyone who can ride a bicycle.

I love the Greenway because it is all about the art of living together as a community. I see businesses, organizations, and people working together in order to make the Midtown Greenway a successful model for the future. It provides a really smart vision of what the future of our Twin Cities could be. The Greenway is the perfect excuse to start parking the car in the garage and start experiencing the joy of pedal power!

Thanks Michael for your video! And for those of you interested in submitting your own favorite piece of Minnesota art, we welcome your submissions.

Fun video that plays with 3D, math and action/reaction

Posted at 8:10 AM on June 11, 2009 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Animation, Film

modul / zhestkov.com from Zhestkov on Vimeo.

I stumbled across this lovely little video on vimeo.com - I like how even in a world of high-tech animation, such simple imagery can still be compelling when done elegantly.

Art Hounds: To the lifeboats!

Posted at 11:45 AM on June 11, 2009 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events

lifeboatlead.jpg

Certainly the biggest event opening this weekend is the Science Museum of Minnesota's "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition". It includes over 200 artifacts from the fated ship, and local actors have been studying their history books in order to inhabit the roles of actual passengers and crew. They don't have any lines to memorize, per se, but will be able to tell visitors about their own lives. (i.e. don't ask the guy in the engine room "so how's the foie gras on this ship?") Oh and of course there's the movie at the Omni theater!

So far the weather forecast for this weekend looks pretty good. Which means if you're worried about catching a certain flu by hanging out with other people in closed spaces, why not try some outdoor theater? Cromulent Shakespeare Company performs "The Tempest" in four different Twin Cities' parks this weekend, starting tonight in Loring Park.

This is the last weekend for two exhibitions: "Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton" at the Walker Art Center, and an exhibition of paintings by local artist Jil Evans at the Form and Content gallery in Minneapolis. Form and Content is having a "closing reception" and poetry reading on Friday night. And as I mentioned yesterday, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is opening its new exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by William Holman Hunt.

In dance, Justin Jones presents "the SCREEN/the THING" and "RadioBrain" at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis.

Not seeing what you're looking for here? Then check out what other Art Hounds are doing this week.

Want to be an MPR Art Hound? No problem.

Image courtesy of the Science Museum of Minnesota

Jorja Fleezanis bids farewell to Minnesota Orchestra

Posted at 10:19 PM on June 11, 2009 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Music, People

Fleezanislead.jpg

I've just returned from Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis where the Minnesota Orchestra performed Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis." Tonight was the first of three concerts which mark Jorja Fleezanis' last performances as concertmaster. It was a bittersweet night, in which conductor Osmo Vanska started off by saying he couldn't imagine the orchestra without Fleezanis. He said the only thing consoling him was knowing how many students would now benefit from her teaching (she's taking a post as professor at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music).

As I sat up in the nosebleed section, watching Fleezanis' violin flash in the stage lights, a thought suddenly occurred to me. Who gets to keep the violin? The instrument, which was made in 1700, was given to the orchestra for Fleezanis to play. When it comes to 300 year old instruments, I'm guessing it might not be a matter of flipping a coin. (FYI I've put out some calls and I'll let you know what I find out.)

So how was the concert, you ask? You can listen for yourself when MPR's classical network broadcasts it live Friday night. And if you'd like to hear Fleezanis talk about her 20 year tenure at the Minnesota Orchestra, she was on Midmorning earlier this week.

Image courtesy of the Minnesota Orchestra

(2 Comments)
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