State of the Arts

State of the Arts: January 13, 2011 Archive

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Art Hounds: Hungarian dances, The Vault, and remembering Rondo circa 1956

Posted at 7:00 AM on January 13, 2011 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Galleries, Music, Theater

galleryvault.jpgThe hounds discover traditional Hungarian folk dance in a St. Paul church, a new student run art gallery that's bringing a bohemian flavor to downtown St. Cloud, and a theatrical portrait of St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood just before it was annihilated by Interstate 94.

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uhqpressphoto2.jpgLocal songwriter Erik Brandt and his family lived for a time in Budapest, Hungary, and grew to love Hungarian folk dances or "Tanchazes." He's been able to re-live those experiences with the help of the group "Minnesota Hungarians," which is sponsoring a Tanchaz at Unity Unitarian Church in St. Paul on January 15th with music by the Madison-based band Szaszka.

Char004.JPGSt. Cloud visual artist Char Hopela predicts The Gallery Vault, a new St. Cloud State University-sponsored, student-run art gallery will bring a new aesthetic and creative energy to downtown St. Cloud. The Gallery Vault will feature mainly student exhibitions, with occasional faculty shows as well.

20090422_maria_jette_1.jpgIf you're looking for a meaningful and musical way to mark the upcoming MLK holiday weekend, uber-vocalist Maria Jette says you should strongly consider "Rondo 56: Remembering St. Paul's African American Mainstreet." Commissioned by the MN Historical Society and written by Dan Chouinard, "Rondo 56" is a look back at St. Paul's most prominent black neighborhood on the eve of its destruction by an interstate highway. It features an all star roster of local singers and will be performed at the Church of St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis on Sunday, January 16th.

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And you can get an early sneak peek at the Art Hounds' picks every week by texting the word ART to 677-677.

Thursday news and reviews

Posted at 10:18 AM on January 13, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: News and reviews

Here's your daily dose of arts stories - enjoy!

Arts

Of Pastries and Paintings: Duluth/Superior
Ann Klefstad takes mnartists.org's neighborhood-by-neighborhood artists' guide to Minnesota's coffee house gallery scene Up North, with this "best-of" survey of alternative exhibition spaces in Duluth and Superior.
- Ann Klefstad, mnartists.org

Chinese government destroys artist's studio
A prominent democracy advocate and critic of the Chinese Communist government, Ai Weiwei lives in Beijing but had built a $1 million studio complex in Shanghai. The studio was destroyed Jan. 11 on government orders, the New York Times reported.
- Mary Abbe

Dean Ebben's 'In The House of the Mineral Spirits' at the Susan Hensel Gallery
Ebben's shadowy figures are evocative of the show's title, nudging viewers to think of the ethereal.
- Coco Mault, City Pages

Raul Osorio: 100 Creatives
Originally from Honduras, clothing designer Raul Osorio learned the tools of his trade early on from his mother and grandmother.
- Jessica Armbruster, City Pages


General

TC on the top-10 charts, finding a good cocktail in Minneapolis -- and a good play in good hands
The Twin Cities may not be the best at everything, but, by Zeus, it seems we're always among the top 10 of the best of everything.
- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com


Music

Pianist Yuja Wang gives bravura recital
Chinese-born musician, just 23, played at high intensity for two hours at her Schubert Club date.
- Larry Fuchsberg, Star Tribune

Minnesota Orchestra lends light touch to Mozart
Throughout two symphonies and a pair of concertos, conductor Osmo Vanska and the orchestra channeled Mozart's spirit as eloquently as they ever have, particularly his puckish playfulness and unique gift for melodic lines of grace and beauty.
- Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press

Ozzy gives fans plenty to chew on
The brevity and lack of an opener really bit, but the new band and old tunes lifted Wednesday's Target Center gig.
- Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune

Ozzy by the numbers
Ozzy needs the adoration of a crowd to keep his old bones rattling.
- Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press

Chooglin' trombonist Zach Zins talks about playing Palmers and Europe
The seven-piece band has branched out from their hard rock/punk roots, expanding their repertoire into Memphis and R&B influenced rock, with ringleader Jesse Tomlinson emphasizing melodies along with the big riffs.
- Loren Green, City Pages


Stage

Oy! Jewish humor is back for another go-round
Only a schmendrick or a yutz would argue that we couldn't use a little laughter-as-medicine now, eh?
- Bill Ward, Star Tribune

Loring Theater to host theater industry dance parties
​As part of a move to reinvent The Loring Theater (formerly the Music Box) as a modern day variety house featuring music, theater, burlesque, cinema, and variety acts, the Directors LLP, who manage the 90-year-old venue, are adding to their eclectic mix of programming a monthly Theater Industry Dance Party, where theater folk will converge to drink, let loose, and dance onstage.
- Sheila Regan

Advice for beginners

Posted at 12:13 PM on January 13, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Arts 101, Theater

Minnesota Playlist asked theater professionals for their advice to people just getting started in the performing arts business. Here are a few of the responses:


Polly Carl, former producing artistic director of the Playwright's Center and current Director of Artistic Development at the Steppenwolf Theate:

I guess what I usually tell people at the front end of a career in the arts is to not spend a lot of time asking "if"--"if it makes sense?" "if it's really possible?" but rather start from the question of "how?" Then I say the first order of business is to become your own arts administrator. If you stand around waiting for an institution or an artistic director to make something happen in your career it's likely you'll be standing around waiting for a long time. Instead be your own institution and your own artistic director and take charge of your career from the get go.


Aditi Kapil, playwright and performer in the Twin Cities:

I generally don't give advice, but I guess I think you need to be ok with two things: 1. Making a complete ass of yourself regularly, with all the embarrassment, cringing, humility that involves, because if you're not, you're playing it safe, which only takes you so far. 2. Working harder than most people consider reasonable at a job that pays little and erratically for the privilege of making an ass of yourself regularly. But also, hopefully, for those magical moments when it all clicks, and you connect with people in that way that only art can, making all that labor completely worth it.


Michelle Hensley, artistic director and founder of Ten Thousand Things Theatre:

Ask yourself the question "Why do theater?" Really. Why, in this troubled of a world, do you need to do it and why does the world need you to do it? Dig deep and ask it hard and often to yourself. Then, throw away the rules of how institutions have made us think theater has to be, follow your heart and make it up yourself. Make it up from scratch -- find out what you really need and throw away whatever you don't.


You can read the full list of advice here.

What about you? What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?

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