State of the Arts Category Archive: Culture

Can art be democratic? Pangea World Theater thinks so.

Posted at 3:56 PM on November 6, 2009 by Marianne Combs (4 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Theater

"Bridges" performers run through one of their collaborative pieces.

Usually when we think of art, we think of one person's vision. That person could be a painter, a choreographer, a playwright or a director. Their idea is transferred to a canvass, or in the case of theater, to a group of actors and staff charged with carrying out the artists' vision.

The founders of Pangea World Theater think that model needs to change. For three years now, Pangea has hosted what it calls "Bridges" - an intensive program in which artists from different backgrounds work together on a performance. The actors have as much say as the playwrights. Artistic Director Dipankar Mukherjee says Bridges is about coming up with a new way of creating art.

Because the current way is mainstream, and in 'the mainstream' many voices are missing. Financially privileged Euro-American white voices form the centers of most artistic conversations. It's not that artists with marginalized voices stopped creating work - they've always created work. The question is, can we create a circle in which the work is in the center, and that work is dynamized by everybody's participation?

The "Bridges" project provides a pretty heady environment for performers, filled with discussions and workshops in addition to rehearsals. For three weeks they've debated the responsibilities and privilege of being an artist, and the've created work. The results of their collaboration is onstage this weekend at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis.

"Bridges" curators Dipankar Mukherjee, Meena Natarajan and J. Otis Powell!

The results of their work border on the abstract, which curator Meena Natarajan says is to be expected since they've had so little time to collaborate. But the process they've undertaken will stay with them in future projects, and perhaps lead to new work, and new insights.

Still, the idea of "democratic art" seems cumbersome. Is it practical to make art as a group? Curator J. Otis Powell! says it is:

It is practical that we practice freedom, it is practical that we practice democracy it is practical that we practice listening to each other. Unless we practice we're never going to get better at it. If we keep saying "too many cooks spoil the broth" then we're going to continue to get the same result, because we say "oh yeah, that's right - I've heard that all my life, so it must be true." We're saying that must not be true. It must be true that we can have a better world if we actually paid attention to everybody who's speaking instead of just certain people who are speaking.

As is often the case with art, these performers are trying to create a microcosm of what they want to see in the world. And for that, they're willing to be patient, and keep working.

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Teens honor Day of the Dead at the MIA

Posted at 4:45 PM on October 30, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Museums

Olga Guzmán checks out her ofrenda hanging at the MIA
Photo by Amanda Hankerson

Last night the Minneapolis Institute of Arts was filled with Latino-American families, there to see and celebrate the artwork of their children. The first floor gallery area and nearby social room was overflowing with little kids working on art projects, girlfriends and boyfriends chowing down on pork and chicken tamales, and parents taking pictures of their children next to their "ofrendas" or offerings, made in honor of Day of the Dead.

Olga's ofrenda. Photo by Dan Dennehy

Olga Guzmán hasn't lost anyone close to her, so she made a more traditional ofrenda,
depicting skeletons dancing, singing and sharing a meal. This is her second year making an ofrenda at the MIA, and she really likes it.

"I'm really busy - working, going to school, writing papers - and I don't get a chance to be creative with art. So I really love when a chance like this comes along because I feel my creative side can come out."


All of the ofrendas were created in crates, used to symbolize the migrant workers who came to the United States looking to support their families.

José Miguel Guerrero stands next to his ofrenda.
Photo by Amanda Hankerson

The teens are all students of El Colegio magnet school in Minneapolis. As part of the process, they were given video cameras (provided by Best Buy) with which to document their projects, and talk about their work. Administrative Director David Greenberg says he's thrilled with the project and what it offers his students.

It's really a good deal for our students to see their work in one of the most important museums in the region, to know that their work, thoughts and experiences are valued and important. To just see them do those video blogs, and talk into the camera about their work and their lives, knowing that people are going to see that and care about it and respond to it...it just makes them reflect on who they are and know themselves better.

Tameka Boyce at the MIA reception with her parents.
Photo by Amanda Hankerson

18-year old Tameka Boyce chose to use her ofrenda to honor her grandmother, who died in 2004. The crate is filled with pink, her grandmother's favorite color, a poem she wrote and candles with the names of different family members. Boyce says she learned a lot, both about art and about video, in the process.

"It's great! It's surprising that my artwork's in the MIA. I can brag about it, it's very cool, my family's very interested and proud of me and so I like it."

Domini Guzmán with his ofrenda. Photo by Amanda Hankerson

MIA curator Joe Horse Capture organized the Young People's Ofrenda exhibition and he thinks the project has managed to accomplish a lot for everyone involved.

This is a type of artwork that normally our audience doesn't see. And so I think it's important, because we're an encyclopedic museum, for them to be exposed to that. Also this [Latino] community is really important to our larger community - and we'd like to see more of them here at the museum.

These small ofrendas are very powerful. You know this project has been successful when a parent comes to you and shakes your hand with tears in their eyes thanking you for creating this opportunity for their child because it has meant so much to them.

Young People's Ofrenda runs through November 15 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

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The danger in believing the stories we're told

Posted at 11:20 AM on October 7, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Books, Culture

Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie recounts her own experience growing up with "single stories" - in other words believing there is one truth, instead of many truths. The daughter of college educated parents, she grew up reading American and European novels. The result? When she started writing her own stories, they featured characters with white skin and blue eyes who ate apples and played in the snow. Adichie didn't know her own story was a valid one to tell.

In the United States, Adichie encounters people who have their own "single stories" when it comes to life on the African continent. How does she know how to speak English so well? One student, after having read one of Adichie's novels, expresses sadness that African fathers are so abusive to their children. Adichie retorts that she just finished reading "American Psycho" and isn't it a shame all young men are mass murderers?

The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete...The consequence of the single story is this - it robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar.

Adichie argues eloquently for the importance of having a diversity of stories, and for readers to never assume that the story they read is the "single story."

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A new art form each month

Posted at 2:00 PM on October 6, 2009 by Marianne Combs (14 Comments)
Filed under: Craft, Culture, How To

So here's the deal. I figure if I'm going to blog about the arts, I can't just sit back and watch. Because for every artist who performs before an audience, there are thousands of others who are practicing some artistic pursuit in the quiet of their own home, or with a group of like-minded individuals.

So my goal for the next year is to try a new type of art each month, and write about it. There are plenty of centers around the Twin Cities - and Minnesota - that offer extensive classes in various crafts, from pottery to photography to stained-glass. So why not check them out for the benefit of everyone?

This summer I started with something already familiar to me, paper marbling. Then I jumped into my first attempt at something completely new - making a mosaic. In addition to posting on what I learned, I also followed the work of one mosaic artist from start to finish, and sped it up into what I call "Fast Art."

Just yesterday, I posted on my most recent venture into weaving. Since I took a very entry-level class (not really enough to merit a "How To" presentation) I plan to return for a little more in-depth instruction later this month. Also, later this week, I'll profile the work of local weaver Kelly Marshall, and pay a visit to her studio.

The months to come present me with all sorts of options. What to try? And what sort of information would you like me to bring back from the experience? Think of me as your emissary, testing those classes you've always had a lurking desire to take, but never got up the gumption for. Information is power...

Some ideas that have been bandied about: how to do a particular dance move, how to draw the human figure, how to pour a metal sculpture, and how to make and use a pinhole camera.

Let me know what you'd like, and I'll do my best to make it happen. And maybe I'll even pick up a skill or two in the process.

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An introduction to weaving

Posted at 12:01 PM on October 5, 2009 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Craft, Culture

Spools of dyed wool at the ready for a weaving class at the Textile Center.

This weekend, I'm rather embarrassed to admit, I paid my first-ever visit to the Textile Center in Minneapolis. Just as Open Book is a center for all things literary, the Textile Center is a hub for all activity that involves thread, yarn and fabric. That includes weaving, quilting, knitting, sewing, needlework, lace making, basketry and beading.

The center is home to dozens of organizations, including the Weavers Guild, the Knitters Guild, and Minnesota Contemporary Quilters. The building includes a gallery, store, library, lecture hall and several classrooms. One classroom is dedicated to the art of dying fiber.

What brought me to the Textile Center was a class called "Try It! Weave on a floor loom." For the next year I'm attempting to try a new craft each month (see previous entries on paper marbling and making mosaics), and this class seemed like a perfect fit.

A typical floor loom.

So there's my loom - or at least the loom I got to use for the class. Over the course of six hours I learned how to wind bobbins, throw and catch the shuttle, tromp on treadles, and develop a (somewhat) consistent beat. I also learned that tension is key in a good weave.

But here's what else I learned. The ancient Egyptians and Chinese used looms as early as 4000 BC. Looms are actually the foundation for computer programming. Which may be why people who tend to like weaving (and are good at it) have an affinity for math (our weaving instructor works as an accountant during the week). In many societies, men are the weavers, while the women spin the thread.

"Homage to Jean Nodlund" by Paul O'Connor

In the main hall of the Textile Center is a retrospective of the weaving of Paul O'Connor. O'Connor was for many years a chemistry professor at the University of Minnesota, and his work took him to India for five years, where he explored his interest in weaving. When he retired from chemistry in the 1970s, he pursued his weaving interest with a passion, and now is considered an expert in the art of "double-weaving." His work is incredibly fine, and often uses sewing thread.

Look! I made something!

Here's my scarf - or at least a section of it. I still need to wash it and do some finishing work, but overall I'm feeling pretty pleased that in six hours I was able to pull this off. Now I should mention that for this class the instructor had our looms set up ahead of time, and just learning how to warp your loom is another class entirely. I'll report back on how well I pick up those skills in a month or two. And I'll post a picture of the scarf in its entirety once I've cleaned it up.

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The Coen brothers, The Big Lebowski and Dudeism

Posted at 3:19 PM on September 10, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Film, Religion

I'm feeling a little immersed in the Coen brothers at the moment. Anticipation abounds for their latest film "A Serious Man," which is set in their home town of St. Louis Park and features some great local actors, including Ari Hoptman and Claudia Wilkins. The film opens on October 2.

But if that seems like forever-and-a-day away, not to worry - in the weeks leading up to the premiere, the Walker Art Center is hosting a Coen brothers retrospective, called "Raising Cain." That begins September 18th.

This weekend, fans of the Coen brothers' movie "The Big Lebowski" are dressing up as their favorite characters and heading out to "Lebowski Fest." Friday night features a movie party at First Avenue, while Saturday night is all about bowling at Memory Lanes.

But wait, there's more! Tomorrow I'll be filling in on Midmorning, and at 10am I'll be interviewing the author of "The Dude Abides," an exploration of religious and moral themes in the Coen brothers' canon. Author Cathleen Falsani is an ordained priest of "Dudeism" (as well as the religion columnist for the Chicago Sun Times).

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Times are tough for arts, may get worse

Posted at 4:48 PM on September 4, 2009 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Funding, Theater

With a few exceptions, 2009 has been a year of salary freezes, layoffs and declining revenue for many Minnesota arts organizations. With all the reported sightings of the 'green shoots of a recovery' and an emerging belief that the worst of the recession is behind us, is the worst over for arts groups?

Bush Foundation President Peter Hutchinson says no. In fact, Hutchinson says 2010 is likely to be worse than 2009.

Hutchinson said arts groups depend primarily on four sources of revenue -- ticket sales, individual donations, public funding, and philanthropic giving. He expects ticket sales and individual donations will continue to be detrimentally affected by the high unemployment rate, which is predicted to linger well into 2010.

The arts may be buffered a little by new money from the stimulus package and the Legacy Amendment passed by voters last year, but Hutchinson doesn't think the level of public funding will actually rise over previous years.

Which brings us to philanthropic contributions. Hutchinson said the level of giving is dropping because of the hit foundation portfolios have taken on Wall Street.

"Foundation giving is likely to be down because most foundations figure their giving using a three year rolling average," he said. "As we went into 2009 we had a couple of really good years behind us. But as we go into 2010, we've got this really bad year that we have to incorporate into that formula, and I think that's actually going to lead to lower giving for many foundations when it comes to the arts. So, if I were predicting, I would say that arts and cultural organizations, oh and by the way, most other non-profit organizations, are going to face a really tough 2010."

Hutchinson said because of that three-year formula, foundation giving tends to be higher than you'd expect going into a recession. But he said it also lags coming out, meaning the economy generally recovers more quickly than foundation giving. He said foundation giving probably won't return to pre-recession levels until 2012.

"But that assumes that the market recovers," added Hutchinson, which he said isn't certain.

In his view, the recession may have a significant diminishing effect on the Minnesota arts landscape, depending on how arts groups respond in their programming. Hutchinson said they may be tempted to play it safe, and bring out the old "warhorse" productions that put butts in seats. He thinks that might not be wise.

"I actually think that's probably a risky strategy in the long run, because in my view this is a time when we're under stress," he said. "Communities are under stress, individuals, families, people are suffering, and I think arts organizations have a chance to kind of call us to our higher selves. Arts, more than any other institution, have this way and means of appealing to peoples' emotions, to reaching into our souls. And if all they do is put on fluff, I don't think that's rising to their highest opportunity at a time when we probably need them in ways that we've not before."

Hutchinson believes the art groups that are more relevant to their audiences in these tough times are more likely to remain relevant when the happy times are here again.

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Can a literary trend do harm?

Posted at 8:18 AM on August 28, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Books, Culture

When it comes to the "going green" movement, Elizabeth Kolbert thinks so, and she writes about it in the New Yorker.

Kolbert takes issue with the spate of books in which people document their attempts at voluntary simplicity. A few examples from the genre:

In "No Impact Man," author Colin Beavan lives with out electricity, a car, and even toilet paper in New York City, as he seeks to reduce his carbon footrpint over the course of a year.

In "Farm City" Novella Carpenter documents her attempts at keeping a farm in the middle of downtown Oakland and ultimately attempts to survive eating only from her urban lot for a month.

And in "Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100 mile diet," Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon attempt to source everything they eat within 100 miles of their Vancouver home.

So what's wrong with inspiring others through example? Kolbert argues that these are merely stunts. She says they are the modern equivalent of Henry David Thoreau's time on Walden Pond, aimed, just like Thoreau's, at selling books.

The nouveau Thoreauvians have picked up from "Walden" its dramaturgy of austerity. Their schemes require them to renounce (if only temporarily) various material comforts--cars, elevators, Starbucks--that their neighbors take for granted. Renunciation sets them apart and organizes their lives in the name of some higher purpose. The trouble--or, at least, a trouble--is that it's hard to say exactly what that purpose is.

Kolbert goes on to say that each of these books comes with a structure it must adhere to - a month or a year of making no carbon impact, eating from your yard, or eating locally. The problem is that these conceits drive the authors to do things that make no sense. The authors of "Plenty" end up making a 12 hour journey to the sea to harvest their own salt. Colin Beavan turns off his radiators, and lives off the residual warmth from his neighbors' apartments. What's the point? According to Elizabeth Kolbert, "The real work of "saving the world" goes way beyond the sorts of action that "No Impact Man" is all about."

What's required is perhaps a sequel. In one chapter, Beavan could take the elevator to visit other families in his apartment building. He could talk to them about how they all need to work together to install a more efficient heating system. In another, he could ride the subway to Penn Station and then get on a train to Albany. Once there, he could lobby state lawmakers for better mass transit. In a third chapter, Beavan could devote his blog to pushing for a carbon tax. Here's a possible title for the book: "Impact Man."

However what Kaiser fails to address is the impact of each of these authors' books. While standards are being put in place for the energy efficiency of buildings, and the fuel efficiency of cars, it's much more difficult to legislate an individual's consumption. No one likes being told what they can and cannot do. So if one person's actions manage to inspire 500 or 1000 or maybe even 10000 others to take steps to consume less, who's to say they didn't make a difference?

The other frustration in all these attempts to "go green" is the math. People are constantly trying to calculate their impact, but it's almost impossible to do.

For instance, these environmental authors, for all their good intentions, are sending millions of people to websites, selling hundreds of thousands of books, and are each engaged in national book tours involving numerous plane flights and time on the road. How can they possible figure out whether they've done more good than harm?

How can any of us, really?

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We are what we eat. And we eat a lot.

Posted at 5:00 PM on August 25, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Museums, Photography

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

The Bell Museum of Natural History has announced it's hosting the exhibition "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" this fall. The exhibition grew out of the book by the same name. Like the book, the exhibition explores how different cultures consume food: what type of food they eat, how much of it, and how much they pay for it.

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

The Bell Museum's exhibit focuses on 10 cultures, many with ties to Minnesota, and lets visitors "shop" for global produce from world markets and track that food as it travels from field to fork. The exhibit features special sections on the rise of fast food culture, the evolution and history of food plants, current and ancient agricultural methods and the practice of raising and eating meat.

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Since many people these days are interested in "greening" their lives and households, they might be particularly interested in witnessing the difference in packaging from one culture to the next. Some cultures appear to live entirely without packaging, while others seem entirely dependent on it.

© Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com from the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Other issues raised by the exhibition are nutrition, obesity, sustainability, and the "locavore" movement. "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" opens at the Bell Museum in Minneapolis on October 17 and will run for 6 months.

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What makes us perform better? Not money.

Posted at 12:25 PM on August 24, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

While common belief in the business world supports giving bonuses to inspire better performance, science soundly refutes such thinking. In fact, monetary incentives often make us perform worse. So what to do if you want to inspire your minions?

In this TED talk, career analyst Dan Pink debunks performance bonuses and pushes instead for jobs that give people the ability to direct themselves in meaningful pursuits. Pink's three tenets for success are "autonomy, mastery and purpose." How many jobs can offer that?

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Painting with sand

Posted at 4:01 PM on August 19, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Painting, People

Red Wing native Michael Augustin has been practicing the art of sand painting for nearly thirty years. While Augustin himself is not Native American he studied with Hopi and Navajo medicine men for five years.

"It was so fascinating to me and I saw a means of perhaps to dabble in it myself not as they do but as an expression of art. So I lifted it out of their tradition - any spiritual attachment I may make to it is my own. My purpose has never been to do an expose on sand painting and Native Americans. I look at the art as something that is mine."

Augustin grinds the sand himself, and uses very simple tools to execute his paintings. "Your hands are your paintbrush," he said in a recent phone conversation.

Augustin's usually asked to do a sand painting in conjunction with an event such as a seminar or conference. Once the work is done, he dismantles it. But in an unusual turn, Augustin has created a series of paintings which are on display at River Falls Public Library through September 4th.

While Augustin describes himself as a lover of computers and technology, you will have a hard time finding much information about him on the web. In fact, the images on this blog may be the only ones you find. He has purposely avoided creating a website, because, he says, his work is more about a certain time and place than about a lasting image.

In fact Augustin complains that people have become too dependent on technology as a sort of external memory storage, so that they don't take the time to truly study what's in front of them. He says if you find something beautiful, "Use your mind - hold it for a while."

Michael Augustin will give a free formal presentation, with a demonstration and talk on the spiritual significance of his paintings tomorrow (Thursday, August 20) at 7 p.m. in the River Falls Public Library's lower level community room.

Images courtesy of River Falls Public Library

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The Culture of Me, Myself and I

Posted at 8:15 AM on August 17, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

It's the oldest form of art there is: the first person narrative. For as long as we humans have gathered around campfires, we've also shared our stories. Over time, the campfire has made way for the office watercooler, the open-mic night, or the occasional autobiography. Now we have blogs, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

It used to be that each person would have to wait their turn around the campfire to tell their story. Now it's as though everyone's talking simultaneously.

Alex Williams writes in the New York Times Sunday Styles section about the surge in first person storytelling at open-mic nights. Williams writes more people are flocking to such storytelling events in the hopes of parlaying their story into a book deal or a one-man show on Broadway.

Storytelling in this manner has apparently become so relevant to the moment that it can no longer be confined to a few sporadic events populated by a small group of would-be memoirists. After all, it's basically just confession, Mr. King [Anthony King, artistic director of The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater] said, and everyone seems to be confessing the most intimate details of their lives on social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

"The private is now public," Mr. King said. "And great source material."

This self-obsession is not just limited to storytelling - it's also manifested in images, as Euan Kerr reported a while back. Self-portraits abound, as people seek to document their lives on Facebook and MySpace.

So what are the consequences of this "culture of the self?" Is it democracy in action, in which all our voices have equal power? Or will all the great voices naturally rise to the top? Have we all become our own personal curators, choosing which stories are worth following?

What, if anything, are we losing?

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Life as a musical, part two: Flash mobs

Posted at 3:16 PM on August 12, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Dance, Events, Music, Public Art

Earlier today I wrote about musical numbers, and how they make us feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves. I cited a video of a public prank, in which a group of performers put on what appeared to be a spontaneous musical in the midst of a food court.

In response, Sharon wrote in with one of her favorite clips of a group taking over a train station in Belgium for a song and dance number:

Such events are called "flash mobs" and they're becoming increasingly popular as technology (internet, cellphones) makes them increasingly easy to orchestrate.

However, as soon as a bunch of creative folk come up with a great idea, it doesn't take long for companies to latch on to them for sales purposes. T-Mobile orchestrated its own flash mob event for a commercial:

Other flash mob events include "flash freezes" in which a large group of people appear to freeze in motion at the exact same time.

Rumor has it there may be a flash event at this year's State Fair... heard anything?

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Reviews and ideas from the weekend

Posted at 6:00 AM on August 10, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Culture

Kevin Kling, Michael Sommers, Jacqueline Ultan, Michelle Kinney, and Simone Perrin present an evening of musical storytelling in "Flight"

What a weekend! Lots of great writing about local artists of all stripes, so read on to catch up on what you may have missed...

Graydon Royce gives a glowing review of Kevin Kling's new show "Flight" at Open Eye Figure Theatre in Minneapolis. Royce writes:

Kling's tales... provide the spine (and heart) of this show and we are reminded again of how to tell a story. It's not about rhythms and cadences. It's about details -- bald eagles swooping upon a stringer of walleye, a tiny boy noticing his parents cry, a transient's toothless grin. The real work of Kling's stories was done years ago when his soul deeply understood how important it is to wonder why certain moments, regardless how mundane, have such meaning in our lives.

Nice writing, Graydon!

Dominic Papatola at the Pioneer Press gives his wrap-up of the 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival here. For the most part Papatola seems really pleased with this year's festival, giving kudos to Fringe artistic director Robin Gillett. His biggest complaint? Not being able to find food and drink during the 30 minute breaks between shows. He'd also like free shuttles between venues.

(Note: if you just can't get enough of fringe festivals, check out this profile of the Berkshire Fringe in the New York Times. It's tiny compared to the Minnesota Fringe, and very very earnest.)

Star Tribune film critic Colin Colvert was not that impressed with "Julie & Julia," saying that while Meryl Streep is fantastic, the scenes with modern-day Julie are far less interesting, and weigh the movie down.

Meanwhile A.O. Scott at the New York Times thinks audiences are being spoon-fed formulaic movie pablum in a desperate retreat to sure successes during a recession.

From Wolverine and Mr. Spock in May through the Decepticons and wizards of July it has been a triumph of the tried and true, occasionally revitalized or decked out with novelty, but mostly just what we expected. No surprises.

Scott says the biggest success, both artistic and economic, of the summer has been "Up." This season, he says, the film with the most mature treatment of the adult themes of loss and regret is a cartoon.

Poet Kathryn Kysar reviews Alia Yunis' book "The Night Counter," in which Scheherezade appears to an elderly Lebanese immigrant and demands to be told a story each night for the next thousand and one nights. Kysar writes:

Yunis masterfully adds not only classical literature references, most prominently "The Arabian Nights," but she also delivers a searing yet humorous commentary about the difficulties confronting Arab-Americans living in the post-9/11 United States. She presents the reader with a catalog of clichés -- such as faux-Middle Eastern belly dancers in Vegas and a hippie fortuneteller with a fake crystal ball -- and challenges her readers to rethink these stereotypes as the characters' personal crises mirror larger geo-political events.

Finally, Mary Abbe has a profile of stone sculptor Zoran Mojsilov (If you've ever been to the Greek restaurant Gardens of Salonica in Minneapolis, that's his work inside and outside the building). Mojsilov is the subject of a retrospective at the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks.

So what did you do this weekend? Got any reviews for us? I'm all ears.

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Why blog about art?

Posted at 1:44 PM on August 6, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Culture, Technology

(Please forgive this act of self-indulgence. Oh wait, this is a blog...)

Blogging about art has made me a member of a rarified group of people, perhaps even more rare than the group "arts reporters." But our numbers are growing, as both traditional media outlets and freelancers find value in talking about art on a more casual, daily basis.

So when I saw that PBS' blog Art Beat had posted a new blurb (that's a technical term) titled "The Art of Blogging About Art," I was immediately sucked into the great naval-gazing void. Would I find myself reflected in their descriptions? Would I agree with my art-blogging compatriots?

Yes.

And no.

Chris Amico talks with three arts bloggers: Lisa Fung (arts editor and contributor to LA Times' Culture Monster), Don Share (contributor to "Harriet," the Poetry Foundation's group blog) and Lee Rosenbaum (arts writer for the Wall Street Journal, aka CultureGrrl).

Here are some of the ideas they raised, with which I heartily agree:

Blogging about the arts allows me and my colleagues at MPR to share news and ideas with you in ways completely different from our traditional radio format. That gives us flexibility to tell a story more creatively, with slideshows and video, if we like. It also allows me to speak in a more personal voice, and engage in a conversation that I don't get to have as a reporter on our air.

Talking about art in a more personal voice in turn makes the conversation more accessible to the general public. No snooty noses in the air here - all opinions are welcome. And the more voices that pitch in, the better the conversation.

Finally, writing a blog - and having a place where people can post their comments - helps me to do my job better as an arts reporter. I hear more now from people who wouldn't have taken the time to hunt down my e-mail address and send me a personal note. Those comments sometimes lead to (valued) corrections, and sometimes lead to new posts and even in-depth stories.

So yea for art blogs. But there is one idea brought forth by the bloggers with which I must disagree, at least in terms of my own writing.

Lee Rosenbaum says in the Art Beat article that she blogs "because I felt I had a lot to say and no place to put it... I can only write so many articles for the Journal but I have ideas everyday that I feel like sharing."

Reporter/blogger Chris Amico goes on to quote Scott Rosenberg, the author of "Say Everything," as saying that most people blog out of "a desire to express themselves, to think out loud, to exult in the possibilities of writing in public..."

In my case, not so much. I may have lots of ideas or thoughts throughout the course of a day, but there are very few I feel are worth typing out. For me, writing is often a very deliberate process, and when I post something here I want to make sure that it's worth my time - and yours. I'm much more excited in hearing what you have to say in response to a post than I am in the idea of simply "writing in public."

So with that, I'll shamelessly plug some of the ways in which YOU can have a say in this blog. As with any blog, you can comment on what you find here. You can also share your favorite work of Minnesota art for our series "We Art Minnesota." And you are always welcome to sign up to be an Art Hound, to help keep me and your fellow Minnesotans in the know about cool cultural events.

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Timberbrit: play it again, but slower

Posted at 12:31 PM on August 5, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Music

If you missed yesterday's All Things Considered, I urge you to go back and take a listen to the story on "Timberbrit." It's an opera that takes on the tragic end of Britney Spears, imagining her final hours of life, as Justin Timberlake returns to try and win her love one last time.

Britney Spears? Justin Timberlake? You're probably asking how this story made it to public radio airwaves. But what makes this opera so cool is not just the transformation of pop icons into tragic stage figures, but the metamorphosis of their high-energy music into high-drama. Composer Jacob Cooper slows down Spears' and Timberlake's pop hits into something much more nuanced, dark and compelling. As reporter Claire Happel writes, "Phrases like 'Hit me baby one more time' took on an entirely different and more weighted meaning."

You can see the Timberbrit video to the song "Worst Fantasy" here.

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I'm no artist, but I play one on my computer

Posted at 10:41 AM on August 4, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Technology

Imagine my delight when I stumbled across a new game on Yahoo called "Artist Colony." Great! An opportunity for us not-so-creative folk to live the artistic life, if only vicariously. I downloaded a trial version of the game, and gave it a whirl.

I should have known better. The game, based on the SIMS model of gaming, is all about managing a community. In this case, it's a run down artist colony that a couple of guys are trying to rehabilitate and repopulate (preferably with cute female artists). In the first hour of play there was very little art-making, but a lot of cleaning up debris and learning how to keep your artists rested and happy.

While the game was not nearly as satisfying as I had hoped, it was in some strange way educational about the world of the artist.

First off, an artist's creativity is significantly enhanced or upset by the quality of his or her love life (I'll buy that one).

Also, the price a person is willing to pay for a painting appears to be completely random. If you wait long enough there's sure to be a dealer who will offer far more than the painting is worth (again, depending on the economy, I'll buy that one, too).

A lot more time is spent working on non-artistic activities in order to sustain the making of art. I know of many artists who will attest to the truth of that.

However, there was one aspect of the game that I fear only perpetuates poor stereotyping. Every once in a while, a psychedelic looking "magic flower" will appear somewhere in the colony. In order to inspire your artist to create a new work, you must place them next to the magic flower (a lotus? a poppy?) until their inspiration levels are fully charged. Sigh...

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Monkey see, monkey not do?

Posted at 2:22 PM on August 3, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

The Five Senses (Still-Life with Chessboard), 1630, oil on wood, Musée du Louvre, Paris

A couple of articles in the New York Times have me worried about how we are engaging - or more to the point not engaging - with our culture.

Wandering from room to room:

Michael Kimmelman observes that museum-goers are stopping less and less to really look at the art, rarely pausing for more than a second or two. Instead of visiting museums in order to become more cultured or more worldly, people seem to be breezing through in order to check the "Mona Lisa" or "Winged Victory" off their "To Do" list. It's a superficiality Kimmelman blames in part on the camera:

Cameras replaced sketching by the last century; convenience trumped engagement, the viewfinder afforded emotional distance and many people no longer felt the same urgency to look. It became possible to imagine that because a reproduction of an image was safely squirreled away in a camera or cell phone, or because it was eternally available on the Web, dawdling before an original was a waste of time, especially with so much ground to cover.

I'd add to that argument that museums are also complicit in this new "culture of convenience." Our own Minneapolis Institute of Arts has touted the ease of its audio tours with "quick stops," requiring you to spend no more than thirty seconds in front of any given painting or sculpture. Of course, in today's world, 30 seconds is starting to look like a significant commitment.

Let them eat Jiffy Cake

In the New York Times Sunday magazine, Michael Pollan takes on the towering network of food shows, and how they've created a generation of gourmet couch potatoes. Thanks to Julia Child and those who have followed her, more people than ever know the difference between saute, grill and broil. But according to Pollan few actually choose to do any of these things in preparing their own meals. He writes:

Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that's less than half the time that we spent cooking and cleaning up when Julia arrived on our television screens. It's also less than half the time it takes to watch a single episode of "Top Chef" or "Chopped" or "The Next Food Network Star." What this suggests is that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves -- an increasingly archaic activity they will tell you they no longer have the time for.

Pollan argues that Julia Child loved to cook, and her love of the work involved was obvious and infectious. In comparison, modern cooking shows are her evil step-children:

These shows stress quick results, shortcuts and superconvenience but never the sort of pleasure -- physical and mental -- that Julia Child took in the work of cooking: the tomahawking of a fish skeleton or the chopping of an onion, the Rolfing of butter into the breast of a raw chicken or the vigorous whisking of heavy cream. By the end of the potato show, Julia was out of breath and had broken a sweat, which she mopped from her brow with a paper towel. (Have you ever seen Martha Stewart break a sweat? Pant? If so, you know her a lot better than the rest of us.)

Of course, we can rationalize these trends. We live in a fast-paced world, we lead busy lives, and we need our culture - whether it's on the wall or on the table - quick and easy. But what are we losing in the process? At the minimum, it appears as though we're being less self-aware. I'd also argue we're losing sight of the simplest - and sometimes most profound - pleasures of the senses.

Here's a thought - the next time you're at a museum, pick a work of art and spend 5 minutes with it. That's not much to ask, is it? Look at it from different angles, watch how others engage with it, and maybe even break out a sketchbook and try to capture what you see on paper.

On another day, take on a meal as a creative project. Make sure it takes at least 30 minutes to prepare (take that, Rachel Ray!). Make EVERYTHING from scratch. Take a few deep breaths before you start to eat. Linger over the the presentation, the smells, the colors, and of course, the taste. Oh, and leave the television off.

Notice anything?

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Coen Brother's "A Serious Man" trailer now on-line

Posted at 1:10 PM on July 31, 2009 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Film

It's a month and a half till "A Serious Man" opens at the Toronto International Film Festival, and two months till it opens here but you can get a taste of the tale set in St Louis Park through the trailer.

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Michael Steinberg memorial now available

Posted at 6:06 PM on July 30, 2009 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Culture, Music

My colleagues at Classical MPR and at APM's Performance Today have gathered interviews and other pieces from over the years marking the long and creative relationship MPR had with writer and educator Michael Steinberg, who passed away at the weekend.

You can find it here.

There is also the opportunity to share your own memories of Steinberg.

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Art Hounds: Mixing it up

Posted at 9:17 AM on July 23, 2009 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Culture, Events, Film, Museums, Music, Sculpture, Theater

One of the delights of the late summer is that it's time when local arts folks mix it up a little.

Take tonight at IFP Minnesota's Fresh Fete at the Varsity Theater. As the local organization devoted to independent film it will of course be showing films, but blending some chat and a lot of music too. The film comes from local writer director Emily Haddad who won IFP Mn's Fresh Film grant last year and used it to make "Egg Timer" which will premier at 6.30. There will be a conversation between Mystery Science Theater 3000's Bill Corbett and local playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher. The evening will be rounded out by local icon Willie Murphy and the Angel Headed Hipsters and pianist John Sims.

If you haven't seen the Walker Art Center's examination of conceptual art "The Quick and the Dead" - or even if you have - it's worth a visit. There are some 90 pieces by 53 artists, some of which are designed to change over time, hence the value in returning. Take for example Claes von Oldenburg's "The Garden" which involved burying 100 objects and then exhuming and displaying one item per day. He didn't specify what the object should be, but the Walker staff chose lemons, and you can see the results in jars in the Center's lower lobby.

After sell out shows last week the Trylon Microcinema returns with another Buster Keaton film "The Navigator." Live accompaniment is supplied by the Dreamland Faces, complete with singing saws.

If you are considering a little road trip this weekend, there is the final weekend of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, and the always whacky Free Range Film Festival in Webster, about half an our south of Duluth. Movie shorts in a barn, how can you miss?

And for the truly dedicated sports fan the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis is presenting live coverage on the big screen of the Tour de France. You can watch the cyclists sweat while sitting in the finest art deco movie house the Twin Cities has to offer. Admission is free, although they are collecting non-perishable goods for local food shelves, or a $2 donation.

And of course there is all the great stuff ferreted out by the Art Hounds Want to be one of them? Sign up!

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The Vatican embraces Oscar Wilde, Harry Potter

Posted at 12:32 PM on July 17, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

It's a move that has much of the literary/theatrical world stunned. The Vatican has released an article praising Oscar Wilde and his work. This not long after Pope Benedict the XVI was quoted as saying "homosexuality is as much of a threat to the survival of the human race as climate change." Oscar Wilde was famously imprisoned for acts of "gross indecency" (i.e. a sexual relationship with another man), but converted to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed.

You can find the complete text of the Vatican's article - in Italian - here (a recent search of the Vatican's "L'Osservatore Romano" failed to find the original article - perhaps it's been pulled in the wake of debate?).

If you can't read Italian, here are a few quotes in translation, thanks to the Daily Mail and the The Times:

"Oscar Wilde was a man constantly looking for the beautiful and the good, but also for a God that he never challenged, respected and who he fully embraced after his dramatic experience of jail, concluding with his communion in the Catholic Church."

It also says Oscar Wilde was "a man who behind a mask of amorality asked himself what was was just and what was mistaken, what was true and what was false" and "one of the personalities of the 19th century who most lucidly analysed the modern world in its disturbing as well as its positive aspects."

The Vatican paper even goes so far as to praise Wilde's social commentary, quoting his turn of phrase that "the things one feels absolutely certain about are never true."

Media outlets are trying to figure out what this shift in the Vatican's public voice means. The Daily Mail is calling it a "U-turn" for the Vatican.

Actor Stephen Fry (who is openly gay and played the part of Oscar Wilde in the 1997 film based on his life) said "a deathbed conversion from a scared broken vulnerable outcast doesn't give them [the Vatican] rights over his soul or name."

This act of praise, comes as part of what appears to be a new trend in embracing people and ideas that are popular, even if they may appear to be at odds with Catholicism's credo. Earlier this week the Vatican changed it's mind about the Harry Potter book/film series. Previously it had condemned J.K. Rowling's creations as corruptive, but the latest film was praised for its depiction of good against evil.

So where is the Vatican headed with these new, markedly different stances? Is the Vatican opening itself up to the broader ideas and morals displayed in packages that may at first appear sinful? Or is this about extending the appeal of the Catholic Church by associating itself with Wilde-ly popular cultural icons?

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The Lost Boys of Postville, Iowa

Posted at 8:21 AM on July 13, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Theater

Members of Teatro Indocumentado field questions after their performance.

This weekend I went to see an unusual play. It took place in a church, and the actors were all playing themselves. The play was in Spanish, and if you didn't speak Spanish you could read an English translation. The acting wasn't stellar and the writing wasn't award-winning, but the close of the play brought down the house, and everyone got to their feet to applaud the performance.

Why? Because this play wasn't about entertaining an audience. It was about seven undocumented workers sharing their stories, helping others to understand what they went through to come to the U.S. and how they were treated once they got here. In that sense the play was a complete success.

On May 12, 2008 the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa. They arrested close to 400 workers, most of them from Guatemala and Mexico. Many were sentenced to five months or more in jail for the use of stolen social security numbers and other similar offenses. Once they served out their terms, many of them were relocated to Decorah, Iowa, where they are awaiting trial of their former employer, AgriProcessors. They now have work permits, but many are having trouble finding jobs while they wait to testify.

Seven of those workers (six from Guatemala, one from Mexico), came up with the idea of putting on a play. While this might seem odd, political theater has been a part of the arts since the Greeks first started staging their comedies. It plays a particularly important role in countries where the people are trying to rise up against their political leaders. One of the actors said it was the best way they could imagine to help people understand what they, and other immigrants go through.

The men in Decorah have named themselves "Teatro Indocumentado" or "The Undocumented Theater" and their play is called "La Historia de Nuestras Vidas" (The Story of Our Lives). In the play they don't ever say "I'm not guilty" or "what I did was right." Instead they say things like this:

Life is hard in Guatemala and Mexico.

The crops never earn enough, and everything is expensive.
We plant with borrowed money, and only our debts grow.
Some days there isn't enough to eat.
I wanted to make a better life for my family,
So that my brothers and sisters might finish school,
So that my children might finish school.
I wanted to build a house out of brick.

The play follows the men from their dreams in their home country, through what they had to do to come to the United States, to the working conditions they put up with once they got here. Then there's the raid, the imprisonment, and being moved from prison to prison every few weeks.

As part of the play the men put themselves back in chains to show us what prison was like. This scene was particularly powerful knowing that the "actors" had actually lived through this.

The play closed with these words:

Our American Dream had become a nightmare.

And the land of freedom had become our prison.
We came here so that we could provide for our families, and improve their future.
But we'll return to them with empty hands.
We made friends here, but now they are gone, deported, I don't know where.
And meanwhile, we wait - without knowing for how long,
We are still waiting,
Unable to make a life here and unable to return home.

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Celebrating Hmong artists

Posted at 8:41 AM on July 11, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking

Photographs by Pao Houa Her

Last night I attended the opening of a group show by Hmong artists at Homewood Gallery in North Minneapolis. The show has become an annual event, organized by the Hmong Arts Connection (HArc). It includes photographs, prints, paintings and drawings. Dyane Garvey is with HArc; she said HArc is trying to encourage artistic expression amongst Hmong people. In traditional Hmong culture art is incorporated into everday life, but is not necessarily respected as a career in its own right, she said.

Happy by Galea Vajxyooj

While at the opening I talked to John Kong, one of the artists. Kong is particularly skilled in animation, and used to dream of working for Disney. He said it took a long time to convince his parents that being an artist was worthwhile, but after he won several art competitions they changed their mind. Ultimately their support became extremely important in getting him through art school, Kong said.

Gao Zoua Pang by Kao Lee Thao

According to Dyane Garvey part of the goal of the HArc exhibition is to boost the work of Hmong artists within their own community. Last year she went door to door in the neighborhood, inviting families to attend the show. John Vang responded to the invite, and left a note saying how much the exhibition meant to him as an art student. This year, his work is on the walls.

White Trees in Autumn by Mai C. Vang

The exhibition also serves as a window into Hmong American culture and identity. In "White Trees in Autumn" by Mai C. Vang (seen above), Vang adds the following text to her painting:

Sometimes when snow covers everything in Minnesota I stare out my bedroom window and sigh. Childhood passes us so swiftly, fall becomes winter when we blink, oh I wish that I could always have white trees in autumn.

"New Directions in Hmong Art" will be on display at Homewood Gallery in North Minneapolis through July 31st.

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Junky Art or Arty 'Junque?'

Posted at 3:02 PM on July 10, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, People

Sara Aeikens and her husband Leo have been walking the same path around Fountain Lake in Albert Lea for close to 15 years. For the last three of those years, Aeikens has been picking up the discarded objects she finds along the way and taking them home. She estimates she now has over two thousand objects, many of which are currently on display at the Albert Lea Art Center. She's grouped them together to create sculptural pieces. Others she's put out for people to mix and match into their own creations.

Aeikens show, titled "Junky Art or Arty Junque?" is on display in connection with another exhibition on sustainable art. Aeikens says she's given her ritual of picking up other people's trash a lot of thought. Here's what she says she's learned:

Our little actions do make a difference- negative or positive.

When we toss a tiny thing, it becomes many things.

Our little contributions affect our environment- right in our own neighborhood.

We could improve on noticing our little actions- by keeping our eyes to the ground and also by being aware of our larger surroundings and how we impact our space.

Junk can be colorful, unique, artistic and can be turned into "JUNQUE ART."

Junk can create humorous situations and spaces.

In my junque journey I enjoyed putting together numerous pieces that magically fit together after locating a frame or foundation to contain it or serve as a cohesive unit.

Junk to Junque can have a spiritual component.

Aeikens says she's noticed that some people coming into her gallery space have almost immediately turned around and walked out, or have simply said out loud "I don't get it," and she respects that. But she says she also believes what we throw away says as much about ourselves as what we keep. Taking a long hard look at our junk may be difficult for some, because it reveals things we may not be comfortable with.

(Images by Marie DeGennaro, courtesy of Sara Aeikens)

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The monster in the house

Posted at 3:18 PM on July 7, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Film

Image courtesy of Warner Bros.

When I saw this Slate.com article on the recurring theme of evil adopted children in movies, I just about punched my fist in the air and shouted "finally!" Ever since the trailers for "Orphan" began playing, I've been muttering "again?" under my breath. Evil children are almost as common as zombies in cinemas, and in many ways more unsettling. Jonah Weiner writes:

The plot device of the adoption-gone-wrong plays on a fear that the family will be infiltrated and torn apart by a malevolent outsider it's foolishly welcomed in... In these movies, the eruption of evil often comes hand in hand with the disruption of traditional family order...Time and again in the evil-kiddie canon, it's driven home that Mom and Dad can survive (if not prevent) their child's attack only by sticking together.

While Weiner focuses exclusively on the kiddies, I see the adopted-child-theme as just a subset of a greater genre: the alien in the family. And this genre is not just limited to movies; it goes back to our earliest stories. There's the evil step-mother (Cinderella) and the evil step-father (Hamlet). A new member in a close-knit family presents a threat, and we love to embody that threat with all sorts of awful traits, in order to further justify our loathing.

So do these stories help us, or hurt us? Or are they harmless? Why do we continue to tell them over and over?

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Web Site Story: The Musical

Posted at 10:25 AM on July 2, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Technology, Theater

Collegehumor.com takes on Facebook, Twitter, Pandora and more in this modern take on "West Side Story." Enjoy!

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Hours cut at several historic sites in Minnesota

Posted at 1:05 PM on July 1, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Architecture, Culture

The Minnesota Historical Society has announced it's reducing hours at some historic sites and museums statewide (including Fort Snelling and the Mill City Museum) beginning July 1. The change in hours comes in the wake of the state legislature cutting its funding of the MHS' operating budget by 8.6%. While hours at many sites are being reduced, no site is being completely closed.

Sites with new hours of operation are:

Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sundays noon-3 p.m.

Charles A. Lindbergh HouseHistoric Site , Little Falls: Thursdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Forest History Center, Grand Rapids: Thursdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Historic Forestville, Preston: Fridays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul: Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Jeffers Petroglyphs, Comfrey: Thursdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis: Mondays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Mille Lacs Indian Museum, Onamia: Wednesdays-Saturdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

North West Company Fur Post, Pine City: Thursdays-Saturdays and Mondays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River: Wednesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Sibley House Historic Site, Mendota: First and Third Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Hours are effective through Labor Day 2009

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The French to storm the Minnesota Opera

Posted at 8:56 AM on July 1, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

The Alliance Francaise of Minneapolis-St. Paul is sponsoring Minnesota French week July 6 - July 11. Events include a "Tour de First" (a few dozen bicyclists in a ceremonial ride down North First Street), the crowning of the Bastille Day Queen (aka Marie Antoinette, who will serve cake to the peasants) and the singing of the Marseillaise. There will be French film screenings and a flea market, but according to L'Alliance Francaise, the highlight of the week is the "Storming the Opera" on July 11 at the Minnesota Opera Center.

In order to celebrate the French holiday Bastille Day (normally July 14) in proper style, the Alliance convinced the mayors of both Minneapolis and St. Paul to sign proclamations declaring Saturday, July 11th to be Bastille Day in the Twin Cities. And they had a bit of fun with it, too. Here are a few excerpts:

WHEREAS, Most of the great state of Minnesota was once a French colony, a distinguished heritage that survives today in the state motto, "L'Etoile du Nord," and in the unmistakable savoir faire possessed by the state's cultural, business and civic leaders;

WHEREAS, The founder of the capital city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, was an industrious entrepreneur in the hallowed tradition of laissez faire, Pierre Parrant, an optically challenged Frenchman who suffered the public relations humiliation of being known as "Pig's Eye";

WHEREAS, the very land beneath the city of Minneapolis was once part of the French colony of Louisiana, and in its heart of hearts still longs to be part of France;

WHEREAS, Minneapolis, with its cultural and academic stature in the region surely qualifies it to be the Paris of the Great Plains;

...You get the idea. Bonne Fête, tout le monde!

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Hindu Temple opens in Maple Grove

Posted at 6:43 AM on June 27, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Architecture, Culture

Check out Steve Mullis' lovely slideshow of the new Hindu temple opening in Maple Grove this weekend. As MPR's Curtis Gilbert reports, Minnesota is home to over 20,000 hindus, and the temple seeks to welcome them all.

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Talking about happiness

Posted at 10:35 AM on June 24, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

It seems the recession has inspired a lot of us, or at least the media, to talk about what it means to be truly happy. The New York Times has an entire series dedicated to it, called Happy Days. The piece that's drawn the strongest response details one man's second chance at life, and how it changed his attitude.

The public's response to his story inspired a conversation on NPR's Talk of the Nation. And this week Midmorning asked if our definition of happiness is changing, and looked at what a longitudinal study of Harvard students begun in 1937 tells us about leading a fulfilling life.

One of the interesting revelations? The paradox of choice, and how having fewer choices in life makes it simpler, and creates less anxiety.

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Documenting life as a Somali-American

Posted at 2:53 PM on June 22, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Museums, Photography

Photographer Abdi Roble has been following Somalis for the last several years. He's tracked them from refugee camps in Kenya to shopping markets in Anaheim to offices of power and influence in Minneapolis. Minneapolis is known as "Little Mogadishu" amongst Somalis, and is home to some of their greatest success stories. Below is a slide show of just a sampling of the photographs now on display at the Weisman Art Museum, with narration by Roble.

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Vatican's ties to Minnesota grow ever stronger

Posted at 12:31 PM on June 17, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Books, Culture

Minnesota author (and former MPR reporter) Leif Enger was interviewed in yesterday's edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Enger is the author of two acclaimed books, "Peace Like a River" and more recently "So Brave, Young, and Handsome," the latter of which has just been published in Italian. Seeking atonement for one's sins is a major theme in the novel.

This on the heels of the announcement that the Vatican has declared the Cathedral of St. Paul a national shrine.

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Vatican declares St. Paul Cathedral national shrine

Posted at 2:54 PM on June 16, 2009 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Architecture, Culture

The Vatican has designated the Cathedral of Saint Paul to be the first national shrine in honor of the Apostle Paul. This will be the first national shrine in the State of Minnesota and the only national shrine in North America dedicated to honor Saint Paul.

According to canon (church) law, "The term shrine signifies a church or other sacred place to which the faithful make pilgrimages for a particular pious reason with the approval of the local ordinary (bishop)."

As Twin Cities Archbishop Nienstedt pointed out to the vatican in his request for the shrine designation, tens of thousands of people already visit the Cathedral every year. Of course with the new designation, the Cathedral staff are expecting the numbers of visitors to increase further.

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Northland Poster Collective to close

Posted at 9:46 AM on June 15, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Printmaking

Founded in 1979 by activist artists, Northland Poster Collective has existed as part activist organization, part business and part arts group, creating posters and t-shirts that support the labor movement. About the decision to close, founding member artist Ricardo Levins Morales noted "After thirty years of undermining Wall Street, it finally fell on us." The collective did not seek out grants, and instead relied on sales of its various slogan products.

This month everything on its website is half-off, and many of the buttons and other products will be farmed out to other websites and stores for sale at the end of June. Morales plans to open his own studio to continue his personal artistic/activist career.

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Hamline-Midway Library's future not as bright as its past

Posted at 4:31 PM on June 12, 2009 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture

The fate of the Hamline-Midway Library is on the chopping block due to city budget cuts. While the library will remain open through the end of the year, a task force is looking at what options it has after that. It could have sharply reduced hours, become the responsibility of some organization other than the City of St. Paul, or it could close entirely. The community rallying cry inspired me to pay a visit and find out more about the library's history, and just how it got started. The story is one of community activism and teamwork over a period of more than twenty years. Take a look and see for yourself. (Full disclosure: I'm a resident of the Hamline-Midway neighborhood)

Music performed by Mike Pohlad

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