Volunteers needed for Speakeasy
Art-A-Whirl ® needs “all hands on deck” – with building owners and artists tied to their buildings and studios, Northeast Minneapolis Arts District relies on family, friends, and board members who are not exhibiting artists, to staff the fundraising Speakeasy that we will hold again in the basement of Casket Arts. Shout out to 45th Parallel Distillery for the cocktail spirits and Central Avenue Liquors for the beers that will be sold to raise operating expenses and special initiative funding for the Arts District.
Art-A-Whirl dates: Friday May 17 – 5-10 p.m., Saturday May 18 Noon – 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 – Noon-5 p.m.
The good news is, the work is such fun that more than half the volunteer ticket-selling shifts are already full. As of this writing, individuals are needed for the “late” shifts on Friday and Sunday, and one person each for the first two shifts on Saturday. We also need someone who’s beverage/service industry oriented to help as a floater for certain times (negotiated). If you are interested in any of these opportunities, contact Margo@MargoAshmore.com.
Thank you for contribution
The Rasmussen – Northeast Bank foundation has contributed $1,000 to the Arts District/NECDC for use as the board sees fit. Similar contributions in past years have been applied to the prize money for the Northeast Calendar artists. The ongoing contributions have been greatly appreciated, along with steady board service from Sue Sjoselius, the bank’s compliance and marketing officer who is serving as the organization board’s secretary.
Midway Contemporary Arts book launch
Midway Contemporary Arts’ Library at 201 Sixth St SE, Minneapolis, will host a book launch Saturday, March 9, 4-5:30 p.m. for artist Lisa Lapinski’s new book, Miss Swiss. A conversation between Lapinski and artist Jay Heikes will begin at 4:30 p.m. and focus on the publication and Lapinski’s practice. This event is part of a larger nine venue launch tour, including stops in New York, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Copies of Miss Swiss will be available for purchase.
Loretta Bebeau exhibit at Hopkins Art Center
Loretta Bebeau, Former Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) Board Chair (2003-2006) will exhibit at the Hopkins Art Center through March. Check the website for more information on events with the show.
Bebeau has had her studio in Northrup King building for 20 years, and has participated with the Arts District during this time. The Hopkins exhibit is done historically, as the art grew. Bebeau was active with WARM during the 70s, and Artists Equity Association.
Deborah Foutch makes the cover
The work of artist Deborah Foutch, known for her mixed-media depictions of natural soil, water, and tree systems is featured on the March 2024 cover of Minnesota Women’s Press, themed “On the Surface.” An article about her and her work appears in the magazine.
Foutch and Candy Kuehn, both artists working in the California Building, will talk about finding stories with materials and experience. They will be in the ON 2 Gallery, second floor of the California Building, 2205 California St. NE, from 1-2pm Saturday March 9, 2024.
Somebodies | Russ White
The Phipps Center for the Arts presents a solo exhibition of new colored pencil and mixed media drawings abstracting portraits and figures. In a new series of large scale drawings on canvas, artist Russ White uses portraiture and figure study for material exploration, collaging bodies even further into abstracted sections of saturated color, spontaneous mark-making, and rigorous photorealism.
Combining these ways of seeing into energetically dynamic pictures is an attempt to visualize the complimentarities of our lives: that we are apart from the world but a part of it; that we can know many people but never know what it is to be them; and that we are each individually finite, flawed, and inconsequential — ants in a supremely dysfunctional hill — but at the same time part of an endless, marvelous continuum.
Gallery Hours are Mon. – Sat. 9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. and Sun. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. The Phipps Center is at 109 Locust St., Hudson, WI. The show is up through April 7.
Public Functionary’s first 2024 exhibit “Blood Memory”
A solo exhibition by Minneapolis-based artist, Candida Gonzalez, titled “Blood Memory” will will open on March 22, 2024 and run through April 13, 2024. The opening reception is from 6-10 p.m. Friday, March 22. Gallery Hours are Thursdays noon-9pm, Fridays noon-6pm, Saturdays 12pm-6pm. The exhibit is in Studio 144 at Public Functionary, Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.
Blood Memory ruptures the representation of the altar (typically following religion or ritual), focusing instead on the intuitive while still creating spells that honor ancestors and homelands. Using a variety of media – collage, photography, everyday objects and audio – Candida Gonzalez creates five installations.
For example, in Caldero Familiar, a kitchen installation is accompanied by handmade collages and audio to reflect how we use food to connect with and honor our homelands daily. In the participatory installation Blood Memory, visitors are asked to interact with a variety of objects until they find one that invokes a memory from their body, write a love letter to it and place it on the corresponding altar. I Wear Gold to Talk to My Ancestors explores how we use our bodies and adornment to be in relationship with our ancestors and the things that were important to them. The participatory installation En Duelo recreates a more traditional bedroom altar to the dead but moves it into a communal space where visitors can contribute and find space to explore their grief over lost loved ones. The fifth installation is ReCreation.
A Solo Exhibit by Lisa Roy
Lisa Roy, a fine art photographer based in Minneapolis, demonstrates her talent for compositions that capture compelling images, showcasing the beauty inherent in the world around us. Through her lens, she offers fresh insights on familiar places, subtly hinting at untold stories and inviting contemplation. Lisa’s photography mirrors her passion for visual arts and her commitment to sharing the extraordinary beauty discovered in ordinary moments.
The exploration of color and value in Lisa’s work invites viewers to perceive familiar scenes from a new vantage point. Whether it’s a photograph capturing a skyline during the blue hour or an enchanting snowy landscape, viewers are drawn into the image.
“Chiaroscuro: Exploring the Dance of Shadow, Light, and Color” unveils a diverse collection of photographs spanning multiple years, capturing scenes from both Minnesota and beyond. Lisa’s passion for architecture, the pristine beauty of fresh snowfall with its accompanying extraordinary light, waterfalls, and the captivating quality and color of light during sunrise or sunset profoundly shape the essence of this showcase.
On view through March 16th at the Hallberg Center for the Arts.