Archive for the ‘Around the Museum’ Category
VORE, Scheel, Rosenquist, Crawl
The week that was
We’ve been full of hustle and bustle at the PAM offices for the last several weeks. On September 10, we opened Andrea Carlson: VORE, a stunning collection of mixed-media images chock full of animal imagery and horror-movie taglines. This is the debut of this new series by Carlson, an artist currently living in the Twin Cities, and we’re excited to be featuring this exhibition in the William and Anna Jane Schlossman Gallery on the 3rd floor. Keep an eye on the blog: a Q&A with Carlson will appear soon.
Last night, we held the opening reception for The Frederick B. Scheel Photography collection: A New Gift to the Plains, which opened on September 17. Despite the lousy weather and a busy arts calendar, we had a fantastic turnout. There were plenty of photographers and photography fans in attendance, and all received this new donation from the Scheel family warmly. Christian Peterson, associate curator of photographs at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, gave a presentation outlining the background of Fred Scheel’s numerous influences and acquaintances, many of them famous photographers whose prints were included in the donation. A walk through this show will either confirm or ignite your love for the quickly vanishing silver gelatin print – the quality of contrast between the dark blacks and the brilliant whites shown in these prints is breathtaking. This show is a must-see for any fan of photography.
The week that will be
As if things couldn’t get any more exciting: next week, we will begin installing The North Dakota Mural on the north wall of the Landfield Atrium. If you’re unfamiliar with the saga of the mural, we’ll be posting some background on the story of the mural and its creator, Pop Art luminary and North Dakota native James Rosenquist, in the next couple weeks. If you’re familiar with the story, you know that the acquisition and hanging of a large-scale Rosenquist piece has been a major goal of Plains Art Museum for a long, long time. In fact, it fulfills a major leg of our There’s a Little Artist in All of Us campaign.
Our tagline with the debut of the mural, coming up on Thursday, October 7 at 11 a.m., has been “What’s the Big Deal?” We say this because the answer is “this work of art,” a 13 x 24 ft. mural with many of the traits audiences have admired in Rosenquist’s work over the span of his long career: sharply juxtaposed collage, manipulation of scale, and a strong representation of the fixtures of social and political life. Further, and most importantly, the mural will spur a number of narratives about our state and will give North Dakota an outstanding signature work of art to represent her. Due to the size of the piece, the process of hanging it will take a few days and require the assistance of specialists who work exclusively in exhibiting large works of art. Check back to the blog over the next week or so for a more detailed look at this process.
Last, but certainly not least: we’re also gearing up for the FMVA Studio Crawl taking place all over the Fargo-Moorhead area next Saturday and Sunday, October 2 and 3 (click through to the FMVA website for details and a map). This is a marvelous opportunity for art fans to sneak a peek at a number of our local artists in their natural habitats – their studios. The Studio Crawl has also become a big social happening over its six years of existence with a number of events taking place on the periphery. Among them is our Studio Crawl Preview show, now on display on the 2nd floor of the Museum. The Preview will be up through October 10.
Question
Did you attend the opening of the Fred Scheel exhibition? What was your impression?
Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!
The week that was
This last week, we hosted a number of separate activities for Bikes, Art and Community Health Week along with co-presenters Fargo-Moorhead Community Bike Workshop (FMCBW) and Great Northern Bicycle Company (GNBC). On Monday, Sara Watson-Curry and Judith Feist (of FMCBW) led the creation of bicycle spoke cards in the Museum atrium, allowing participants the opportunity to stamp, color, and make prints. Tuesday, Watson-Curry and Andy Bushaw led a collaborative art project using bikes to paint a large canvas:
A bike makes a perfect brush.
Wednesday, the action moved over to GNBC for a physical challenge. A group of cyclists tested their meddle with gold sprints and a bike tractor pull. Last night, GNBC busted out their incredible bike, The Mighty Quinn, and used this five-seater to power a projector and sound system showing the animated French film, The Triplets of Bellville. As the name of the week suggests, participants got a chance to celebrate the bicycle, a simple and elegant machine that certainly has its aesthetic qualities. Plus, all of these activities dovetail into Sunday’s Streets Alive! event, where many Fargo-Moorhead streets will be closed off for cars and opened up for bikes and other human-powered transportation.
And, there’s one more Bike Week event coming up. Join us in Woodlawn Park tomorrow from 1 – 4 p.m. for bike decorating and safety checks. Plus, we’ll take the opportunity to gussy up the route for Streets Alive! with some sidewalk chalk.
The week that will be
Artist Rachel Breen is currently working on a work of art to adorn the wall in Cafe Muse. Breen uses stencils that have shapes and lines cut into them using a sewing machine to create small points. She then dobs the stencils with charcoal using a technique called “pouncing” used during the Renaissance to “trace” designs onto walls in preparation for painting. Here’s an example of her work via Minnesota Public Radio’s arts blog, State of the Arts. And, here’s Breen at work in Cafe Muse; she will be working throughout the weekend and we invite you to stop by, say hi, and watch her work:
Breen’s work is part of a new series of artworks for Cafe Muse called “Art = Food,” and proposals are now being accepted for future projects. Email Colleen Sheehy at csheehy@plainsart.org for information.
Gearing Up for the Fall
The week that was.
We had a great turnout for “Finding People, Pattern and Place,” a project spearheaded by North Dakota artist Anne Greenwood. The project worked in two phases; in the first, the public was asked to volunteer bits of 6 x 6″ fabric along with a story about the fabric. In the second phase, fabric artists put the squares together to form a narrative. Roughly a dozen fabric artists came by to help out.
In the PAM offices, we’re working hard to get out our next newsletter together and in mailboxes by the first of September. As we put together information on the next few months of programs and exhibitions, I get more and more excited for the fall. A new coffee service, more comfortable furniture and board games (including crokinole!) are in the works for Cafe Muse. The wildly popular Kid Quest returns in October, our new online Outreach tools should be available soon, and incredible exhibitions from the Frederick B. Scheel photography collection and Minnesota artist Andrea Carlson – debuting a new series entitled VORE - would make for a solid fall lineup by themselves … but on top of all that, we’ll be unveiling The North Dakota Mural by James Rosenquist on October 7! What an exciting time, PAM fans!
The week that will be.
On Monday, the workshops for the In the Heart of the Beast residency, “Water, Water Everywhere,” will begin at Trollwood. Spots are still open, so be sure to get in a registration if you’re interested. Workshop participants get to assist in planning the program, building large-scale puppets and masks, and perform in the program. It promises to a colorful and larger-than-life experience for all involved. If you are involved, be sure to post photos or drop us a note on our Facebook page.
Question:
The exhibition Individual to Icon: Portraits of the Famous and Almost Famous from Folk Art to Facebook will be closing on the 15th. Have you seen the show? What did you think?
Modern Man and the Farmers Market
The week that was
Last weekend, Hip Hop Don’t Stop overcame a last-minute venue change to host yet another blockbuster weekend of aerosol mural painting and hip hop culture. We’re working on some photos and/or video and we’ll share those as soon as we can. Once again, we’d like to thank our co-presenter, Idehaus, and the artists who made the trip to give us another awesome mural in town. Kudos also go to our sponsors: Richard Preston of 7th Avenue Auto Salvage, State Bank & Trust, Dawson Insurance, The High Plains Reader and the Hotel Donaldson.
It was a bit of a scrape, but the Plain Food Farmers Market is off and running once again this year. Each Thursday afternoon from 4 – 7 p.m., drop by to browse fresh produce, herbs, artisanal goods, and much more. We’d like to thank Mara Trygstad of It’s About Thyme for all of her help getting the farmers market off the ground this year; we had planned on shelving it due to a lack of personnel, but Mara filled in our gaps and took it upon herself to organize the event herself. When you stop by, be sure to give her a pat on the back for her hard work and take a jar of her pickled garlic home while you’re at it. That stuff works wonders.
The Downtown Street Fair is currently going on in downtown Fargo, which prompted this week’s Theme Photo Thursday (our weekly photo submission project) theme of “Fairs.” Click on over to our Facebook page to check them out. Unfortunately, no photos of foods on a stick were submitted … yet.
Last night, we hosted a delightful tribute to Modern Man, Fargo’s favorite “comeapartist” whose works have encompassed an astonishing amount of media (potato chips, glow-in-the-dark paints, objects, plus his own … ahem … fluids) and have been piquing our curiosity for decades. In addition to his talents and idiosyncratic style, Modern is also a funny, gracious and humble soul. His presentation, a 15-minute slideshow that served as my “Modern 101,” also showed why such a gifted artist found his way into the heart of our artistic community. Video of the tribute, featuring some shared memories from some of Modern’s good friends, is on its way within the next few days. However, you can see a few shared photos at our Facebook page.
The week that will be
Next Wednesday, world/jazz/folk duo Patchouli will play for July’s Rush Hour Music Series as a breezy antidote to our mid-summer heat. The tunes fire up at 5:30 in the p.m.
Also next Wednesday, the City of Moorhead will host a community meeting to discuss the installation of a garden at the site of the old Moorhead Power Plant in the Woodlawn neighborhood. The project is a partnership between the Museum (as part of our Defiant Gardens initiative) and the City of Moorhead. Two artists, Rob Fischer and Kevin Johnson, will be on hand to discuss their plans as well as hear suggestions and ideas from artists and the community at large. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Moorhead City Council chambers at 500 Center Ave. and will move to the power plant site later on. If you’re interested this addition to the neighborhood, please plan on joining us.
Lastly, our good friends at the Fargo Theatre will host a two-Beatles film series on Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd. “A Hard Day’s Night” will show at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and 7 p.m. on Thursday, while “Yellow Submarine” will show at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and 5 p.m. on Thursday. Admission for any show is $5 – totally worth it to see these gems on the big screen.
Have a great weekend and, remember, admission is free every Thursday through Labor Day!
We’re a Best Bet! [Around the Museum]
A big, hearty thank you to all of you who voted for Plains Art Museum in this year’s High Plains Reader Best Bets poll. We were chosen “Best Art Gallery” over some hefty and equally worthwhile competition, including The Rourke, ecce art + yoga, DK Custom Framing, and the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (the Hjemkomst). And for that, we’re honored.
Congratulations to all of the other winners; they represent some of the finest eats, entertainment and services you can find in our community. You can read up on them in the newest issue of the HPR, on stands and online now.
Bikes, The Beatles and Summer Art Camps
The week that was.
We close another week at Plains Art Museum as heavy showers fall in downtown Fargo. Earlier in the week we also experienced a heavy downpour of seeds from the huge cottonwood tree across the street. This “summer snow” is fun to look at but as I learned from Steve, our facility maintenance coordinator, the seeds also clog up our condensers which then require frequent cleaning. They’re a double-edged sword, I guess.
This past week we began putting final touches on the plans for Bikes, Art and Community Health Week coming up in late August. We are thrilled to be partnering with the FM Community Bike Workshop and Great Northern Bicycle Co. in this week of free events that focus on pedal power and collaborative art, providing a solid lead-in to Fargo-Moorhead’s Streets Alive! celebration. I’m most excited for the people-powered bike-in movie theatre. Volunteers will pedal a five-person bike (named “The Mighty Quinn,” see below), turning a generator which will then power a projector showing the film The Triplets of Bellville. Besides being a spectacle, it will also be an opportunity to enjoy a delightful movie in the open air.
The Mighty Quinn
Also, in case you missed it, The Forum’s John Lamb conducted an interview with Museum Director Colleen Sheehy on the state of the Museum during our downturn economy. It’s a worthwhile read.
The week that will be.
Next week, expect to see some photos and reaction from our first Summer Art Camp of the year. This first of three art camps is designed for children going into grades 1 through 4 and will focus on using mixed media to create self portraits. Open slots are still available by calling 701.232.3821 or by signing up on our Learn page.
Also, we’ll be formally kicking off our White Album exhibition with an opening reception next Wednesday starting at 5:30. In addition to the exhibition, local heavy Michael Pink will bring a Beatles-esque sound to our Rush Hour Music stage. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available and the exhibition curators will be on hand for a gallery talk as well. We expect a fun-filled evening celebrating this thought-provoking take on where popular culture/music and visual art … ahem … come together.
Until then, have a great weekend and remember that the Museum offers free admission every Thursday through Labor Day, so make plans to visit.
Around the Museum #2
We’ve heard both hubbub and quiet around the Museum for the last few days. It makes sense. The upcoming holiday is drawing everyone to other leisure activities and, as both the colleges and schools head into the final stretch, few students have made it over. However, our White Album exhibition has been a good pull for the public, so we’ve seen above-average traffic from that.
Much of our work this past week has focused on squaring away the final details for the residency of the theatre group Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. The Museum is presenting this residency along with Trollwood Arts and, soon, all ages will be able to sign up for a couple weeks of workshops with Heart of the Beast – absolutely free. You can see details here and more are soon to come. If you have any questions about registration, please direct them to Trollwood Arts by calling 218-477-6500 or visit trollwood.org. We’re excited to partner with such a great organization for this incredible opportunity. If you have kids looking for a free, artful activity, this one’s for you.
Next week, we’ll open an ArtView exhibition entitled Landmark: Views of the Moorhead Power Plant. After a call for submissions, we received work depicting the now-defunct Moorhead Power Plant from seven local artists. The purpose of the exhibition is to encourage discussion about the fate of this facility and to explore the formal qualities of the building. We’ll leave an opportunity for the community to leave its thoughts on the fate of the building as well.
On behalf of the entire Plains Art Museum staff, board and volunteers, I wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. We’re closed on Monday but open normal hours on Saturday and Sunday, so stop on by.
Around the Museum, #1
(Welcome to Around the Museum, a feature of the Plains Art Museum blog recapping the week and psyching you up for the week to come.)
The week that was.
On Tuesday, we officially opened The White Album: The Beatles Meet the Plains, an exhibition that showcases work from our permanent collection organized around the songs from “The White Album” (technically called The Beatles). Featuring a diverse set of artists (Star Wallowing Bull, T. L. Solien, and Luis Jimenez, among many others) chosen in such a way has given this exhibition a “shuffled” feel. This makes sense since the show is sort of a mashup. So far, it’s been warmly received; many visitors tell us that they’ve been excited to have a reason to reacquaint themselves with such a powerful musical statement. A large contingent of kids have been through for tours as well. I understand there was a lot of dancing to “Birthday.”
(Paul McCartney? Ringo Starr? If you’re out there somewhere, we’d be honored to have either or both of you in to give a gallery talk.)
The work on the roof windows over the atrium was finished last week and the scaffolding was taken down earlier this week. For both visitors and staff, it was daunting to have three stories of scaffolding right inside the front door, so we’re glad it’s down. Also reassuring is the fact that the Rosenquist mural will be protected from harmful light and UV rays when it gets installed this fall.
On Wednesday, Jeff Mooridian and friends led a laid-back evening of jazz for our Rush Hour Music Series. Jeff led a skilled band but kept the proceedings loose, creating a jovial atmosphere. He called up his sister to sing a couple tunes and, folks, she was dynamite (I have video from the evening that I will put up next week). I’d like to thank Connie and Kristy from our sponsors, Minnesota Public Radio, for bringing the scrumptious cake for their member appreciation function that coincided with the concert. I had the carrot cake. Two pieces.
We had a huge response to Theme Photo Thursday on our Facebook page this past week. If you’re not familiar with Theme Photo Thursday, it’s simply an open call for fan photos to be posted to our wall along a broad, simple theme. This week, the theme was “Music.” We had quite the array of work, from photos of Kiss to photos of old instruments. Please do check it out.
The week yet to be
We’re entering a brief period without any public programming, but that doesn’t mean we’re lacking in things to do. We just put the wraps on our next newsletter due out in the beginning of June, so now we’re in the process of getting the website up to speed. We’re also still planning a few functions, including a tribute to Modern Man coming up in July. Mostly, however, we’re basking in the beautiful early summer and working our hardest to bring people and art together.
Any thoughts to share about the week that was or the week yet to be? Please leave a comment, and thanks for reading.
