For most, this weekend winter oasis of all things art, culture, and collaboration is the opportunity to escape the onset of cabin fever and embrace Minnesota weather and artists at their finest. As I created my own postcard to send from The Art Post, the only post office I know of located in the middle of a lake, an impromptu four-piece band started playing outside. It was obvious the shanty visitors were not falling victim to the winter blues. Whether you fancy a dance party, a cup of tea, a live performance, or a tipi sauna this event will likely render an experience worth your time.

Needless to say, if you didn’t get a chance to revel in the glory known as the Art Shanty Projects this winter, put it on the top of your to-do list for next year. And, if you happen to be feeling really ambitious, keep an eye on the website, www.artshantyprojects.org, for 2011 submission calls.

Photo and article courtesy of Erin Kirby

The Soap Factory is hosting Haunted Basement 2009, the third annual artist-designed performance project held in the bowels of its 100-year-old+ historic warehouse building. And you thought the galleries were raw.

“Shifting from last year’s theme of disorientation, The Haunted Basement 2009 takes a turn towards the disturbing. In additional to the total absence of natural light, the bone chilling dank, and the subterranean maze of lurid apparatuses, the Haunted Basement crew has added a few new things to the mix.

“Visitors can look forward to an entirely new underworld, with environments by guest artists, and revolting and assaulting odors manufactured specially for the Haunted Basement by a local scent company. Thanks to EVP recordings taken during the Twin Cities Paranormal Society’s investigation, the HB 2009 also features a chilling soundtrack supplied by The Soap Factory’s very own spirits.”

Open 6pm-12am nightly // October 16-November 1, 2009
Tickets:
Mon-Thur, $15
Fri – Sun, $20
Must be 18+, and sign waiver.

This month, the Walker Art Center is hosting a film retrospective of St. Louis Park natives Joel and Ethan Coen.  

Joel and Ethan Coen: Raising Cain kicks off this Friday, September 18, with Blood Simple, their first feature film which debuted 25 years ago. The live (sure to sell out) Regis Dialogue on September 25 is sure to be a major highlight. [Tip: For those of you unable to get tix in advance, go to the show anyway. Someone always turns in a ticket or two. You could be the lucky one to score a ticket or two.]  

The retrospective runs through October 17.

Directed by David Mann and featuring: Patrick Coyle, Julie Madden, Katharine Moeller, Seth Patterson, Mo Perry, Stacia Rice, Matt Sciple, Edwin Strout & Lauren Vlach

A few special guests will hit the stage including Linda Kelsey (final weekend only), WCCO’s Mark Rosen and FM107′s Julia Cobbs of the Lori & Julia Show.

The show runs September 11-26. Reserve tickets here.

Click here for directions to  Minneapolis Theater Garage.

mnartists.org is hosting its first ever Field Day at the Walker Art Center today, Thursday, August 27. Events will take place from 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. You can mix and mingle with local artists and arts organizations and participate in lawn sports, including a kickball tournament, create your own screenprinted T-shirt with Calpurnia Peach, and enjoy a kid-friendly  scavenger hunt courtesy of Arty Pants, and a puppet show hosted by Open Eye Figure Theater. And, don’t miss a performance by uber-cool local group Solid Gold and their tricked-out video projections. Check out their video Bible Thumper below. Oh, it’s free.

Bible Thumper

Food and Drink are available at Wolfgang Puck Garden grill from 11a.m. – 8p.m. and The Gorilla Garden Bar from 6p.m.–10p.m.

Since I’m on vacation and not going to make it the movies, I am posting about a film from one of my favorite directors. John Huston was one of the main reasons I wanted to do something related to film. He paired up with Humphrey Bogart many times, and help to create film noir genre with films like the Maltese Falcon and Key Largo.

He went to WWII as a war documentarian and returned to Hollywood without missing a beat. His relationship with Bogart continued and made movies like African Queen (also starring Katherine Hepburn). In 1953 he and Bogart made “Beat the Devil“, it did not manage to achieve the same legendary status as their other films but it was the first time they attempted do something a little different. They mixed comedy into their film noir formula and though audiences didn’t appreciate the twist at the time the film has gained cult status. The film also introduced audiences outside of Italy to one of the most beautiful woman in the world at the time, Gina Lollobrigida.

Peter Lorre, a long time bad guy in Bogart and Huston’s films, makes another appearance as the kooky, hunched, skittish, criminal element. As a kid I watched cartoons like Bugs Bunny, with the bad guy hideouts, bug eyed crooks with odd voices, little did I know that they were borrowed from this world that Huston and Bogart created. This film typifies the genre and sets the tone where modern “dramadies” would go.

Netflix

Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) is one that I will mention a lot in my future Culture Blog posts. They are the most active interactive marketing organization in the Minneapolis area, and hold monthly events that are open to the public (cheaper with a membership, but you can still go without one).

Next Wednesday, July 15 MIMA is holding an event called Localization & Internationalization.  The digital world is 100% global, and this event will discuss how to ensure that your digital strategy takes that into account.  The description from the website reads:

You don’t need to travel very far to experience the world. Just open your browser and take a look around. The internet is one giant melting pot and the leading content online today is published in English, Mandarin, Spanish and Japanese. Even more remarkable is the fact that there are more native Spanish speakers in the world than English.

As interactive marketers, what are you going to do about it? You may not speak Spanish but your users do. Reaching this audience requires so much more than hiring a translation firm. You need a comprehensive strategy that understands their unique cultural needs.

Our speaker this month deals with just that.

About the speaker
Joe Kutchera is the Director of Spanish-Language Markets at ContextWeb, a leading contextual advertising company and operator of the ADSDAQ Exchange. At ContextWeb, Joe is responsible for building sales in Spanish-speaking U.S. and Latin American markets and comes to ContextWeb with over eight years experience in the online advertising industry.

Prior to joining ContextWeb, Mr. Kutchera built a number of Time Warners interactive properties including Warner Bros. Online, This Old House Online, Fortune, CNN Money and Grupo Editorial Expansion in Mexico City (acquired by Time Warner in 2005), which includes: CNN Expansion, Chilango and Quien. Mr. Kutchera has a BA from Macalester College and an MBA from Fordham University in New York City.

In addition to writing for iMediaConnection, he has spoken in Mexico, Spain and the U.S. about online advertising trends in Latin America.

Twitter: @joekutchera
You can register for the event here.

Residence #1 (2006) by David Lefkowitz

Watercolor on cardboard. Particle-board contact paper meticulously laid down on a concrete floor. “Chips” cops and H.R. Puff-n-Stuff. All are part of the latest exhibition at Fallon—Resurfacing—in which nine local artists repurpose discarded cardboard, use humble materials like contact paper to alter our perception of space, or mine old icons among other things to change how we view the ordinary. 

Because most artists are fairly used to challenging economic times, they often see possibility in unexpected places and are resourceful by necessity to make great art within their means. Although advertising budgets are typically quite robust compared to that of most artists’, the current reality of shrinking budgets demands us to be smarter and more resourceful than ever. Yet another reason to look to art for inspiration.

Artists include:
Betsy Byers
Jennifer Danos
Bill Ferenc and Lyndsey Lesh
Bethany Kalk
David Lefkowitz
Drew Peterson
Margaret Pezalla
Emily Smith
Scott Stulen

Meet the artists at a reception on Thursday, July 16, from 3:30-5PM. Wine and cheese will be served.

Fallon’s art exhibition program mission is to challenge, inspire, and energize the agency. Exhibitions rotate every three to four months.

A bit of an early announcement, but with only 400 tickets available (minus at least two that I bought), it’s never too early to tell you about the 8th Annual Square Lake Film & Music Festival.

The backyard of Paul Creager’s parents’ 14-acre hobby farm near Stillwater Minnesota is the setting for a one-night festival of short films & animation, live music from a handful of local artists, and camping out underneath a beautiful star-filled sky.
The highlight of the evening culminates when the music and film come together as one of the bands performing scores a live soundtrack to a film on the giant outdoor screen after sunset.

This year’s chosen film is “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” with live music score performed by the International Novelty Gamelan Ensemble.

Other performers throughout the day on the backwoodsy, hand-built stage will be The Bad Plus, Roma di Luna, the Orange Mighty Trio, Charlie Parr, and Zebulon Pike.
You don’t have to worry about missing any of the music or the films since the timing of the day’s events are staggered.  Sit in the giant natural bowl that is the Creager farm and listen to the bands, then get friendly with a neighbor inside the snug barn to watch one of the nearly 50 films being shown on Saturday.

If you want to start the festival early get on two wheels and meet up at the Hub bike shop in South Minneapolis.  There is a discount on individual ticket prices if you make your trip eco-friendly.  $5 instead of the $20-30 price.  You’ll be in the company of families on city bikes to hipsters on fixies, and all others in-between.  The ride is about an hour long over the mostly flat terrain of the Gateway Trail
No worries about slogging your camping gear, a couple of vans will load up and deliver up of the riders’ tents, sleeping bags, and extra food to the Creager farm and back to the Hub the next morning.  If you get a flat or have other minor bike troubles on the way there or back just flag down one of the bike-techie skilled riders that will accompany the group and you’ll be back on your way in no time.
Another plus to biking it, available camping space is a first-come first serve basis and the cyclists always get there early.
(starts in St Paul).

If you prefer to ride on four wheels there’s usually plenty of parking.

Photos of previous Square Lake festivals can bee seen on these Flickr pages.

More information, music & film schedule, directions to the festival location, and tickets purchases can be found on the Square Lake Festival website (linked above).