$99 Original Art

The $99 Sale, a fundraiser for The Soap Factory where original art is sold for only $99, is a statement about the inherent value of art.

Artists from all over the country donate a piece of original work (all the same size) to be sold without a name tag and with the small price tag. Some of the artists are well-known. Others aren't yet. Once you buy a piece, the artist's name is revealed.


This year the event takes place on September 11 (preview party and sale, $35) and September 12 (sale, free).

Learn more and buy your ticket!

spotogee at spotArt.org gallery

spotogee (pronounced spot-uh-jee) is a prelude to the autumn explosion of color.

Artists' reception Friday August 28, 7-11 p.m.

Music by Matty Schindler and Dave Harland

Featuring local artists:

• Carisa Westbury, doodle drawings
• Kurt Holtze, photographs
• Berry Holz, stencil spraypaintings
• Pat Smith, illustrations
• Richard Simonsen, relief sculptures
• Michael Meyer, paintings
• Ddwatson, photographs
• Spleee, paintings
• bmf, jewelry
• Karl Friedrich, metal sculptures

Show ends September 25.

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spotArt.org gallery
1828 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis
www.spotArt.org

Art Shanty Call for Proposals

The double-digit-negative wind chills and show-stopping snows may be several months away, but it's time to start thinking about Art Shanty.

Last year 135 artists participated (building shanties, performing, creating sculptures, etc.) and 10,000 people braved the frigid temps to experience it.

Here's some background from Art Shanty:

"The weather in Minnesota is challenging. Cold being the harshest. The desire to get out of the house requires significant amounts of energy and creativity. Lakes are an often-used medium for recreational activity in Minnesota. Winter does not stop this use, but transforms it. One of these uses, ice fishing, is a popular winter activity in Minnesota and indeed throughout the world. People often fish from a structure commonly known as an ice fishing house, shelter, shack or shanty. The absence of building codes and restrictions cultivate diversity and uniqueness. From portable, commercially-made shelters to homemade plywood boxes to deluxe fish houses approximating the comforts of home. The architectural common denominator is a trapdoor in the floor allowing access to a hole drilled through the ice."

Are you interested in building your own Art Shanty? Or providing another arts experience? Visit the Art Shanty site to get started.

TONIGHT!

FIVETWOSIX Gallery Event

Be sure to mark this on your calendar.

GO LIVE, Friday August 21, 2009

An interactive series: Art, Fashion, Music

We love Stephen and his gallery. Always a fantastic time.

John Alspach and Page Whitmore's work will be displayed. Music by Booka B and fashion by Atom Pechman and the 526 Stylists.

This is part of a series (part four) exploring the interaction between art, music and fashion.

Wines from Solo Vino; Food by Cheeky Monkey -- This can't happen soon enough!

Have You Visited Xylos?

I love wood as an art media. The varying grains, colors and firmness all contribute to the one-of-a-kind feel. Like mother nature contributed to the success of the piece.

Xylos is a gallery that shows the work of 12 artists who work in wood. If you haven't been there yet, you have to visit.

There is a large variety of work. Grandfather clocks to serving trays. Trivets to tables. They have furniture and accessories. It is often (if not always) staffed by one of the artists, which offers great opportunities for chatting about how such beautiful pieces were accomplished.

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Xylos 3020 West 50th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55410
Hrs: Thu-Fri 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun 12 to 5 p.m.

Call for Artists

FAIR Gallery
Minnesota / Mixed

McGrill Art Associates and FAIR School are looking for artists to exhibit in all media continuously throughout the year in a well-lit and secure public gallery. Two- and three-dimensional visual art, video installations and demonstration opportunities are available. Artist’s talks with students are encouraged.

This is a fabulous opportunity to have your work seen in a positive public venue to arts minded people.

Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource School FAIR is a fourth- through eighth-grade public school located in Crystal, MN.

Please submit digital images only to:
Sarah Balk McGrill
McGrill Art Associates

You will be notified by email when your submission has been received.

Vacant Spaces Become Art

“Save Canvas” is an event that recognizes the vacant buildings around town—signs of our economic hardship—and turns them into art. In effect, they are saving canvas, by using vacant buildings instead.

The public will be invited to experience a series of downtown locations through recontextualizing and repurposing materials and spaces to create a fully realized art exhibit.


It is an interactive event—the public helps turn vacant spaces into art. According to Save Canvas, “The exhibit is highly interactive, powered by generators; participants and attendees will be able to use paint (provided) to infuse the blank space of one abandoned building with their own creative passion.” The Minnesota Opera shop contributed salvaged sets and props to complete the concept.

One of the buildings will be an installation featuring 8-foot pop-up book images! Another will be a pop-up gallery on the same block of 10th Street in the heart of downtown.

Be sure to make time for this unique event TOMORROW!

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August 8, 2009
7-10:30 p.m.

10th Street between Nicollet and Marquette, Downtown Minneapolis. Pop-up gallery at 91 South 10th Street.

FREE

Learn more about the artists and get other details.

Artist Inspiration

I had the chance to visit the arboretum last weekend. Despite the dry summer, there were a number of inspirational flourishes. Since it is raining this morning I thought it might be a bit of a day-brightener.

I got a sense of being underwater with the presentation of many of the flowers.

Head's up--Traffic Zone Gallery Event

X Libris--The Re-purposed Book. September 1 - October 15, 2009

Opening Reception: Saturday September 12, 6-9 p.m.

Also, Tuesday September 22, 7 p.m., a reading in the gallery by poet Eric Lorberer. Reception to follow.

Learn more.

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Artist's featured include: Philip Barber, Harriet Bart, Doug Beube, Megan Greene, Scott Helmes, Helmut Lohr, Wolfgang Nieblich, Wilber "Chip" Schilling, Buzz Spector, Molly Springfield, Sarah Stengle, Jill Sylvia, Marshall Weber and Sam Winston.

Rest up for This Weekend

It's going to be busy with art activity galore.

Uptown Art Fair
Friday, noon-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Loring Park Art Festival
Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Powderhorn Art Fair
Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

3 Fairs Fare Free
Take the bus between the fairs for free!

Coming up: First Thursday at Northrup King

Visit the Northrup King Building for their monthly First Thursday event on August 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. Artists of all media open up their studios to welcome art browsers.

Take a break from perusing the more than 170 studios and enjoy a root beer float and Minnesota-grown sweet corn outside!

Learn more.