TC Weekend | Back to the 50s Car Show, Swedish Heritage Day, GermanFest, Posters and Pints & more!

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Updated: 6/21/2014 – 9:59 pmThis weekend offers a spirited mix of events to help mark the official start of summer (Saturday, June 21). The lineup is less congested than last weekend’s, but every bit as rich and lively. This weekend’s weather forecast appears to be a bit brighter as well. See what’s on tap for the weekend below:Back to the 50s Car Show, June 20 – 22 Take a drive down memory lane at the 41st Annual Back to the 50s Weekend, sponsored by Minnesota Street Rod Association. Enjoy over 11,000 hot rods, live entertainment, a T6 flyover, food and fun for the entire family. Continue Reading

Pan Asian Festival brings culture to new generation

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On May 4, 2014 the Pan Asian Alliance, with the support from over 35 local organizations, held its fifth annual Pan Asian Festival at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. The event aims to present Asian culture with various performances, including Asian Indian, Chinese, Dai, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, Mongolian, Silk Road, Thailand, Tibetan, Yi and more.“This art festival really is for our next generation,” Ange Hwang, the executive director from Asian Media Access, said. “Because there are lots of young kids, when they learn their cultural dance, they would appreciate more to keep their traditions and culture…we are taking a different education aspect.”While enjoying the Asian dance and music, event goers could also experience authentic Asian food, experience craft makings and play carnival games.“We do feel lots of differences this year,” Hwang said. “We have a lot more mainstream audiences. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Art in Bloom, Cinco de Mayo, MayDay, Festival of Nations & more!

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We’ve endured puddles, potholes, puddles in potholes and chilly April showers — now it’s time for some May flowers!  This weekend’s forecast calls for a bit more sun (crossing fingers), perfect for getting out to Art in Bloom, the Summer Flower Show, and the many festivals in the Twin Cities. Details below:Art in Bloom, May 1-4 Take time to smell the roses and delight your eyes with timeless art at Minneapolis Institute of Arts’ 31st Annual Art in Bloom. On display will be 150 floral arrangements designed to reflect art from MIA’s permanent collection. Minneapolis Institute of Arts2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, MNGeneral admission is free; price for ticketed events vary Go here for more info. Festival of Nations, May 1-4 Get a glimpse of the globe in one colorful setting at Festival of Nations, an annual festival presented by the Internatinal Institute of Minnesota. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Get into the swing of spring with the Saint Paul Art Crawl and more!

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TC Weekend is back, a sure sign of spring! We’ve selected a few choice events to help you ease into the season. From Earth Day cleanups and One Day in the Twn Cities to literary readings and art showings, there’s plenty on tap to help you get out and about this weekend!Saint Paul Art Crawl, April 25 – 27Lowertown, University Avenue and more in Saint Paul, MN; Go here for location info.4/25 –   6pm – 10pm4/26 – 12pm –   8pm4/27 – 12pm –   5pmEnjoy the work of over a hundred local artists as they open their studios to the public for the weekend. Thousands of visitors from across the Midwest take in this bi-annual art crawl that also features free music, theater performances, art activities and more! Free rides from Metro Transit are available. Continue Reading

COMMUNITY VOICES | Freedom of expression does not excuse oppression: Bjarne Melgaard, the Walker Art Center and racism in contemporary art

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I’ve spent the past couple of weeks plotting my strategy to bring attention to artist Bjarne Melgaard’s use of blatant racism in his work, but it seems he has done my work for me.Melgaard, the artist responsible for the recent “women of color as chairs” scandal that surfaced last week, currently has work in an exhibition called “9 Artists” at the nationally-recognized Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN. The show aims to explore the changing role of the artist in the global community. Melgaard’s contribution to the show includes a series of photos containing multiple uses of racially insensitive slurs, such as a photo of a painting with the text, “N*GGER ON A WHITE TRIGGER.” Artist Dahn Vo also contributed his piece “I M U U R 2” to the show, a work that displays various knick knacks, including a large collection of “Black Americana”: mammy and cook imagery and figurines of black children eating watermelon. As a gallery attendant at the Walker Art Center, I’m all for freedom of expression. You wanna splatter paint on a canvas and you can get somebody to buy that shit? Do you. Continue Reading

Sara Syverhus’ solo exhibition “Crystal Vision” finds light in the dark

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As an emerging artist who is still experiencing an unsettled change in style and content, I understand that this change is as exciting as it is terrifying—like a creative puberty. It is one thing to observe such a change while in its midst, but there is nothing quite as mesmerizing as viewing this metamorphosis as it happens to someone else.Sara Syverhus is an artist who is just now finding her voice both artistically and personally. From heartache to self-discovery, Syverhus’ work chronicles a road that all artists at some point must travel. The road in which we realize that sometimes the only way to express ourselves is to create a safer world where we can heal and grow without judgment. In the case of Syverhus’ solo exhibition Crystal Vision at the Fox Den Salon on Friday, December 13, her healing takes place in a world of be-speckled skies and creamy star trails.While her settings are often solemn, her heroines seem to be captured in the process of figuring out where they are, how they got there, and what they will do next. Continue Reading

Beyond Black Friday: Supporting local business and artisans

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 UPDATED 12/4/2013  It’s the most wonderful time of the year … especially for retailers and those who love to shop. “Black Friday” remains the biggest shopping day of the year, but now “Brown Thursday”  or (“Gray Thursday” depending on who you ask) is becoming a thing, as retail stores across the country opened their doors and offered holiday sales on Thanksgiving. “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday” keep the commercial drumbeat going. We’ve highlighted a few local businesses, organizations, and artisans in the Twin Cities that could use your support this holiday season and all year long —  and we invite you to add your favorites in the comments, or by tweeting them at us with hashtag #tcbuylocal. MN 2020 has a handy MN Gift Guide of Minnesota owned shops and restaurants, and also recently released its 2013 Made in Minnesota Report, which highlights how fair retail wages strengthen local economies. Buy Local Twin Cities provides another useful business directory, with entries for MetroIBA independent, local businesses. Related articles and blogs:Teresa Boardman encourages you to shop local, if you must shopErik Hare reflects on the mindset behind “Black Friday”A few Twin Cities businesses and artisans that could use your support :CityKid Java, Cookie Cart, H&H Coffee Cozies and Swiss Colony Gift Boxes 3024 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN(651) 202-8379CityKid Java, a local coffee shop that gives100% of its profit to Minneapolis kids, is partnering with local businesses for their gift boxes this year. More information as advertised:“Socially-conscious consumerism is more than just a trend. Continue Reading