TC WEEKEND | FOUND Exhibit, Taste of Phillips Art Fest, Artability Art Show, Tweed Ride, BOOseum and more!

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This weekend should be a real treat for art and book lovers — there are a number of wonderful art shows and book readings and discussions on deck. There are also a ton of Halloween events taking place, given that this is the last weekend before the holiday. A few Halloween events are highlighted in this weekend’s round-up, but please visit our Halloween article for a more comprehensive list (go here for general fall events).Also, if you snap fall-themed pictures while out enjoying the weekend, tag your pictures with #tcdpic on Twitter, Instagram, or Flickr, (or email them to editor@tcdailyplanet.net), to enter our Fall Photo Challenge and a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to a local coffee shop! FRIDAYFOUND Opening Reception, Friday, October 25 All My Relations Art Gallery1414 E. Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis 5 pm – 8pm    6:30 pm – Artist talk with C. Maxx Stevens As advertised:“Come and see the work of C. Maxx Stevens and Henry Payer–both Native American contemporary artists who use found objects and re-appropriated materials in their art.  These artists draw upon the history of the found objects and their own personal life experiences to create fresh, thought-provoking expressions. Their works reflect contemporary art movements, while remaining fundamentally rooted in a dialog that embraces each of their personal stories as American Indian.” A Taste of Phillips Art Festival, Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26 St. Paul’s Lutheran Church2742 15th Avenue, MinneapolisFriday: Open microphone – poetry, spoken word, music, performance art!Saturday: Mural dedication at Lake Street and Bloomington with music at St Paul’s afterward.Information from the Facebook page:“The annual Taste of Phillips Art Festival will be bigger than ever! Continue Reading

Why arts journalism matters

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From October 23-November 2, I’ll be in Los Angeles as a fellow in the 2013 USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program. In the fellowship application, I was asked to write an essay answering the question, “When everyone’s a critic with an opinion, why should artists care about arts journalists?” As I transition into a new job at American Public Media, I thought it would be apt to share this essay as my final column post at the Twin Cities Daily Planet.My father works in housing finance, and when we drive around Minneapolis and St. Paul, he can point to specific buildings that he helped to secure funding for. A homeless shelter; an apartment building containing affordable units for single mothers; a recovery center for chronic inebriates.When I began a career in arts journalism, I realized that I wouldn’t be creating such tangible products. Continue Reading

Slowing down and looking closely

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“Let’s all slow down,” I said as I introduced one of my favorite picture books in a recent presentation to a group of librarians and teachers. I always seem to have a weakness for picture books that focus on little things. Simplicity. Patience. Observation. Continue Reading

Warm puppies and cook books

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My older sisters all went to a mysterious place called school while I spent quiet days at home with my mom and our dogs, and my imaginary friends Macaroni and Alligator. When my sister Susan brought home her Scholastic book orders I was overcome with jealousy. Not only did she get to go learn cool stuff all day, she got to bring home books! The “Peanuts Cook Book” appeared on her shelf and I couldn’t control my lust for warm puppies and recipes like Snoopy’s Steak Tartar. Susan, a Lucy van Pelt aficionado, was more interested in the recipes attributed to Lucy. It took years, but eventually I found a way to permanently borrow her book. Without her permission. Continue Reading

It’s okay to notice

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“You probably noticed what’s different about me,” I said to a group of second and third graders this weekend. Their Unitarian-Universalist Sunday School class is celebrating differences this quarter, and I was invited to talk to them about my difference. Continue Reading

Lao horror poetry at H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival

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It’s been a big month for fans of Lao American horror. Film director Mattie Do had the US premiere of her ghost story Chanthaly at Fantastic Fest in Texas to rave reviews. Playwright Saymoukda Vongsay is days away from the world premiere of her play Kung Fu Zombies vs. Cannibals at the Southern Theater. And Little Laos on the Prairie’s Bryan Thao Worra was a featured guest at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Los Angeles. Continue Reading