Arts and Culture : Buzz

The Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota made the the Washington Post with its upcoming exhibit on Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

An Associated Press article notes the exhibit, called "Arctic Sanctuary: Our Collective Refuge," which opens June 25 and runs through Sept. 4.

The exhibit features large-format photographs and text by wilderness landscape photographer Jeff Jones and writer Laurie Hoyle, according to the article.

Their book, "Arctic Sanctuary: Images of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," commemorates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the refuge.
 

The work of Minneapolis-based Artspace is featured in a recent Nola.com story about the rise of artist live/work spaces in New Orleans and elsewhere. 

Artspace is a nonprofit organization that develops affordable space for artists and arts organizations all over the country.

The group plans to convert the Andrew J. Bell Junior High School Property in New Orleans into a $40 million home for artists--one of a number of similar developments taking place across the city, the story states.  

These kinds of developments are appealing to many artists because they're often affordable and offer gallery space, built-in community, and other professional opportunities, it explains.

Wendy Holmes, senior vice president of consulting for Artspace, is quoted in the article, saying that it makes sense because "Artists bring a lot to the table."

A strong artist community can improve a city's tax base and turn around struggling neighborhoods. "Artist communities re-energize neighborhoods. And even though we're all businesspeople it's not always about the bottom line. It's about community engagement," she says.

In his interview with Reuters' Mikael Wood, Owl City's Adam Young recalls first gig at the Varsity Club in Dinkytown. ""I'm standing backstage before I go on, just so terrified," the Owatonna native tells Wood in a May 24 article in the LA Times.

Little more than two years later, the butterflies are gone, and Owl City's major-label debut "All Things Bright and Beautiful" is due out June 14 on the Universal Republic label.

The band will kick off a six-week tour this summer that includes a St. Paul date--July 30 at Roy Wilkins--but no Varsity Club show.

"A hipster is just a Brooklynite who wishes they were from Minnesota because it's 'more real,' while genuine Minnesotans are exempt from the label," writes Chris Menning in Buzzfeed on "the most hipster state in the U.S."

They are strong words, stated tongue-in-cheek and a with a good amount of data behind them: Menning cites the frequency of regional searches for the term "hipster," and he backs up Minnesota's crowning with our "lumberjack look," thriving theater scene, plethora of co-ops and farmer's markets, favorite musical sons (from Dylan to Atmosphere), bike-city status, and the movie Juno.

The Secrets of the City website has posted a mini-documentary about a large-scale international work from a couple of Minneapolis stencil artists who go by the name Broken Crow.

The artist duo recently left their mark in Mexico City, with a mural at the Antique Toy Museum. In the short video from Brooklyn Street Art, which local blogger Eyeteeth shared with Secrets of the City, viewers get to see the artists in their element: The pair is shown scaling scaffolding, wearing gas masks and spray-painting their original stencil designs on a huge wall.

Also, viewers get to watch the final image come together, and hear from the artists.

Patisserie 46, a neighborhood bakery in Minneapolis opened less than a year ago, yet it already has a loyal following, a recent story in the New York Times states. Its French-style croissants "are crisp and light as air," while the macaroons evaporate in the mouth, the story says.

Patisserie owner John Kraus trained in Europe before teaching at the French Pastry School in Chicago, where he worked for over a decade. He opened up Patisserie last summer. In the story he observes,  "Minneapolis is becoming a phenomenal baking town."

Other local bakeries that are given a shout-out in the story include Sweets Bakeshop, which has locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Salty Tart Bakery in Minneapolis, and St. Paul's Bars Bakery.

A local chef and restaurateur was chosen by the James Beard Foundation as the best chef in the Midwest at a New York awards ceremony this week, the Star Tribune reports.

Props went to Isaac Becker, who is a chef and co-owner of a couple popular spots, including the 112 Eatery and Bar La Grassa in Minneapolis.

The Star Tribune notes that Becker is the third Minneapolitan in a row to receive the honor, which is considered by many people to be the "Oscars of the food world," it states.

Another Minneapolis 'who's who' among foodies, Sameh Wadi, the chef and co-owner of Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, cooked for the event's 2,000-plus crowd, the story adds.        
 
The story quotes Shay Goetzman, the general manager for the 112 Eatery: "We had people watching for us and texting us," adding,"Isaac called, too, and said to put the champagne on ice. We'll celebrate later. It's crazy busy here."

Malcolm O'Hagan, a businessperson who has a love for literature, is scoping out U.S. places to house a writers' museum similar to the Dublin Writers' Museum in Ireland.

He says it could happen in the Twin Cities, according to a Star Tribune story by Laurie Hertzel.

Though Chicago has been hailed as a strong maybe, Minnesota Historical Society acquisitions librarian Patrick Coleman invited O'Hagan to come to the Twin Cities--in the hopes that he would think about it as an alternative.

O'Hagan took him up on his offer to visit. During the author's trip to the area, which was timed around the Minnesota Book Awards in April, O'Hagan met with local publishers and librarians; toured the Loft, University of Minnesota campus, and various libraries; and stopped by a few literary landmarks.  

In the story O'Hagan reflects on his trip, saying, "Everything about it was hugely engaging and enjoyable," adding, "The Twin Cities, with its corporate structure and support for the arts, is a very viable candidate."

Following on the heels of National Geographic's top 10 list of summer places from around the globe, which put Minneapolis in fourth place, CNN recently published a first-person account from local journalist Chris Welsch about what makes the area such a draw.

He writes, "Yes, winters here tend to be on the chilly side of things, but the place has so much more to offer than a slick spot for ice fishers to set up their shanties."

A thriving arts community and a bike-friendly, foodie atmosphere make for an unbeatable combination.

For proof, Welsch names numerous local cultural institutions, including the Guthrie Theater, First Avenue, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others.  

Also, at restaurants such as the Aster Caf� in Minneapolis, outdoor seating is at a premium. He says: "Since winters here are so long, people--including yours truly--tend to come down with what I would call the worst cases of cabin fever known to man. When spring finally does arrive, it's like the gun's been fired and gates opened at the racetrack."

 

National Geographic features Minneapolis as a top summer spot in its just-out list of '10 Best Summer Trips of 2011,' which also includes international destinations.

Minneapolis comes in fourth place while Muskoka Cottage Country, Ontario, Canada, is number one. 

The city deserves such praise thanks to its pedestrian- and bike-friendly routes, lively summer cultural events, farmers' markets, and fun baseball-related activities--all things that National Geographic took into consideration.

The story elaborates on some of the city's amenities, including cultural and natural resources: "Survey the vibrant scene from the new CRAVE restaurant rooftop patio near the State Theatre, then grab a bike at the nearest Nice Ride Minnesota kiosk ($5 plus trip fees) and cruise all or part of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway, a 50-mile urban trail loop. With 22 city lakes and the mighty Mississippi, playing on, in or near the water always is an option."

The locally-based Utne Reader magazine, which speaks to independent ideas and alternative culture, got props for its March-April cover from Business Insider magazine's "13 Coolest This Month," Minnpost's media writer David Brauer reports.  

It's a distinction that puts the Utne Reader alongside other nationally and internationally known periodicals such as Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter and The Economist, among others.

The cover depicts Donald Trump being burned at the stake under the line "Fire the Rich."

Brauer states, "Even if you disagree with the, ahem, uncivil sentiment, it's a pretty great piece of art."

He also notes that despite raising its newsstand price, the Utne Reader has recently increased sales.

Brauer includes comments from Utne editor David Schimke, who adds that the covers have fared well in big urban settings on the East Coast, especially New York City.

Recent auditions for celebrity comedian Adam Sandler's upcoming movie, "I Hate You, Dad," were held locally at the Hennepin Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis, the Pioneer Press reports.

Casting calls are also happening in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, the story states.  

One Maple Grove resident who showed up to try out for the part of a young Adam Sandler, 15-year-old Ethan Maisel, is quoted in the story saying, "I've never been told I look like him. But, he adds, "I've never been told I don't look like him, if that makes sense." 

When the casting agents ask him, on camera, why he wants the job, he tells them, "I would be so excited," adding, "I've always been interested in movies and TV. I'd like to get involved in the business side of things, but to be cast in a movie would change my life."

An MSNBC story about the growing trend of bicycle cafes, which ran last month, highlights a couple of local shops, including Cars-R-Coffins and One On One Bicycle Studio.  

Bike cafes, one-stop shops where bicyclists can grab coffee or a bite to eat and get their bikes tuned up, are becoming increasingly common, as seen in Minneapolis, Portland, San Francisco, Boston, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and elsewhere, it states.

The story cites the trend's correlation to an "emerging bicycle culture sweeping many U.S. cities," which has led to more bike paths and lanes, bike-sharing programs, and related legislative changes.  

Gene Oberpriller, a partner at One On One Bicycle Studio, which opened in 2003 in downtown Minneapolis, is quoted saying, "In cycling culture, there is a strong connection to coffee." In some sense, "We're the engine for the bike," he adds.

Local duo The Ultramods brought a new claim to fame to the Twin Cities by becoming the first artist to record an album on the iPad, reports Brian X, Chen in Wired.

The iPad 2 offers a GarageBand app, which Max "Bunny" Sparber and Coco Mault used to record every instrument and track for their album Underwear Party.

The album is available for $10 on the Ultramods' website, and a free MP3 track is available through the Wired article. (Note: judging by the song titles and description, the "pervy collection of two-chord songs" is not for tender ears or the very young.)

The mystery bookstore in Minneapolis's Uptown area, Once Upon A Crime, is the first from Minnesota to be honored with the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America, according to MPR.

The Raven Award, which goes back 50 years, recognizes excellence in the mystery-writing world.

Despite a tough bookselling market, Once Upon A Crime has stayed on top of its niche, with plenty of personalized attention to customers and a strong collection of titles, plus numerous events that support the genre, the story states.

Larry Light, vice-president of Mystery Writers of America, who is quoted in the story, describes the bookstore as a strong booster for mystery storytelling: "They helped turn mysteries into a genre that...thrives in Minneapolis."