The Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition - Art Imitating Life Imitating Art

Pretty much everything has been canceled this weird year, and the Minnesota State Fair was no different. There were still two ways to get in though, through a food parade for cars, and a Fine Arts exhibition - and both sold out immediately (I'm showing off a bunch of works because most likely you didn't get to see them - and there was a WHOLE bunch more - these were just our faves). The highlight of the fair every year for my Mom and I (after the fair food and people watching, of course), is the Fine Arts Exhibition, so we were stoked to get our tickets for last Saturday. (This first piece depicting the Fair was called The Great Microdoodle Get-Together by Jeffery Gauss of St. Louis Park. The images are made up of words, in a feat you'll see the detail of below. It got 2nd place in Drawing!)

It was super extra strange to 1) be able to drive directly into the Fairgrounds, and 2) have absolutely no one on the Fair streets. Bizarre! We drove past the Culligan free water booth (empty) and parked right next to the Fine Arts building. They had timed entrances, so there were never that many people in there. Masks were required and hand sanitizer was available, so it all felt pretty safe to take Mom along with me - as she is the real artist in the family. It's always jam-packed in there during the normal Fair, so it was really nice to get right up close to all the pieces, without anyone in our way (especially with a wheelchair!).

There was a ton of art to see in our allotted 90 minute time-slot, and we saw every piece. I was thinking of the classic Bertolt Brecht quote all through the exhibition ... "Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it." This was clear in so many of the works, with several works depicting George Floyd and the Summer of Uprising that began in Minneapolis this past May with Floyd's murder by the MPD. There were also many pieces reflecting on the pandemic that we're all still very much in the middle of. Those issues and the classic works depicting Minnesota life were the vast majority of the show, and I found myself once again both proud and impressed that so much intelligent talent comes from here. The first piece depicting George Floyd (and all the chaos we're still dealing with to demand social justice and racial equality) was by Andrea Canter of Minneapolis, and was simply titled, George.

 

I feel heartened by the fact that there were so many works about this subject, which means it's still on peoples' minds, which means maybe this time really will be different. I know that I'm very determined personally that it WILL be different. It HAS to be. David P. Biljan of St. Paul showed his photograph Building Will Fall - Lake Street 5/31/20, and it took me right back to being there that day. Heavy.

George Floyd Memorial by Jerry R. Wiese of Stillwater offered his take on the George Floyd momentf, and it was no less powerful.

 

The emotion of Floyd's family visiting that memorial was captured in a photograph by Craig Lassig of Minneapolis. Keep My Brother's Name Ringing (2nd Place, Photography) showed Floyd's brother in prayer, with the plea that we will all make sure is fulfilled. Say his name! GEORGE FLOYD!!! (Seriously. Right now. Please stop and yell his name!)

And while you're at it ... say ALL of their names - as there are many. This is why we march. This is why we create. This is why we must put an end to systemic racism ... because it keeps happening! And we can't let it anymore. We just can't. So Say Their Names too - as Jill Whitney-Birk of Minneapolis asks on her mixed media piece of embroidered paper on wood panel. 

None of us will ever forget George Floyd saying "I Can't Breathe!" and Eduardo A. Colon of Minneapolis gave us this reminder with his photograph, Stand. 

The aftermath of the Uprising this Summer left a lot of people and their businesses in upheaval, but every story I've heard has the shop owners understanding the WHY that it all happened and is happening. If only some of our white citizens could find such clarity in their own hearts. devastation and determination by Chad Niemeyer of Oak Grove gave us a glimpse into this special kind of dignity. 

My Guernica by Laura Hanson of Anoka reminds us that we all live in a melting pot of immigrants, and that this land is for ALL of us. Protesting in the streets for a better America is about as patriotic as you can get, no matter what our delusional President and his minions might think. 

The Breaching Of The Third Precinct by James Murray Casserly of Minneapolis already has an iconic air about it ... just as that historical moment in time did. Never before has a police department just abandoned their station and let protestors take over, and they must have realized that they had lost this night ... and if we do something right, they will lose their sense of being above their own laws, if not abolished completely, as they are clearly unable to be reformed. I hope this image haunts all of the MPD for the rest of their brutal lives. As it will haunt all of ours. 

After the fires came the clean-up, and the beautiful memorials. The sense of community in the days that followed was simply beautiful, and again made me proud of the fine people that came together to try to help make things better - for everyone. And still are. And will continue to until there is a tangible, noticeable, ACTUAL change in place. Systemically. No Justice by Robin C. Lietz of Minneapolis illustrates that fact - that if there is No Justice, there can be no Peace. Period. So get with the times.

There is a concern that people will just move on, and forget all of this past Summer's movement for a better world ... but I think that's impossible. To hear George Floyd's last words as he died under the knee of a man paid to protect and serve him ... is to never forget. We all watched for 8 Minutes 46 Seconds that are permanently etched into our minds. David Smith of Eden Prairie captured them for us just in case you ever get amnesia. 

Not exactly on topic, but certainly part of the problem is shown in Incarceration Inc. by Sasha M. Rayl of Hopkins (Honorable Mention). The inequity of People of Color behind bars must also change, which goes along with the police treatment of them. It must change. It WILL change. 

These pieces were all spread out in the exhibition, so it wasn't totally heavy throughout, but I thought it best to put them together here to feel the weight of it. And how much it really does weigh on all of our minds. The pandemic pieces made me feel much worse, for some reason. The isolation, the fear, the solitude, the death ... it doesn't have the same hope that the fight for social justice has. Quarantined Again was a sculpture in walnut by George G. I. Moore that kind of summed it all up for me - and Mom. 

I loved the piece You by Rebecca Pavlenko of St. Paul (Not for sale!) in colored pencils and micro-pens, because it made me think of all that makes up an individual, and their place in the cosmos. Remarkable what a simple three letter word can conjure up - as all of the best art does. Did I mention how GOOD it felt to be back at a public art show again!!! Ahhhh ...

 If things got to feel too weighty for you at this show, all was well, because there was plenty of plain beauty as well. Mom and I both loved this gorgeous autumn day (though we're not ready for the actual autumn that roared in on Labor Day like it knew!) depicted in oil by Leanne Hanson of Crystal in her Blazing Fall Sunset. Wow. 

If you're from Minnesota, you love a loon (the state bird). Emily Donovan of St. Paul showed some cool ones in her Chasing Loons, done in natural dyes and pigments on paper with beeswax. Neato!

A deer is just about as iconic as a loon in Minnesota, and one of my very favorite pieces in the show was Buck Wild In The Woods With Friends by Kristi Abbott of Minneapolis. How beautiful and creative and woodsy and excellent. Look at the other animal faces in the trees! It needs to be over a Minnesota mantel. 

There's a reason the Minnesota basketball team is called the Timberwolves ... as wolves are also an iconic Minnesota sight. 

The one by Erik J. Fremstad of Victoria called Canis Lupus was like the State Fair doodle one ... all made up  of words! It must have taken him forever, but the effect must also be totally worth it. We remain wowed. And so was everyone else, because this piece won Fremstad the Peoples' Choice Award!

Surprisingly, there was no work this year featuring the icon I think we're most proud of, Prince, but there was a depiction of Bob Dylan by Jeff Rodenberg of Shoreview that filled the musical Minnesota void, in a very cool, geometric way. 

Betsy Bowen of Grand Marais has long been one of my favorite artists in Minnesota, with her very Minnesota woodcutting pieces.  Her Birches would be perfect in any Minnesota home ... and if I was at all sure as to where I belong at the moment (REALLY missing Venice, CA ... but Mom), it would be at my own pad, trust that.

Another highlight of the Fair each year for us is the farming stuff (I LOVE a Farmer. I was a Farmer's Daughter - until he moved to the city and then died, a story for another day). The baby animal barn, the food, the blue ribbon pies ... all that Harvest-time, wholesome goodness. The Melon Farmer (First place!) was especially cool as he was done by Nifty Nikki (!) of Mizpah in paper quilling! That had to have taken forever, but it sure turned out great.

Pentimento by Preston B. Lawing of Winona was cool ... and had a little AC unit attached right on to it (earning him an Honorable Mention).

Erik Jon Olson of Plymouth must be pretty cool, because his art sure was - and thoughtful. She Wore Green Velvet: Portrait Of The Mississippi Watershed was a mermaid type of gal made entirely of quilted plastic waste, earning Olson First Place in the Textiles class, as well as the Textile Center Award for Excellence and Innovation. Well done!

World Of Haute Couture by Janine Olmscheid of Shoreview had a similar vibe, as it was made from paper folding and hand stitching, and you know I love me some fashion. And maps. Very cool.

Another one made from fabric that I loved was Morning Fog At Blue Mounds by Nancy Birger of Roseville. I was just in Blue Mounds State Park the week before, and her work beautifully captures the sense of peace that overtakes you in that prairie vista. Lovely. 

 

It amazed me what one can do with colored pencils, and the beauty of Barn Owl With Io Moths by Julie Greenwood of Burnsville fully dazzled me. Like my adult coloring book is no match fot what this lady can do. So beautfiul. 

We also loved the stained glass mosaic work of Mimi T. Leminh of Chaska in her piece called Homeward. It calmed me down, and took me somewhere tropical ... and simpler. Thanks, Mimi! 

Sharing that tropical vibe was another one of my very favorites, She Makes Rain by Chholing Taha of Anoka. Oil, acrylic, mixed media, gorgeousness. Loved it so much. (And it definitely brought the rain).

Oil painters that are so realistic that they can make things look like photographs are so impressive to me, and Cynthia L. Higgins' portrait of Undredal Norway brought us right into the Scandinavian fishing village ... via paint. Amazing!

Equally impressive was the oil painting of Downtown Minneapolis by Leila Rastegar called Sunset Over The Bridge. This beauty touches my heart, because this is the city that I'm from, this is the city where I'm so hopeful that real, systemic change that will make the whole world better began this Summer of 2020, and this is the city that I love.

We made it through the show with just a few minutes left in our time slot to spare. There is SO much that I didn't put here (or I'd get carpal tunnel), that you should really see, and you still can look at the show's catalog, where I believe some pieces are still for sale. Artists need our support more than ever now, so if you see something you like, reach out to them to see how you can give a home to some of their work. Because, don't forget, art can be the hammer that shapes our world. Here is a photo of two happy ladies who finally got to see art in person again (and not just on plywood covering up windows, though all of that work was great too!). Art saves.

Love to everyone from your art lovers in Minnesota!

Terry Willis Completes 1K Mile March At George Floyd Memorial - One Man, Two Feet!

Terry Willis completed his one thousand mile walk from his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama to the site of George Floyd's murder by police at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis yesterday afternoon, and was met by throngs of supporters who had followed him along his arduous journey.

After some delays due to weather and body recovery, Willis joined a waiting group at the Mall of America in Bloomington. Marchers held signs and wore t-shirts (and almost every respectful citizen was wearing a mask!) in support and cheered Willis on for the last seven miles of his trek to gain awareness for change, justice, and equality.

As there had been threats to Willis along the way, the organizers never gave out his exact location, so it was a bit of sleuthing to find out where they would exactly be to join the march if you hadn't been at MOA on time (like me). I was driving back from getting our morning coffee when I saw people sitting on the curbs of 12th Avenue in Richfield, and a police presence at my old middle school on 70th and 12th.

I raced home to get my brother and we raced back just in time to join Willis for his march through Richfield. I was so proud to be standing up for social justice and systemic change in my hometown, marching down 12th and up 66th to Portland, with supportive honks from backed up cars and shouts of solidarity from the people lining the streets. There's an old spirit chant that went "We're from Richfield, couldn't be prouder, if you can't hear us, we'll yell a little louder!" - and that's what it felt like marching alongside this inspirational man whose story I'd been following since his walk began on June 2nd in Alabama. (This feeling would go away in the evening - read to the end).

"Say his name!" "GEORGE FLOYD!" and "One Man! TWO FEET!" were a couple of the chants along the way, and the day could not have been more beautiful for a walk for social justice. Willis kept an amazingly fast pace going, for a man who had been walking across the entire country. Also impressive was the way he was so concerned about everyone else. He darted around in the crowd, asking if people had water, giving hugs to people that got emotional in his embrace, as they could feel the gravity of what he had endeavored to do, and now he was real and in their arms. Pretty powerful stuff.

When the group turned toward Minneapolis, Paul and I raced back to our car, went home and grabbed our Mom, and took her to do a drive-by farewell to the Pastor of her church, Nokomis Heights Lutheran, who was having a last day picnic there at 53rd and 10th. We drove by and waved our good wishes, and then saw that the Willis march was going by two blocks away at Chicago Avenue!

We cheered them on for a couple of blocks, (and were a little surprised to see a guy open-carrying a machine gun, but then there had been credible threats, so ... sigh. This world.) then drove to 38th and Chicago to the George Floyd Memorial where Willis was to finish his long journey.

The intersection was packed with people, so we tried to stay on the outskirts because of Mom and the pandemic, and people were very respectful about giving she and her wheelchair the space she needed. The grills were cranked up with long lines for the free fare, and the usual angels were there passing out bottles of water on this hot day. The flowers had been refreshed after the storm the night before, and it was once again a beautiful scene of respect and community coming together as one in the name of equality and justice. That's just honestly what it feels like every time you're there, and I hope all Twin Cities residents have been by now. It's something else.

It didn't take long until we saw the glimmer and heard the din in the distance of the Willis march approaching. More and more people poured into the streets as the march passed into the intersection, and more than a few tears were shed when Willis finally approached the very spot where George Floyd had been so ruthlessly killed by monsters meant to protect us. Out of breath somewhat himself, the moment held a whole lot of weight when Willis was now at the destination that had been his focus. Cheers erupted, and then went silent as a trumpeter climbed up above everyone and played "Lift Every Voice And Sing", and another emotional memory was made.

Families stood together, friends stood side by side, mothers pushed their children in strollers, we pushed our Mom in her wheelchair, and everyone there knelt together as one with fists raised in silence as Terry Willis knelt as long as he could after such a long and hard physical feat. More cheers filled the blue skies then, as Willis took the mic to address the crowd ...

Speaking to how he was just a regular guy, not a celebrity (though he was certainly treated like one, deservedly), and he just saw something terrible that he was compelled to do something about, so he set out as one man, two feet and walked for change. Any one of us could do the same, and any one of us can do SOMETHING in our own lives to effect change. My own nearly 80 year old (birthday next week!) Mom is right now in the living room reading "How To Be An Anti-Racist" - THAT is something to effect change, because then she'll talk about it with her 80+ year old posse, and they begin to think differently, and that HELPS.

Once Willis thanked the crowd, he was eager to get home to his own family and his own bed, and the intersection at 38th and Chicago turned once again into the street party that it has been on most days since George Floyd lost his life there. We now know that this time WILL be different, and that systemic change is ACTUALLY in the works. You can feel it.

My family left to get Mom home as we are a bit leery about having her out in the mix at this stage of nobody knowing what's up with this pandemic, but we were all so happy to have been there together to see this historic and triumphant feat completed by Mr. Willis, and once again by surrounded by so much good will and positivity for a better world. We were buzzing about it all day after, and I thought I'd share the Richfield part on the "I Grew Up In Richfield" Facebook page so people could see how cool it had been in our hometown that day. I was certainly not prepared for the bigotry and vitriol that followed, and I'm still reeling from it. "That's BS!" "George Floyd was a thief!" "This kind of thing doesn't belong on this page!" were some of the awful comments in reaction to a short video of their community members marching along with a man who had just completed a huge, triumphant personal victory that was also global news. And now their backwards behavior will now also be a part of this global story. Willis had people cheering him on via his Facebook and Instagram feeds from around the world ... but Richfield, Minnesota residents didn't want to hear about it on their community page. UNREAL. I'm crushed. I've been back here taking care of my Mom for a year now, and I know I've been living in the Venice, California bubble for a long time, but I never thought there would be such racism in my now very diverse hometown. THEN I see that my post had been taken down, due to so many complaints about a Black man marching through Richfield for social justice. I'm disgusted, and of course, will no longer have my name associated with that intolerant page. The Administrator woman didn't bother to send me a message, but she sent Paul one for his post that said it was for people who grew up in Richfield, not politics. Well, guess what, lady? People are STILL growing up in Richfield, and it's sad that the one they're growing up in is like this, especially when old, white Spartans are hardly in the majority in town anymore.

I don't want to end on a negative note to what was such a positive and beautiful day, so I'll just say to every complainer on the Richfield page - I hope you can manage to GROW, because your way of thinking is past its expiration date. To Terry Willis and all of his supporters - WOW! POWERFUL! What a feat! CONGRATULATIONS! LOVE! SOLIDARITY! UNITY! We WILL make the change this country so clearly, so desperately needs. We have to.

ONE LOVE, EVERYBODY! Even you, old, white Spartans. May you join us in 2020 someday.

Clogtown: All Square - Don't Judge, Just Eat!

The United States is a country of many problems, and while everyone complains about them, few are offering solutions. One major problem in this country is the mass incarceration and privatized jails that have kept generations of our citizens down - AFTER paying their debt to society. No one seems to want to hire ex-convicts, so they're often forced to commit crimes again just to put food on their tables. All Square in Minneapolis is trying to change that - and their solution is a baller grilled cheese restaurant (square sandwiches) staffed 100% by people who have served time (and are now square with society).

The brainchild of founder and civil rights attorney, Emily Hunt Turner, All Square's motto is "Don't judge, just eat!", and from the looks of it on the busy Friday evening that I was there, that's exactly what everyone was doing. Born out of another successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017, Hunt Turner's hope is to "empower those historically excluded, while dismantling the divides that are isolating and destabilizing communities nationwide" (so, another idea that can work everywhere, like Urban Forage).

Located on a sunny, tree-lined corner of Minnehaha Avenue (next to Adams Park at 41st Street), All Square is a bright, neighborhood spot with folks seated outside enjoying the late sunlight of summer. The workers (here called "Fellows") were all super friendly, hard working, and looked happy to be there. It was so busy that I didn't really get a chance to talk much to Hunt Turner, as I'd dropped in unannounced, and she was all the way in the mix, hauling buckets of ice, putting up umbrellas outside, and generally spinning all the Friday night plates of a popular restaurant.

I did speak to one of the fellows, Natalie, who had done time while waiting for her case's appeal - which was eventually dropped. Her serving any time, however, still made it hard to get a job. She heard about All Square, came in and applied, and is now happily making a living - as well as her own signature sandwiches whenever there's a lull. She was super cool, and I was happy for her that there is a place like this ... happy for anyone who needs it that there is a place like this, actually.

A mirrored sign inside says: A Response - to widespread exclusion of those impacted by the justice system. A Brand - that embodies social sustainability, racial justice, and economic inclusion. A Solution - fueled by law, entrepreneurship, social capital, and baller grilled cheese. That sums it up pretty neatly.

And those grilled cheese ARE baller. I had the jerk one, which has shredded jerk chicken, guava jam, and cheese, of course. YUM. There are several sandwiches to choose from, and no one looked mad at any of them. All are served with greens, and you're gonna want to order fries, also of course.

There is an "Institute and Dream Lab" next door, where mental health and wellness services are offered on site. The All Square fellows can also attend classes on personal and professional development, civil rights, and things like social media, marketing, and making budgets ... all stuff that can lead to even better jobs. The goal is not just to get these employees a paycheck, and not just to reduce the chances they'll go back to jail, but to create new leaders.

The whole operation reminds me a bit of my friend Brother Wayne Kramer's excellent organization, Jail Guitar Doors. They give guitars to inmates so that they might have that awesome skill when they get out, creating new opportunities for them when they get out. Again, it's good people coming up with actual solutions to help our fellow citizens, and it's a beautiful thing.

You can help too. You can donate to their cause. You can attend the play Floyd's at The Guthrie Theater on July 26th (one night only!). It's a story about formerly incarcerated men and women who rebuild their lives in a sandwich shop, and all proceeds will go to All Square. You can volunteer. Your business can sponsor them. And you can go and get your own delicious grilled cheese any Wednesday through Sunday at All Square. Neon lights and Civil Rights! And Los Angeles ... We need this too! Every city does.

*Shout out to Michelle Larson for another great story tip! Keep 'em coming, Mpls!

All Square
4047 Minnehaha Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55406
www.allsquarempls.com