Kathy Butterly, Pillow, 1998

Butterly will be speaking alongside her fellow Dirt On Delight artists Ann Agee, and Beverly Semmes on the panel There’s Just Something About Clay, with coordinating exhibition curator Andria Hickey. The discussion will take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday, October 8^th, 2009, in the Walker Art Center Cinema. Tickets are free and will be available at the Bazinet Garden Lobby desk from 6:00 pm.

In your answer to the Institute for Contemporary Art question,“How did you come to clay?”  you cite Viola Frey as an inspiration. You said the way she worked was so confident, almost macho, that you were so inspired to make clay your medium. Now, you’re being exhibited with her in the Dirt on Delight show. Can you comment a little further on her inspiration and the rest of your process in working with clay?

I think that basically in addition to what was already mentioned, Viola was there at the right time/right place for me.  She enabled that light bulb to go off over my head.  In addition to Viola, Jack Thompson and Ken Vavrek who were my ceramic teachers at Moore College of Art, helped to open my world up further with inspiration for world travel and also taught me the down and dirty basics of working with clay. You wouldn’t realize by looking at my and Viola’s pieces that she was an original source for my love of  clay, but after witnessing her in action, making her monumental pieces,  I began to also work very large….4-9 ft. tall.  Now my works are 4-9 inches tall. 

Why is there a distinction between ceramics/clay and any other sculpture? How important is that distinction anymore?

“Kathy Butterly’s tiny ceramic vessels are abstract and intensely associative, most often evoking aspects of the body. They recall the convolutions of George Ohr’s pots and Robert Arneson’s mugging faces and twisted figures, as well as the finesse of Adrian Saxe’s gew-gaw-ornamented vases. Her playful tone echoes these predecessors, but with a coyness that seems distinctly feminine.” That’s a quote from a review of your work by Janet Koplos in the New York Times. Can you talk about how you come to create some of these objects? Particularly, Fall into Spring, Cenotes, and Like Butter, which I believe are all in Dirt on Delight.

Kathy Butterly, Like Butter, 1997

I never know what a piece will be/look like until it is completely finished. I never do sketches…..I can explain my process- both thought and making-  like that of a Rorschach test combined with exquisite corpse.  I start with a form, react to it, add to it, fire it, react, fire react……..so on.  At a certain point I understand where  the piece wants to go and after it is complete I understand the meaning of the piece….. ” Fall into Spring” has to do with how I was feeling after 9/11 (I live downtown in Manhattan.)  My head was so full of information and it felt so heavy…..I made a few pieces like this one.  It is definitely a self portrait ….of how I was feeling….. If you look at the piece “Like Butter” – it is a piece made early in my relationship with my husband. Cenote has to do with lushness, about showing off the inside as an equal to the outside and also about the fear of loss of water…..

What would you say to artists choosing clay as their medium to create? 

I would say the same thing to anyone who wanted to be any sort of artist….just be honest to yourself and your work.

Machinery Hill has been around for a long time. 20 years to be exact. That’s long time for anything, but especially for a group of individuals who get together week after week to play and create music just because it’s fun.

 The band is named after the hill (sort of a hill anyway) at the MN. State Fair where the tractors and farm equipment has been traditionally displayed. I believe there are now more lawn mowers and less tractors and the hill has been renamed “Technology Hill.” The band’s name did not change and remains “Machinery Hill.” Whew!

 One of Machinery Hill’s favorite gigs is a Halloween Party thrown almost every year in “The Church of Halloween” over in NE Minneapolis. It is a costume party and three years ago the members of M. Hill dressed up as “The Addams Family.” Bill (he’s responsible for all wind instruments in the band) made a lovely Uncle Fester, complete with a light bulb logo on top of his head. Two years ago the drummer, John Gwinn showed up in a fetching party dress and long flowing wig and was quite a hit. The party has always been a chance to totally rock out and play such Machinery Hill standards as” The Devils in the Kitchen.”

If that isn’t enough information to make you want to venture out and enjoy one of the few warm days we’ve had here in July in Minnesota (tomorrow’s high will be in the mid 80’s) then here are 10 other reasons why you should. Machinery Hill will be playing tomorrow night for our Skyspace/Soundspace concert series. What a scorcher!

1. To hear a variety of musical styles all in one place from one band. That saves travel time.

2. To see how many different times Bill Lee has to switch instruments.

3. The band has been around forever and, if you haven’t seen them by now- you really should.

4. The set will start with the Great Highland Bagpipes.

5. The bagpipe will only play one song.

6. To see how many band members will fit into such a small space.

7. The drummer will be wearing a new shirt.

8. You can brag to your friends that you have discovered an interesting band.

9. The accordion will be in every song!

10. And– most importantly- it’s fun music and should be a good time.

Local designer and crafter extraordinaire Rebecca Yaker will be on hand tonight to give helpful hints on how to save those old clothes of yours from the recycle bin at Savers.  Join us out in the FlatPak house from 6-9pm tonight to re-fashion some of your old clothes that have been sitting around unworn possibly collecting mothballs.

I asked Rebecca some questions about her business and her reputation as  The Sock Monkey Lady.

How did you become known as the Sock Monkey Lady and what attracted you to sock monkeys in the first place?

I originally encountered many instances of people creating narratives to accompany their sock monkey dolls.  My intrigue led me to participate in an attempt to elevate the absurdity.  In response, I created my first sock monkey doll – a conjoined sock monkey complete with an elaborate persona. A couple of years later I created my first sock monkey dress, hand-woven from wool, complete with a monkey face on each breast – sort of a tribute to my original 2 headed sock monkey doll.

Not until 2006 did I revisit the sock monkey.  That year I participated in the WACTAC Un-Prom for which I created my now infamous Sock Monkey Prom Dress. Later the same year I entered both monkey dresses into the Minnesota State Fair, and a bizarre nationwide popularity ensued (the Internet is an amazing marketing tool, to say the least).  It was then that I was coined the Sock Monkey Lady.

My “attraction” to sock monkeys is relative and I am not a collector.  Honestly, I don’t really care for traditional sock money dolls – I prefer a more absurd approach.  In opposition to being the Sock Monkey Lady, and to help dispel the myth that I am a great sock monkey lover, I created Sock Monkeys in a Meat Grinder. Which was coincidentally awarded 2nd Place at last year’s Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition.

Tell us about your business Hazel and Melvin? What’s the process for making items like children’s bedding by hand, and why do you think it’s so popular?

I started Hazel and Melvin’s Room in 2005 in response to an overwhelming need for non-traditional baby bedding – something other than baby pink, baby blue, or lemon yellow.  Since then, my business has grown incredibly and although I continue to design and hand-make a number of ready-to-order products such as diaper bags, quilts, and apparel, my business is now primarily driven by custom orders. 

The “handmade” trend has exploded in recent years – people want a connection to the items they purchase – to help create a history and give meaning. Similarly, I have found that parents want to play a leading role in designing their new baby’s space and environment. All my products are customizable, from bumpers to crib skirts to specialized window treatments to accent pillows, and much more.  When I work with clients, we develop a personalized color palette and print story.  From there I create a virtual mock-up of the individual bedding pieces in their collection.  The process from start to finish takes about 4-6 weeks.  Working with so many people with different perspectives and aesthetics keeps the process very rewarding and exciting.

Where did the term Upcycling come from?

Upcycling was coined by William McDonaugh and Michael Braugart in their book on ecologically intelligent design, Cradle to Cradle. In the simplest terms, upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value. When we recycle, we leave cans, glass, plastic, and paper by the curb for someone else to pick up to get recycled somewhere by someone. With upcycling, you are in control.  You have the power to take something unwanted, unused, and/or discarded to transform it and give it new life.

I understand you’re co-authoring a book? What is it about and who are you working on it with?

YES!  Patricia Hoskins (who owns Crafty Planet in NE Minneapolis) and I are co-authoring One-Yard Wonders – a fantastic new sewing book with Storey Publishing. In the book you will find a delightful array of 101 simple and stylish projects all requiring only one yard of fabric.  Everything from apparel to accessories to toys, pet beds, baby items, bags, and home décor to name a few. The book is very thorough, complete with full-color photos, illustrations and easy to follow step-by-step instructions. We are so excited for its release this October – just in time for people to start crafting holiday gifts!!

What can people expect from Thursdays Art Lab?

First and foremost, look forward to having fun!  This is a great hands-on opportunity to transform a tired piece of clothing from your wardrobe into one with new life and style – afterall, you are going to walk away from this Art Lab with a “new” garment!  Hopefully after tomorrow night you will look at some things from a new perspective and find other items in your home and closet to upcycle. On top of all that, everyone should look forward to spending a gorgeous Minnesota summer night in the Walker Sculpture Garden – what could be better?  See you there!

For those of you who are curious about Tango dance and music, come to the third in our series of SkyPesher concerts and hear local aficionados Mandrágora Tango Orchestra heat up the James Turell’s sculpture. There will also be lessons taught by local instructor Lois Donnay before the concert begins. High heeled shoes, neckerchiefs, red roses and hats all not required for attendance but encouraged! The concert starts at 8:30pm, but lessons begin at 7:45pm.  

I had some questions about the origins of Tango so I turned to Lois for answers. Read on. And, if you want a little sampling of Tango music, watch the YouTube video of an old Carlos Gardel movie. He’s considered one of the greatest Tango singers of all time.

Hope to see you Thursday!

What is the history of Tango dance?

Tango was born in Buenos Aires.  Argentina was undergoing a massive immigration during the later part of the 1800s and early 1900s. Most immigrants were single men hoping to earn their fortunes in this newly expanding country, and make enough money to return to Europe or bring their families to Argentina. The evolution of tango reflects their profound sense of loss and longing for the people and places they left behind.  Most likely the tango was born in venues attended by compadritos, young men, mostly native born and poor, who liked to dress in slouch hats, loosely tied neckerchiefs and high-heeled boots with knives tucked casually into their belts. The compadritos danced in various low-life establishments: bars, dance halls and brothels. It was here that new steps were invented and took hold.  Although high society looked down upon the activities in the barrios, well-heeled sons of the porteño oligarchy were not averse to slumming. Eventually, everyone found out about the tango and, by the beginning of the twentieth century, the tango as both a dance and as a form of popular music had established a firm foothold in the fast-expanding city of its birth. It soon spread to provincial towns of Argentina and across the River Plate to Uruguay, where it became as much a part of the urban culture as in Buenos Aires.

 What are the basic techniques of the dance?

Unlike ballroom tango, there are no basic patterns. It is all lead-follow. It is danced in a close embrace, and there is on the emphasis on the legs and feet.

How is it different from say Flamenco? People often get the two confused.

Tango is the dance of “one heart, four legs”. It is always danced in the “abrazo” or embrace. It truly does take two to tango! There are some similarities to the music or flamenco, and you can hear a little of the habañero rhythm in tango music.  Many people confuse ballroom tango with Argentine tango. The competitive dance of ballroom tango is very different from Argentine tango-even the music is different, as is the posture. We often say that Argentine tango is during the honeymoon, and ballroom tango is after the divorce!

 Who is your favorite Tango singer?

Often, people prefer not to dance to songs which have singers. They prefer to listen to these tangos. The music of tango is very rich, and you can hear the innovations that the tango orchestras made through the decades referred to as the “Golden Age of Tango“, the 30’s 40’s and 50’s.  Some of the big orchestras are Di Sarli, D’Arienzo, Calo, Troilo and Fresedo.  A very important element of any tango orchestra is the bandoneon, the accordion-like instrument that gives tango its mournful, pulsing quality.

During our first art lab of the summer, teens from Kulture Klub were on hand to receive clothing donations. The response was great. People brought in bags of clothing. Thanks!

This Thursday, I hope you feel warm and cuddly when I tell you that folks from Arc Greater Twin Cities will be here to take your gently used clothing and put it to good use. I contacted Laurel Hansen, their business director, to find out more about them.  So, if you have some bags of clothing sitting on your front porch that you’ve been meaning to get rid of bring it on down to the Walker and give it to Arc Greater Twin Cities! Oh, and participate in our art lab as well with the dynamic duo that is Calpurnia Peach!

 Describe what Arc Greater Twin Cities does and how it got started as an organization?

 Arc is a nonprofit organization providing advocacy and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Arc Greater Twin Cities was started originally in 1946, led by parents who wanted a better life and more opportunities for their children with disabilities.

 Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores & Donation Centers (www.arcsvaluevillage.org) are owned and operated by Arc. Arc’s thrift business provides 40% of Arc’s annual support.  Arc’s Value Village has stores in Richfield, New Hope, and Brooklyn Center, and will soon open a St. Paul store.

 How is your organization different from other community organizations?

 Arc’s mission is to secure for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families the opportunity to realize their goals of where and how they live, learn, work, and play. Arc serves people and families throughout the many stages of life. 70% of the people who work at Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores are volunteers. Proceeds from the stores benefit Arc’s services. More than 3 million items are recycled and reused annually at Arc’s Value Village.

Have you seen an increase in demand for gently used clothes during this last year? If so why?

 Thrift shopping is very “on trend” right now, and Arc’s Value Village provides a great way to shop smart, shop green, and shop local. It’s “Shopping with a Purpose” at Arc’s Value Village. While demand for used clothing is up, more donations to Arc are needed to support this demand. Donations to Arc are tax deductible and accepted daily; Arc provides a tax receipt. Arc also accepts accessories, household items, books, children’s items, select furniture, automobiles, and more.

I know that some kids, especially teenagers, might feel somewhat self-conscious wearing used clothing around their peers at school. How can people’s attitudes and perceptions of used clothing as being only for people in need change?

 The movement to reuse and recycle is gaining momentum, and more people than ever are shopping at thrift stores. This is especially true of young people, who are leading the trend. Vintage items from the 1980’s and other eras are desirable to many shoppers, who crave a unique, one of a kind style that can be achieved by shopping at Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores.

When customers shop at Arc’s Value Village, they appreciate that the store is clean,organized, and fun & easy to shop. Merchandise is high quality, diverse, and plentiful.  Donations are accepted daily, so customers often shop and donate each time they visit.  At Arc’s Value Village we love our customers and always say, “Keep on Thrifting!”

Meet Calpurnia Peach. She’s the lovely, mischievous, free spirited young lady whose Minnesota adventures shape her youthful style!

Actually, meet the two ladies who make up this upstart clothing line right here in Minneapolis. Fresh off their Voltage Amplified success, they’re ready to wow Walker patrons with their unique designs and original prints for this Thursday’s art lab.

 Luci Kandler and Ashley Wokasch will demonstrate the screen printing process on some of your old clothes. Public Programs intern Jamie Sandhurst talked to the dynamic duo about their process and Ms. Calpurnia Peach herself.

How and when did Calpurnia Peach get started? Where did the name come from? 

Calpurnia Peach started when we were studying in New York and were thinking of applying to Voltage: Fashion Amplified 2008 in Minneapolis. We deliberated on the name quite a bit. Ashley liked Calpurnia because it was a childhood nickname of hers and peaches were a current infatuation of Luci, and bam! The two just worked together so well that we decided to not only use them but to create this little girl character with that name, to represent the brand.

What kind of imagery do you use on your clothing and accessories?

 We mean to inspire adventure and youthfulness in our prints. They have ranged from New Zealand flowers, to daggers, to paper airplanes, to ceramic 1950’s quails. We have such a broad range of inspirations but we keep the prints wearable.

 How was your experience at Voltage: Fashion Amplified?

Voltage is such a life-saver to Minneapolis fashion. We learned so much from our first experience with the show and it opened us up to the twin cities fashion scene so quickly and completely that we were able to move forward at a fast pace. Our second year with Voltage showed evidence that local fashion is improving just as quickly with some really great talents and an awesome support system.

What can we expect in the future for Calpurnia Peach?

 We’ve talked about a variety of ways to extend Calpurnia Peach, but our main goal right now is increase production while maintaining the quality and keepsake feel of the line.

 And lastly, what can we expect for the upcoming Art Labs on June 11th and 25th?

 It’s going to be a blast! Expect to learn the screen-printing basics quickly and then put them to use on any fabric surface you would like embellished, think outside the box! Here’s a few tips when picking your surface, pick something that’s smooth and doesn’t have a pile, the lighter in color the better but we can do dark fabrics too, choose something that can lie completely flat so that you get a smooth print.

What advice would you give a stranger? What are your hopes and dreams? Those are the kind of questions art lab participants will ask each other during Wing Young Huie’s art lab here at the Walker next Thursday, March 26th. These same people will be asking those questions of complete strangers and take their picture too!

Huie is an award winning photographer who not only has a reputation here in the twin cities, but nationally. His series of Lake Street photographs have been hailed as a truly extraordinary public art project. And that’s because he truly believes in people and has faith that they will always do the right thing.

I talked to him about his work and what we can expect next Thursday during his art lab that takes on some of the themes in the Elizabeth Peyton show Live Forever.

What drew you to photography and why did you choose this medium over say painting?

 I grew up wanting to be a writer, ended up majoring in print journalism at the University of Minnesota. Worked at Minnesota Daily as a general assignment reporter. Two stories of which I’m particularly proud, a two-parter on “Loneliness” and an in-depth report on the phone numbers scrawled on campus bathroom walls.

But when I was a sophomore, age 20, I bought a camera and was hooked. My father was my first subject. I was twenty, living at home, experimenting with my new Minolta SLR camera, when I made the first exposures of my dad in the kitchen. It was strange and exhilarating to look at someone so familiar so intently, and see something new.

Now, some thirty years and hundreds of thousands of exposures later, I’m still trying to look at the world anew.

You’ve done a number of public art projects. Ones that require intense participation on the part of your subjects. Why do you do them?

 I didn’t know anything about public art when I decided to display my Frogtown photographs outdoors in an empty lot on University and Dale. It just seemed to make sense to put it in a place that was accessible for anyone. It went well, so I expanded the idea with Lake Street.I’m doing another large-scale project on University Avenue, made by possible by the Joyce Foundation, produced and further funded by Public Art St. Paul. In spring 2010 hundreds of photos will be installed and projected at night along University Avenue.

 I read an article in the Star Tribune from 2000 that quoted Vince Leo, head of the MCAD media department, as saying, “Wing has a tremendous faith in human beings; I don’t know how else to say it.” Is this what moves you to document people that maybe the rest of us would never see? And, with everything that has happened in the last few years around the world and here in the US, are you still optimistic about people being able to make the right decisions?

I’m not sure if it’s faith. I also don’t think it’s particularly useful for the artist to understand the why of things. Who really knows why we do what we do? No sense to lay yourself out on the couch. The real question is how to keep doing it. I think it’s hard to be creative for a long time. It’s easy to make excuses. I know them all.

 I’m not even sure if I’m well-suited for this kind of work. I’m really kind of a private person but yet I’ve interacted with thousands of people. It’s intrusive what I do. I guess I’m curious, persistent, and believe that what I do has value. I’m interested in how things are, not how they should be. I don’t think I know what the right decisions are. I mean, I’m not an activist. I want to show you, not tell you. And what I show is open to interpretation.

It’s been nearly 10 years since the Lake Street project was completed. How has that street changed? Or has it? Do you think your project made an impact on people who, both participated and who just happened to see them while walking by or riding the bus?

During the Lake Street exhibit we put comment books in the various coffee shops along Lake Street. Here is what an anonymous person wrote:

“Where art is not afraid to look into the eyes of us, regular poor folks just living our lives, this art comes down from the pretentious, self-concious and exclusive upper-class realm and becomes community art, art with a purpose, humane.  These are the pictures you’ll never see in Nike ads or car ads or perfume ads.

These are the majority of Americans picking up their broken identities and trying to scrape together a living, a culture, an identity, a life. Most of the images we see are of advertisements, trying to sell us a euphoria and prestige we could never achieve. We look around us and are disappointed, we struggle but don’t measure up.  These photos show us, real and valuable just as we are. They are sad because they aren’t the perfect images of others we’re used to seeing. They are empowering for the same reason. Thanks, for these images and a chance to respond. Peace.”

Tell us what people can expect at next Thursday’s art lab? What do you want participants to take away from it?

For the Art Lab you can expect to get outside of your own bubble and photograph someone you don’t know. I try not to have expectations, but I can tell you that in my private life I am plagued by the usual misperceptions and annoyances of my fellow human beings, but when I’m encountering the world with my camera I’m better able to put aside those qualities that make me insular, and in that sense I am a better person as a photographer.

The holidays are finally over. The cookies have been eaten, the waistlines expanded, the champaigne bottles are in the recycling, the tree is down, and the kids are back in school. But curiously, some relatives may still be hanging around your house expecting meals and entertainment. Well, take them to the Walker for Target Free Thursday Nights! We have plenty to do and your guests from out of town will be intellectually stimulated as well as in shape from walking up and down all the stairs we have in the building!

The fun starts this Thursday with our first art lab related to the Text/Messages: Books by Artists show. The workshop is being led by local artist Sam Hoolihan. He is a performer, musician, and book artist. You can catch his latest creation at this years Art Shanty projects out on Medicine Lake. Below is a great interview with him about his process as an artist and what we can expect tomorrow.

The fun starts at 5pm when gallery admission is free until 9pm. See the Text/Messages show first, grab a coffee, and then head on dow to the art lab! C U L8R!

What kind of experience can we expect in the art lab on Thursday?

A very open and collaborative environment with ideas being mixed, thrown, passed, cut and pasted between all the participants. There will be a few different stations set up in the lab for generating images and txt msgs, and I’m excited to see what people come up with. I hope the project grows and feeds off the energy everyone brings into the room.

What do you think artist books are and why do you think people make them?

Anything that takes the traditional structure and idea of a book and re-invents it, pushes it, gives it a new life and perspective. I think artists will always be drawn to the physicality and the warmth of books. They are excellent vehicles for sharing information and ideas.

What are some of the things that stand out in the Text/Messages show?

I am repeatedly drawn to the Ed Ruscha section. I love it when artists utilize large commercial printing techniques in a new and creative way, the idea of taking a banal process and performing alchemy with it. I’m also really glad there is a spot to sit and hold books in the gallery, it’s such an important part of the experience for me.

I understand that you, when making things like artist books for example, like to impose limits on yourself. Like, the kind of materials you can use. Tell me what that process is like and why do you do it? What is the result?

I find when I have too many options in front of me I get paralyzed.S etting limitations on myself with the kind of materials I can use forces me to think more creatively, and the results usually end up being more sincere and exciting.

In addition to being a visual artist, you’re also a photographer, performer and musician. Can you tell me about some of the projects you’ve worked on and what they involved?

Well, I’m about to set up the Snap Shot Shanty for the second year in a row at the Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake. I’m working with a great group of artists and we are excited to take our portrait studio/performance space to the next level this year on the ice! It’s basically a big ‘softbox’ that utilizes all the natural light reflecting off the snow to illuminate the inside of the shanty for photos and performances. I’m also playing with a local band called Switzerlind, and we’ve been experimenting lately with only allowing ourselves to use typewriters and office supplies for our percussion section. We’ve had one performance with that set up so far, and we are planning to do it again inside the Snap Shot Shanty.
Hope to see you at the Walker Art Lab, and at the Art Shanty Projects!

 

Now the same is true for Out There 21, Performing Arts’annual showcase of new and contemporary performance.  I know there have been many times you wish you could have picked up your cell phone during some of the more challenging performances and had someone turn the light on above your head. That’s what we do best down here in Education!

This year’s lineup is great, and I’m not saying this just because all of the creators called and left messages on my voicemail telling me so. I’m saying this because each is constructing a thoughtful, energetic, and engaging piece about thorny and serious issues.  Tim Crouch’s England which takes place in the galleries asks us why we put so much value on art, and how that parallels the value or lack of value we place on human life.  His piece poses moral questions in an interesting way.

Toshiki Okada/chelfitsch production Five Days in Marchpresents a darkly comic look at Japanese teen culture in the well to-do suburb of Shibuya while examining the first days of the Iraq war in 2003.

Young Jean Lee, whose previous work Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven, was a smash hit, returns to give us a show about religion. In her interview, she said the way she works is that she thinks of a show that she would never want to make and then forces herself to make it. Even if you don’t come for the carefully constructed sermons in the piece, show up to hear a full gospel choir. Performing Arts curator Phillip Bither said that after they commissioned Songs of the Flying Dragon, they immediately asked her to create another new work. Bither says she takes the same scalpel to the subject of religion as she did to Asian stereotypes in Songs of the flying Dragon. “Her work is startling, provocative and exciting,” stated Bither.

National Theatre of the United States of America is constructing a real circus tent on the McGuire Stage, using local in-line hockey players, and offering free beer in the newly added beer garden in the McGuire for their show Chautauqua!. It promises to be one of the more ambitious performances. Apart from making the Events and Media Production staff very nervous, the piece presents an interesting challenge to Performing Arts staff. It forced them to re-think of the way they function as presenters as NTUSA blurs the line between National and Local in this piece. Oh, and the performance features the Walkers own Jill Vuchetich. She will present a history of the Walker as part of the show.

Each of these four pieces was chosen, Bither said, because, “of their fresh and never seen before approaches to theatre. They challenge us to re-think what theatre is.”

So, you should go and see Out There 21 next month.  And, you should let your fingers do the walking and let the experimental theater artists do the talking as you wait for the lights to dim.

Every good stand-up comic knows when to ignore hecklers: when they’re right.

That’s the first variation. The second one, although not far off, is this:

Every good-stand up comedian knows when to ignore hecklers: especially when they’re right.

According to Joseph, Mr. Mech was the one who followed the rules a little closer than the rest. It was indeed a joke about a joke, and it alsowon points because had a variation. Adding to the image that most comedians are perfectionist types. Also, the joke is self- deprecating, which is a trait of many classic comedians (Joseph talked about that on Thursday). Think Rodney Dangerfieldgoing onabout the lack of respect he receives from various family members, pets, and fellow community members.

Bill shared with me his motivation:

“When I saw the concert was sold out, and the only way to get in was the joke contest, I had to try for it, even though I’m not a natural jokester. The rules asked for a one-liner that was about jokes, so I thought: ‘what do standup comedians do under pressure? They often use self-deprecating humor to break the ice.’ And, having gotten teased a lot as a kid, I’ve had a lot of practice with self-deprecation, so.. it was pretty easy. When you agree with your critics in a gently funny way, you deflect their criticism – and often they back off. Try it, it works!”

Good anti-bullying tactics! Maybe this can be putto use inastate wide anti-bullying campaign inMinnesota schools.

Runner up comes from Natalie Tranchilla, who sent us this funny, but kind of dirty joke. Be carefule Natalie, Richard Prince might steal this and you could end up earning more than a chance for concert tickets! Also, I hope this is appropriate for the Walker blog! Here goes:

Did you hear about the comedian who was arrested for sexual assault due to his literal translation of “tongue-in-cheek” humor?

I do have to give honorable mention to the Walker development staff’s Scott Winter. His joke is:

When I first met my colleague Joe King I said, “ You’ve got to be Joe King.”

I’m still awaiting a reply from Joe King, who works in registration here at the Walker.

Her are my favorites:

How many indie rockers does it take to unscrew a light bulb? What you haven’t heard?

I tried to do a play on words but a book is such a small stage.

I’ve always heard when God gives you lemons, make lemonade. God gave me iced tea. What the f*&$ am I supposed to do?

My financial situation

Thanks to everyone who entered! Drop by on Thursday or any other time to see the Richard Prince show. I hope some of you get lucky and get a ticket or two to the show.

Allison Herrera