On Saturday, September 5^th there’s another exciting Free First Saturday event happening at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Super Sculptures, inspired by the mythical sculptures in the Garden.  To see a collection of superheroes living in the Garden click here.  Events run from 10am-3pm, and all activities and Walker admission are totally FREE.

In anticipation of the Flexing Force performance by local bodybuilders, I asked our performers a few questions to help us better understand the sport of bodybuilding . Here’s what Laurey Heinrich, Michelle Soldo, and Ponce Saysomphou had to say:
 

Laurey Heinrich

How did you first get interested in the sport of bodybuilding?

LH: I sold memberships at a gym and was surrounded by people who were interested or competed in bodybuilding shows. I was absolutely fascinated by strong women who could still look feminine. A female competitor told me that I have the body shape to do competitions.

MS: I’ve always been athletic. In high school and college I ran track and played soccer. Both sports involved strength training. During the 20 years that followed, through law school and due to very long work hours, I became less and less physically active. In August 2005, six months before my 40th birthday, I thought back about the things I used to do, the sports I used to play, the healthy and active life style I used to have…it was then I realized it was time to make some important lifestyle changes. 

Michelle Soldo

What does a typical weekly training schedule look like for you?
MS: On weekdays I’m typically up at 4:30 a.m. I have coffee, eat the first of 7 daily meals and take the first of 3 daily courses of supplements. I’m in the gym by 5:30 a.m. I do 45 to 60 minutes of cardio every weekday morning. I prefer step mill and elliptical machines. I also train abs 2 to 3 mornings a week and sit in the sauna as often as time permits. I return home by 7:00 a.m., shower, dress for work and I’m off to the races. I begin work at 8:00 a.m. If I’m lucky, my work day ends at 6:30 p.m. After work I meet my training partner at the gym. We train a single body part each day, followed by 30 minutes of step mill or elliptical, or a 3 to 4 mile run. I get home by 9:00 p.m., eat my 7th and final  meal of the day and prepare my meals for the next day. I’m typically in bed by 10:30 p.m.

Over weekends, my training partner and I go for a long run on Saturday morning – which is typically between 6 and 8 miles, Saturday evening we may also lift a single body part, and Sunday is a day of rest, unless I’m training for a contest, then it’s a day of cardio.

PS: I workout 5 days a week. 2 hours a day. Unless I’m prepping for a show then I’m working out 7 days a week.

Ponce Saysomphou

Do you have to have a special diet when training? If so, tell me about it.
LH: Clean eating is a must. I eat whole grains, a lot of protein, and healthy fats and a lot of water.

PS: In my offseason I don’t really have a special diet. I’m just trying to gain more mass. But if I was training for a show, then my diet is very strict. It’s basically a high protein and low carb diet. I usually keep it simple nothing too complicated.

What kind of special preparation is involved leading up to a competition/event?
LH: I would say so much of the preparation for a show in mental! The diet and training are intense and you need to remain focused. There are many hours spent at the gym, cooking, planning your meals, and setting up appointments for suit fittings and tanning, etc.

MS: When I prepare for a contest, I lift weights 5 days a week, train abs 3 days a week, do a lot of cardio – typically 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes a day – 6 days a week. I also tan several times a week. Three days out from a contest, I begin to reduce my water intake from 200 ounces of water a day to 8 ounces the day before the contest. The day before the contest, I have spray tan professionally applied from head to toe. Contest morning, I set the alarm for 3:00 a.m. when I get up to have a bowl of oatmeal. I sleep until 6 a.m., put on my posing suit and mentally prepare for prejudging which typically begins at 8:00 a.m. At that point, I’ve done all I can do and I focus on enjoying the moment that I’ve worked so hard to get to.

PS: I usually train about 8-9 weeks for an event/competition, eating a very strict diet of high protein and low carbs, and doing cardio everyday for about 30 min.

Funniest/craziest bodybuilding moment?
LH: For about a month after I won the 2008 NANBF Ms. Natural Minnesota my 5 year old daughter would announce to strangers…”My Mom is the CHAMPION of Minnesota!” and of course no one knew what she was talking about.

MS: The first time I was professionally spray tanned for a contest, my skin color was so dark that when I stood up against a dark wall, you could only see the whites of my eyes and my teeth.

PS: The craziest moment was when I won my class in Natual Mr.U.S.A and got my pro card. I always wanted to become a pro natural bodybuilder. I just didn’t think it would happen that soon. I thought it was pretty awesome.

Are there any common misconceptions about bodybuilding?
LH: Yes! Some misconceptions are that all bodybuilders use steroids, they are not intelligent, and they are not flexible. That is far from the truth! Many of us use good old fashioned hard work to train and eat right. Bodybuilding takes a lot of discipline and the right knowledge is extremely important. And some bodybuilders are extremely flexible and actually do the splits on stage!

MS: There are many common misperceptions about bodybuilding. Two primary misconceptions relate to nutrition and motive.

In regard to nutrition, people often incorrectly assume we starve ourselves. We don’t. We eat more than most people, but choose our food carefully to maximize muscle growth.

In regard to motive, people incorrectly assume all bodybuilders pursue bodybuilding because they are vain. Some are. Some are not. For many like me, bodybuilding is a personal hobby, a personal passion – it’s not an attention seeking endeavor. Some people spend hours scrap booking, reading, playing golf, woodworking, watching sports, watching television, going to movies, gardening….I spend that time in the gym. In the words of my wise older brother Buddy Soldo, “The Soldo’s are artists. You Michelle, you’re canvas is your body. You’ve found you’re gift. Don’t waste it.”

What super power do you wish you had?
LH: To change people into whatever they would like to become.

MS: That’s a really great question. If there’s a superhero whose super power is the world’s fastest metabolism and they can eat all of the chocolate cookies they want without gaining weight, that’s the super power I want.

PS: I wish I had super strength and could burn fat without doing cardio.

Have you ever beaten anyone up?
LH: uugghh….no, because everyone is too afraid to take me on!!! j/k

MS: Yep – I sparred all through Junior High – no kidding!

PS: I’ve never beaten up anyone before.

Who was your favorite super hero when you were a kid?
LH: Wonder Woman and the Bionic Man!!

MS: I was a big Wonder Woman fan. I liked her outfit. When Xena the Warrior Princess was big, I liked her too. She’s the superhero I plan to emulate on Free First Saturday.

Can you give us any hints as to what families can expect to see on September 5th?
LH: You will see me evolve from a cocoon, into a butterfly, into a bodybuilding super hero.

MS: I anticipate that families will see athletes who love the sport of bodybuilding. Their enthusiasm and love of the sport will be evident through the unique routines they perform and will be evident in their smiles. Our goal is that everyone has a great time. Come join us!

PS: I’m looking forward to the event. It will be entertaining and fun! I can’t wait.

Click here to view the embedded slideshow.

Although Fantastic Fourth! was wonderful as a stand-alone event, it is just one of many memorable events since the inception of the Walker. The image below was taken at a Walker concert held July 4, 1959. The individuals in the photo are sitting in a space referred to as the ‘backyard’; an open space that existed before the (first) Guthrie was built. This image seems to capture the innocence of the era–the quintessential American Independence day filled with good, clean family fun.

Walker Backyard, July 4, 1959 Courtesy Walker Art Center Archives

Although the 1950s seems centuries ago in terms of how our world has changed, the theme of the Walker as a place for place for families to gather to celebrate art, life, culture and each other still rings true. What a far-reaching vision the founders of this institution (and its subsequent Sculpture Garden) had in providing such a tremendous space to host events that have the capability of engaging the whole community.

Whether it was the kids creating their own Spin Art Surprise, concertgoers listening to the music, or those enjoying some delicious grilled corn on the cob, one thing that was hard to avoid were the smiles-lots of them. Maybe that 1950s era sense of picture-perfect “happiness” really isn’t that much of a stretch after all; maybe all we have to do is look around…

Spoonbridge and Concertgoers, July 4, 2009

Haley Bonar, Photo by Cameron Wittig

M.anifest, Photo courtesy the artist

Favorite 4^th of July memory?

HB: Watching the fireworks from Star Village in Rapid City, SD with my sisters on a blanket drinking coke.

Favorite type of firework?

HB: The ones that feel like they’re getting really close as they grow bigger.

M: The type that goes ka-boom and sends colorful sparks sky high. You can tell I’m no expert in fireworks nomenclature :)

Sparklers or Snaps?

HB: Sparklers are more magical!

Best lawn game?

HB: Lying down and reading a book.

M: Football (or soccer as called in these parts)

Best grill food?

HB: Summer squash and sweet potato

M: Chicken and plantains. My friend Mandla in Brooklyn Park makes the best barbeque grilled chicken in Minnesota. I stand by it!

What’s this country mean to you?

HB: Except for the littering of chain restaurants and stores across the land, it is one of the most beautiful countries around. I love the Black Hills, Oregon, Wisconsin, the UP (Upper Peninsula, MI), Montana, Northern Minnesota, boundary waters… so many awesome places to see.

M: It means a lot of opportunities as well as many contradictions. The land of the free you know. It means the epicenter of world political power. It means diversity in a beautifully strange way. You can find just about any kind of person in America: black, white, broke-as-hell, rich-as-well, liberal, neo-nazi, preacher, organic food eating, gun toting libertarians, and the list goes on. Lastly it means a good part of my adult life and music life thus far.

What song do you associate with 4^th of July?

HB: Born in the USA (even though I wasn’t!)

What song do you associate with independence?

M: “God bless our homeland Ghana.” I do dig the star spangled banner though…nice melody. I’m about to check Wikipedia to find out who wrote it.

What are you most looking forward to about spending your holiday at the Walker?

HB: Singing for you fine people.

M: Looking forward to seeing lots of people all coming out to have a good time. Good vibes and merry-making. We can forget about the recession for a day I suppose.

Where will you be watching fireworks on Saturday night?

HB: Not sure but hopefully somewhere with all my best friends and family.

M: Not quite sure yet, but I’ll be trying somewhere different this year. Preferably a less crowded location

A free outdoor Independence Day concert will be kicked off by Sumunar Gamelan Ensemble at 11 am, followed by Haley Bonar at 1 pm, and M.anifest at 2 pm near the Spoonbridge and Cherry.

1. You missed Rock the Garden? Catch another amazing musical line-up for FREE: Sumunar Gamelan Ensemble (11 am), Haley Bonar (1 pm), and M.anifest (2 pm)

2. This is way easier than a week-end camping trip up north

3. Rumor has it there may be dippin’ dots at the Garden Grill by Wolfgang Puck

4. Ever tried making spin art with a salad spinner? (Nope, we haven’t either, but we’re hoping this DIY project works out.)

5. Where else can you get a 1,200 pound cherry in the backdrop of your family snapshot?

6.  Can’t afford air conditioning, come inside the building and enjoy ours (wow, and there’s art too!)

7. See Grandma hula-hoop like nobody’s business

8. There’s about 12 hours to kill before the fireworks go off

9. Discover the magic of aluminum foil: bike decor by day, grill grate cover by night

10. Because we’re the only art center in town holding a party just for you!

Courtesy the Duffalo family archives

We put together some photos of the process on our flickr account. It seemed there were as many cameras as people in the garden, so if you have photos or short videos on flickr, please add them to our Minneapolis Sculpture Garden flickr group. Here’s a video of the wrapping coming off by waiting line:

We also live-tweeted the process, and there are some photos in our twitpic stream.

We’ll update again with more details on when it will be reinstalled.

We are getting close to being ready to apply the paint! Enclosed are some images of the cherry with a light coating of grey epoxy primer. Swanson & Youngdale is using a fine-grade sandpaper to remove sanding marks and make the entire surface perfectly smooth. Tomorrow the work will be given a thick coat of epoxy primer.

On Monday morning, Joe will inspect the work one more time to make sure it is looking good, and if all is well, the final layers of red paint will be applied.

Mark Bradford: I would say that the greatest educational influence was art school. It sounds obvious, but for me I was not brought up with people who dedicated themselves to sustained artistic focus. There was a whole world out there I just didn’t know existed, but at the same time I always had an intense curiosity, which demanded a creative outlet. Art school gave me the structure to hang some of my interests on.

Interview courtesy of Art21, a PBS series on art in the 21st century. Read the entire interview (and more) on the Art21.org. site.

Speaking for myself, exposure to the arts was a formative and substantive factor in my education. I should say “was and is,” affirming my dedication to life-long learning. I won’t be alone in this conviction when the NAEA Conference comes to town. (Here’s an insightful list of the values advanced by art education.)

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) is a non-profit organization promoting art education through professional development, service, advancement of knowledge, and leadership. Every year, their annual conference attracts thousands of visual arts teachers, scholars, researchers and professors, students, administrators, and art museum educators, and artists. This year, the conference takes place in Minneapolis and the Walker’s involvement includes the appearance of guest artist Mark Bradford, a pre-conference focusing on museum education, and a range of conference offerings such a workshops and sessions.

Here in the Walker’s education department, eight of my colleagues are busily rehearsing their workshops and presentations — between us all, 15 unique events are being crafted for the conference. Susan Rotilie, Program Manager, School Programs, plays a significant role in the coordination of the pre-conference. Dedicated to museum educators (a subset of the NAEA multitude), the pre-conference will take place on April 16th at both the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center. The conference itself (April 17-21) encompasses a broad range of themes including Early Childhood through Higher Education, Research, Museum Education, Supervision and Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, and more.

Even if you’re not an art educator by profession, this event has something for you: The Walker is pleased to welcome artist Mark Bradford. With support from Aaron and Carol Mack, Art21, and NAEA, Bradford will give an artist talk on Sunday, April 19th at 2:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Walker Cinema.

Since the last post the fairing compound was completely sanded and the work painted grey, revealing areas that need further contouring, which is what is happening in the photos. The entire work will be given another skim coat of fairing compound, be hand sanded and hopefully we will move into the painting phase next week Friday.

According to Joe King:

Most of what we see on the surface of the cherry will be sanded off on Monday, leaving the compound only in areas that are slight depressions on the surface. At this point all of the sanding is done by hand with a sanding block, to avoid any tool marks or depressions made from having a power sander in the same location for too long. This is extremely labor intensive, but critical to make the surface pristine.

The stem is coated with the second coat of epoxy primer, gray, which is also under the fairing compound on the cherry. After sanding and filling, the entire work will be coated with another coat of the gray epoxy.

The hand-sanding process is expected to take around two weeks to complete and may not be the most picturesque. We’ll keep you posted with progress updates.