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#catvidfest: Vote for “Best in Show”

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Now that #catvidfest is over and the festival has been made public, here is your opportunity to vote for your personal pick for “best in show.” Tweet your pick and it’s corresponding number from the list below including the hashtag #catvidfest and we will tally the votes an announce the winner on Friday September 7th. [...]

Now that #catvidfest is over and the festival has been made public, here is your opportunity to vote for your personal pick for “best in show.” Tweet your pick and it’s corresponding number from the list below including the hashtag #catvidfest and we will tally the votes an announce the winner on Friday September 7th. View the entire playlist on the Walker Art Center’s YouTube channel here.

www.walkerart.org/catvidfest

#catvidfest
01 Animal Planet’s My Cat From Hell Spot, by Animal Planet
02 I want…, by AnimalHumaneSociety, 1,131 views
03 Lucy Films, by LaborCamp, 59 views

COMEDY
04 Patty Cake Cats, by Seth Miller, 1,918,566 views
05 Gary’s Disgusted, by ClintWeiler, 208,809 views
06  Talking Cat, by cutefurrytales, 1,169,672 views
07 Cat Acts Like Dog, by TushiRIT, 4,730,264 views
08 Cat Barks Like Dog, by noobdaily, 12,353,002 views
09 Nom Nom Nom Cat, by k1pperiz, 2,295,511 views
10 Cat Meowing Weird, by Takahura, 62,885 views
11 Cats Scream Yawns, by theindiemachines, 1,594,712 views
12 Cat Burp, by iveftfirecracker, 82 views
13 Underwater Treadmill Cat, by neosurrealist, 14,074 views
14 Cat Shower, by HolaKenty, 4,229,367 views
15 Cat Alarm Clock, by GarrulousCrap, 3,588,978 views
16 Why Won’t He Wake Up? , by Mitone Cooke 2,110,375 views
17 Peek-A-Boo Suitcase Cat, by cmbt89, 748,798 views
18 Yes Cats, by Gattacapa, 924,324 views
19 Kittens Dancing, by tariqwahl, 3,854,459 views
20 Kitten Freak Out, by 100disks, 2,496,196 views
21 Kittens Riding Vacuum, by melodyparris, 4,113,033 views
22 Kitten Train, by SpaceyStacy88, 10,349 views
23 Kitten Pounce on Dog, by pratvids, 5,040 views
24 Kitten Can’t Jump, by RoAsTLevin, 3,497,251 views

DRAMA
25 Kitten vs. Two Scary Things, by ignoramusky, 6,303,007 views
26 Stalking Cat, by lowdope, 35,253,296 views
27 Cat vs Cat Balloon, by CarlyandRobert, 2,367,946 views
28 Dramatic Cat – Orchestral, by John Pickup, 815,641 views
29 WTF Kitty, by DidHEDiedChannel, 11,583,199 views
30 The OMG Cat, by Davincipop, 18,667,503 views
31 Persian on Bed, by akkitom1, 67,276 views
32 Banana Security, by richfofo, 456,968 views
33 White Cat on Two Legs, by crazystuff103, 4,628,499 views
34 Orange Cat Gone, by teakdc, 15,735,776 views
35 Angry Cobra Cat, by shoutitallloud, 3,773,970 views
36 Serious SOS Cat, by DogsAnimalsCats, 2,320,911 views
37 Little Cat Provokes Big Cat, by phunit, 14,364 views
38 Cat Jump Fail, by FiatVeronica, 314,291 views

FOREIGN
39 Kittens in Bowls, by lpoleschtschuk, 7,393 views
40 Gatonovela, by flix, 232,767 views
41 Les Chats Ninjas, by faireset2, 2,602,589 views
42 I am Maru 4, by mugumogu, 2,186,374 views
43 Happy Birthday Cat, by tomomama3, 1,004,013 views
44 Les Vieux Cons, by faireset2, 595,277 views
45 Cat Scratches Butt, by xanaduvista, 618,856 views

ANIMATED
46 Simon’s Cat, by simonscat, 36,248,487 views
47 Sushi Cats, by TandNPeanuts, 83 views
48 Welcome to Kitty City, by cyriak, 3,427,952 views
49 Boots and Cats, by AfferatteDesign, 1,208,071 views

DOCUMENTARY
50 Catvertising, by johnst172, 1,842,399 views
51 Space Cats, by andyfreeberg, 212,503 views
52 Engineer’s Guide, by klusmanp, 5,778,851 views
53 100 Ways to Love a Cat, by travisandjonathan, 277,043 views
54 Facts on Cats, by richfofo, 107,148 views
55 Cat Show Trailer, by Madden Meiners, 101 views

CAT STRETCH!
56 Montage of Assorted Cute Kitties (not available on YouTube playlist)

MUSICAL
57 The Internet is Made of Cats, by rathergoodstuff, 880,646 views
58 Nora, the Piano Cat, the Sequel, by burnellyow, 8,109,044 views
59 Kitty Cat Dance, by steveibsen, 3,435,178 views
60 Island Kitty, by jordan9148, 47 views
61 Trololo Cat, by thetoaster2006, 1,906,670 views
62 Catsik ft. Exkitten – Swagga, by KrashOPS, 604,064 views
63 Live PopTart Nyan Cat, by BradJohnsen, 487,763 views
64 Sky Mall Kitties, by ninakatchadourian, 80,811 views

ART HOUSE
65 Cory Arcangel, by coryarcangel, 76,802 views
66 Noodle Cup Heads, by shironekoshiro, 55,804 views
67 Slow Motion Kitten, by mundomudado2010, 43,042 views
68 Purring Face, by dangerbird64, 71 views
69 Cat Puke, by slaveclothes, 28 views

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
70 Kittens Inspired by Kittens, by blakekelly0, 16,307,592 views
71 Surprised Kitty, by rozzzafly, 64,754,627 views
72 Keyboard Cat, by chuckieart, 26,295,021 views

PEOPLE’S CHOICE (in alphabetical order)
73 Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten, by dragomirnet86, 47,665,611 views
74 Dubstep Cat, by xga66erx , 1,158,885 views
75 Henri 2, Paw de Deux, by WillBraden, 3,216,625 views
76 Maru Slides into Boxes, by mugumogu, 14,298,886 views
77 Nonono Cat, by MrDron059, 7,957,170 views
78 Nyan Cat, by saraj00n, 83,222,478 views
79 Two Talking Cats, by TheCatsPyjaaaamas, 50,792,975 views

*view counts reflect the number of YouTube views of each video at the time of nomination
**video creators are credited by their YouTube username

 

Introducing mnartists.blog

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It’s been seven years since we launched the Walker Blogs, and with the release of our new homepage back in December we thought it was finally time for a refresh. You’ll notice that the design has changed to align with our new website and we’ve used the opportunity to rebrand each of our core blogs, [...]

It’s been seven years since we launched the Walker Blogs, and with the release of our new homepage back in December we thought it was finally time for a refresh. You’ll notice that the design has changed to align with our new website and we’ve used the opportunity to rebrand each of our core blogs, focus our offerings, and give readers a better sense of what they’ll find inside. Don’t worry though, the name might have changed, but this is still the blog of mnartists.org, and we’re committed to bringing you stories about and by those living and working in Minnesota’s diverse arts community, through personal essays, humor, video shorts, and brief dispatches from readers, artists and staff about the events and personalities, issues and timely news relevant to the local cultural scene. We invite you join in the community conversation!

A Community Mourns and Celebrates SooVAC’s Suzy Greenberg

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Last Thursday, August 16, Suzy Greenberg, founder of two beloved Twin Cities galleries, Soo Visual Arts Center and Rosalux Gallery, died unexpectedly. A mainstay in the Minnesota visual arts community, she was, for years, an unstinting advocate for emerging artists and a savvy curator with a loyal following, known for having a sharp eye for [...]

Suzy Greenberg. Photo by Tom Sweeney of the “Minneapolis Star-Tribune,” courtesy of Soo Visual Arts Center.

Last Thursday, August 16, Suzy Greenberg, founder of two beloved Twin Cities galleries, Soo Visual Arts Center and Rosalux Gallery, died unexpectedly. A mainstay in the Minnesota visual arts community, she was, for years, an unstinting advocate for emerging artists and a savvy curator with a loyal following, known for having a sharp eye for as-yet-unknown but promising talent.  She’s proved to be a nimble entrepreneur, too, shepherding her well-regarded storefront gallery in Minneapolis through several years of difficult economic conditions with aplomb and ingenuity.

Losing her has left the Twin Cities’ tight-knit art scene grief-stricken. There’ve been a number of moving remembrances published in local media in the last week (you can find the links below). Now, we’d like to invite you — Greenberg’s colleagues and friends, artists and fellow gallerists and curators — to share your favorite anecdotes and memories, below in the comments section.

According to SooVAC’s Executive Director, Carolyn Payne, a gathering in her honor is planned for Monday, September 10. For the event, SooVAC will show an exhibition of Greenberg’s work, curated by Lars Mason; people are also invited to come by the CC Club to share stories and memories in celebration of a life beautifully and generously lived, if far too short.

Payne says there’s no formal program planned, “This is just a time to come and pay tribute to her life and art, and to have a drink together in her memory at her longtime neighboring watering hole.”

 

 

Some related links:

 

A tribute to Suzy Greenberg’s life and art is planned for Monday, September 10, from 4 pm – 10 pm, at Soo Visual Arts Center (2638 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis) and at the CC Club (just down the street at 2600 Lyndale Avenue South).

For updated information as the date draws nearer, check in with the gallery website: http://www.soovac.org/

Please share your favorite anecdotes and memories, your best Suzy-stories, in the comments below.

In the Garden – “It Is What It Is!” comic by Todd Balthazor

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About the artist: Todd Balthazor is a satirical, often anthropomorphic illustrator, fine artist, muralist and children’s art instructor from St.Paul, MN, with a BFA in illustration from the College of Visual Arts (CVA).  He has done artist residencies at Jackson Elementary and the St. Paul University Club, and his work has been displayed in venues both [...]

About the artist: Todd Balthazor is a satirical, often anthropomorphic illustrator, fine artist, muralist and children’s art instructor from St.Paul, MN, with a BFA in illustration from the College of Visual Arts (CVA).  He has done artist residencies at Jackson Elementary and the St. Paul University Club, and his work has been displayed in venues both locally and abroad, including: illustrations in the Altered Esthetics Gallery (Minneapolis), the Walker Art Center blog, and multiple Red Leaf Press publications (St. Paul); visual narratives at the Adugyama Art Exhibition (Ghana, Africa) and the Save the Children Nepal Project (Nepal, India); and murals at an orphanage in Jaurez, Mexico.  Samples of his work can be found at toddbalthazor.com and toddbalthazor.blogspot.com.

Balthazor also works as a guard at the Walker Art Center, and draws on his experiences behind the scenes at the museum in his weekly comic strip for mnartists.org, It Is What It Is.  (Click the image above to enlarge it.)

How to Attend an Internet Cat Video Festival

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If you are as excited as I am about the upcoming #catvidfest, then you might also be wondering about the logistics of the event. So here, for you cat ladies, internet lovers, social types and just plain curious cats, is an important list of Dos and Don’ts… Do get here, to Walker Open Field, early. [...]

If you are as excited as I am about the upcoming #catvidfest, then you might also be wondering about the logistics of the event. So here, for you cat ladies, internet lovers, social types and just plain curious cats, is an important list of Dos and Don’ts…

Do get here, to Walker Open Field, early. We’ve got plenty of activities to keep you occupied starting at 4pm with Drawing Club with mnartists.org and a letterpress poster-making activity with the ladies of Lunalux, and the galleries are open and FREE thanks to Target Free Thursday Nights from 5 – 9 pm. We also have live music starting at 7pm on the field, so you’ll be serenaded while you wait for the cats on screen. I’d recommend getting here long before it gets dark so that you may secure a viewing spot on the field. #catvidfest will begin at 8:30 pm.

Don’t expect tickets or seating. Please bring a blanket or something to sit on and know that the field is a big open green space outside and you may stake your space on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Do dress for the weather. It might be hot or it might be cold, either way dress accordingly and remember that the temperature may drop as the sun sets.

Don’t worry if you get hungry, the D’Amico Garden Grill will be open. We’ve also ordered a few extra bars to help service your thirst with some excellent keg beer and a specialty “Cat’s Meow” cocktail! Kitty cocktails will also be available for the younger ones.

This is from Music and Movies on Walker Open Field last year. #catvidfest will be set up in a similar fashion.

Do ride your bike if you can! We’ve ordered extra bike racks for all you hip cat-video-loving bikers.

Don’t expect us to accommodate your cat. In fact, 99.9% of your cats would not like to be brought out into a social public gathering of this type, so please be kind to your kitties and leave them at home with some extra catnip for the night:) If you do insist on bringing an animal, know that you are responsible for that animal’s needs and we will not have food, water, or kitty litter available.

Do expect to talk about your cat with other cat lovers. Feel free to bring pictures, stories and a great attitude about cats to share with your feline inclined kindred while you wait for the show to begin.

Don’t forget to buy a #catvidfest T-shirt, meet our community partners and have a great time while you’re here. We have friends from Feline Rescue, the Animal Humane Society, and the Wildcat Sanctuary who will be on the field and happy to talk with you about the amazing things they do for our feline friends.

Do tweet in your vote for “best in show” from the entire line-up of videos in the festival with the hashtag #catvidfest and the corresponding number you will find in the program we will be handing out the night of the fest.

Don’t be angry with us (or me personally) because your favorite video didn’t make the cut. We’ve tried our best to be broadly inclusive, but at the end of the day there’s only so many ways to edit down thousands of videos into a mere hour or so of footage. We are hoping to post some Honorable Mentions that didn’t make the cut online after the festival, so stay tuned…

Do follow up online if you can’t make the actual festival here in Minneapolis on Aug. 30th. We will be posting the #catvidfest line-up on www.walkerart.org/catvidfest following the festival for those of you across the globe or otherwise occupied next Thursday night.

For more information on how to get to the Walker Art Center and its amenities click here.

See you next week,

XO MEOW

Acoustic Campfire: Tango Pohjan Tähden

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We have an exciting treat for Acoustic Campfire on Walker Open Field this week: Finnish Tango from Tango Pohjan Tähden! Who knew?! Come check it out on Thursday night after you’ve worn yourself out wandering the Walker galleries (which are free from 5-9pm thanks to our Target Free Thursday Night program), making birthday cards, learning [...]

We have an exciting treat for Acoustic Campfire on Walker Open Field this week: Finnish Tango from Tango Pohjan Tähden! Who knew?! Come check it out on Thursday night after you’ve worn yourself out wandering the Walker galleries (which are free from 5-9pm thanks to our Target Free Thursday Night program), making birthday cards, learning about teen behaviors, knitting, and drawing with local artists.

 

Tango Pohjan Tähden

Tango Pohjan Tähden is a tango quartet from Minneapolis that blends tango, jazz, and folk music within the context of classic Finnish tangos, creating a lush, original soundscape. Does it get much better than that? I don’t think so. Music starts at 8pm on Open Field Grove and I have a feeling there will be plenty of room for dancing… so feel free to let the music move you and show off your best tango steps!

Take a listen to this amazing group here and get in the mood for fun on Thursday night!

MAKING IT: Drawing Club with Melissa Loop, Hannah Frick, and Vanesa Windschitl

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There are only two Drawing Club sessions left of the season! Can you believe it? Time sure flies when you are having fun on Open Field.  This week our special local artist guest hosts are Melissa Loop, Hannah Frick and Vanesa Windschitl. If you haven’t made it to Drawing Club yet this summer, you should [...]

There are only two Drawing Club sessions left of the season! Can you believe it? Time sure flies when you are having fun on Open Field.  This week our special local artist guest hosts are Melissa Loop, Hannah Frick and Vanesa Windschitl. If you haven’t made it to Drawing Club yet this summer, you should come this Thursday before it’s too late.

What’s Drawing Club? If you don’t know by now, well, then you really should come on down on Thursday from 4 -8pm and find out! We make collaborative drawings and all ages and levels of artistic ability are welcome. The only rule: what’s made at Drawing Club stays at Drawing Club. Come add on to one of our many works in progress or start something new and leave it for others to add on to. You can view finished works on our tumblr: http://openfielddrawingclub.tumblr.com/

Take a minute to get to know this week’s guest hosts and we’ll see you at the picnic tables on Open Field Grove on Thursday!

Melissa Loop

Melissa Loop lives and works in Minneapolis MN where she received her Fine Arts BFA in fall 2005 from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Upon graduation, she received the Vanderlip Travel Grant given the most promising student.  Melissa has been nationally shown and published internationally.  Most notable are features in New American Paintings and Dmag in Buenos Aires.  Last summer she had a solo show at Soo Visual Art Center in Minneapolis as well as asolo show at Breeze Block Gallery in Portland Oregon.

By using past and present notions of Utopia and Dystopia as a platform, she makes landscape paintings of exotic locations that deal with human ideals and misconceptions of desire, authenticity, and subjugation.

Hannah Frick

Hannah Frick is an emerging artist in the Twin Cities.  She earned her BFA in Painting from the College of Visual Arts in 2011.  Frick enjoys creating abstract paintings and collages from the refuse of everyday life.  Her slight tendency to hoard and her obsessive attention to detail allow her to create interest and beauty with materials that are often overlooked.  Besides making and exhibiting work, Frick stays involved in the arts community through her guest curator role at Fox Tax Gallery, and as an active volunteer at The Soap Factory.  You’ll find her biking around the Twin Cities all year long, and will quickly win her over with a good pun or a cute cat picture.

Vanesa Windschitl

Vanesa Windschitl currently lives in Minneapolis and has her BFA in Illustration from the College of Visual Arts. She loves mashed potatoes, Nine Inch Nails, and her two dachshunds, Evie Goose and Abraham Lux.

 

 

Acoustic Campfire: Lynn O’Brien and HOLLY

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This week’s Acoustic Campfire features TWO excellent performances from Lynn O’Brien and HOLLY.  Unlike most of our Acoustic Campfires, this week we are starting early with Lynn O’Brien performing at 7 pm and HOLLY starting at 8pm.  They will provide an excellent wind down opportunity after you play with live animals, explore natural artifacts and [...]

This week’s Acoustic Campfire features TWO excellent performances from Lynn O’Brien and HOLLY.  Unlike most of our Acoustic Campfires, this week we are starting early with Lynn O’Brien performing at 7 pm and HOLLY starting at 8pm.  They will provide an excellent wind down opportunity after you play with live animals, explore natural artifacts and actively enjoy all of the other wonderful programs coming to Open Field from 3 – 8 pm on Thursday by way of Three Rivers Park District’s Silverwood Park.

HOLLY

You may recognize Lynn O’Brien‘s vocal stylings from her work with Hummingbirds who performed earlier this summer at Acoustic Campfire. This week we’re privy to a special solo performance from Lynn which promises to soothe the soul with the jovial pleasantry of her delightful sounds.

HOLLY makes music that is unable to cause you any pain whatsoever. Unless actually hearing harmonics of this kind of thing is painful. But it is designed not to upset you in the least. HOLLY includes Holly Muñoz on vocals and guitar, Justin Hartke on bass, and Dan Choma on drums. They will begin playing at 8 pm.

Take a look and listen to the video below for a taste of what’s to come on Thursday and we’ll see you for music starting at 7 pm on Walker Open Field!

 

 

SIlverwood Park at Open Field!

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Live animals on the field? Bug hunting in the Sculpture Garden? Nature Phontography? These are but a few of the many activities coming our way next Thursday, August 16th, when Three Rivers Park District’s Silverwood Park invades Walker Open Field and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden! Last fall we took an Open Field “Field Trip” out [...]

Live animals on the field? Bug hunting in the Sculpture Garden? Nature Phontography?

These are but a few of the many activities coming our way next Thursday, August 16th, when Three Rivers Park District’s Silverwood Park invades Walker Open Field and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden! Last fall we took an Open Field “Field Trip” out to this spectacular art park in St. Anthony (which is not actually more than a few minutes from Minneapolis, seriously) and now they are coming to us! And they’re bringing all sorts of art and nature related activities. Below is a brief rundown of next Thursday’s many opportunities for natural fun as Silverwood Park and Three Rivers Park District take over Open Field and the Sculpture Garden!

 

Drawing Club: Dead or Alive
Open Field Grove Picnic Tables, 4:00 – 8:00 pm
Our regular Open Field Drawing Club, with an animal twist. Take a pencil, a few bones, add a little taxidermy, a live animal or two and you have Drawing Club with Three Rivers Park District. Whether you start a new piece or work on an existing drawing, this session of Drawing club will be killer!

SparkleRock
Open Field, near the Jim Hodges boulders, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
There are four new sparkling faces on Open Field this summer! Come welcome them in style by creating miniatures in their likeness. Bring your own favorite stone or choose one of ours to foil in homage to Jim Hodges’ new monolithic work.

Natural artifacts from Silverwood Park

Clay Olympics at Open Field
Open Field, 3:00 – 4:30pm & 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Olympic fever has caught us too. Not nearly as serious as the summer games in London, a friendly competition of clay games awaits on Open Field. Individual and team events open to all ages and abilities.

It’s Alive!
Open Field, 3:00 – 8:00 pm
Visit live animals on Open Field! Draw them, observe them, or both! Live animals may include frogs, turtles, snakes, salamanders and/or other surprise non-human guests…

To Dye for
Sculpture Garden, near Belvedere, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Delve into the nature of plant pigments and hammer out hues with plant samples from the Three Rivers Park District! Weave your work into the fabric of the park through collaborative interaction with the Sculpture Garden.

FlatPak Exploration Station
Sculpture Garden, near FlatPak in the Garden , 3:00 – 8:00 pm
Learn about raptors and explore artifacts with a naturalist from Three Rivers Park District.  Make animal mosaics and survey the sculpture garden for urban animals.

Bug Hotel and Sparkle Rocks

Nature Phontography
Begin in Sculpture Garden at Ampersand 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Come with your smart phone and pick up a treasure map. Follow the clues to find and photograph urban-dwelling natural objects. Work on your own or with a naturalist. Naturalist led-walks leave every 30 min, starting at 6:00 pm.

Garden Exploration Stations
Sculpture Garden, near Spoonbridge and Cherry and near Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers, 3:00 – 8:00 pm
Explore different mammal furs, monarchs and artifacts with a naturalist.

Bug Houses; Where Small is the New Big
Sculpture Garden, near Molecule, 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Make a big house and create habitats for backyard bugs. Design your own egg-laying chamber or hibernation room using simple materials including cardboard, clay tubes, sticks and more!

In Search of Bugs
Sculpture Garden, near Alene Grossman Arbor, 3:00 – 8:00 pm
Sweep, observe and identify what insects are in the Sculpture Garden. Naturalists will be on hand to assist with identification.

We hope you can make it out for this spectacular day on Open Field! Were not sure when else you might get to play with live animals, make houses for bugs, compete in clay Olympics, draw dead or alive things and explore the natural setting of the Walker Art Center all at once. And hang around after these activities wind down for Target Free Thursday Night and Acoustic Campfire performances from Lynn O’Brien at 7 pm and HOLLY starting at 8pm.

First Impressions – “It Is What It Is!” comic by Todd Balthazor

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About the artist: Todd Balthazor is a satirical, often anthropomorphic illustrator, fine artist, muralist and children’s art instructor from St.Paul, MN, with a BFA in illustration from the College of Visual Arts (CVA).  He has done artist residencies at Jackson Elementary and the St. Paul University Club, and his work has been displayed in venues both [...]

About the artist: Todd Balthazor is a satirical, often anthropomorphic illustrator, fine artist, muralist and children’s art instructor from St.Paul, MN, with a BFA in illustration from the College of Visual Arts (CVA).  He has done artist residencies at Jackson Elementary and the St. Paul University Club, and his work has been displayed in venues both locally and abroad, including: illustrations in the Altered Esthetics Gallery (Minneapolis), the Walker Art Center blog, and multiple Red Leaf Press publications (St. Paul); visual narratives at the Adugyama Art Exhibition (Ghana, Africa) and the Save the Children Nepal Project (Nepal, India); and murals at an orphanage in Jaurez, Mexico.  Samples of his work can be found at toddbalthazor.com and toddbalthazor.blogspot.com.

Balthazor also works as a guard at the Walker Art Center, and draws on his experiences behind the scenes at the museum in his weekly comic strip for mnartists.org, It Is What It Is.  (Click the image above to enlarge it.)

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