blogs, links, events and art from the teens behind ►

On Sunday August 24th at the 7th Street Entry artists from across Minnesota, the Midwest, and California will come together for performances, workshops, a B-Boy/Popping Exhibition, a Krump dance exhibition, Hip-Hop karaoke, and more. Support your scene and do your part to see the Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop return in full capacity next year.

Workshop (FREE): 12-4PM – Deconstruct the Police: What real role of the police? Where do they fit in a society maintaining the marginalization of its citizens? Join Yo! The Movement in a workshop about our relationship with the police. Help in creating the youth agenda for how to safely and effectively interact with our law enforcers.

All Ages Showcase ($6): 4:30-8:30PM – Maria Isa, Mr. Wright (Toki Wright), Trama, St. Paul Slim, B-Boys exhibition, Asian Hip-Hop Summit (Los Angeles), Krumpers, Tou Saik Lee and Friends, Young Son, Chantz, Yakub, Fres (Milwaukee), Poetik Assasinz, Naadirah, Profit, Hip-Hop Karoke.

When: Saturday, April 5th, 1-3pm

Where: Springboard for the Arts (308 Prince St., Suite 270, St. Paul, MN 55101)

Suggested Donation: $10

This workshop is open to the PUBLIC! You must register by sending your name and phone number to: info@thestoryboard.org (Students, please include your grade and school with your e-mail registration).

Before producers walk the red carpet at a film premiere, they become masters at taking that big picture vision and breaking it down into manageable steps. To discover how big-time producers get scripts to screen, come to our Producing Workshop and learn some of the nuts and bolts of script breakdowns and movie scheduling.You will have an opportunity to work closely with a professional producer and get your questions answered!

Tomorrow I have the PSAT, tonight I have a french press with chamomile as opposed to fair trade dark roast, and there’s some globally amazing things in the world that we should all be aware of.

A week from tomorrow (so, on the 24th of October) I’m doing a spokenword/dance collab with perpich kids at the Bryant Lake Bowl – peep back later for details.

If you’re a student, I hope you’re PSATing tomorrow and getting ready for MEA weekend- not that schooling is the only path- but 15 bucks for the PSAT is worth it to keep some doors open.

This Saturday there’s a youth summit up at Ihduhapi, I believe it’s too late to register, but just so you know- Mpls youth organizations ARE getting together and putting some major head work in- so watch the kcuf out, whispers say there might be a chantz rap?

c’est possible…

Anyways- peace to Big Zach- wishing you luck and love with yo’ face n’ isht.

New Atmos is like the last one- one good track, one alright- the rest garbage.

I’m all across the drewniverse right now- I gotta start planning for apple picking…

On the third Thursday of every month hip hop producers from all over the Twin Cities gather at Fifth Element record store to play off beats and talk about how they make their own. You can come too! Sign up and play a beat if your a producer! Or if you want to relax and listen to home made instrumentals stop on by Fifth Element in uptown! It’s hosted by Brandon Allday from Big Quarters. Be sure to stay up and support your local artists!

For more information click here.

Are you a young artist (age 15- 19)?Apply to be on the Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council!

Deadline to apply: FRIDAY,  MAY 29!

What is WACTAC?

The Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council (WACTAC) is a group of 12 students who work with the Walker to produce programming that connects teenagers to contemporary art and artists. Past projects have included teen art exhibitions, performances, film screenings, artist talks, workshops, events, and marketing materials.

Who is eligible to apply?

We art looking for opinionated, self-motivated teenagers with a wide variety of experiences, interests, and skills.

What are the benefits of being a WACTAC member?

Meet and work with world-renowned visual artists, performers, and filmmakers. Collaborate with other teenagers from a wide range of backgrounds. Receive free tickets to Walker exhibitions, performances, and films.

What is the time committment?

Meetings are held weekly during the school year and last approximately 90 minutes.

How do I apply?

Provide your contact information (name, mailing address, age, school, phone, e-mail), anwer the questions below, and mail to: Teen Programs, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis MN, 55403

1. Why do you want to be on WACTAC?

2. Do you participate in other groups or activities? Please describe.

3. Are you an artist? If so, what media do you work with?

4.  What are three events or workshops that you  would like to see happen in the Twin Cities?

5. Tell us about your favorite artists, writers, thinkers, or social leaders.

6. If you are an artist, please provide a sample of your work. This can be a sketch, music sample, collage, photograph, URL, poem, video, etc. DO NOT send original work. We are looking for something that tells us more about you and your interests.

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 6 PM through SATURDAY, MAY 16, 6 PM (Closing Party at 8 PM)

ART-A-WHIRL WEEKEND!

Location: California Building, 2205 California St. NE, Minneapolis

Browse the schedule below to scope out which artists you most want to work with, or just show up and stay for the whole 24 hours! Drop us an email at teenprograms@walkerart.org if you want to participate in this 24 hour event featuring bands and activities led by local artists.

Grandmaster Schedule of Events

Friday, May 15

6 – 9 PM: BRETT & ERIN SMITH, Sister & Brother Design Duo

As the artists behind such sensations as Walker Mini Golf and many a maze made of mattresses, Brett and Erin Smith are sure to bring a double dose of sibling creativity and installation verve as they explore the California Building.

9 PM – MIDNIGHT: CHRIS PENNINGTON, Conductor of Cardboard Chaos

Chris Pennington is an installation artist/enormous party orchestrator with enough energy to power the Twin Cities. As a collaborator on The Soap Factory’s Haunted Basement, the 2008 Liberty Parade, The Soap Factory’s Ten Second Film Festival, and the Art Shanty Water Balloon Fight, join Pennington as he takes over the space with what’s sure to be the awesomest refrigerator box fort you’ve ever seen.

SATURDAY, MAY 16

MIDNIGHT – 3 AM: HARDLAND/HEARTLAND, Apocalyptic Art Collective

Hardland/Heartland are collaborative instructors of destruction, reconstruction and internet poetry. They have plans to recycle materials used by Chris Pennington in what may amount to the evening’s largest demolition project.

3 AM – 6 AM: BURLESQUE DESIGN, Rock-n-Roll, Rap, Raves, and Screenprinting

The boys from Burlesque are going to be keeping the insomnia alive with a 3 am rave party. They will also be creating a unique grid installation, projected on the wall and composed of album covers brought in by participants. Get ready to dance!

6 AM – 9 AM: ANDYMCINNIS, KRISTINA MOONEY, and CARISSA SAMANIENGO, Illustration, Architecture, and Printmaking

Kristina Mooney is coming in and tearing down the walls in her signature sheetrock slashing style. Andy McInnis and Carissa Samaniego join in to throw some screenprints and painyings into the mix, creating a chaotic, interactive melee.

9 AM – NOON: LIZ MILLER, Manipulator of Felt and Fabric

Liz Miller’s entangling, complex felt installations make a renewed appearance as she changes up her method of making art, just for this show. Her previous work, composed mostly off-site, will be turned into a group collaboration to respond to the changed space of the Don’t Sleep on It gallery.

NOON – 3 PM: SCOTT STULEN & ANDY DUCETT, Drippy Landscapes and Couch Forts

Scott Stulen plans to take over the event with a build of monstrous proportions. He is joined by Andy Ducett, crafter of giant contraptions, in an installation that challenges scale from all angles.

3 PM – 6 PM: ERIK BURKE, MIKE FITZSIMMONS, and JOHN GRIDER, Creatures, Spray Paint, and Stencils

The BrokenCrow Collective will be incorporating aerosol art with other visual elements and making everyone with a will to paint gets involved. Come and slap some paint on the wall!

8 PM: Closing Party

Celebrate the close of the event with a screening of a time-lapse video of the previous 24 hours and musical performances.

Go to the Rush Creek Studio and make some glass art .. for an affordable price.. bling.

You will design your own bowl, plate, platter, sushi dish, etc. and create it in class. We’ll fire it, and then slump it into the shape you have chosen from our many molds. The firing fee includes the two kiln firings of your project (fuse & slump).

After you have taken a glass class, you are welcome to work in our Studio anytime designing more glass projects, at just the regular Studio rates of $6 per hour (plus any glass you purchase).

Time and Date:

Monday, March 17th from 7 – 9 pm

Cost: $24 Class Fee, $10 firing & materials, + additional glass

Class offered at The Studio at Rush Creek

(763) 315-3001

www.studio-rush.com

9481 Garland Lane North

Maple Grove, MN 55311

Walk in art studio & coffee house! Hand-crafting the finest coffee and espresso drinks,

come for a class, open studio time or just to shop!

If you are a photographer, you should take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Wing Young Huie has shown at the Walker several times, and is best known for Lake Street, USA, an exhibition of his photographs displayed in store fronts, abandoned buildings, and businesses that spanned Lake Street from Uptown to Saint Paul.

Wing’s Photo Salon:

Saturdays, 10 -1 pm

$20 per session, pay as you come

Are you stuck creatively or do you just need a clean, well-lighted place to talk about photography? Welcome to Wing’s Photo Salons. Open to all photo enthusiasts, whatever your experience level, interests, biases or age. Cameras in all formats are welcome.

This is a communal gathering to get feedback on your past, current or…
Read the rest »

http://www.vimeo.com/3591934

The Music Video Workshop will be instructed by our very own Minneapolis video director Maria Juranic! Maria has worked with local hip-hop artists such as Eyedea & Abilities of Rhymesayers Entertainment and Cecil Otter and P.O.S. of Doomtree Redords. Maria brings a fresh energy to everything she does and will be sure to provide some great insight into the Music Video industry. Check out the video she did for P.O.S. below. View more videos by Maria here at www.mariajuranic.org.

The Walker’s summer teen workshop, Fake It, For Real, has started and the students are doing some pretty cool things. Largely based on film, video, and new media, the workshop is led  by  Tectonic Industries duo Lars Jerlach and Helen Stringfellow. The workshop kicked off with introductions, an awesome tour of the Tectonic Industries studio, and the first assignment, a potrait without self. 

The following class day, the students brought in the projects and we looked at what everyone had made. Drawings, videos, animations and photography were just a few of the different mediums the teens worked with. Looking at contemporary artists whose work addresses the same ideas, both in the galleries and books, allowed them to get inspired for further investigating their projects. That day ended with a work time to start the next project using video cameras, cell phones, voice recorders, and other neat technologies. 

Check out our flickr for photos of the workshop!

I can’t believe we made it through this madness.

“Voltage melds bands and designers into a show unlike no other: runway and rock seamlessly combined. Artists and musicians collaborate and mutually inspire. Dedicated followers of fashion and darlings of the music industry appear in full force chic for the evening. And without question, the 2008 show again takes place at Minneapolis’ historic rock epicenter First Avenue.

Besides uniquely showcasing our local artistic community, Voltage financially supports it as well. Proceeds from the 2008 event are earmarked for the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF), a program of Springboard for the Arts. The ERF delivers funds to artists who’ve suffered a catastrophic life event and require immediate financial support. Additionally the show brings recognition and financial support to MNfashion, an emerging non-profit. This organization is aimed at being a resource for our fashion community by providing professional development and resources so designers can establish a sustainable livelihood.

Voltage’s audience includes buying and merchandising representatives from both small and large retailers. They rub elbows and hemlines with a stellar gathering of talented designers, musicians, artists and a flock of local media from City Pages to The Star Tribune to Minnesota Public radio’s The Current. It makes for a professional, wickedly handsome sold-out crowd of local industry leaders in retail, music and fashion.

Voltage extends beyond one stylish evening. Coinciding events include a preview event in February, a CD listening party of the Voltage compilation CD that features tracks from each band, and Voltage: Fashion Weekend held at local boutiques and other various locations the weekend following the show.”

While many sub-events during fashion weekend are 18-21+, there are a smattering of events that are all ages. The fashion workshop on Sunday, for example, is just 16+, and many trunk shows are all ages.

Check it out here: http://www.voltagefashionamplified.com

To continue with my dead people watch, here’s the top, but by no means definitive, Heath Ledger films to see while you mourn the dearly departed, in no particular order.

1. Ten Things I Hate About You–teenage classic, the outfits get funnier with age, Nigel with the Brie, and I watched it at every sleepover in like 7th grade. Its, like, totally great.

2. Brokeback Mountain–at first it seemed like a rumor that was too good to be true, and then turned out to be an actual movie that was actually good. I just watched it yesterday, and I’m still thinking about how I can’t quit you…visually stunning, and a storyline that will pull on your heart strings and make you thank Stonewall. Anyways, it also introduced Heath to ex-wife Michelle Williams (which makes it interesting to watch their love scenes) and godfather (of his daughter) Jake Gyllenhaal, aka my husband.

3. I’m Not There– as the people say, Bob Dylan biopic in the loosest sense of the term. Heath played the asshole movie star (literally, haha) Dylan, with a lovely love story. I liked the movie, even though it required a long attention span, and a good knowledge of Dylan’s life. Still, it was very enjoyable and didn’t play down to the audience. Righteous.

4. A Knight’s Tale — a classic, if you’re into all of that knights in shining armor business.

Ones that I haven’t to see, but are supposed to be good:

-Monster’s Ball

-Lords of Dogtown

-Candy

-The Patriot

And just to add some creepiness to the already creepy Joker, The Dark Knight comes out this summer, starring Heath Ledger as the Joker.

Also, if you can read one of the worst written bios (starts with “When a young, hunky 20 year old heart-throb Heath Ledger”).

and finally TRIVIA.

Was a men’s-fashion judge at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November 2001.

He and his sister are named after the two main romantic characters of the Emily Bront novel, “Wuthering Heights.”

Named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 2001.

Was selected in the State U17 squad in field hockey and was touted as one of the up and coming young stars, but chose to pack it in and try to make a career out of acting.

As the story goes, in junior high it was compulsory to do one of two electives, either cooking or drama, and as Heath could honestly not see himself in a cooking class, he tried his hand at drama.

I LOVE HEATH LEDGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!