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Although we’ve lucked out with the weather thus far, there’s no denying the holiday season is about to official descend upon us! This Saturday, November 24th from 5-6pm, St. Paul rolls out a charming annual tradition with Rice Park’s twinkling light display and Wells Fargo WinterSkate, a free, outdoor ice rink in the heart of downtown. Bring the whole fam and see the traditional tree lighting ceremony at 5pm, then take a spin around the rink!

With the gorgeous backdrop of the historic Landmark Center and the twinkling winter wonderland of Rice Park, WinterSkate is a seasonal tradition that you ought not miss. WinterSkate is a perfect day trip for the family, a delightful date night for that special lady or gent, or perhaps even a solo mission (those fancy ice skatin’ moves need an audience, are we right?). The best part? It’s free: skate rentals are a mere $2 or free when you present your Wells Fargo card, so you can save your moola for more important things, like a nightcap at Pazzaluna, or an appetizer at the St. Paul Hotel’s Bar. Make it a St. Paul experience!

The Rice Park winter lights create a sparkling wonderland with over 15,000 energy efficient LED lights strung amongst the trees and a huge Christmas tree “as tall and as bright as the iconic Rockefeller Center tree in New York City.” To round things out, charming holiday decor will pepper the historic park including Nutcracker and angel statues, and other festive eye candy.

The tree lighting and Winterskate grand opening celebration happens on Saturday, November 24th between 5-6pm.

The 2012/2013 rink season is November 24, 2012 through February 3, 2013. Holiday lights stay up through January 1st.

Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

For more info visit www.wellsfargowinterskate.com

Wrapping up the Minnesota Opera’s Tudor trilogy comes Gaetano Donizetti’s epic tragedy, Anna Bolena. The tense tale of a fallen, aging queen, whose king has unjustly condemned her to death for supposedly betraying him. Forbidden love on both sides weaves a sad and intense tale as Anna awaits her fate. Soprano Keri Alkema shines in the role of the queen while Kyle Ketelsen takes on Enrico VIII, as the King of England. Conductor Michael Christie and his orchestra deftly guide the audience through this gorgeous and dark opera.

If you’re in the mood for a cocktail after this Saturday’s opening night performance, look no further than the MNOp’s young patron’s group, Tempo, which will be holding a festive after party that’s anything but doom and gloom. Head to Sakura, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Ordway for a post-show soiree featuring DJo Wrecks on the turntables and themed drink specials including Rochford Rickey & Henry’s Highball and the Queens Kyss!

Runs November 10, 13, 15, 17 and 18, 2012

Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage. 
 
Estimated run time, including one intermission, is 3 hours.

Ordway Center, 345 Washington Street, St. Paul

For tickets and more info visit www.mnopera.org

Join the Black Dog Cafe and Springboard for the Arts for another iteration of their casually creative meeting of the minds: The St. Paul Bureau of Arts and Beverages!

Lowertown’s monthly happy hour geared toward the local art scene, the St. Paul Bureau of Arts and Beverages meetup is a chance to hobnob with other local creatives and art instigators while you enjoy delectable treats from Black Dog’s local & organic-focused menu which features Minnesota-made sodas, coffee, sandwiches, cookies and other treats. Personally, we are in love with their freshly made artisan pizzas!

Over the past two decades, Lowertown has made it’s mark as St. Paul’s coolest neighborhood and an arts mecca that some of the Twin Cities most vibrant artists call home. Visual artists of all stripes, including painters, sculptors, filmmakers, illustrators, writers, designers and oh-so-many more are what makes Lowertown special. It makes sense that an event that connects artists in a casual, conversational way would occur in the hip heart of Lowertown, and even more appropriately, at the Black Dog, which has long been a neighborhood hub for creativity, music, and art.

Meet some of your local creative brethren and enjoy killer drink specials on wines from the Black Dog’s thoughtfully selected wine list and their line up of locally-brewed beers.

St. Paul Bureau of Arts and Beverages happy hour is free and open to the public and takes place Monday, November 5th from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar 308 Prince St. #100, St. Paul. 651.228.9274

Official Art Crawl Poster image by Cheryl Wilgren Clyne

It’s baaaack. The bi-annual St. Paul Art Crawl makes its autumn appearance once again! This time around it’s extra special, however, considering that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved studio tour. Wander your way through numerous buildings, studios, and galleries jam packed vivid paintings, photographs, sculpture work, and oh-so-much more, in Lowertown and beyond. The self-guided crawl happens Friday, Oct 12th from 6-10pm, Saturday, Oct 13th from Noon to 8pm, and Sunday, Oct 14th from Noon to 5pm and is free and open to the public. For more info, a map, and a guide to all the participating artists visit www.stpaulartcrawl.com. See our top picks below for a few suggestions on what to check out!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

Art Crawl Spotlight: Alex Kuno Open Studio & Teething Preview

@ Alex Kuno Studio
262 E. 4th St
Studio #206
St. Paul

Fri: 6-10pm, Sat: Noon-8pm, Sun: Noon-5pm / Free

Get an insider’s peek at local art fave Alex Kuno’s personal studio this weekend. Kuno, whose prolific exhibit series “The Miscreants of Tiny Town” has graced numerous gallery walls in the twin towns over the past year, will be giving us a sneak preview of his new “Miscreants” iteration. See new works from the artist’s upcoming “Teething” exhibit, set to officially open at the Arts Institute of Minnesota Gallery in Minneapolis on November 9th. Also make a trek up to the second floor of the neighboring Air Sweet Air Gallery to see additional works by Kuno. This artist’s can’t-miss work is a combination of fable and mystery with a sprinkling of creepiness and a dash cute to balance things out. According to the invite, “special offers and huge deals” will abound, as will Kuno’s witty repartee!

Click HERE for more info 

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

Art Crawl Spotlight: Just Like Honey

@ Air Sweet Air Gallery
262 E. 4th St
Studio 203
St. Paul

Fri: 6-10pm, Sat: Noon-8pm, Sun: Noon-5pm / Free

While traversing the wilds of Lowertown this Art Crawl weekend, be sure to make your way over to Air Sweet Air Gallery, where a whimsical exhibit of tiny proportions awaits. Lay eyes on a savvy selection of artist-made dioramas of all styles and concepts, hand-crafted by an impressive roster of local creatives. Make no mistake, these dioramas aren’t like the ones you made in grade school, they are imaginative miniature creations manipulated by the deft hands of skilled artists. See meticulous and nostalgic dioramas by the likes of Aaron Dysart, Brian Hart, Nick Howard, and many more. While you’re there, be sure to snare a limited edition illustrated bear mask by this year’s official Art Crawl poster artist and ASA proprietress, Cheryl Wilgren Clyne.

BONUS: Check out the 2nd floor of Air Sweet Air, where you’ll be treated to an inaugural peek at the new annex gallery or “fantom galerie,” if you want to be fancy. On display will be “Slant of Certain Lightness” featuring works by Alex Kuno and Cheryl Wilgren Clyne.

Click HERE for more info on Just Like Honey 

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

Art Crawl Spotlight: Modern Myths

@ Echo Arts
275 4th St E
Suite B200
St. Paul

Fri: 6-10pm, Sat: Noon-10pm (after party 10pm-12am), Sun: Noon-5pm / Free

Join A Forest for Trees Collective at Echo Arts this weekend for the debut of “Modern Myths” a photography exhibit featuring the work of artistically-minded shutterbugs Scott Demeranville, Hilary Lund, Rhea Pappas, Stephen Stephens, and Brian Hart. The exhibit will be on display all weekend, with an opening reception held on Saturday night from 7-10pm followed by a fun after party complete with live music after 10pm. Sounds like the place to be!

Click HERE for more info 

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

Art Crawl Spotlight: Big Table Studio

@ Big Table Studio
375 Wabasha St. N
St. Paul

Fri: 6-10pm, Sat: Noon-8pm, Sun: Noon-5pm / Free

If you’ve ever wondered about the process of screen printing, a visit to Big Table Studio should be on your art crawl itinerary. Stop by the hip poster shop and print studio to peruse their numerous colorful creations, watch the Big Table team work their magic, and even screen print a poster of your own, emblazoned with an exclusive design made specifically for the St. Paul Art Crawl’s 20th Anniversary. While you’re in the neighborhood, you may as well stop in for a pint and a bite at the nearby Amsterdam Bar & Hall, just next door.

Click HERE for more info

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

Art Crawl Spotlight: Kara Hendershot

@ Kara Hendershot Studio
Northern Warehouse
308 Prince St
St. Paul

Fri: 6-10pm, Sat: Noon-8pm, Sun: Noon-5pm / Free

We heart the art of one Ms. Kara Hendershot! The staple St. Paul painter seems to always be evolving her work, yet her signature style is still instantly recognizable. Wispy strands of unexpected color and illustrative portraiture merge with subtly sorrowful scenes and textural techniques. This prolific young painter knows how to rock the crawl the right way too: she’s offering art pieces catered to every pocketbook, from large scale works to small scale works to fine art prints to hand made magnets. While you’re there, be sure to check out Hendershot’s side project, Bent Whisker, a series of humorous illustrations, t-shirts, and more.

Click HERE for more info

This week we chat with Thriftyhipster.com guru and Top Brewer partner, Matt Dowgillo, who fills us in on all the details for the latest craft beer event to hit the Twin Cities. Top Brewer is not only a fun beer tasting soiree, but also an ongoing competition which pits local home brewmasters against each other in a series of events happening this month. Four qualifiers will take place–two of them at St. Paul’s own Groveland Tap in the Mac-Grove neighborhood on October 11th and the 25th–with additional events in Edina and Maple Grove on October 18th and November 1st. For more details and tickets visit www.topbrewer.org.

Where did the idea for Top Brewer come from?

I have a lot of friends that brew, and they all love it as a hobby. Many of them dream about starting a brewery and how awesome it would be to have one. Well, we aren’t exactly giving people their own brewery, but we are letting the winner of each event brew their beer full-production level! I’m really excited for the winner’s release party next year so I can buy him a pint of HIS beer. I think it will be really rewarding.

What can people expect at the events happening this month?

The events are 100% Minnesotan. It’s Fall, it’s going to be cold, but the leaves will be changing. We took some inspiration from the Winter Beer Dabbler; how much fun beer and chilliness go together! Anyway, we wanted to make the events an intimate gathering of beer lovers. Brewers, Brewery reps, craft beer bars, and fans…We’re trying to bring everyone together. So, it will be an intimate event, 200 people max all mingling in a private patio area.
We’ll kick it off with happy hour and a free pint of Lucid. We’ll have live acoustic performers, networking, and if guests want, they can sign up to be beer judges and access a separate area for beer tasting. Blue Plate chefs are making a food pairing for each event as well.

To pick the night’s winner (and who moves on to the finals) there will be a blind tasting, where guests pick their favorite beer and can measure their taste skills against the official descriptions for the beer style each brewer makes.

Does Minnesota have a strong home-brewing community?

Come on, you know it! It’s only getting more and more popular. I think the beer scene is similar to the health and local food scene. People are starting to demand a more exciting culinary experience, and that is all related to what they’re drinking too. It’s only natural that just as you have at-home-chefs, you have at-home-brewers. To be honest, I don’t even know how we got the brewers we did. 24 people are competing to hold the first title of Top Brewer MN…with a combined 300+ years of experience. Most of the guys (check out the website for the list) have multiple medals from national tournaments and tastings. They are all part of national, local, and statewide clubs, write blogs, etc. It’s a strong community.

Where is your favorite place to have a beer in St. Paul?

Ha! I think I have to now say Groveland Tap! They change it up all the time and are famous for having every flavor of Summit on tap! I know most people will point to the classic beer bars like Happy Gnome (which is excellent) and Muddy Pig, but I am still heavily involved with ThriftyHipster.com, so I also need a great happy hour. On that end, I’ll go with…The Nook. Their burgers are AWESOME and they have a ton of local beers.

Events happen on Oct 11th, 18th, 25th, and Nov 1st. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit www.topbrewer.org

It’s Fall Art Crawl season yet again, and we are digging up as much dirt as we can on the impending festivities, which happen October 12th, 13th, and 14th. We’ve got plenty of time yet to plan our itinerary, but we know for certain that one of our first stops will be air sweet air GALLERY in the 262 Studios building. The space, run by artist/filmmaker/gal-about-town, Cheryl Wilgren Clyne, is a thoughtfully curated, tastefully hip gallery in the heart of the Lowertown art district. We chatted with Clyne, whose photograph “You Know Who You Are” was selected as the official promotional art work for this season’s art crawl.

You won the fall art crawl poster competition! I know, because I was one of the judges. I thought your piece stood out because it wasn’t simply a piece of art, it showed studio space and art on the wall, while at the same time being art itself. Why did you decide to submit this specific piece?

Thank you again for choosing my piece, I feel honored to have my art selected. I submitted three pieces for the competition. I was elated that “you know who you are” won because this is a photograph that has a great deal of personal meaning to me. It is a candid shot taken during the fall art crawl 2011, one week after I moved into the air sweet air GALLERY space at 262 Studios. Hundreds of bear masks were given out that weekend (around 4,000 have been handed out since 2008). I took many photos of people wearing the mask at the gallery, this image stood out. The child, Lilja Boelke (age three in this photo) is someone that I work with frequently. She and her sister Ella are naturals in front of the camera. They have also been in several of my movies. Somehow, Lilja managed to wear exactly the right colors that day (she picks out all of her own clothing). I could tell you conceptually what I think this image means, but I am honestly much more interested in hearing what other people see. “you know who you are” marks a defining moment in my personal and professional life.

What do you have planned for the fall crawl? What’s the happs at Air Sweet Air?

air sweet air GALLERY will have the diorama show “just like honey” up for the art crawl. Friday, October 12 from 6-9 we are going to have a big celebration of the work on that night, and the new artists works that are joining the show. There will be LOTS of surprises for that event, including a famous local in attendance. We are launching a new art group on Saturday and we are hosting a few experiments with other artists. I am also opening an annex gallery space just outside of air sweet air that weekend. a fantôme galerie will open on that same night a show of work by myself and Alex Kuno titled slant of certain lightness: quelque part / n’importe ou’.

How would you describe your artistic style?

That is a difficult question because I have several separate and different styles of work. As a photographer I have this giant chronicle of work surrounding children, nature and cultural anthropology, as a video artist with around 160 experimental art films to my credit, and the mixed media drawings and collage is separate from those . I just began a series that could be considered photo realistic drawing but with a twist. When I am taking pictures I think of it as evidence of my existence more than anything else, but not documentation. I have tried to fit my work into categories but that always feels pretentious for me. I am actually doing more writing about my work lately and trying to figure out what exactly it is and what labels I should be using. I struggle with labels. Can I get back to you?

You seem to have an obsession with bears. What’s up with that?

I love words that have multiple meanings, bear / bare. Bears are naive and feral, playful and fierce, humorous and frightening, and sacred to many. For me they are the perfect subject. When I was a child most of my days were spent running wild in the forest where there were black bears. I saw them everywhere and was up close many times. I drew them frequently and fantasized about being one. When I would encounter uncomfortable situations as a child, I would pretend to slip into my bear self, and mentally act out how incredible it would be once the adults around me realized that I had just turned into a bear. In 2007 I came across some of those childhood drawings and recalled my strong connection to the bear. I immediately began drawing them again. The drawings helped me to see how important nature is. I also started to think about the awkward situations I had to encounter as a kid. Initially this series was a way for me to present the idea of children living in an adult world. I thought about how similar bear and child subjects are. Through the drawings the realization came that most of us endure situations that are uncomfortable and that child in an adult world feeling happens to us again. Hundreds of drawings and mixed media collages later, there are five different series of works where the bear appears, as a way to reveal my ideas, research and consideration of / about culture, nature and being human. Two of the series are brand new and have not been seen by anyone.

Though you’ll probably sequestered in your gallery during the crawl, what other stops would you recommend our readers make?

That is the really hard part about being “in” the art crawl. If all goes well there will be guest sitters at air sweet air GALLERY so I can stop in and see some of my friends. I would suggest Rhea Pappas at Northern Warehouse, Alex Kuno at 262 Studios, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Kathryn Smith at Carleton Place Lofts, at 262 Studios we have a record number of artists participating this crawl which is the way I see the entire weekend of events, there is a new energy that is contagious. There is so much out there, it is difficult to list them all! A really great part of the 20th Anniversary Saint Paul Art Crawl is that there are many NEW artists to discover! At air sweet air GALLERY we are going to be doing a lot of experimenting and I think there are many other artists in this crawl that are going to be trying new things!

air sweet air GALLERY will be open during the St. Paul Art Crawl during regular hours October 12th-14th, with a special party happening on Friday night (Oct 12th). For more information on the St. Paul Art Crawl click HERE. For more info on air sweet air GALLERY click HERE.

By Pat Benincasa

Looking for something visually inspiring to do this week/weekend? Look no further than the College of Visual Arts Gallery, where you can see the work of over 50 seasoned faculty members who are also (surprise, surprise) working artists. Spanning a plethora of mediums, you’ll have plenty of thoughtful and visually distinct works to soak in–these are art educators after all! Be sure to explore the entire expanse of the gallery, as artist Aaron Dysart’s solo exhibit is running concurrently with the faculty show. These exhibits are only on display until this Sunday, September 9th, so make time to visit the gallery this weekend. Hours are listed at the bottom of this article.

We had a chat with Demeri Mullikin, Director of External Relations for CVA, who is spearheading development in multiple departments including gallery programming, fund development, community education, marketing, and public relations.

What can people expect to see at the faculty show this year?

There is a wide range of work in this show. This exhibition features over 50 faculty in our major programs, fashion design, fine art, illustration, graphic design, and photography, along with work from our liberal arts department. Our adjunct facility are working professionals with a passion for education. You get a full to see current work by professionals that are established artists and designers. One of the best benefits for this show is that the CVA students get to see their own faculty’s work. Every year, students get a glimpse at who their teacher is from a different or new perspective.

By Barbara Kreft

With so many different styles and mediums in this group show, it’s challenging to create a visual narrative. How did you approach the exhibit design?

Rosemary Kimball is the brains and beauty behind the gallery installation. I asked her this question and this is what she said: “The process began by becoming acquainted with each work of art and noting its materiality, formal characteristics, subject matter, and content.  After surveying the varied works, visual and conceptual relationships emerged between pieces and some of those connections were purposefully highlighted by placing works in proximity to other works in the exhibition.  The gallery space itself was treated as a three-dimensional composition, and the final design was determined by keeping the viewers’ experience, as they walk through the space, in mind.  Hopefully guests feel drawn into the gallery and are visually guided through the multifaceted, yet balanced and colorfully cohesive show.”

The show is running concurrently with Aaron Dysart’s installation, can you tell us a bit about that exhibit?

I’m very excited to see Aaron’s installation. Just from the description that he gave us, the subject matter is quite intriguing and paradoxical. “Stemming from a desire to have animals lead a better life, That’s Better presents solutions to life’s problems for various species.”  “With these new products deer can finally have the self-confidence they deserve and beavers will finally have time to sit down with their families. Too long have humans selfishly reaped the life changing results from cosmetic products and surgeries.” This exhibition is part of the Portals on Western public art exhibition program within the windows and storefront of the CVA Gallery Building. This exhibition series presents annual installations by Minnesota artists and began in the fall of 2009.

By Jessika Madison-Kennedy

What are your favorite things about the beautiful city of St. Paul?

I love Saint Paul. When moving to the cities ten years ago, I liked the small town feel I experienced. At that time, I worked in Minneapolis and decided to live in Saint Paul. One of the best parts about the CVA campus is that we are nestled in the Ramsey Hill and Summit Avenue neighborhoods. Our students are a part of the community, working, studying, and living in this great community.

For more information on the show, which runs through September 9th at CVA Gallery at 173 Western Ave North in St. Paul, visit www.cva.edu. 

Gallery Hours: