Archive of March, 2008

The 2008 ArtOrg Winter concert series started with Peter Lang and Pert’ Near Sandstone on January 18–a day when the temperature was a cool minus 10 F at concert time! Now, some eleven weeks, eighteen bands, and over 500 people in attendance later (see the photosets of the concerts here), we are celebrating with an event this Friday we call “ArtProm”. ArtProm is being billed with the following taglines: “Northfield’s Most Unpredictable Party”, “Create a New Memory”, and finally “Who Will You Take to ArtProm?”

Events start at 7pm at the Upstairs of the J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N Stein and will feature many fun elements: Rockabilly with the Todd Thompson Trio, dancing from the Lindy Hoppers CO, appetizers from Grundy’s, an iPod setlist of songs submitted by LocallyGrownNorthfield.Org, photos from the Davis Portrait Studio, and more! Get your duds at Fashion Fair, or Mantorville Square–here is a photoset with some of the available atire. Come as you are or wear that powder blue tux!

[NOTE: Howard will be interviewed on Paula Granquist’s ArtZany radio broadcast on Friday at 9am. The station is KYMN, 1080 on your radio dial.]

ArtOrg’s next-to-the-last evening of fun and music in the 2008 Winter Concert Series features consummate bluesman Howard “Guitar” Luedtke and Blue Max. On Friday, March 28 join us at the Upstairs at the Rueb from 7 to 11, and thereafter at the Contented Cow from 11 to close. Howard may not go to the Cow, so make sure to come to the Upstairs, catch the show, and twist his arm and Continue Reading…

Originally on for this Friday, the 10th installment of the 2008 Winter Concert Series has been rescheduled. We continue on Friday, March 28 with Howard “Guitar” Luedtke, and on Friday, April 4 for our capstone event, the ArtProm. Details on these two events to follow.

The jazz group The Bad Plus, who came to Northfield last June as a part of ArtOrg’s Summer Solstice Celebration, will be playing on Conan O’Brien’s TV show this Friday night. Come hear the Sizzling Eggheads Hendrix Revival, (7pm at the Rueb, then 11pm at the Cow), and then sneak home and catch The Plus. Bassist Reid Anderson is son of Northfield’s Bob and Cheryl Anderson. Here is a photoset of the music and the associated gallery opening from last spring. The skinny is that they will likey play their song called “Thriftstore Jewelry”.

The Sizzling Eggheads return to the ArtOrg 2008 Winter Concert Series with an evening of fun and music including a Hendrix Revival set. Several guitarists will be performing songs inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Jon Bjork, Steve Thommes, Peter Diggins and others will be sizzling! We have a call to the community for people who actually saw Jimi play in person to say some words–so far Susan Christie of EPIC Enterprises will be in attendance–she saw Jimi play back in Oakland, CA. Glassman Phil Daniel will start off the evening at 7:30 with a short set–don’t miss that! Doors open at 7:00 at the Upstairs of J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein and then we go for more music at The Contented Cow at 11pm. Continue Reading…

ArtOrg and the St. Olaf College Department of Art & Art History would like to welcome Illustrators Mark and John English to a lecture on Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 pm in Dittmann Center room 305. The exhibit “Illo. Minn.” will then open at the ArtOrg Moving Walls Gallery that evening after the lecture at about 8:30. Mark English is in the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, John English is head of the popular Illustration Academy, and the exhibit Illo. Minn. will feature work from about two-dozen working illustrators from Minnesota. Please take advantage of this opportunity to see art and illustration at its highest level.

Mark English has been one of the leading illustrators in the US and abroad for three decades. His unique style is easily recognizable in such publications as McCalls, Time, Sports Illustrated, Redbook, Atlantic Monthly, and others. He has won literally hundreds of awards for his work and has been the most awarded illustrator in the history of the Society of Illustrators in New York. His client list includes such notables as IBM, U.S. Park Service, RCA, GE, Ford, GM, and Honeywell. Here is a wonderful interview of Mark English by C.F. Payne.

John English was influenced and inspired by his early experiences in Connecticut where he was raised in the company of New York’s most talented illustrators. He studied illustration at the University of Kansas with John Collier and went on to apprentice for his father, attending the Illustrators Workshops in Paris, New York and Monterey. In 1984, he began his career, and has received numerous awards from organizations including New York Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, Graphis and Print Magazine. John is a principal of the Illustration Academy, and also teaches there with his father.

The exhibit “Illo. Minn.” will features the work of over 25 commercially active Minnesota illustrators. This illustration exhibition will explore an evolving profession through the work of the participating artists. Illo.Minn is being curated by long-term College of Visual Arts in St. Paul adjunct faculty member Andy Powell. ArtOrg wishes to thank the College of Visual Arts and Andy Powell!

Hours of the show are as follows:

OPENING EVENT:
Mark and John English will give a talk at St. Olaf College on Thursday, March 13 at 7pm in Dittmann Center Room 305. Dittman Center is the large building on the west side of the main parking lot in front of the student center called Buntrock Commons. Here is a map. Gallery exhibit opens after the talk at 8:30 pm at ArtOrg 200 Division Street (riverside entrance).

OPEN HOURS:
By appointment at info@artorg.info or by calling 507-645-2555, and Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 pm until March 30.

The Rice County All Stars (or RCA’s for short) are Northfield’s entry to the Super Group movement. The members hail from various famous bands such as the Mr. Sticky, The Deputies, Lone Oak, and the Big Wu. The band never fails to amaze and get people dancing. Please join ArtOrg for the eighth installment of the 2008 Winter Concert Series from 7 to 11 pm this Friday at the Upstairs of J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein. After 11pm, the musicians meet up at the Contented Cow for another set. The opener will be popular local Meredith Fierke!