by Profile by Susannah Schouweiler   September 11, 2008 Her eye-popping artwork, much of it made through a technical fusion of photography and abstract painting, rewards sustained attention. But it’s her business savvy�not a common strength among creative types, I’ve found�that first captured my interest. (“It’s in my blood,” she shrugs when I ask her about it. “I come from a family of ad-men, so I’m…

by Essay by Michael Fallon   September 9, 2008, red-banner day. It was The Day the Music Died, the time of my own private Ground Zero, the moment I got kicked off , and the instant that my address changed from Stardust Avenue to the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. July 15, 2008, was the day I finally realized I would never have an answer to the question my mother had asked twenty years before: �What are you…

This and all images appear courtesy of the author and the artists (Click images to enlarge them) by Essay by Andy Sturdevant   September 8, 2008 is a very handsome monograph of the work of designer Art Chantry, signed by the author when I saw him give a lecture in 2002. Chantry is not a household name per se, but alongside designers such as Frank Kozik, he is one of those rare figures that has achieved…

by Article by Mason Riddle   September 3, 2008 So say the organizers of the UnConvention, the multi-faceted string of cultural activities that is taking place in tandem with the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul. As forward-thinking and inclusive as the UnConvention proffers to be, though, it isn�t for every creative type. In fact, some of the most interesting activities will be independent…

by Essay by Lightsey Darst   September 2, 2008 That day, The Star-Tribune broke news of Jeff Bartlett�s abrupt dismissal from his longtime position as Artistic Director of the Southern Theater. He was surprised, he said in the article. He didn�t know why it had happened. Quickly, people in the dance community forwarded the article to each other. Bartlett was important. He didn�t just book shows, he got…

by Essay and collection by Alison Morse   August 28, 2008 That is the question people still ask me whenever I tell them that I was an animator for twenty years before becoming a writer. My answer? Usually, I just say: �I made cartoons. You know, like Disney.� What I�ve always wanted to say is a bit more complicated. An animator’s work falls somewhere in-between visual art, music, dance, acting and filmmaking…

by Profile by Mich�le Campbell   August 26, 2008 at a Twin Cities business magazine and before he wheeled through dozens of downtown and south side bars, or cooked up back door deals with sketchy characters. It began even before he snorted, smoked, and shot up those countless lines of cocaine. It started before he tried to break into his best friend�s apartment, and long prior to the time that same…

Photo from “The Record Store: A Good Thing” in the July 2008 issue of Paste Magazine, which lists Electric Fetus as one of the 17 coolest record stores in the US. (Photo courtesy the Paste Magazine website) by Article by Chris Godsey   August 18, 2008about music industry life�a podcast, at least. He’s manager of the Minneapolis Electric Fetus, where he’s worked for 22 years, since his early twenties. Doing…

by Article by Justin Schell   August 18, 2008 to emerge from Somalia is K�naan, one of the headliners for this year�s Twin Cities Pan African Festival, Minneapolis has their own rising MC with roots stretching from here to Mogadishu. Abdulle Elmi, better known as MC Free One, performs as part of the Usual Suspects, one of the Twin Cities� most promising new hip-hop groups. Free One�s journey to…