A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS COUNTLESS LISTS of the world’s great directors, screenwriters and actors, describing at length their contributions to the art of film. However, it is rare to find a similar catalog of great film producers, and nearly impossible to find a discussion about their creative input. Producers are the ones who receive the Best Picture statuette at the Oscars, and yet…

THERE IS A BAR IN NEW YORK CALLED THE EAR INN. I like it. It goes a ways back, and it reminds of my favorite bar (maybe in the world), the Clown Lounge in the basement of the Turf Club (more on that in a minute). But that Ear got me thinking. This might be the best time for the distribution of original music, ever. Artists are no longer dependent on the patronage of nobles, the control of radio, or the…

WHEN ARTISTS DREAM OF SUCCESS, they probably dream of showing at the Walker, the Met, the Tate, Musée National d’Art Moderne — not the java joint down the street. But on the road to the big-time, those little coffeehouse shows can be important stops along the way, providing a safe platform for artists to practice the tricks of their trade: how to produce enough work for a show, create a cohesive…

THE IVEY AWARDS ARE A PRETTY LAVISH AFFAIR — this year they were held at the luxurious State Theater in downtown Minneapolis, where a red carpet awaited guests, who were photographed by a throng of paparazzi as they entered. I have it on good authority that at least a few of those paparazzi were hired actors, but what does that matter? This is theater we are discussing, after all - such things are all…

JULIE BUFFALOHEAD’S NEW PAINTINGS AT THE BOCKLEY GALLERY seem charming at first. They don’t losetheir charm upon closer examination, but their disguised powers become evident. Fairly small works on paper (22” x 30”), the paintings are collaged. Small figures —  drawn and painted with acrylic with a slightly crude edge, cut out and glued down — give a crafted edge to these compositions, which are arranged on…

AFTER I READ THE FINAL WORD (“HOME”) OF THE DANCE BOOTS, Linda LeGarde Grover’s new collection of stories, I turned back to the first words (“We Ojibwe believe”) and began again. I wanted to extend my stay in the world the book creates. It’s a compelling place of tradition, generosity, endurance, painful memories and events, spiritual transcendence, love and humor. LeGarde Grover won the prestigious Flannery O…

BURIED IN SOME BIT OF EPHEMERA ABOUT HOW A MAN SHOULD BEHAVE as he ages from his twenties to his forties, Esquiremagazine recently announced that “jazz has been dead for decades.” Actually, that claim has been around almost as long as jazz itself has been, and while it is ridiculous, it also raises some uncomfortable questions. Chief among them: If jazz is vibrant and healthy, why have the Walker and…

GAEL TOWEY AND STEPHEN DOYLE KNOW COLLABORATION INTIMATELY —  as creative designers working together on projects like the hugely successful rollout of the Martha Stewart Everyday collection and also as a married couple raising two children in New York City. Towey, chief creative and editorial officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and Doyle, a much-lauded independent designer and principal at…

WHEN ARTISTS DREAM OF SUCCESS, they probably dream of showing at the Walker, the Met, the Tate, Musée National d’Art Moderne — not the java joint down the street. But on the road to the big-time, those little coffeehouse shows can prove to be important stops along the way, providing a safe platform for artists to practice the tricks of their trade: how to produce enough work for a show, create a cohesive…