Tag Archive: Joan Vorderbruggen

1. Creative Combustion // Exhibition & Book Release

   July 11, 2016 5:19 pm Comments Off on Creative Combustion // Exhibition & Book Release

   

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   FEATURED ARTISTS: Wing Young Huie, Adam Theis, Meg Brown, Anna Bongiovanni, Tricia Khutoretsky, Adam Conrad, David Feily, Qassandra Kauzlarich, Judith Howard, Benjamin Wuest, Rachel Andrzejewski, Joan Vorderbruggen, Alex Potter, Kate Renee, Jim Bovino, Jasmine Seuling, Charlie Mendez, Ramses Alarcon-Sanchez
   
   

   In every artist, there is an impetus to create; it starts with a spark. While most of us are only privy to the final product, local photographer, Ilya Natarius wants the audience to be frozen within the illumination of that original vision.

   For the photojournalistic group exhibition, Creative Combustion, Natarius selected 18 creative makers representing a wide array of media and followed them to their place of inspiration, be it a physical atmosphere or an emotive memory. Documenting the experience through 35mm film and in-depth interviews, Natarius and his team of photographers and journalists hand-printed and compiled a photo essay exploring the source of creativity. Featuring photographers, musicians, aerial performers, master brewers, tattoo artists, curators, dancers, installation artists, and mixed media artists, the final project is a compelling visual photography series depicting talent and energy which offers an accompanying art book with pages of expose on the psychology of the art and the story behind their impulse to create.

   Relying on the photojournalist credo of “realistic imagery,” Natarius’ work authentically allows the viewer to experience the “aura” of the subject photographed, an element often lost in the era of digital embellishment. By stepping away from photo manipulation, Natarius returns to what is rawest and truest in storytelling through images.

   A departure from his previous personal photography work, which focused more on observing spatial environments, Creative Combustion is a mini drama of enfolding intersections and human connection. Each image projects the skill and confidence of the featured creatives while discussing the ingredients that come together to ignite their individual creative spark.

   CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Rita Kovtun, Nadia Honary, Marcos Juarez-Gosselin
   

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   OPENING RECEPTION
   Thursday, August 11 2016, 7-11pm
   With live music by Adam Conrad and members of Improvestra
   $5 admission
   
   CoLAB ART NIGHT
   Thursday, August 18th 2016, 7-11pm
   All visual disciplines are welcome: painting, drawing, sewing, design, projection, photography, sculpture, collage and more.
   $5 admission
   
   EXHIBIT FINALE
   September 2nd 2016, 7-10pm
   Genrebeast 4: The fourth of five CD release parties by Gus Watkins featuring Qaanaaq, Jaedyn James & The Hunger and rocker Courtney Yasmineh, plus live soundscapes between acts by Peter Bregman, Adam Biel, Ficshe, Chrysanthemum, Charlie Milkey, Adriatic, Jada Brown.
   $10 entry, $15 w/ CD
   
   
   
   
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   ABOUT THE ARTIST:
   Ilya Natarius is a photographer, videographer, and engineer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Being active in the creative world for the past nine years and passionate about storytelling through the lens, Ilya has worked with a number of organizations such as the University of St. Thomas, Face Forward MN, and Infinitree Media to produce content for a wide range of clients that includes Summer Set Music Festival, Project Earth Festival, The Ivey Awards, and various musicians and performing artists throughout Minnesota. Ilya’s real passion lies in the world of analog photography and printmaking, where he can explore different subject matter outside of the confines of the professional world. During the day, Ilya is a full-time engineer working in high-tech storage.

   ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS:
   Rita Kovtun is a writer, photographer, and multimedia storyteller. She aims to craft written and visual stories that shift perspectives and center on a shared human experience. Rita has worked in news, magazines, and art and cultural nonprofit organizations, producing stories and content for MinnPost, thirty two magazine, The Riveter magazine, Face Forward MN, the University of St. Thomas, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, as well as individual artists in the Twin Cities. Born in Russia, raised in the United States, and having spent time studying French in Paris and working at a chocolate and permaculture farm in Costa Rica, Rita brings a global perspective to her work and a desire to create positive social change.

   Nadia Honary considers herself a video artist. She has been doing multimedia production work of varying degrees for over ten years. Passionate about sharing stories through video, she has collaborated with and produced videos and photos for several nonprofit organizations and groups nationally and internationally, as well as with artists of various disciplines. Her experimental films have been featured locally at the Southern Theater and the Gamut Gallery. At present her work explores themes in identity and gender. She is producing an installation piece to be featured at the Pillsbury House Theatre in December. Nadia is working full-time for the local public access television station St. Paul Neighborhood Network teaching adults and youth techniques in video production.

   Marcos Juarez-Gosselin has always used his media to inspire. Believing that a community effort is the main ingredient to positive social change, Marcos has set a goal to collaborate with businesses and artists that possess the same objective. As cofounder of Infinitree Media, Marcos focuses on engagement; whether personally or through media, he aims to create pieces or host events that allow space for conversations based around working together. Some sustainable partners of Infinitree Media include Paisley Park Enterprise, MJG Productions, Massive Amounts of Good, and the Farm Journal Foundation. By creating media with a purpose, Marcos wishes to serve a more supportive, aware, and socially engaged community.

   Follow Gamut Gallery on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for sneak peeks and special announcements leading up to these events. Exhibit’s official hashtag: #creativecombustion

2. Revolution Now – International Women’s Day Panel Discussion

   February 22, 2015 5:59 pm Comments Off on Revolution Now – International Women’s Day Panel Discussion

   

   Minneapolis – Sunday, March 8th, 2015, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. – As part of the exhibition, “Revolution Now: Portraits of Contemporary Female Revolutionaries,” curators Ash Marlene Hane & Angela Sprunger lead a discussion with Robyne Robinson, Drew Peterson, and Joan Vorderbruggen on International Women’s Day.

   How are women changing the world today and what role does art play in it? What does modern feminism really mean, here in America and globally, and how do we define its revolutionaries? The three panelists are set to explore these questions and expand on how we can cultivate radical energy within the art world. Each guest brings to the table personal experience and creative innovation, their vision at the intersection of art and change-making.

   For this event, Gamut Gallery welcomes an intimate and political discussion on how we can (in the words of Maya Angelo) “raise our connective voices, wield our power, influence and combat insecurity in every corner of the world.”

    Robyne Robinson started her career as one of the first African-Americans to anchor a prime-time newscast and quickly became an icon of Twin Cities broadcasting. Her 20 years on air have been filled with numerous honors including the Upper Midwest Emmy for Best Anchor. Robyne has engaged in an active civic life, becoming a Hubert H. Humphrey Public Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota, as well as sitting on numerous boards and non-profit agencies including A Better Chance Foundation of Eden Prairie and the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota. All the while she has been a steadfast supporter of the arts, playing integral roles in numerous arts organizations and serving on the board of the Walker Arts Center. Her curatorial skills, personal art collection, and her own artwork have been widely celebrated and exhibited. She is also the creator and designer of Rox Minneapolis Jewelry, featured on the Tyra Banks Show and in local and national fashion and lifestyle publications such as Nylon and Mpls-St.Paul Magazine. Now Arts and Culture Director of the Airport Foundation, Robyne is in charge of creating an interactive, cultural experience for travelers and Minnesotans through art and technology at the nation’s 16th busiest airport.

   Drew Peterson is a Twin Cities based multi-disciplinary artist whose studio practice incorporates a wide variety printmaking techniques. Upon completing his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013, Drew has returned to Minneapolis to pursue his career as both artist and teacher. His work has been shown in a recent solo exhibition at The Burnet Gallery in Minneapolis and in a group exhibition at Fernwey Gallery in Chicago. Peterson is an adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota’s printmaking department, the lead instructor at Juxtaposition Arts VALT program, and a 2014-15 Jerome resident at Highpoint Center for Printmaking.

   Joan Vorderbruggen is the Cultural District Arts Coordinator for Hennepin Theatre Trust. An artist and organizer, Joan envisions possibilities for the most dejected spaces, transforming vacant storefronts into showcases of MN based creativity. In 2012, she developed and implemented the multiple award winning project, “Artists in Storefronts”, pairing more than 150 artists from 5 to 80 years old to create exhibits of original work in vacant and under-utilized commercial storefronts. In addition to creating a temporary, pop-up urban walking gallery, her project commissioned six permanent murals, hosted dozens of community events, tours, festivals, and over 50 live performances in alternative spaces. In just eight months of participation, eight properties with a combined vacancy of more than 20 years acquired short-and long-term lease agreements. She currently serves as the Cultural District Arts Coordinator for Hennepin Theatre Trust activating the downtown Minneapolis Cultural District with the project Made Here. Joan continues to be a visionary source of creative urban revitalization that connects and celebrates diverse cultural landscape.

   EVENT DETAILS
   International Women’s Day Panel Discussion
   feat. Joan Vorderbruggen, Drew Peterson, and Robyne Robinson
   facilitated by Ash Marlene Hane and Angela Sprunger
   Sunday, March 8th, 2015
   3PM / FREE

3. Revolution Now

   February 18, 2015 3:21 pm Comments Off on Revolution Now

   

   Minneapolis – Saturday, February 28th 2015, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. – opening for the print invitational, Revolution Now, curated by Ash Marlene Hane and Angela Sprunger. This exhibition is poised to acknowledge women who are creating change, locally or globally, known to many or known to a few. Their revolutions may be large and loud or slow and quiet, but their fight is now.

   Curators Hane and Sprunger have invited fourteen artists, including themselves, to create new work for this show. This divergent group of printmakers have each selected a woman to represent based on their own ideas of what revolution is. Working in a variety of print media – including monoprint, relief and silkscreen – each artist will interpret the “portrait” in a way that best suits their talents and style. Printmakers have long been at the forefront of revolution, helping to boldly bring the voice of the people to the greater public. The resulting collection of prints will introduce viewers to women from all over the world and in doing so encourage new dialogue and understanding.

   Featured artists: Christopher Alday, Hend Al-Monsour, Brian Borlaug, Laura Brown, Robyn Carley, Genie Castro, Ash Marlene Hane, Jade Hoyer, Abbey Kleinert, Allegra Lockstadt, Ponytails, Angela Sprunger, Tonja Torgerson, Wes Winship, Sarita Zaleha

   Ash Marlene Hane is a printmaker, the creator of Three Letter Acronym (TLA) press, and a founding member of The Midnight Brigade. Her print work questions ideas of control, vulnerability and expectation with a focus on interpreting the figure through hand-drawn and photographic elements. In 2013, Hane received a Minnesota State Arts Board Next Step Fund Grant and launched a screenprinted apparel line through her press, Three Letter Acronym. In 2014, she co-founded The Midnight Brigade, a gallery, clothing boutique, and art studio in South Minneapolis.

   Angela Sprunger is an artist, educator, and administrator. She creates socially engaged prints and objects to agitate cultural complacency. In the past year, Sprunger complete a public art project through Corridor Collaboration Grant from the City of Saint Paul and had a solo show of print work at Franklin Arts Center Resident Artist Gallery. She is also part of the Art Swap team, a portable community event that invites participants to bring a work of art they made to exchange for a piece in Art Swap’s rotating collection.

   Related Events:

   Revolution Now: Opening Reception
   Saturday, February 28th 2015
   7-11 PM / FREE

   Panel Discussion
   featuring Joan Vorderbruggen, Drew Peterson, and Robyne Robinson
   facilitated by Ash Marlene Hane and Angela Sprunger
   Sunday, March 8th 2015
   3 PM / FREE

   Revolution Now: Exhibit Finale
   Saturday, March 21st 2015
   7-10 PM / $5 / More info TBA