Tag Archive: mpls

  1. Middle Class Aspirations

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    Minneapolis – Thursday, June 11, 2015, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.opening for the group exhibition Middle Class Aspirations. A collection of all-new work by Wundr, Biafra Inc., and Urban Camper, this collaborative street art show explores the experiences and people of Middle Class America and those struggling to achieve middle class status. Through prints, photography and paintings, the three artists merge their media and political activism for an exhibition that shines a prudent spotlight on class division, exposes inequality and celebrates those who are attempting to rise above the hardships and better themselves.

    Acknowledging both the pride and despair of being at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, Wundr’s paintings depict scenes with his distinctive characters from middle and lower class living. Some of the characters are striving to make their lives better, while some have simply accepted their status at the bottom. One of the most prolific and recognizable local street artists, Wundr has developed a way to bring his art into a gallery atmosphere without losing the street elements and city-feel. In 2013, Wundr debuted a widely received solo show,  Almost Yesterday, at Gamut Gallery that highlighted his signature style of artistic reclaiming.

    Biafra Inc.’s pieces examine home décor of the middle and lower classes. Subverting kitschy catch phrases ubiquitously found in cheap home decoration stores, he creates new dystopian home décor. An aesthetic critique of capitalism, his new works inspire dialogue that addresses the “American Dream.” Biafra Inc. is known for the use of stickers, stencils, spray paint and posters to proliferate imagery here in the Twin Cities and beyond.

    Urban Camper’s photographs vividly and intimately document the acts of local graffiti writers. His work exposes scenes from what is generally considered a lowbrow culture and invites a visual excavation of the alleyways and underground environments that transform outdoor cityscapes into canvas. His work migrates towards shooting stationary objects and streets scenes. His long-held passion and appreciation for graffiti is the catalyst for his photography.

    Wundr, Biafra Inc., and Urban Camper consider themselves blue collar artists, creating a name and a history in a subculture with no promise of financial gain or reward. Immersed in this culture for the past decade, these three artists are not simply contemporary commentators on the plight of the middle class, but are operating within its system and attempting to break free from its perimeters.

    PRESS
    City Page’s A-List / Free Things To Do
    City Page’s Dressing Room
    Secrets of the City
    L’étoile Magazine

    Click here for pictures from opening night!

    ARTWORK

     

  2. Art Talk

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    Join us for a conversation lead by Public Functionary’s Tricia Khutoretsky with Call4Work juror/curator Kristoffer Knutson and Gamut Gallery Director Jade Patrick.

    Three innovators versed in the local arts community share their thoughts on the connective tissues that bind them creatively, weigh in on the evolution and current state of the local art scene, and discuss the sustainability of the arts through establishing art purveyors and supporting artists.

    The exchange will touch upon the importance of experimentation and adaptivity. All three panelists have figured out how to turn their domains – past and present – into interactive playgrounds, appealing to the uniqueness of their audiences. Gamut showcases this concept with each featured exhibit through an emphasis on supporting collaborative and multimedia work, and an “anything goes” approach to media submission, which was a core element in the C4W exhibition. Even from its early Kickstarter beginnings, Khutoretsky pushed for Public Functionary to be seen as a gallery existing outside of typical forms. With each exhibit and artist, Public Functionary’s space evolves, redefining what a gallery could and should be. Her focus on artistic process helps bring the patron’s experience out of two dimensions and into a more engaging, sensory level. In a similar vein, Knutson created ROBOTlove to function as both a design store featuring artist collectibles and as a space brimming with artistic discovery that united collectors with the artists they appreciate.

    Knutson will also expand on the artwork selected for this year’s C4W exhibition and discuss what it was like to sift through the breadth of submissions with the emphasis on form, content and aesthetics. Patrick will highlight the ideas behind Gamut and where the gallery sees itself in the local “artscape,” and Khutoretsky will examine what it takes to be a successful, yet experimental gallery in Minneapolis.

    From a position as the proverbial “new-kid-on-the-block,” Gamut excitedly awaits a chance to facilitate dialogue which will “pick the brains” of two of the scene’s most established art supporters and is sure to be of interest to both arts programmers and patrons alike.

    About the Panelists:

    TRICIA KHUTORETSKY is the Curator and Director of Public Functionary, an innovative contemporary art space in NE Minneapolis. Growing up overseas (Egypt/Thailand/Saudi Arabia) and coming from a culturally-mixed background, her personal agenda as an art curator is to share art that connects people. She’s been an advocate for the cultivation of a vibrant creative community in Twin Cities since 2001, initiating and supporting projects that celebrate innovation in local art, fashion and music. She has B.A. from Macalester College and an M.A. in Arts and Cultural Management from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, where she is currently an Adjunct Instructor for the same program.

    KRISTOFFER KNUTSON has a long history of producing creative content for advertisers, film studios and television programs – all while staying rooted here in Minneapolis. As partner in mplsart.com and owner of the now defunct design store, ROBOTlove, Knutson has contributed greatly to illuminating local and national street art, while helping to pollinate the broader Minneapolis visual arts scene.

    JADE PATRICK is the Director of Gamut Gallery, and holds a B.A. in economics from Hamline University. Patrick’s ability to develop community makes people feel included and capable to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. Not adhering to the classic business models of the past, Patrick breaks them to create something new and of far more meaning. “Art of the happening” is an embedded part of the Patrick mission for this exact reason: create experiences; make something that the machine cannot.

  3. Chido

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    Minneapolis
    – Saturday September 6, 2014, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. CHIDO: a collaboration between photographer Serene Supreme & mixed media artist Ramses Alarcon. Together they bring out the inner cool or “chido” of the first forty respondents to Serene’s open call for models. Her signature Polaroid portraits were enlarged and printed, then directly drawn and painted upon by Ramses. With a commitment to showing the select shot for every volunteer-model and every drop of ink and paint applied by Ramses, the series catalogs an unfiltered exploration of how different “cool” can be from one person to another.

    #Unfiltered #Diversity #Chido

    Enjoy music by DJ Espada & The Tin Man alongside the artists and many of portrait subjects at the opening reception on Saturday September 6th, 7-11pm.

    VIEWING HOURS:
    Thursdays & Saturdays 2:00-6:00 p.m. September, 6th through the “CHIDO” Exhibit Finale October 4, 2014. Or by appointment, art@gamutgallerympls.com

    CONTACT US for sales inquiries at 612.293.6497