13th Annual Franconia Arts & Artist Celebration
& Festival
26 September, 2009 Contact:
FRANCONIA SCULPTURE PARK John Hock, Artistic Director
29836 St. Croix Trail 612.743.6664
Franconia, MN 55074 johnhock@franconia.
Franconia MN - On Saturday
September 26, 2009 Franconia Sculpture Park will be hosting a free daylong
arts festival in celebration of our 2009 arts and artists.
The 13th Annual Franconia Arts & Artist Celebration & Festival
invites the surrounding communities to experience exceptional artwork
in a serene rural environment and celebrate the artists’ new work.
This year’s festival presents an exhibition of multicultural events and music from a wide range of geographic and ethnic backgrounds. The Franconia Sculpture Park will also dedicate our new Franconia Earthen Amphitheater - a commissioned earthwork & stage by Franconia Sculpture Park/Jerome Fellowship Artists Ali Della Bitta and Drew Goerlitz.
Be among the first to preview “Democracy Speaks,” the new freedom of speech monument sculpture by artists Andrew MacGuffie, and John Hock. The sculpture was commissioned by Public Art St. Paul and will be on exhibit at the Minnesota State Capital lawn for the 2010 Arts Advocacy Day. In the near future the sculpture will be installed at St. Paul’s Western Sculpture Park located on Marian St. between Interstate 94 and University Avenue.
More than 70 sculptures are currently on exhibit throughout the beautifully landscaped park. The festival is free and open to the public during one of the most picturesque times of the year. Among this year’s attractions is an international and local food court featuring gourmet Thai food from Mai Thai Café, delicious Jamaican cuisine by Asase Yaa, fantastic kebabs from Tangled Up in Blue, Minnesota’s “You Betcha brat shop” in the parks own Lizard Lounge sculpture by Mary Johnson, and delicious Kettle Corn.
Festival event coordinator and international personality Woody McBride aka DJ ESP explains, “We do "hip family fun" at this festival as well as anyone. And we’ve invited many local musicians, artists and organizations to present and partner at this year’s festival,” as we highlight the extraordinary talent in our surrounding community. This event thoroughly engages our local communities by inviting all our friends and supporters to come and explore the exceptional contemporary public sculpture on exhibition at the Franconia Sculpture Park.
Remember to bring a blanket, because audiences will spend the day immersed in entertaining performances and interacting with our artists-in-residence through artist led tours. This year’s arts festival coincides with the nearby St. Croix Falls Autumn Fest, an art & craft fair with music, food vendors in the St. Croix River Valley. This year’s performers include Black Blondie, a ranking soul/dub/hip-hop foursome from Minneapolis; and the highbrow jazz fusion music-instructor trio Whoopgnash, area favorite from the Michigan Iron Range folk singer/comedian Sycamore Smith, the legendary local performer Mr. Bagpipes; Minnesota Music Award winner Thea Ennen; dance performances by Movement Architecture, local funk free jazz crew Breakfast, Sabyre Rae Daniels, a fabulous folk singer from Taylors Falls, MN, futuristic electronic music producers The Push from rural MN and WI, performance artists Tim Kaiser, Patric Drew, Dale Cox and old time music and square dancing by the three-woman trio Lulu Gals. Produced by local genius DJ ESP, aka Woody McBride.
Between bands, the audience will be treated to roaming performances from Normonzo the Great, a local kids magician/comedian, and offerings by local dance troupe Tribal Spirits of the Sun, as well as Tai Chi demonstrations. Master muralist and aerosol artist, Peyton will also be on hand reviving his tekhan monolith.
Artist and Craftspeople; ceramicist Guillermo Cuellar and painter Jim Denomie, will be on hand during the event, with tents exhibiting high end arts and crafts for sale. The regional North Country Spinners & Weavers Guild will be also be giving demonstrations, and selling goods.
The festival is also a great opportunity to showcase like minded arts and humanities organizations, and we are excited to announce that ArtReach Alliance, Springboard for the Arts, the Women’s Environmental Institute, PUBLIC ART ST. PAUL, The Perpich Center for Arts Education, and the St. Croix Festival Theatre are all creating exhibitions for this year’s spectacular event.
For hip Family fun, you will enjoy face painting, kid-friendly sculpture for climbing, and Families Make Sculpture workshops for artists of all ages. “Once again we are hosting some of East Central Minnesota’s most astounding musicians, artists and organizations in order to introduce the area to new and exciting ideas and local talent.” John Hock, co-founder and Artistic Director of Franconia Sculpture Park.
10:00 AM – The Festival
Starts with an Open House at the Park Grounds
12 Noon - Eclectic Ensemble
Bio: The famed ensemble of world
beat and improvisational musicians from Minneapolis. Blending sounds
from indigenous and historic cultures from around the world with experimental
effects and electronic music influences, the Eclectic ensemble creates
audio sculpture.
1 PM - Dale Cox
Bio: Living and working in the
St Croix Valley, poet and naturalist Dale Cox will ead us
in a blissful meditation.
1:10PM Chakra Alignment Exercise
Local yoga instructor Jen Oftelie
will lead the park in a simple and joyful exercise to align the mind
with the soul and the body.
1:20PM Sabyre Rae Daniels
Bio: Fabulous folk singer from
Taylors Falls, MN **"For no one has ever loved an adventurous woman
as they have loved an adventurous man." Sabyre quotes Anias Nin.
Sabyre would advise you to: fall in love even if you are desperately
afraid of it talk to trees because they like it and stop labeling people
as "indie" or "punk" or "hippie", and
just realize that we are all humans, subject to environmental influence,
but free to decide who it is we really want to become.
1:40PM Event and park announcements
Dedication of the new Franconia Earthen Amphitheater, sound and performance
stage
1:45PM Tai Chi Demonstration – on the front lawn
Bio: Students from Village
Tai Chi, located in Center City, MN, will be performing along with their
instructor, Dr. Neng Thao.
2PM The March
Bio:
Area Dylan-esque Rock duo will feature new songs that are inspired by
life in the valley and experiences living in these modern times
2:15PM Mr. Bagpipes
Bio: Local legendary performer
Mr. Bagpipes does events for young and old, schools and folk festivals.
He takes his traditional Scottish music serious... to a point. “My
wife is Scottish not me!” he says.
2:30PM Lulu Gals & Square Dancing
Bio: Old time music, square dancing
and caller. Real good old fashioned fun brought into the future with
a three-woman trio. This act will do two performances during the day.
3:00PM Movement Architecture
Bio: Constructing imagery by
blending dance and theater with provocative visual installations, Deborah
Jinza Thayer mixes movement with metaphor to trigger new modes of perception.
Her hope is to inspire awareness of, and reflections on, how we interpret
and express being in the world. She calls her choreographic work, "Movement
Architecture." http://www.myspace.com/
3:30PM The Push
Bio: This electronic experimental
music duo has gained international attention for their interesting mix
of dub, minimal and atmospheric compositions. They have performed at
events and festivals in the USA and europe. Expect bliss and thinking
music.
4:15PM Black Blondie
Bio: "Black Blondie's sassalicious
front woman Samahra's look and sound resemble a drug-and beehive-free
Amy Winehouse…if she had a hip-hop background, better lyrics and killer
style. The Minneapolis foursome together are a shining example of the
soul-filled creativity coming out of the Midwest, with or without the
beehives. Sounds like: Esthero and Amy Winehouse living inside Betty
Boop's head." -URB Magazine
5:15 PM St Croix Falls Historic Festival Theatre Players
Bio: Presenting the best in area
theater, an ensemble will perform a brief excerpt from a well-loved
performance "Wind in the Willows". The Festival Theatre and
Franconia Sculpture park enjoy a friendly reciprocity of artists and
programs across the river that divides their home cities. http://www.festivaltheatre.org
5:45PM Thea Ennen
Bio: An angelic voice and amazing
piano skills, Thea, recipient of a Minnesota Music Award for folk music,
plays and sings her original songs of spirit, nature and family. With
many CD recordings under her wing, she is a true musician and lovely
spirit.
6:15PM Whoopgnash
Bio: Celebrated and accomplished
Whoopgnash joins us for a session of art, jazz and improvisation. A
high art guitarist and jazz legend drummer will stir spirits and delight
the ear. Includes members of a Twin Cities Brazilian jazz ensemble.
7:15PM Sycamore Smith
Bio: Sycamore Smith was kicking
a bass drum and kazooing up a storm as one-half of the Michigan folk-punk
duo "the Muldoons." That band broke up, so now Mr. Smith strums
his guitar, blows his kazoo and warbles his tunes all by his lonesome.
But really--who cares about the music? Lyrics have always been Smith's
forte, and his scribblings focus on the gruesomely funny exploits of
dip-shit characters whose twisted histories unfold over the course of
countless interconnected songs. Sycamore Smith has released four solo
EPs since 2005. These recordings have been described as "dream-like,"
but only by Sycamore himself. And he qualifies that by adding, "These
are the kinds of dreams you might have if you ate your own foot before
going to sleep."
8PM Breakfast
Bio: St Croix Valley funk giants
- Breakfast - will close this year's event. The infectious thick 70's
groove based trio has brought smiles to many a face in the area and
the twin cities. Appealing to art lovers, hippies and retro geeks, this
band always delivers. Includes members of area favorite Squib and they
pledge to take no prisoners - the jail is full.
9PM Event closing remarks
and transition to annual bonfire.
Continuing Activities & Roaming
Artists
Catalyst Dances by Emily Johnson
Bio: Creating dances that resonate with strains of foolhardy hope, fear, and denial, Emily Johnson’s dances are driven by moments of physical endurance and are often happy and sad at the same time. Described by the Star Tribune as a rising star in the Twin Cities dance scene, Emily’s choreography offers audiences a skewed way of looking at something ordinary.
Tim Kaiser
Bio: Festival veteran will this
year build a stand alone interactive stage that will feature his own
music and hands on instruments that event participants can play and
be part of Kaiser's composition. Tim Kaiser is from Duluth and plays
lots of experimental audio events.
Tribal Spririts of the Sun
Bio: Tribal Spirits Of the Sun are an experienced group of dancers and musicians who came together by chance and circumstance. They have a passion to leave a positive effect everywhere we go by utilizing a variety of arts, including music and dance. Arouse the primitive rhythms within, and share the light and energy they have to offer.
Magic Norm aka Normonzo the Great
Bio: Chisago Lakes nationally
recognized magician/comedian will offer a 3 part performance, combining
elements of magic/hypnotism/comedy with the hilarity of vaudeville.
Norm's interactive, close-up magic will leave your guests involved,
enchanted and enthralled.
This event is supported in part
by East Central Regional Development Commission and the East Central
Arts Council as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature and
the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the generous support
of 
and the direct support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Franconia Sculpture Park has forged
a national identity as the Midwest’s premier outdoor sculpture park,
offering a unique combination of work, residence, and exhibition space
for emerging and established artists. FSP encourages audience appreciation
and participation in sculpture through dawn to dusk visiting hours,
365 days a year, in a relaxed, informal setting where people are invited
to watch and talk with artists as they work. Franconia augments its
exhibitions with educational and outreach programs that include weekly
scheduled docent tours, school partnerships, Kids Make Sculpture Workshops,
specific programs for at-risk youth, 3-D Symposiums, and partnerships
with other like-minded organizations.
Franconia Sculpture Park is supported
in part by generous donations from:
, the McKnight Foundation, the
Jerome Foundation, the Bush Foundation, the National Endowment for the
Arts, Hugh J Andersen Foundation, Elmer and Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation,
Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation, Athena Foundation, the
Beim Foundation, Carolyn Foundation, COMPAS, Constance Mayeron-Cowles
and Charles Fuller Cowles Foundation, Driscoll Foundation, East Central
Regional Development Comminsion and the East Central Arts Council, HRK
Foundation, Hynnek Fund of HRK Foundation, Pugsley Fund of HRK Foundation,
Lownade Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation
by the Minnesota State Legistlature and by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts, Prospect Creek Foundation, Sage Cleveland Foundation,
Slumberland, St. Croix Valley Community Foundation and the Wisconsin
State Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin, Target Foundation,
Von Blon Charitable Foundation, the Archie D. & Bertha H. Walker
Foundation, Windgate Foundation, Woodrill Foundation, Woodbury Foundation,
In-Kind Donations from generous business’ and many passionate patrons
like you. Thank you!