This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time… and so simple, too. (Granted, you had to have seen the message I was sent to fully appreciate my enthusiasm.) Send your friends a message, “Subterranean Homesick Blues”-style.
Year: 2007
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Don't Hold Your Breath for the Avista Foundation
There was a brief flurry of activity yesterday as a rumor blew around town that Ramsey County Judge David Higgs was ready to announce his decision in what we here at Slaughter Central like to refer to as Le Affair Par. It proved a false alarm.
But the mere thought of another round of Par Ridder/Avista follies, (and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Higgs will dismiss Dean Singleton’s complaint as much ado about nothing), reminded me of a point worth reiterating in the matter of the closing of the Star Tribune Foundation.
As I reported last month, despite a recent letter to subscribers touting the on-going philanthropy of the Star Tribune Foundation, the Star Tribune Foundation no longer exists and the current Avista Capital Partners-owned Star Tribune has no foundation of its own and as far as any fund-raiser in town is aware Avista Capital Partners aren’t donating so much as a dull nickel to Twin Cities’ community and arts organizations. Zero.
Looking for a perspective on this sudden evaporation of contributions from a company that used to play a significant role in enhancing the vitality of life here in the Twin Cities — as opposed to simply sucking as much cash as possible out of it — I called around to people well aware of the now defunct Star Tribune Foundation’s role.
First was Colin Hamilton, executive director of The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library. Hamilton emphasized that the Star Tribune Foundation was a small-ish player in comparison to something like the McKnight Foundation, making modest four-digit contributions routinely for years. But the Foundation stepped up big time when the library launched its capital campaign for the new building, donating $500,000, and just as importantly, donating first and thereby setting a precedent for other major contributors. (Cargill was another early donor.)
“First gifts are always very significant,” said Hamilton. “Often times you are not credible to other potential donors until someone else has demonstrated their confidence in you, which the Star Tribune Foundation did. We were extraordinarily grateful. Sam[antha] Fleitman has always been a very good friend to the library.”
Fleitman’s job managing the Star Tribune Foundation was axed as the McClatchy Corporation shut down operations here, took whatever was left in the Foundation accounts with them back to California and the new owners Avista, uh, DECLINED to establish a Foundation of its own. Fleitman now works for Andersen Windows’ foundation.
Among Twin Cities non-profit fund-raisers Andy Currie qualifies as something of a dean. He has personally been in the fund-raising game for 40 years, the last 32 in the Twin Cities. His recent work includes capital campaigns for Regions Hospital, Sister Kenny, the Minneapolis Planetarium and the Tubman Family Alliance.
I asked if he was aware of any kind of charitable funding coming out of the Avista-owned Star Tribune?
“I’m not aware,” he said, “of anything charitable being done right now at the Star Tribune. I certainly have not heard of anything. They seem to be having enough other problems, but I don’t know what’s going on there.”
The issue obviously is one of basic community quid pro quo. The guy running the corner sandwich shop knows enough to give a little get a little goodwill and customer favor. Unfortunately that game breaks down pretty fast when the company’s owners leave town — or in Avista’s case — never even bother to move here. No one expects Exxon/Mobil to dole out money to the Minneapolis Library or The Jungle Theater, although God knows they could. But a monopoly local daily newspaper, pitching itself as “The Newspaper of the Twin Cities” is playing a much different game, especially at a time when it is trying to sell “right-sizing” as a facet of a “hyper-local” or “local, local” uber-commitment to every neighborhood and suburb in the area.
In my mind a “hyper-local” editorial strategy gains credibility when it is accompanied by a return investment in the institutions that vitalize and sustain the neighborhoods a newspaper claims to be so earnestly committed to covering.
But I live here. Avista doesn’t. Although I have to assume that after tallying up their return-on-investment from all of their various businesses Avista Capital Partners, or Avista Capital Holding LP, should have at least $3 million a year left to sprinkle around/re-invest in Minnesota. You’d think they’d be hip to doing it if only as a gesture of goodwill and ingratiation by a faceless company that more Minnesotans every day regard as just another dispassionate siphoning operation, depleting us for the greater good of a few hedge fund types far, far away.
And if Avista’s argument is that they don’t have $3 million, I’m thinking that mortgage meltdown has crept higher than I ever imagined.
Obviously, GIVING MONEY BACK to one of the dozens of communities where it has investment interests is not even on the Avista radar. The sole point is to extract money.
Andy Currie notes that under ownership by the Cowles family, the Star Tribune was a founding member of The Keystone Club, the group of corporations who committed to the 5% of profits rule for local contributions, a standard that was the envy of other large metropolitan areas and contributed significantly to the Twin Cities much-touted quality of life.
“More community-minded people you could not find,” says Currie of the Cowles. “They were heroes to me.”
Currie also reminded me that that hefty library check withstanding, the Star Tribune Foundation normally eschewed gifts to capital campaigns, preferring instead to underwrite individual productions at Jeune Leune and The Jungle and other arts venues.
“When Honeywell was sold to that company in, where is it? New Jersey?” he said, “that knocked $11 to $15 million out of the local contribution market. And now the Star Tribune. You’re talking a pretty serious impact.”
Over at The Jungle, executive director, Margo Gisselman, explained the cruel irony that, “It takes a while to qualify for funding from the Star Tribune Foundation, and after years we had finally gotten in. They gave us $5000, and now it’s gone. It is such a bummer to us.” Individually, she says, the Cowles family continues to support The Jungle.
Avista? Not so much. “No, they are not donors.”
Currie says Best Buy, Minnesota’s 21st century empire, “is gaining momentum as a corporate contributor”. He commends the Hubbard family (of KSTP-TV and radio) for being “very generous” to various causes, notes that KARE-TV occasionally provides grants through parent company, Gannett, Inc., that other stations, like WCCO-TV are good about donating anchor time for charitable events. But that Clear Channel, which owns seven radio stations in the Twin Cities and over 1200 nationwide, “is not on any [contributor] lists that I look at.”
Clear Channel’s various stations do do heavily-branded events with percentages going to various causes. But Texas-based Clear Channel, with over $5 billion in net media revenue in 2006 (according to Ad Age), is not making any great philanthropic effort in Minnesota.
The old joke of course is that Clear Channel is the operational model for media investors like Avista.
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Prince Wants to Sue YouTube
Hollywood Rag gives us the scoop on Prince’s bid to “reclaim his art on the internet.”
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The True Story of Larry Craig
With a little help from R&B crooner R. Kelly, Jon Stewart tells us why Larry Craig is Trapped in the Closet.
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London Boasts First Interactive Nightclub
Engadget give us a look at the “first interactive bar in the world.”
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Soundtrack For the Ultimate Roadtrip
Not bad, but I’m sure we could swap out better choices for at least half of these.
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A First … Video Letter to the Editor
Charles Ferguson, director of, No End in Sight, currently playing at the Edina Theater, has produced what, for The New York Times at least, is the first video letter to the editor, responding to Iraq boss Paul Bremer’s recent assertion [in Times Select] that numerous military officials were aware of and agreed to his decision to disband the Iraqi army in May of 2003.
Here is Ferguson’s video letter.
Ferguson’s film is terrific, but the concept of a video letter to the editor for on-line newspapers is another very intriguing evolutionary moment that bodes well for the transition away from print.
Note the enthusiasm of NY Times edit page boss Andrew Rosenthal in this this Editor & Publisher interview.
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Frito Pie and Red Bicyclette
My children have been blessed with a wonderful stepmother who is unlike me in most every way. She is tall, a statuesque brunette, while I’m the sort of mom a teenage boy can pick up and move out of the way. She’s concrete and detail-conscious where I am abstract and forgetful. She loves to shop, drinks sweet, sparkly wines, and eats red meat on a near-daily basis. Also, she’s from Oklahoma — and a great southern cook.
When my 13-year-old daughter needs to buy party clothes or bookshelves from IKEA, I give her my credit card and she goes to her father and stepmother’s house, with my blessing. (Me. . .I get hives whenever I drive within 5 miles of a mall.) Often she’ll stay for dinner. Last time she came home all excited about a delicacy called Frito Pie.
So for our family dinner last night (mine and my husband’s with the children we all share), my daughter made her stepmother’s version of this Texan dish: Fritos, ground beef, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes, onions, cheese and sour cream. As it happened, my husband had stopped at Byerly’s earlier in the day and they were having a penny sale on Red Bicyclette wine (buy one bottle for $10.99, get the other for a penny — who could resist such a deal?), so he picked up a couple to try.
What a happy coincidence. Talk about a pairing! I can imagine nothing better to go with Frito Pie — which was tasty and filling and, in our house at least, a fun departure from the usual vegetable-heavy fare — than this profoundly adequate French table wine.
First, you have to admit, the label is just too cute. It’s like something right out of the canon of François Truffaut — or, for you more modern cinephiles, this past summer’s Ratatouille.
But also, this is exactly what a mediocre rural French table wine should be: fruity, drinkable, and inoffensive, meaning there is no bitter, sour, sharp, or syrupy flavor. Red Bicyclette is rather like Fritos and sour cream in this respect: no matter which “varietal” you buy, it is generic and soothing, pleasantly bland, straightforward and serviceable.
Don’t be fooled, though. While Red Bicyclette may appear to be a charming little garage wine from the south of France, it is in fact a product of the California-based winemaking monster E. & J. Gallo, the same people who brought the world Carlo Rossi and Chardonnay-in-a-box. Is it worth $5.50 a bottle? I’d say yes, particularly if you’re having Fritos for dinner. But not a penny more.
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Living Art
ART
Ernest Arthur Bryant
This young (got his BFA from MCAD in 2005) and fast-rising (fellowships from Jerome, McKnight, Bush, and Skowhegan) Minneapolis artist works in the mode of the moment: a combinatoire of painting, assemblage, ragpicking, and video. These are fragmented times we live in, and it’s artists like Bryant who pull together the pieces of exploding cultures in unaccustomed ways. High-art references like the Mona Lisa meet with drawn lines that have the deftness of a tagger who studied with Rembrandt. These elements snuggle up to camouflage fabric and the occasional “identity” reference. This is Bryant’s first-ever solo exhibition; count on lots of interested parties angling to get a look. — by Ann KlefstadSaturday, Franklin Art Works, 1021 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-872-7494.
200 Artworks, 1 Size, 1 Price, No Names
Art frauds beware. If you’re looking for a guided tour or a catalog indicating the artists and works that will most impress your neighbors, if you’re one of those people who buy high on the assumption that price intimates quality, or if you have absolutely no sense of adventure and amusement, then Soap’s $99 Sale is probably not for you. If you’re looking for bargain art and a great opportunity and adventure, on the other hand, the $99 Sale is certainly a much better alternative to one of those airport ballroom free-for-alls. Here’s the deal: it all begins with 200 unidentified 5″ x 7″ artworks. They have signatures on the back; but, of course, you don’t get to see them until after the piece is yours. I suppose if you really know your artists, or if you have a keen eye for talent, you might make some practical and wise deductions, but this exercise should be more about choosing what moves you rather than showing off your ability to identify what you’re told should move you. It’s a more honest art purchase, and a beautifully innovative fundraiser. Be among the first to have their picks. This evening is the pre-sale party, which includes wine and appetizers, and a first crack at finding something you love — and something that might prove to be quite valuable. Then tomorrow morning, the general public is invited to choose from the remaining works. It’s brilliant. It’s fun. And it’s tax deductible. What more do you want?Friday from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, Soap Factory, 518 2nd St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-623-9176; Pre-Sale Party $35, the $99 Sale free.
Through the Eyes and Hands of Artists
Chinese art writer Kojiro Tomita once pointed out: “It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet.” Perhaps this weekend is the perfect time for a tryst. The air is cool, the leaves are beginning to change, and a drive is certainly in order. Grab your family, or your coat, and head for the Rustic Road 13 Pottery Event & Sale. Fourteen outstanding Minnesota potters, including Carl Erickson, Steve Hemingway, and Ernest Miller, will show their wares and explore the universal connection between maker and beholder, between artist and owner. Now in its sixth year, Rustic Road 13 features a barn full of art, poetry readings in the gardens, music in the air, and potter’s wheel and raku firing demonstrations throughout the weekend. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to Second Harvest Heartland.Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Historic Farmstead, 1148 Troutbrook Rd., Hudson, Wisconsin; free.
PERFORMANCE
Song, Fire, Booze, and Fisticuffs in the Digital Age
The four members of the Lit 6 Project take their art so seriously that they actually moved in together in order to spend all of their time and energy on their storytelling, turning themselves into the very characters in the process. Often inebriated, hung-over, and miserable, the four writers/performers have documented their lives and work together in multiple media forms. One of the more successful branches of this project has been The Electric Arc Radio Show. Now performed live, in front of hundreds at a time, the show details the lives of four horrible and tormented writers who share a home, booze, hugs, punches, and a toaster. Weird enough for you? How’s this? A bad clarinet-playing Alan Greenspan lives in a treehouse behind them. Tonight’s show, the new season opener, also features the music of Little Man.Saturday at 8 p.m., Woman’s Club of Minneapolis Theater, 410 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis; 612-813-5300; $15.
FILM
There’s Nothing So Regular about Regular Joe
You’ve got to love the Twin Cities. You’ve just got to. I mean, really, where else is someone going to film a romantic musical comedy about a gay guy who becomes a Cyndi Lauper drag queen in order to get through a mid-life crisis? New York? San Francisco? L.A.? Spain? It certainly sounds like early post-Franco Almadóvar to me. Man, we’re hip! The Completely Remarkable, Utterly Fabulous Transformation of a Regular Joe, shot entirely in the Twin Cities, makes its local premiere this weekend.Saturday at 7 p.m., Varsity Theater & Café Artistes, 1308 4th St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-604-0222; free.
A Word from Our Film Critic
I asked Rake film critic Peter Schilling about this weekend’s film openings, which now include Silk, Live-in Maid, and Dans Paris. He admitted the latter is actually quite awful, but added the following: “You could, however, mention that the Parkway Theatre has been renovated, serves the best popcorn in town (trust me, it’s awesome), and is showing a pair of thrilling potboilers from the 1950s: From Here To Eternity and The Caine Mutiny. Eternity, as you may or may not know, won Best Picture and resuscitated Frank Sinatra’s career. It is also dogged with the rumor that it was the film whose producer found a horse’s head in his bed, in order to convince him to cast Ol’ Blue Eyes for the role that would win him an Oscar (as suggested by Mario Puzo’s Godfather). To make matters even more interesting, another rumor implies that during advanced screenings the moviegoing public laughed whenever George Reeves’ character spoke–they supposedly yelled ‘It’s Superman,’ and the role was cut to next to nothing. He would later go on to kill himself because of this. Or so they say–most historians don’t believe either rumor is the least bit true.” I love these movies. Thanks for sharing the Secret, Peter.In keeping with Peter’s ’50s film recommendations, the Bergman Tribute continues this weekend at the Oak Street Cinema with The Seventh Seal. Enjoy a special treat this evening with a death- and angst-laden introduction from StarTribune film critic Colin Covert.
MUSIC
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Anthony Marwood
The second program in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s 2007-2008 season features the highly anticipated performance of the Violin Concerto, Concentric Paths by the vibrant twenty-first century composer Thomas Adès, who has been revered and reviled for his often choppy and creatively versatile pieces, including the orchestral work Asyla and the operas Powder Her Face and The Tempest. Concentric Paths is regarded as relatively restrained and moody (think Shostakovich), and will feature violinist Anthony Marwood, who played the concerto at both its world and U.S. premieres in ’05 and ’06. Also on the bill is Beethoven’s Sixth, or Pastoral Symphony, a beautifully flowing ode to nature that was overshadowed when it premiered alongside the composer’s booming Fifth Symphony. Having been a pacifist, the renowned twentieth-century British composer Benjamin Britten probably preferred the Pastoral to the Fifth; his Sinfonietta will open the performance. Douglas Boyd conducts. –by Britt RobsonSaturday at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 8 p.m., Ordway Center, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; 651-224-4222, 651-291-1144; $11-$59.
Tonight’s top music picks include Elvis Costello with the Minnesota Orchestra (both tonight and tomorrow night) and James Cotton Band at The Cedar. The legendary blues harp master can bend a note like few others.
Sure, you can “Come to the Cabaret,” old chum, but the real show this Sunday is at the Grand Casino Hinckley Event Center. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the fabulous Liza Minnelli live and in action, doing what she does best.
CYCLING
Minneapolis Bike Tour
Cycle all over Minneapolis without being hampered by cars (and without having to wait for this month’s Critical Mass). Sunday is the Minneapolis Bike Tour. Take your bike to Parade Field, choose either the 15-mile or the 41-mile route, and enjoy a day of riding on the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway…without pesky motor vehicles. Day-of registration is available, but show up early — 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. (riders must begin the course between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m.) — and bring a helmet. –Danielle KurtzlebenSunday at 7:30 a.m., Parade Field, 400 Kenwood Pkwy., Minneapolis; 612-230-6400; $30.