rakemag Here’s hoping for a deep freeze (snow would be nice, too) so that artists and architects can wow us with their “thin shell construction” ice structures. Unlike ice blocks and ice carving, this method uses fabrics and support systems, taking advantage of water’s fluidity and its ability to transform into beautiful, sturdy ice. Organized by … Read more
When Blidner last showed in Minneapolis it was selections from his “Tango Argentino: The Spirit of Buenos Aires” series—some hundred highly stylized images, appropriately doused in drama, of men and women performing the national dance of his home country. He ventured much farther for his new project, training his lens on Helsinki, London, Milan, Cologne, … Read more
From Kanye West to Mel Gibson to Michael Richards, 2006 was a year of unexpected outbursts on race. Is it possible to have a more productive dialogue on a topic that is habitually avoided in “polite” conversation? The Science Museum of Minnesota and the American Anthropological Association believe so—thus this groundbreaking exhibition. Slated to tour … Read more
Thank you for the wonderful article on Circle Pines’ history [“A People’s History of Circle Pines,” November]. My family and I are moving back to the area after a ten-year stint in the Northwest (we grew up in Columbia Heights). We just purchased a house in Circle Pines, have become curious about the cooperative history, … Read more
“To find a new name for St. Paul’s RiverCentre Convention and Visitors Authority (RCVA), the city’s tourism and convention arm, officials are raising $76,000 from private sources to hire a Nashville firm that bills itself as a community branding expert.” —StarTribune, December 11, 2006 The Rake is wary of this latest foray into “community branding”— … Read more
I’m signing off early for the holiday this year. Wracked as I am by last-minute shopping lists and Catholic guilt, I’m afraid I’ll need an extra day to physically and mentally prepare. I will, however, arrive back in Minneapolis on the evening of December 25, when I’ll carry-on the long-held tradition of meeting my friends … Read more
There’s an awfully pretty boy band playing at the Varsity this eve. And by chance, these are the very fellows I get to meet tomorrow afternoon when a certain publicist lets me crash their photo shoot. Disclosure: Judging by what I hear on the band’s MySpace page, their power-pop sound isn’t exactly my cup of … Read more
Have you ever, in a moment of professional unease, considered making your living as a human guinea pig? It sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? Free health care! Sitting around in your bathrobe all day, paging through magazines while contemplating the effects of some mysterious, new drug that’s on the fast-track for FDA approval. In bleaker … Read more
Amazing. This is yet another Monday on which men- and women-about-town will find something above-average to do. The noted playwright, or if you prefer the Most Important Living Playwright, Tom Stoppard stars in the 2006 Global Voices lecture at the Guthrie; and I believe it’s being moderated by Joe Dowling. This gives damn good excuse … Read more
What to do this weekend: First, on a sad note, I note the passing of yet another record store. Know Name Records in Dinkytown–situated in an architectural relic of the 70s era during which it was born–is shuttering its doors. The last day to drop by is tomorrow-Saturday. And there’s a bit of a party … Read more