Saturday, October 31, 2009

New York Mills, MN: Day 3

Fact Sheet of New York Mills, MN

I found following interesting:

population of 1,158 with 535 housing units

population density of 926.69 people per sq. mile for Census 2000

Males: 544 (45.3%)
Females: 659 (54.7%)

Median resident age: 42.9 years

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $117,735 (it was $60,600 in 2000)

Races in New York Mills:

  • White Non-Hispanic (97.8%)

foreign born

0.3%



80% people's travel time to work in less than 10 minutes:

2004 Presidential Election results in Otter Tail County Minnesota:
Bush 61% Kerry 37%

Friday, October 30, 2009

Report from NY Mills: Active day 2

Chilly out, 4 layers, should add one more, Snowing
(Another free style haiku from New York Mills)


Actually snow had stopped.
I have bad Wi-Fi connection which probably good thing for my creation. But I have to finish my NYFA grant. Good thing is uploading images part was done before I left to come here.


Today I started actively working on pieces. In the afternoon, there were Halloween party for kids at the center. Excited kids were doing something. I was tuned out from all noises. It seems like they had face painting and making monsters out of cookies as I came down to find out if they had some coffee at the party when things were ending. They did not have coffee, however a lady offered me to make fresh one which I happy accepted. And I ate too much of the left over cookies in a shape of pumpkin with some frost added. They were highly addictive at a first place and I did not have proper lunch, I devoured them. (Piggy piggy) The coffee they used was from Finland which they sales at the center’s gift shop area. It was dark which satisfied me. I drank them very first and a lot as well. (Piggy Piggy) Beside this, the day was rather quietly passed by. My art supply order arrived today as well. So, the second gear is on now.



Images from my morning commute: walking in a rain about long 3 blocks.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Report from New York Mills

First active day of my residency.

Raining, feel like 40 degree, trains go by.
(My very first free style haiku in New York Mills.)

I am intending to write reports of my artist in residency from New York Mills in this month. I may cover a little bit off topics from purely art related which will include my pop sociological observations, and comments about whatever in my head.

I arrived at New York Mills, Minnesota after 12 hours from Brooklyn.

I will be at New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, here, in a fine town in Minnesota.

Before I came in, my contact wrote me that I should bring anything unusual that I need since there are "out in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE." And She mentioned 3 times that we were "Middle of Nowhere" when she picked me up from the next town where I reached by a van service from the twin cities.One way, this is very remote place, another way it is not. Here is my expansion of my thoughts:

This place is 4 hours way from twin cities. Population is 1100. A little down town shops, which are 4 or 6 of them, completely closed down on 8:15 pm. One subway shop seems the only the national chain. The gas stations brand was unknown to me. There is no movie theater. It seems to me agriculture is the main industry. So, one sense this is very typical rural America. However, it is very much like a rest of US, Wall Mart is near by town, every family have two cars or trucks, everyone has green lawns. (For us, Brooklyn people don't have cars and lawns, but we are not typical about house and car issue.) I also had stayed a very truly remote village in Nepal where only way to get there is to walk up the steep steps on a mountains. So, compared with that, this is nothing.

However I also feel strange the fact I can be in Milan in 6 hours from Brooklyn, 12 hours in Tokyo, but took me 12 hours to come to this part of the nation. The calculating actual distance is no longer useful unit to determine the practical distance. On the shuttle van service I was on from twin cities, I gathered that major airlines are shutting down regional services. I cannot blame them for cutting those route down as I know they are loosing money every day. But I can imagine the impact.

Anyway, I have two locations for me to use in this month. I was provided with a cute house as a living space, and studio space which includes with a dance studio. (hee hee hee, maybe I make a music video.) And I can totally work at house for small pieces.

I went to the local joint for lunch. As I suspected burger was good. I have a theory about burger. Burger is the good choice in Midwest as the meat is freshly killed. I also went the local super market. Meat and meat products were cheap, but vegetable and fruit were expensive and did not look good. Packaged food was same or bit less.

Little kids came to for dance lesson now. They are in at dance studio. They seems practicing something for the Christmas. The center hosts different activities. They also host concerts.

My studio space is open area of the second floor of this art center. The first floor is used as a little gift shop, gallery, and office.


As my first step, I put my reference images on a wall. This is my normal residency ritual. By starling at them, I start composing some plan, find a direction. I have one immediate idea, making a new addition to one liner series. (Here is one image from the one liner series)

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Bush Foundation

Bush Foundation Enduring Vision Artist Fellowship Program

Supports artists in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota with unrestricted grants of $48,000 distributed over one or two years. In addition, fellows receive up to $2,000 each to plan and implement an individual communications strategy. Artists may use their fellowship to explore new directions, continue work already in progress, or accomplish work not financially feasible otherwise. Professional development activities, including a two-day orientation retreat along with annual workshops combined with informal artist gatherings, have been added to the program. Applicants must be residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota (and have lived there for at least 24 months prior to application deadline), U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and at least 25 years old at the application deadline. Students are not eligible. For the 2010 fellowship year, applications are being accepted in the categories of Visual Arts (Deadline: October 30, 2009) and Media Arts and Traditional and Functional Craft Arts (Deadline: November 6, 2009). See website for complete guidelines and application. Bush Foundation, 332 Minnesota St., Suite E-900, St. Paul, MN 55101, T: (651) 227-0891, FAX: (651) 297-6485, info@bushfoundation.org, http://www.bushfellows.org/artist/bush-artist-fellowships
. Deadline: October 30, 2009 (visual arts), November 6, 2009 (media arts and traditional and functional craft arts)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Bemis Center Auction

I am showing two pieces at the Bemis Center, Omaha. Here is the info.


11th ANNUAL ART AUCTION

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts warmly invites you to join us in celebrating our 11th Annual Art Auction and Exhibitions. This event, and its three accompanying exhibitions, is our most anticipated of the year. It is our largest annual project – it features the greatest number of local, national and international artists; spans 10,000 square feet; is our most significant fundraiser; and the kaleidoscopic survey of current art draws a vast audience. Most importantly, it is a celebration of, and critical opportunity to support exceptional talent.

This event feeds the core of the Bemis Center’s mission to support artists. The auction is designed as a cyclical gift exchange. Through this event, over 200 former artists-in-residence, exhibiting artists and artist friends have offered their work to support future artists-in-residence. We are honored so many artists choose to aid this mission. Please join us in celebrating and supporting the continued vitality, beauty, surprise and risk-taking that contemporary art brings to Omaha, Nebraska.

Viewers may preview the works during the auction exhibitions opening on Friday, October 2nd, through the evening of the 11th Annual Art Auction on Saturday, November 14th, 5:30 - 10:00 p.m. or click here to view the works online.

My page
http://bcartsales.org/Artwork-Detail.cfm?AppThisID=2616&AppTheList=2616,2582