Sunday, January 28, 2007

Glamour Shots @ First Amendment Gallery

First Amendment Gallery's new photography show "Glamour Shots" had art-fans coming out of the woodwork Saturday evening! The basement warehouse gallery featured some of the best the Twin Cities have to offer in up and coming shutterbugs - shots of bleeding hearts (literally), strangely poignant portraits of stuffed animals, eerily lit hip-hop heroes, abstract photographic odysseys and even Storm Troopers.

As usual, First Amendment delivered with plenty of extras including rock n' roll, photo opps, dancing and lots of pink cupcakes!

For more information go to www.firstamendmentarts.com


Photos by Kate Iverson











Girl Talk @ The Varsity

It was an epic dance off at the Varsity Theater Friday night with Tarleton, Dance Band and GIRL TALK! This sold out show was wall to wall with hipsters, dance crazed college kids, mashup/electronic music afficianados and hip hop heads - all poppin' and rockin' to the marvelously mixed up masterpieces of Greg Gillis aka Girl Talk. Throngs of dancers rushed the stage (at the invitation of GT) and danced hard enough to shake the scaffolds! Who knew that Hall & Oats, Notorious B.I.G., Sonic Youth, Madonna, Nas, Abba and literally, hundreds more could make such beautiful music together?

For more information on Girl Talk go to www.girl-talk.net or www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic


Photos by Kate Iverson











Thursday, January 25, 2007

Weekend What's What 1/25-1/30

Show us a Secret!

"Whoa!" (Enter Joey Lawrence voice here) The rumors have been flying so fast this week you'll need a net. And when we say net, we do mean a dot "net", or "com" or "org" to keep track of your "buzz". We know you're busy honoring last week's self-inflicted tall tales, so we at l'etoile magazine have been appointed your public defender. All we need from you are exhibits A-Z. A is for the artwork you have stuck in your head - and z is for zenith, the peak of your success! As part of our services, we've set aside space in our upcoming issue to incontrovertably prove your innocence - so let's get you out of those ghastly shackles and into something a little more fabulous!

It's a very l'etoile call for submissions! Like we said, we've save a spot in the next issue, launching April 2007, for a few talented contributors in the fields of writing and visual arts. You need to make some calls? Call some people, well then DO it and send PDF samples of your craft by February 15. Submissions are sent to valerie@letoilemagazine.com

Look for our ad in this week's issue of Vita.mn

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Check in with our friends at mplsart.com for event photos, show reviews and of course the coolest art calendar in the twin cities!

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25th

8 Ball: 25 Bands on the 25th

@ The Hexagon
2600 27th St.
Minneapolis

Free / 21+ / 9pm

8 Ball: 25 Bands on the 25th is Minneindie.com’s version of speed dating with rock bands! With so many to choose from, you’ll surely find the one to trip your trigger – be it a band or band member! Featuring Faux Jean, Mute Era, Pars for All Makes, Buildings, Umbrella Sequence, The Nina, The Pinta!, Centinal, Unjustified and many, many, many more!

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE MINNEINDIE SITE
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THURSDAY JANUARY 25th

Minneapolis 55408

@ Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Ave. S.
Minneapolis

7pm / Free (donation to the gallery encouraged)

This year's Minneapolis 55408, the 11th annual exhibition of multimedia, multi-artist works, proves that 90210 isn’t the only zip code worth knowing. More than 40 artists from almost as many mediums come together for this year's eclectic exhibition.

DJ Mike Hoyt, a former 55408 curator, takes a spin as DJ and hosts the first ever 55408 Karaoke Blowout!

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE INTERMEDIA ARTS SITE
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FRIDAY ART PICK
Interview with l’etoile magazine

I am Mint Condition

Travis Stearns aka I am Mint Condition is a graphic designer and creative writer based in Minneapolis, MN. Stearns combines unique style with well crafted and implemented concepts to create his distinctively witty and introspective pieces. A graduate of the College of Design at North Carolina State University, he is currently freelancing and working on a number of collaborative projects in the Twin Cities.

Q & A

l’etoile: What inspires you and influences your work?

TS: I write alot so I get alot of inspiration from my writing and also the writing of others. It's mostly just free associative poetry I guess. I also love Minnesota and I think there is a really interesting connection between the people, the environment, and the past in this state. Not to mention, it's a fairly mysterious place. I get a lot of influence from the designer/illustrator hybrids out there like Michael Leon and Geoff Mcfetridge, but the Graphic Designer (capital G, capital D) in me pulls me towards an influence from Europe, Dutch and Scandinavian designers in particular.

l’etoile: Where did the name "I am Mint Condition" come from?

TS: I collected baseball cards as a kid so I heard the phrase thrown around a lot. I also think it supported the direction I wanted my work to go in; fresh, fun, honest.

l’etoile: Any interesting plans for the future that we should know about?

TS: I'm working on a zine with Josh Clancy (shout out), the other half of our collective, WishWell, that should hopefully come out in the spring. And I have another personal zine I'm going to be publishing based on the language and forms of Minnesota.


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FRIDAY JANUARY 26th

Girl Talk

@The Varsity Theater
1308 4th St. SE
Minneapolis

8pm / 18+ / $12

Girl Talk layers together current hip hop hits, soft rock radio standards, party classics, grunge masterpieces, R&B singles, glossy club-shakers, and rock anthems into a non-stop celebration of pop and excess. Leave it to Girl Talk's magical touch to please both the dance-crazed and mash-up lovers with equal skill. Mark Hosler of Negativland has declared it "a plunderphonics party record.”

Dance Band and Tarleton kick things off for this night of booty shaking goodness! Wear your dance pants!

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE GIRL TALK MYSPACE
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FRIDAY JANUARY 26th

You Work for Them: 52 Artworks + Other Stuff

Suite H
1011 Stinson Blvd. NE
Minneapolis

5pm-2am / Free

Up and come-hithers Eric TC (erickillsforfun.com) and Maddy Nye (thisextraordinarymoment.org) Join veteran designer Mike Cina (You Work For Them) for a time-sensitive super sale you wont want to miss. 52 works of art on sale for $26. Prices do drop hourly after 8pm, but get in early while the getting is still good.

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE YOU WORK FOR THEM SITE
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FRIDAY JANUARY 26th

Kozyndan Print Exhibition

@ Toomer Gallery (located within SOO VAC)
28th & Lyndale
Minneapolis

Kozyndan, a Los Angeles based husband and wife illustrator team, is the first exhibition in the newly launched Toomer Gallery, a collaboration between SOO Vac and ROBOTlove. Kozyndan’s illustrations are lusciously dreamy and vibrantly colored works sure to make you feel “kozy” and warm.

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FRIDAY JANUARY 26th

Convergence

@ The Dinkytowner
412 14th Ave. SE
Minneapolis

9pm-2am / 21+ / $5

Jon Hester and Company return for their monthly rotation at the Dinkytowner. Convergence is not your typical club night; this well-themed, electronic music party features a cast of local top-notch mix-masters and visual artists to serve your senses a very complete thought. This month’s theme is awards season appropriate Hollywood with art from Altered Esthetics Gallery.

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SATURDAY JANUARY 27th

Ben Olson: Solo Exhibition
Closing Weekend

@ Rogue Buddha Gallery
357 13th Ave. NE
Minneapolis

Your chance to peer into the personal lives of Artist Ben Olson and wife Emma comes an end Saturday at the Rogue Buddha Gallery. Need more information? Mark Wojahn, a member of the Visual Arts Critics Union (VACUM) offers an insightful review of Ben Olson’s show for mplsart.com.

CLICK THE IMAGE TO READ MARK WOJAHN’S REVIEW OF BEN OLSON
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SATURDAY JANUARY 27th

Glamour Shots

@ First Amendment Gallery
1011 Stinson Blvd
Minneapolis

7pm-Late / Free (Donations Encouraged)

First Amendment Gallery presents “Glamour Shots”, a collection of portraiture by local shutterbugs Jeff Henrikson, Letta Wren Christianson, Skye Rossi, Jennifer Lead, Jes Schrom, Daniel Ritter, Aaron Wojack, Tom Kemmer, Guy Nelson, Andrew Charon, Matthew Jenkins and more.

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SATURDAY JANUARY 27th

Design Redux: Eames as Paper

@ Goldstein Museum of Design
364 McNeal Hall
1985 Buford Ave.
St.Paul

Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 10:00am-4:00pm Thurs 10:00am-8:00pm Sat & Sun 1:30-4:30pm

Based on the influential design philosophy of Charles (1907-78) and Ray (1912-88) Eames, this exhibit underscores the pair’s continuing legacy with a new line of premium paper by the Minneapolis-based Design Guys. Created for Neenah Paper in partnership with the Eames Office, and guest curated by Patrick Grace, the exhibition and related programs will tell the story of Design Guys' quest to translate the Eames’ perspective into new forms for modern use. Runs through March 31st.

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SATURDAY JANUARY 27th

Drinking with Ian

@ 7th Street Entry
7th & 1st Ave.
Minneapolis

8pm / 21+ / $6

Drinking with Ian is back with another charmingly raucous “episode” of special guests, entertainment and mystery drinks served by Reverend Ollie Stench himself. In this installment: Davy Rothbart of Found Magazine with musical guests Spider Fighter.

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SATURDAY JANUARY 27th

Icy: Clear Views 01

@ MN Center for Photography
165 13th Ave. NE
Minneapolis

7-9pm / Free (donations encouraged)

Photographers Caroline Burghardt, Kelli Connell and Jean Laughton inaugurate ICY: Clear Views, a new annual series of exhibitions showcasing several contemporary artists from the region and beyond. This first group of photographers all take a "hands-on" approach to creating their work, all consisting of constructed narratives drawn from memory or imagination.

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE MNCP SITE
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SUNDAY MUSIC PICK

The Dardanelles

This weeks pick will make you get down (under)! The Dardanelle’s hail from the lovely city of Melbourne, Australia and have a gritty, electro-punk sound that will tickle your dance bone! Not much is known about these elusive Aussie rockers, but we like what we hear - so keep these cats on your radar!

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE DARDANELLES MYSPACE
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SUNDAY JANUARY 28th

Theo Wirth Park Snowboarding Lessons

@ Theo Wirth Park
1301 Theodore Wirth Pkwy
Minneapolis

Saturdays & Sundays / 10am - 12pm - 2pm - 4pm

Have you ever fantasized about swapping the Bunny Hill for the Half Pipe? Well, as the corporate shoe gods say: just do it! Theodore Wirth Park offers reasonably priced (and we MEAN cheap!) snowboarding lessons for people of all ages and levels, taught by the skilled pros of the “Theo Wirth Snowboard Platoon”. Buy a lift/lesson/rental package for a mere $30 and you’ll be catching big air (instead of eating powder) in no time!

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SUNDAY PRODUCT PICK

After this weekend you may have some newly developed snowboarding skills and we want you to look adorable while showing them off! We also care about your noggin, so it’s a good thing that the folks over at Boeri have a full line of aesthetically pleasing helmets for you to choose from. Lightweight, with multiple ventilation ports, removable vent plugs and earpieces make this helmet comfortable and sensible. You can even opt to replace your earcovers with Boeri’s Radioactive audio dropliner which allows you to rock out on your ipod while hitting the slopes!

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COOL OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Artists: Altered Esthetics Gallery

Altered Esthetics - Art Reincarnated: The modern world is full of waste and clutter. Recycled-works artists have a knack for taking something old and unwanted and breathing a beautiful new life into it, creating masterpieces that are simultaneously fresh and seasoned. A stylishly refurbished armoire, a computer monitor turned into a mod fish tank, a canvas repainted with a new vibrant image. please join AE for their April exhibit "Art Reincarnated" as they celebrate this innovative, aesthetically intriguing and environmentally friendly genre of the arts.

Submission Deadline: February 15, 2007.

Opening Reception: Thursday April 6th, 2007.

There is no fee for submission.
All mediums are accepted.

For more information please visit AE on the web:
www.alteredesthetics.com or e-mail opencall@alteredesthetics.com

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE SUBMISSION FORM
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COOL OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Artists
Underbelly: The Gritty City

Submission deadline JANUARY 30th (so act fast!)

The SSCA is accepting submissions for “Underbelly: The Gritty City”, an exhibit that will explore the underbelly of urban life. This show opens March 2nd and runs through April 1st.

Interpretations welcome and artists needed!

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TUESDAY JANUARY 30th

Tasty Tuesday with l’etoile magazine

@ Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington
(10th & Wash in the North Loop)

7:30pm-1am / Free / 21+


Join your friends at l'etoile magazine for a drink every Tuesday at the Clubhouse!

Clubhouse Jager is a beautifully restored, turn-of-the-century saloon with a speak-easy feel, complete with fireplace, comfy chairs, enclosed patio, attractive bartenders, live music and much more. Really.


Featuring a comely count-down of drink specials each week:

$6 Black & Blue

$5 l’etini (the official beverage of l’etoile magazine)

$4 house drinks

$3 vodka lemonades

$2 Pabst bottles

$1 bartender shots


CLICK THE IMAGE FOR THE JAGER MYSPACE
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If you have an event you would like to see featured in our weekly What’s What, please e-mail kate@letoilemagazine with complete event information and image for consideration. l’etoile’s weekly review of the best of the best is eagerly anticipated by over 4,000 well-qualified revelers each week.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Too Much Love 1/19

First Ave's VIP Room was jam-packed on Friday night for the increasingly addictive dance party "Too Much Love" hosted by DJ Soviet Panda. Love was definitely in the air! A sea of breathless dancers dominated the floor, drinks held high, all counting the days until Too Much Love makes the jump from monthly to weekly - in the mainroom!

For more information visit www.toomuchlove.net

photos by Kate Iverson


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