Dilly Bars and Art

  

As you might remember I was featured in the FLOW Northside Art Crawl last year. I was busy during this year's deadline and didn't have a project to display. After Mapping Disaster I didn't want to disappoint.

The day after the deadline I got an email from Dudley Voight. She puts together FLOW and we've met a few times on potential projects. After she gave me a nudge I felt compelled to put something together.  What I came up with was Midwest (or A Year in the Midwest or Midwest Annum...), twelve landscapes of sorts, which depict the shifts in my work away from in your face photojournalism.

 Emma also put together a project. Her splendid photos document the goings-on at the McKinley CSA, which she volunteers for and we are members of. Juxtaposition Arts Coop Studios was our home for the day, so we got to hang out the whole day.

 

After about an hour or two Emma, Brian Bradley (who was our art neighbor during the installation) and I decided to investigate the supposed free cookies behind West Broadway's Cookie Cart.

What we found instead were free Dilly bars. Did you know that DQ got rid of the swirl? That's not a dilly bar, that's a hockey puck.

 

Emms wanted a coffee so we meandered to Avenue Eatery. Brian and I both got Goose Island Root Beers. Great minds think alike.

 

 

Afterward we stopped at the main JXTA building. I was gawking at this installation when one of  JXTA's teachters started a dialog about the development of the interstate system versus the potential light rail in North. 

I really wish this dialog could have happened last year. A few months ago they decided on the route with fewer stops and economic opportunities for North Minneapolis (our house would've been within two blocks of a stop). At this point I'm OK with the route that was chosen, but in my mind I think it should be augmented by street cars on Broadway and Penn. Anyhow, I could talk about this for hours.

I was getting hungry again. Thankfully Brooke brought me carrots and hummus.

I was at work for most of the festivities, but made it in time to view my buddie's shows.

Here are some of Brian's paintings. Pretty cool.

 Scott ate all the hummus.

 

This little girl thought Olive was a doll.

I came in and she was petting her hair and following her around saying, "I love you, Baby".

Tyler showed up and played some ambient music.




After sitting around for a while we decided to explore.

We kidnapped Olive and went for a walk. Scott said there were free buster bars across the street. 

Dilly bars, though I wish they had buster bars. They are so good.

When we crossed Broadway this drove by.

Olive decided she needed to sit down. 

Unfortunately all the food was gone.

The area where the free food was turned into a car show with the return of the topless van.

Even after we got back Olive wanted a dilly bar.

My view of old Broadway.

People really liked my work. Unfortunately I didn't sell any prints this time. If you're interested in one send me a message. On another positive note, I got two leads for potential work down the road.

Bubbles on Broadway.

Bubbles on Olive.

Near the end of the night things died down again after a brief rush. I spied JXTA teachers on their roof.

Like last year we celebrated at Burrito Cubano.

I could have sworn I took a similar photo last year.

What goofs!

Dairy Queen was conveniently next door.

Brooke got a dipped cone and I got a blizzard. Yum.

Emma got a huge Sunday and Olive broke Brooke's phone.

Actually she fixed it. I seem to have longer battery life now.

We got a text from Zach and Ann about meeting them for drinks at Butcher and the Boar.

 We couldn't say no to that and ended up getting a few bites in while we joined them for dinner and drinks afterwards at the thier hotel.

In the morning we were both pretty tired and Brooke was hungover (like usual). I made blueberry pancakes to cheer us up.

After the long Saturday, this day was turning out to be a bore.

Sadly this is how I'll be spending part of my Sunday's for the next 2 weeks. 

We ate leftovers from the hotel the night before.

Peanut's always a bore these days. I think it's the heat.

I did go all out for dinner with this completely homemade meal.

Shrimp and grits with collard greens, southern style.

We ended the night with the Olympics. I think this will be a routine for the next two weeks.

It's funny that I like the Olympics. I never watch any sports on tv or in real life either (except for Twins games). As a swimmer and once gymnist myself I like watching these kinds of sports.