Northern Spark set to sparkle this weekend, despite setbacks
Throngs of art loving night owls are expected in Minneapolis this Saturday for the second "Northern Spark" all-night art festival.
From sundown to sunrise Sunday morning, there will be images projected onto buildings, performances, installations and a level of interactivity rarely experienced at other art events.
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'Scattered Light' was a display by Jim Campbell at Northern Spark 2011 in St. Paul. This year the festival is taking place only in Minneapolis.
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Poto courtesy of NorthernSpark/Dusty Hoskovec
Northern Spark founder and artistic director Steve Dietz says the festival has faced huge challenges this year, but the biggest disappointment has been having to pull out of downtown St. Paul in 2012.
Dietz spoke with Chris Roberts of MPR News, and you can listen to their conversation by clicking on the link below.
In anticipation of this Saturday night's art buffet, I asked Twin Cities arts lovers for their best bets for this year's Northern Spark. Here's what they said they were most excited about:
From Scott Pakudaitis:
I'm excited to use the bat detector at the Weisman, visit the All About Owls exhibit, and see what Vanessa Voskuil dreamed up in Shift at the Barker Center. I've always found Vanessa's performance projects enthralling (remember "En Masse?") and I anticipate this to be a creative and fascinating experience.
From Dawn Frederick:
Most definitely the Paper Darts event. Titled "Your Guide to Captured Dreams," it combines writing, dreaming (which we'd usually be doing at night if we weren't up all night at Northern Spark), and a film of recorded dreams; presenting an overall mixed media experience. I'm especially excited the event is happening at the Loft, and that there will be writing prompts taken throughout the evening. Afterwards, there will be special edition of Paper Darts magazine available that commemorates this interactive experience. Being a devout booklover, I'm hoping others are equally excited (And yes, I'll be getting the special edition magazine).
From Molly Priesmeyer:
I'm super excited about Molly Balcom Raleigh's FEED/FEED event, not just because we share a first name or because I will get to dine on gourmet food. I love the idea that we can take this necessary and often overly accelerated task of eating and instead focus on its ability to connect us and make us present, aware, and conscious in new ways.
From Heid E. Erdrich:
Near to the Paper Darts event at Mill City, you must take a moment for Cloudy Waters by Mona M Smith. You think you know the river, but knowing the river through Dakota voices is a whole new thing that is old as the Milky Way.
So what will you be doing Saturday night?