#franconia sculpture park

[christianstepmoms]

#franconia sculpture park #shafer mn

[west-of-dirty]

#franconia #Franconia Sculpture Park #Sculpture #art #Minnesota #Summer 2022

[three-sentences-four]

July 29

After waking up to our first day of Home Leave 2021, we ran 5 miles along the Mississippi River, stopping to visit Guy at his grandparents’ house (he’s still getting used to living with a dog!). The day drew increasingly gray en route to the Aadland’s house, thanks to ominous wildfire smoke. Our newly-licensed, yet self-assured and competent driver, Maya drove us to Franconia Sculpture Park, and after strolling through its fantastical creations, we sipped local beers and gobbled up fresh dosas in charming St. Croix Falls with Sarah and Joe.

[studioahead]

Studio Spotlight: Creative Growth

This month we spoke with Ginger Shulick Porcella, the new executive director of Creative Growth, which since 1974 has given artists with developmental disabilities a space to grow and be part of the larger art community. What we love most about Creative Growth is not just how community-forward it is, but also how it shows by example the power of art as communication. We talked recent exhibitions, how arts and disability intersect, and how curators can be the subversive force in the institutions they are part of.

Studio AHEAD: How did you get here? We mean to California. You started at Creative Growth a few months ago having been executive director and chief curator at Franconia Sculpture Park in Minneapolis. Perhaps you can share your journey with us.

Ginger Shulick Porcella: I've always been somewhat nomadic in nature, using my past experiences and the communities that I help cultivate to inform my next step. I've always gone where there is the greatest need, and for the past 15+ years I've focused on leading contemporary arts organizations through major transitions, which typically involves healing a wound or trauma within the organization and/or community – all through the lens of contemporary art. My journey has been simultaneously circuitous yet direct in nature – leading me to this exact place and moment in time to lead Creative Growth, an organization I've long cherished and admired. I've lived coast-to-coast and everywhere in between, but being back in California, and the Bay Area in particular, feels like I've finally found my forever home. 

SA: We see the term "outside art" a lot, especially applied to Creative Growth's artists. What is the curator's role in closing the gap between the mainstream art world and those who have been historically left out of it? Does the curator just curate or does the curator produce–through the act of curation–as well?

GSP: We typically use the word "self-taught art" instead of "outsider art" because "outsider art" implies an "us" and an "other." That being said, I think one of my primary roles as a curator is to use my platform and privilege to amplify the voices of those historically underrepresented in our nation's cultural institutions, whether it’s artists with disabilities, women, queer or trans artists, artists of color, Native artists, etc. I am not an artist; I'm an arts administrator and a curator to my core, but I guess you could say that my art is curating: in making the impossible possible and in bringing what I call "unexpected audiences" and communities together, to build empathy through art.

SA: Bouncing off that: what are the steps institutions can take in changing this?

GSP: I think that more cultural institutions need to identify and eliminate the physical and intellectual barriers for cultural participation. It seems so simple but it’s really one of the most radical things that organizations can do, because most museums were designed to codify that ideal of us/other, haves/have nots, outsider/insider. This nonhierarchical approach is antithetical to the very fabric of those institutions. Which is exactly why I've chosen to extract myself from the museum world and better utilize my skillset and passion in the nonprofit arts arena where my values are mirrored by the mission of the organization.

SA: We love the pieces in a new exhibition on Joseph Alef ("Recent Abstraction") done in an abstract expressionist style and very colorful and vibrant. Can you speak a little bit about the paintings, Alef's creative process, and how the exhibition came about?

GSP: Yes – that work by Joseph Alef is stunning! Joseph has been working at Creative Growth off and on for over 20 years now, and his style definitely embodies what the exhibition "Recent Abstraction" is all about. His works are so gestural and active and alive; and there's really nothing like seeing his work in that large of a scale. Many of the artists at Creative Growth work in abstraction: it really gets to the root of pure artistic expression, joy, and that magical energy that the artists embody at Creative Growth. Our gallery director Nadia Ghani identified the need to highlight these artists working within similar techniques and styles through a curated exhibition. And certainly so many audiences and collectors have positively responded, since a majority of the works on display have already been purchased!

SA: That’s amazing! What is an exhibition you'd love to do���even if it may never happen?

GSP: My dream exhibition at Creative Growth would be to do a celebrity exhibition with alumni artist Kim Clark. Kim was incredibly prolific and practiced at Creative Growth for 20 years. Her work is completely influenced by pop culture and has so much fun and humor in it. I recently purchased a work of hers featuring the cast of ALF from the 80s! I think doing a solo exhibition of Kim Clark's work in Los Angeles where we can invite all of the celebrities that she's documented over the years would be incredibly fun.

SA: Finally, who are some lesser-known Creative Growth artists you'd love to put on our radar? This blog is all about Northern California as a community–we want to support our artists!

GSP: Two of the artists I'm most excited by that have a big career ahead of them are Nathaniel Jackson and Latefa Noorzai. Jackson came up through our Saturday youth program and now is in the adult day program at Creative Growth. He paints these amazing portraits of Godzilla that have become increasingly abstracted to the point where they're now rendered in these delicate watercolors. We recently showcased the work of Jackson at the Outsider Art Fair in NY and he was definitely a hit. All of his work sold to different collectors so it was exciting to see people so excited about the work. Noorzai has been working at Creative Growth for the past ten years and is an Afghani refugee. Her portraits are simultaneously whimsical yet haunting, and her recent series of soft sculptures really make these characters come to life.

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva

#creativegrowth #studioahead #oakland #bayarea

[formerly-analog]

#franconia sculpture park #minnesota #trevor nicholas #skinscape #grass #photography #digital photography

[half-a-tiger]

DUA SALEH - “Umbrellar”, off their new EP ‘Rosetta’ out now via Against Giants

Director, Editor, Colorist: Braden Lee

DP: Christopher Behnen

Model: Amarachi Anyamele

Filmed on location at Franconia Sculpture Park

Inspired by Ismail Zaidy photographs

#dua saleh #music video #2020 #against giants #braden lee #christopher behnen #Amarachi Anyamele #franconia sculpture park #ismail zaidy #leftfield

[codypaulson]

#cody paulson #iphone #photo #photography #minimal #sculpture #franconia #garden #franconia sculpture garden #sky #minimalism #fine art #minnesota #franconia sculpture park #shafer #abstract #arch #architecture

[bro-etically]

#queued #aes #photos #mine #black #grey #yellow #red #silver #sculpture: got the power: minnesota by bayete ross smith #franconia sculpture park

[christianstepmoms]

Franconia Sculpture Park - Shafer, MN

#myphotos

[art-by-rebecca-ann]

First of my ‘Experiencing Art’ series! In this series, I’ll be posting photos of me seeing local art! This first post is from Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN. The park is filled with towering sculptures that make it feel like a playground from another planet. I can’t wait to go again this summer! 

July, 2017

please do not remove caption or source

#photos #me #franconia #franconia sculpture park #minnesota #sculpture park #sculpture #art #out and about #experiencing art #queued

[smackmellon]

2019 Artist Opportunities (4) at Franconia Sculpture Park

 Artist Fellowship -- Deadline: February 2, 2019

Artists working in three-dimensions are invited to submit ambitious project proposals for the FSP/Jerome Fellowship program (open to MN & NYC artists) or the Open Studio Fellowship Program (open to artists worldwide). Sculpture, site-specific, multi-media, and installation work are considered. Artists are in residence at Franconia during their fellowship. Residencies start as early as April 1, lasting a minimum of 4 weeks and up to 3 months depending on the nature of the project. Installation must be complete by September 15. Up to 9 artists or artist teams will be awarded funding support, ranging from $3,500 to $7,000, to create and exhibit new work in a public outdoor setting. 

Intern Artist Opportunity -- Deadline: February 9, 2019

Franconia invites dedicated, career-bound and emerging artists to apply for the Intern Artist Fellowship Program. Intern Artists are provided room, board, outdoor studio space, creative & technical guidance, and professional development resources in exchange for daily support in park & exhibition maintenance; education & outreach programming; and fellowship artist assistance. Intern Artists are in residence 2 to 3 months and are encouraged to create a new sculpture for exhibition at Franconia.

Hot Metal Residency -- Deadline: March 9, 2019

Hot Metal Interns arrive July 18 and are joined by Hot Metal Artists on July 25. During the residency, you will participate in bonded sand mold-making workshops, and work together on a pour crew for the community Iron Pour on August 3 and the Artists-in-Residence Pour on August 10.

Cost for the residency is $450. The fee is waived for interns in exchange for daily assistance with pour preparations and educational workshops. The fee for artists includes outdoor studio space, up to 2,000 lbs of sand and 300 lbs of iron, tools required for large-scale work, equipment, engineering, and staff support. Artists and interns camp on-site and participate in Franconia's daily cooking and cleaning schedule. All artists are expected to bring hand tools, safety equipment, and small power tools. Work made during the residency and pour will be included in Franconia's Hot Metal exhibition.

Arts Administration Internship -- Applications accepted on a rolling basis

There are two different types of administrative interns. Program interns will support Franconia’s education & public programing. The Development intern will work directly with the development manager to support fundraising campaigns. Both interns work closely with Franconia’s staff so interns have a rare opportunity to be immersed in many types of projects and work experiences.

This type of internship is best suited for those interested in exploring public art, museum studies, arts administration, or nonprofit management careers. Primary responsibilities include assisting staff with day-to-day operations of the artist and education programs and may include helping with research; social networking outreach; marketing and publicity; graphic/web design; photography; database management; and assisting with activities that help promote Franconia and enhance public participation.

Arts Administration Internships are unpaid and last two to four months. This internship is flexible and can be scheduled to accommodate other commitments and varying time frames. We require a commitment of at least 16 hours a week for locally based interns who commute to Franconia. Interns who stay in residence at Franconia (free room & board) contribute at least 35 hours per week.

Franconia agrees to work with the intern to fulfill any necessary academic requirements and address any identified learning goals/objectives.

For more Information, visit: 

http://www.franconia.org/ArtistOpportunities.html

http://www.franconia.org/artsadmin.html

#smack mellon #franconia sculpture park #artist opportunities

[mnisotabythia]

Franconia Sculpture Park | Shafer, MN

#minnesota #xiththesolivagant #onlyinmn #exploreminnesota #exploration #outdoors #captureminnesota #sculpture #art #park #franconia

[formerly-analog]

log

#franconia sculpture park #minnesota #nam trong le #fibonacci wannabe iii #photography #digital photography

[sothotless]

Franconia Sculpture Park, MN. 2016.

#franconia #sculpture #park #gardens #metal #wolves #coyotes #dark #sky #art #exhibits #mn #minnesota #mine #my photography