Art Posts

40 Below: The Toughest Race in the World

Duluthian Marius Anderson’s film 40 Below will be the featured film on Friday, Oct. 6 at the 2023 Duluth Superior Film Fest. The film follows entrants in the Arrowhead 135 race in International Falls during the depths of Minnesota winter. It’s one of many Minnesota-made films screened at the fest; the full schedule is on the Duluth Superior Film Fest website.

Below are more Minnesota-made movie trailers.

9/11, Never Forget Evil

When I was a little kid, I had a friend named Ron. Ron was different, unique and interesting. All people appeared this way to me at that time. Ron stole a pair of shorts from my mother’s clothesline. My mother’s friend caught Ron downtown and yelled at him, “nice shorts!,” and then drove off. I didn’t understand why Ron didn’t get to have a colorful pair of shorts. He was different, unique and interesting like me. Then they cut my hair. I cried, “I look like a bald-headed monkey.” My grandfather said, “his hair was so long because of the Indians up there.” They sent me to a Catholic school. I’m white. My language was stolen from me. My culture was stolen from me. My friends were stolen from me.

Ractalfece is canceled

Hello everybody, this is John Holden, aka, Ractalfece. Over the years, I have been honored that Perfect Duluth Day has been posting my YouTube videos. Unfortunately, YouTube has terminated my account. 

I wrote to them; said it was art. They didn’t restore my account. So I’ll be dusting off my old website — totalvom.com. Come find me.

Duluth artist exhibits at Minnesota State Fair

Duluth artist Pat Hagen leapt a huge hurdle to exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair — producing some of the best work in the state. (Photos via Pat.)

Champ the Bulldog: Bronze Edition

Sculptor Nick Legeros recently completed a bronze sculpture of Champ the Bulldog, mascot of the University of Minnesota Duluth. The statue was installed on Aug. 8 near the walkway in front of the Darland Administration Building.

Whither the Depot Foundation?

As there is such a tussle coming about the Depot, I wondered — what is the role of the Depot Foundation in keeping the Depot afloat?

In Honor of Minnesota’s New Pot Situation

I published this in the Ripsaw News more than two decades ago in my strip “Crackbrained Comix.” Thank you Governor Walz and everyone who finally legalized/decriminalized pot in Minnesota, as of today.

What AI thinks “Lake Superior fish” look like

I used stablediffusionweb.com to make these, using prompts like: “Lake Superior fish,” sometimes including “angler” and phrases like “catch of the day” or “look what I caught.” Then I switched to “a meal of Lake Superior fish,” “Lake Superior fish on a plate,” and so on. You will see some “breaded fried Lake Superior lampreys.” Bon appétit!

Chester Park has a new kind of tree: A poetree

“This book is offered in the form of a poetry chrysalis to encourage us to think about how we are a part of nature and how our actions cause change,” Wildwood wrote on the note. (Photo by Rob Wildwood via Facebook)

Picking a new summer book just got easier. Duluth writer Robert Wildwood has taken the free library idea to new heights, offering up copies of his latest book of poetry to the public in a novel way. This month, chrysalides of poetry appeared in Chester Park trees, and they are a gift for you.

In Memoriam: Duluth Artist Max Moen

Anyone within the sound of my voice, the artworks of Max Moen must be found and saved. I interrupted his dying days begging him to grant me a custodial role regarding his body of work. I think mostly of his collages which I greatly admire, surrealist masterpieces. I told him I’d arrange a show and self-publish a collection at my own expense, because the world must know. At the time he told me they were boxed in a car in another state, and I feared I was taxing him as he fought the cancer. I think he got that car back but I let it go; he was too busy dying and I didn’t want to be that guy. At least I impressed upon him that I considered him an artist with a capital “A.”

Sadly I have none of his work to share with you today. He had some examples on his old Facebook page but he took it all down. I remember searching his photos to copy them but he’d already deleted the lot. He did that sometimes.

Hyper Glaze

John Holden and Matt Norby warn that their latest video contains hyper-glazed data poisoning. “Do not upload it to sites that train modules on user submissions,” the YouTube video description notes. “It will degrade the overall system and cause generated output to be less stable and less accurate. You don’t want to be the one to ruin AI content for everybody.”

Selective Focus: Photos on Film

Photography exhibit in the windows of 313 West Superior St.


There’s a temporary photo show hanging in the windows of the old Bagley Building downtown, 313 West Superior St. The photos are all shot on film – a variety of formats from an equal variety of cameras.

Kirsten Aune puts kaleidoscopic spin on textile folk art

Kirsten Aune is preparing work for a group art show she co-organized with her sister for the Nordic Center for FinnFest. “Inspiraatioita: Finnish Art and Design in Minnesota” will be on display July 27-30. Read more about it from MPR News.

Art Opening in the Deeps of the Rathskeller

The Rathskeller was home to art and imagination as Kat Ford’s art was on display.

Snoopy thinks Woodstock’s mom could be in Duluth

This weekend’s syndicated Classic Peanuts comic includes a mention of Duluth. The strip was chosen for Mother’s Day weekend because Snoopy speculates on the location of Woodstock’s mother, who “could be in Anchorage, or in the Caribbean or Duluth for all you know.”