Brandon Wagner , “Hawaiian Punch”
Paul wins the horse race from the 30 or so photogs who snapped Kip’s birthday shots last week. And I’ve included a black and white photo, because as Van Gogh asserted, they’re colors too; though pedants would argue that in a subtractive color space, white is the absence of color. I bristle.
Bente Soderlind, untitled
As a Catholic in exile, I am grateful to have found a far less-dogmatic refuge in Quaker meetings, where silence is a central tenet. These suited the syncretic nature of my beliefs, and afforded somewhere to weekly “center;” to hear that inner voice, or to just mutely chant the Meow Mix jingle (“I want tuna, I want chicken, Meow Mix flavors keep me lickin…”). But as is evident this week, there are many ways to calm the din, and places to find quiet.
Aaron Reichow, untitled
Many very good submissions this week, and I’m especially happy with all the unusual vantages points: Brian’s empathetic portrait, or that lovely flower in Gaelynn’s hair. I was also moved by the shots of crowds, after all music is as much about how it is received as it is about how it is made.
On April 7, National Geographic published a photo gallery featuring images of the St. Louis River. The intro to the piece notes the St. Louis is “the eighth most endangered river in the U.S.,” according to a ranking by the advocacy group American Rivers.
Jeremiah Brown, “Heiko”
Mirthful man that he was, Nietzsche wrote “it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter.” There’s a recognition there that being human is a difficult endeavor, and that taking ourselves too seriously is one of the ways we compound the difficulty. Thanks to all who braved letting down their stoic fronts this week.
Cookie Temptations & Coffee House has done a soft open in the Fitger’s Complex. The sign indicates it will open on July 1, but customers were being served on Monday. The small coffee shop has no seating and is, more or less, situated in the hallway of the ground floor of the Fitger’s Brewery Complex.
Perfect Duluth Day is twelve years old today – Monday, June 29, 2015. The official celebration is at the Red Herring Lounge tonight at 8 p.m. Because it’s our dozenth birthday, there will be complimentary doughnuts from A Dozen Excuses Donuts. Serving as video DJ will be Lake Superior Aquaman. And there will be prizes and merriment as usual.
PDDXII Facebook invite (consider yourself invited)
Thanks to all of you for helping to keep Perfect Duluth Day perfect!
Perhaps someone can explain.
Eric Dubnicka, “Slop Bucket”
Glad that I called a random theme because it let me catch up with recent doings I’ve missed. Emily finished a marathon, Ed had a great opening (and buffet), Zach made it to Grand Marais, Aaron’s son finished 1st grade, and Richard snuck in a ‘lifty.’ Follow the links for more happenings, like the progress of Annie’s root cellar, or Brian’s contributuions to “Made Here” in the cities (which could flourish in the Twin Ports too).
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s Alumni Association sent out an email featuring eleven old photos. The organization is collecting UMD memories for the upcoming Bridge magazine and is requesting help identifying memories and people from these heritage photographs.
By Brian Barber
It’s fairly rare that the aurora borealis is this visible in Duluth. Solar eruptions triggered a severe geomagnetic storm over the weekend, causing brilliant colors last night that kept photographers and sky gazers up into the morning. Gathered here are a few images from the PDD Facebook page and other social media.
Bryce Kastning, untitled
I did not anticipate needing this theme to the degree that I did; sometimes, you can be overwhelmed by the coarse, the squalid, the noisy, and the negative. Photography often affords me a psychic reprieve, and I’m grateful now to live in a place where one can so easily step into a placid physical place when the madness gets too far inside. Sufficient? Time will tell.
Tina Luanna Fox, untitled
It might be the nascent Quaker in me, or the latent Buddhist, but I’m coming to appreciate matters that are lovely because of their impermanence. Artists, maybe photographers in particular, are susceptible to an alternative notion that we can keep moments, thoughts, and experiences — as though the marking were the substantive thing when the effects may be more so. That said, sharing our markings can produce grand effects.
