Orson Welles in “Citizen Kane” is the Classic Movie for October in Bigfork

“Citizen Kane” is a 1941 mystery drama movie with Orson Welles its producer, co-author, director and star.  It is a quasi-biographical film of the main character Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, being part print media mogul William Hurst, two parts well known Chicago business tycoons of that era, and one part part Welles’ life. This does not immediately sound like the makings of what has been called the greatest film of all time. Orson never made movie before and created a new concept in film making. This movie is worth seeing plus find out what “Rosebud” really means in the story. “Citizen Kane” will be shown by Jack Nachbar at The Edge Center in Bigfork on October 13^th at 6:30PM, free of charge. The movie will be accompanied by Jack’s presentation providing a better understanding of the film at the time period of the picture's release.

With Orson never making a movie before this and creating a new concept in film making by doing so, this is a special event in in film history. This movie is best seen on the big screen and, it is worth seeing for its  "new" approach in movies, plus you will get to find find out what “Rosebud” really means in the story. The part this word means to the movie is special all by itself.

“Citizen Kane” is about a reporter assigned to find out the meaning of a newspaper publishing magnate’s last word, “Rosebud”, and the reporter’s search for an answer. That’s it for the story line, but the twists and turns of this assignment makes for the classic that the movie became.  

The drama of the "back-story" is part of what makes the movie so remarkable remarkable by itself, but the filming, techniques and seemingly simple story-line is what makes the extraordinary.  All this made Orson a giant in the film industry after just his first ever try at making a movie.

The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards, but won only one. It is said that the reason was resentment by virtually every one in the industry at the time, and “block voting” to keep “Citizen Kane” in the background of that year’s productions. Before Hollywood, the film industry was courting Welles’s talents for some time, and the finallythe possibility of making huge amounts of money attracted him, but Frank Brady says Welles…”, was still totally, hopelessly, insanely in love with the theater, and it is there that he had every intention of remaining to make his mark.” 

But after the remarkable success of “The War of the Worlds” broadcast, RKO Pictures made him an offer he could not refuse. That offer was probably responsible for so much animosity and plain old jealousy in the industry.  Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane

Here is one more push for you to come to Bigfork for this classic. It is from the New York Times review by Bosley Crowther published May 2^nd 1941.  The first paragraph reads in part … “Within the withering spotlight as no other film has ever been before, Orson Welles's ‘Citizen Kane’ had its world première at the Palace last evening. And now that the wraps are off…it can be safely stated that suppression of this film would have been a crime. … "Citizen Kane" is far and away the most surprising and cinematically exciting motion picture to be seen here in many a moon. As a matter of fact, it comes close to being the most sensational film ever made in Hollywood.”

You can see this movie free of charge. An  appropriate snack will be served courtesy of Jack and his wife/projectionist, Lynn.  Place: The Edge Center for the Arts, Bigfork. Date and time: Thursday October 13 at 6:30PM. It will be worth going to Bigfork, because Jack will give you lots of background about the movie and a cartoon of the period will give you some laughs.

“WHAT’S LEFT: LIVES TOUCHED BY SUICIDE” at the Edge Center Gallery

Edge Center Gallery in Bigfork Minnesota is presenting the exhibition “What’s Left: Lives Touched by Suicide” from September 29 to October 29.  Even in such a sparsely populated area, there are few Edge of the Wilderness residents who are not affected in some way by the sorrow related to suicide.This exhibit is a traveling exhibit with a goal of reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness and raising awareness about mental health recovery and suicide prevention. The exhibit will be on display September 29 until October 29. The opening Reception is September 30 from 5PM to 7PM. The Gallery hours are from 10AM to 4PM on Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays and during theater performances.

It has been shown at MacRostie Gallery in Grand Rapids, Red Lake Nation College, Hibbing Community College, American Indian Community Housing Organization in Duluth, Greenway High School in Coleraine, Rochester Civic Theater, and Watermark Art Center in Bemidji.  It will continue on to Park Rapids, Minnesota, Owatonna, and Bethlehem Lutheran Churches in Minneapolis and Minnetonka.

The Edge Center is possibly the closest place for you to experience this powerful, moving, and healing multimedia exhibit.

Suicide and mental illness are major health problems that affect everyone. The topic is often viewed as taboo, and family members left behind can feel stigmatized and unable to talk openly about their experience and grief. What’s Left provides a space for participating artists and the broader community to reflect on the impact of suicide and mental illness and explore the use of artistic expression in the process of grieving, healing, and expressing hope.

The project originated with Grand Rapids, Minnesota, resident John Bauer who lost his daughter Megan to suicide in 2013. Bauer’s experience in the aftermath of his family’s tragedy is what sparked the idea for an art exhibit as a way to encourage community conversation.“Whether on the phone or on the street, most people just didn’t know what to say to me,” said Bauer.  “How could they if they haven’t been through something so horrific. To develop a vocabulary for talking about suicide, we have to be able to talk about mental illness as well. Not in whispers or disrespectful laughter.

We need a culture shift where we all take responsibility for addressing the stigma associated with suicide and mental illness. That burden should not be on me and my family alone, nor should it fall to other families who have come before or after us.”

Over 45 of Minnesota’s finest artists working in painting, poetry, sculpture, graffiti, glass, fiber, photography, and more have contributed artwork to the project. Audience members of What’s Left will also have the chance to listen to an interactive audio installation of stories from survivors.

What’s Left is a traveling exhibit with a goal of reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness and raising awareness about mental health recovery and suicide prevention. The exhibit is designed to be displayed in a wide variety of settings including community centers, art galleries, schools, and libraries and is available to travel to communities across the state through 2018.  The Edge Center Gallery is working with the Bigfork School to increase awareness of suicide prevention even in such a small rural community.

This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to appropriations from the Minnesota State Legislature’s general and arts and cultural heritage funds. Additional funding is provided by the Blandin Foundation, Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation, Miller-Dwan Foundation, Northland Foundation, Northern Itasca Electric Company Round-Up Grant and many private donors.

The Edge Center is next to the Bigfork School.  The Gallery hours are from 10AM to 4PM on Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays and during theater performances.  The exhibit “WHAT’S LEFT: LIVES TOUCHED BY SUICIDE” is in the Edge Center Gallery, next to the Bigfork School, from September 29 to October 29. The Opening Reception is Friday, September 30 from 5-7 pm.

Art Gallery Shows Iron and Stone....Paper and Color Exhibit In the Edge Center

What does the work of two artists using such different media have in common?  Find out at the Bigfork’s Edge Center Gallery in September when the work of both collage artist Karlyn Atkinson Berg and sculptor Al Belleveau fill the Gallery.  The exhibit Iron and Stone//Paper and Color is on display from September 8 until September 24.  The public Opening Reception is Friday, September 9 from 5:00 to 7:00.

Both Berg and Belleveau share a love of the natural environment and use combinations of common materials in seemingly endless ways in their art work.  Karlyn Atkinson Berg’s work uses Paper and Color.  Her two-dimensional collages are created by arranging paper cut from all kinds of printed materials.  The shapes and colors form abstract compositions.

The complex work is sophisticated and requires contemplation to extract Berg’s meaning. Berg graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, continued graduate studies at Pratt University in printmaking, in education at New York University and trained as an actress at the Lee Strasberg Actors studio.

Berg pursued her career as painter and collage artist while working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She traveled to Minnesota in 1973 to work on Wolf Conservation, an interest that continues today.

While becoming internationally recognized for her work and expertise on wolves, canids, predators and predator control issues, Berg continued to paint and pursue her career as an artist.  Her work in the September exhibit is the type of collage art that she has been successfully shown in galleries around the state.  

Al Belleveau’s materials are more elemental than Berg’s. His work represents the Iron and Stone in the exhibit and is the syntheses of a life long love affair that he has had with two of northern Minnesota's most plentiful resources. He uses rocks and metal in sculptural form to depict humorous life forms, unique functional furniture, art structures and decorating accouterments.

He has been using this process to capture and create with stones for ten years, but he has come to understand its significance more recently. The stone - as recognized by the indigenous peoples - is Grandfather or Spirit and the steel is temporary flesh. Thus through this parallel of steel wrapped stone - flesh wrapped spirit, he is coming to better understand himself and others and how they are related.

 Belleveau’s affinity with Stone Age artists is shown in the sculpture “Hand Painter”, depicting a man reclining in a cave, making an imprint on the wall using a tube of rolled bark or a reed to blow red ocher over his hand to create an imprint.

The exhibit Iron and Stone// Paper and Color is in the Edge Center Gallery, next to the Bigfork School, from September 8 until September 24.   The Opening Reception is Friday, August 5 from 5-7 pm where you can meet the artists and enjoy refreshments while looking at the art.   The Gallery hours are from 10:00-4:00 on Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays.