They May Look Familiar

　

Alan Krueger’s art is sometimes startling because it is so realistic. You may have seen his work on covers of wildlife and sportsman’s magazines over the years. His paintings are detailed, colorful and heart warming. For anyone who enjoys the outdoors and nature subjects in art, Alan Krueger paintings are very special. Painting wildlife has been his full-time profession since 1977…a considerable accomplishment. Starting August 2 and continuing through September 1, an impressive collection of his paintings will be on display at The Edge Center Gallery in Bigfork, MN. The gallery is open on Thursdays through Saturdays 10AM to 4PM. There will be an opening reception Friday August 3 from 1 to 3 PM. Admission is free.

Alan Krueger was born in 1948. Raised in Minnesota, nature subjects have been the focus of his art from an early age. Although largely self-taught, he studied art at Mound Westonka High School, taxidermy at age 15 and later, biology at the University of Minnesota. While serving in Viet Nam, he did many portraits for the G.I.’s. Krueger started painting wildlife full-time in 1977, after placing in the top 10% of the first Minnesota Duck Stamp Contest.

Alan’s art has been in exhibition at Kohl Galleries, Upland California, Prestige Gallery, Ltd., Toronto, Canada, and many other galleries throughout the world. He has had one-man shows at the Hennepin County Minnesota Nature Center, Victoria, Minnesota and Hart Gallery, Billings, Montana. Alan has also explored sculpture and clay models, which are often used when he is painting. He completed many Chainsaw sculptures from 1990 to 2000. In 1987, his painting, "Spring Breakup - Loons" was chosen from an international competition to be reproduced in limited edition by the Laurel Street Art Club.

Setting up a gallery exhibit every month takes time and patience. It also takes a lot of TLC by the volunteer staff at The Edge Center to make sure the art is handled carefully and displayed beautifully. Much appreciation and many thanks go out to those people who work hard behind the scene to complete these tasks.

Dr. Seuss Musical in Bigfork This Upcoming Weekend

The Stages Theatre Company, STC of Hopkins, Minnesota is bringing one of their productions to The Edge Theater stage in Bigfork this weekend. It is the musical Seussical – Theatre for Young Audiences Version (TYA). Blending of some of Dr. Seuss's most famous books with music, it is a heartwarming and colorful event for the entire family. Seussical TYA will be on stage at The Edge Center in Bigfork July 13 through 15. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7PM and Sunday 2PM. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The photographs in this article are from the Stages Theatre Company (STC) of their Hopkins performance of this play and are courtesy of Jennifer Kirkeby

The quotes are from http://minneapolis.broadwayworld.com/regional/SEUSSICAL-THEATRE-YOUNG-AUDIENCES-10466#

“Now one of the most performed shows in America, "Seussical" is a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime," "Once On This Island") have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big imagination--Jojo.”

"Oh, the Thinks You Will Think" as the spirit of imagination transports the colorful characters from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos.”

“For this version, certain plot elements have been simplified, it is in one act, and runs approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes…”

“The story centers around Horton the Elephant, who finds himself faced with a double challenge--not only must he protect his tiny friend Jojo (and all the invisible Whos) from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left to his care by the irresponsible Mayzie Lanbsp; Bird.”

“Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him, the only one who recognizes "his kind and his powerful heart."

"Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant, in a story that makes you laugh and cry….”

And the Winners Are…

Last night the eighth annual juried art show at The Edge Center Gallery in Bigfork had its opening reception. As in the past, this shows presented high quality works including a wide variety of styles and media. The opening was well attended and well fed. Every entry was a winner by just being selected for the show and five of them were given awards by this year’s juror Juror Laura Goliaszewski, who is the Museum Curator at Bemidji State University. The exhibit will be open through July 28th. Admission is no charge. The Gallery is open from 10:00AM to 4:00PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Pictured is Laura presenting an award.

And the treats were special too.

There were five winners with two each from two-dimensional and three-dimensional work plus a people choice award.

Katherine Sandnas - Secod Place three-dimensional

Karlyn Atkinson Berg - Second Place two-dimensional

Jon Offutt - First Place three-dimensional

Bob Biaggio - People's choice

Terra Rathai  - First Place two-dimensional

Here is one painting that might make a trip to see the show worthwhile all by itself. It is a painting titled THE MEETING by Gene Matsen.  He has been at his art for decades and the quality certainly reflects it. In this year’s entry, Gene shows a area just beyond his hunting grounds that is normally too hard to reach. In the painting there are five animals all with a definite mission. The problem is you need to really search hard to find them. Nice challenge and fun to try.

The Edge Center encourages and welcomes visitors for this special exhibition open all month. Again a special thanks to the Edge Canter volunteers who setup and take down these exhibits and to the generosity of financial supporters. This year, Northern Pines Orthopaedic Clinic and Northland Dental Clinic are the underwriters of the exhibit. Northland Dental Clinic, Edge of the Wilderness Art League. Arvig Communications, First State Bank of Bigfork, and Kocian’s Family Grocery are the sponsors for the awards for 1st and 2nd place in two and three-dimensional art. Bigfork Valley Hospital is sponsoring the People’s Choice Award. Please come and visit us.

Bigfork Art for the Juror to Decide

This will be the eighth annual juried art show at The Edge Center Gallery in Bigfork. The shows present works including a wide variety of styles and media. The quality has always been outstanding and this year is no exception. The juror this year is the Director of the Talley Gallery at Bemidji State University. Visitors to the show opening reception will also be able to vote for a People’s Choice winner. Admission is no charge. The exhibit is in the Gallery from July 5 through July 28. The Opening reception is on Friday, July 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 with the Awards Ceremony at 6:15. The Gallery is open from 1:00 to 4:00 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Juror Laura Goliaszewski selected 39 artworks from 78 entries by 30 artists for Art on the Edge: Eighth Annual Juried Art Exhibit at the Edge Center Gallery. Laura herself is an artist who exhibits her painting regionally. For this exhibit she selected 39 artworks from the 30 artists who entered work. The art represented is from seven painters, two who worked with mixed media, one with a relief sculpture, two with drawings, photography from nine artists and seven who worked with three dimensional art. That represents a wide selection of fun and interesting exhibits to see.

Thanks you very much to the Edge Canter volunteers who setup and take down these exhibits and to the generosity of financial supporters. This year, Northern Pines Orthopaedic Clinic and Northland Dental Clinic are the underwriters of the exhibit. Northland Dental Clinic, Edge of the Wilderness Art League. Arvig Communications, First State Bank of Bigfork, and Kocian’s Family Grocery are the sponsors for the awards for 1st and 2nd place in two and three-dimensional art. Bigfork Valley Hospital is sponsoring the People’s Choice Award.

The Edge Center encourages and welcomes visitors for this special exhibition and would like to see all who would like to come at the opening reception on the 6th for good viewing, good company, and good treats. It is not often that audiences are asked what they like best. This is one of the exceptions with the People’s Choice award. It is fun for the guests and extra fun for the participants. For an artist, it is always nice to find that a judge likes one's work, but for many it is more important what the people think. Here is a chance to add your opinion and to see if it is different. You may vote on July 5, and July 6 up until 6:00 pm at the Opening Reception.

Seussical Musical Visits Bigfork

Poor Horton, no one can hear the plight of tiny Jojo and all the rest of the Whos in Whoville on a spec of dust that he is protecting, he also is trying to save Mayzie La Bird’s egg because she is not very responsible, all while facing challenges an elephant should not have to undergo. But Horton will not give up. What a hero… especially to Gertrude McFuzz, who never loses faith in him. And you get to see all of this and more in the musical SEUSSICAL on stage at The Edge Center in Bigfork.  It is presented by The Stages Theatre Company, STC of Hopkins, Minnesota on July 13 through 15. The Friday and Saturday performances are at 7PM and Sunday at 2PM. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.

It is one of the most performed musicals in America and is the fourth time Stages (STC) has brought a production to Bigfork. The reason it is performed so much is that it is funny, cheerful, colorful and fun. But then, every time Stages comes to Bigfork they bring something special and this is their fourth visit. According to Artistic Director for Stages, Sandy Boren-Barrett, they keep coming back because they like the venue, which The Edge Center provides, and the community that provides the audiences.

SEUSSICAL the musical, is the creation of two Tony winners: Stephan Flaherty and Lynn Aherns whose credits include: Tony awards and nominations, Grammy nominations, Outer Circle awards, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Their body of work includes RAGTIME, SEUSSICAL, LUCKY STIFF, MY FAVORITE YEAR, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and the movie ANASTASIA. The music for SEUSSICAL is by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and the book also by them. SEUSSICAL is based on the works of Dr. Seuss. With this kind of talent and credentials, it is understandable why the result of their collaboration ended up in such a huge success in SUESSICAL. The above is a Tony Award winning photo: photo by Anita and Steve Shevette.

But we should not overlook the roots of SUSSICAL. In this case the source is a piece of Americana himself in the very special Dr. Seuss. Who was a very creative and entertaining person. So much so that on the 104th anniversary of his birth, he got his own U.S. Stamp.

He was born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Massachusetts in 1902 and died in California in 1991. Between those dates he won a Pulitzer prize, three Academy Awards and wrote 44 children’s books under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo Leieg and Rosetta Stone. He graduated from Dartmouth, wrote training films for the Army during World War II, and received an early Oscar for the character Gerald McBoing-Boing.

Geisel’s publisher is responsible for Dr. Suess books using limited words. It started when Life magazine wrote a report in 1954 about illiteracy in school children. Among other things, the article reported that one reason children didn’t read much was that children’s books were so boring. Influenced by that, Geisel’s publisher sent him 400 words and challenged him to write a book using about 250 of them. He used 236 in writing The Cat in the Hat. Instant success!

He is said to have had an offbeat sense of humor, wrote books wearing strange hats and wrote his first book on a ship to the cadence of the ship’s engine noise. Interesting start to a very interesting career.

And finally, let’s end with a piece of advice from Horton. When facing a difficult road with challenges and pitfalls remember what he said, “This looks kinda... precarious. Well nothing to worry, obviously when they build a bridge like this they take into account that elephants will be crossing here.”

Bigfork Almanac Has Big Puppets, Shadows, Music, and Fun

 

The glaciers made Northern Minnesota look this way. Nature’s trees, animals and seasons helps it turn into a beautiful garden with a different look for each season. The people add character to its history. And “what’s happening” is why it is interesting. THE ALMANAC in Bigfork at The Edge Center this week mixes all this together into a really “different” story of this part of the world through the ages. It’s a play with fourteen-foot puppets, stories told in shadow, tall tales, cooking, music and games.

Puppet shows through out the world are not just for children. They are part of entertainment for all ages. Call it “devised”, call it collaborative, call it really original, or just call it fun. It’s still THE ALAMNAC and will be on stage at The Edge Center in Bigfork June 21 to 24. Thursday through Saturday performancea are at 7PM and Sunday at 2PM. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children and $3 student rush.

The people in the area created the incredible colors and caricatures in this production. The puppets were made by teams of students and adults, as was the story line over the past few weeks. This magic was created under the direction of Theresa Linnihan, a New York puppet master, teacher, and performer. It’s all part of The Edge Center’s mission to bring a variety of art forms to the community. There will be a question and answer period after the Thursday through Saturday shows where you can learn all you want to know about this special event.

THE ALMANAC starts with the Ice Age and includes tidbits about how hard it can be to farm here, what early pioneers brought to the Bigfork including American Indian legend Busticogen, why Blue Jays are so tough, recipes, poems, a booby-trapped John, some original music and much more. In short, it is an almanac of humor, history and original visual images. If you want a really “different” theatrical experience, this is it. Come and see for yourself.