blogs, links, events and art from the teens behind ►

Unfortunately Minnesota is quite unpredictable, and our event is going to have to be cancelled due to the snow storm. We’re sorry if you got glammed up to come down tonight, but we will try and find a date to reschedule as soon as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Have a good night, maybe do a little sledding.
WACTAC

The Perpich Center for Arts Education is requesting personal writings from young women and men, ages eleven to seventeen, about their experiences with the transition from middle school to high school.

What does it mean to transition from middle school to high school? What does it mean to grow from young adolescent to teen – to find your way in a new world inhabited by many new people and many new ideas?

Tory Peterson, theater instructor at the Perpich Center for Arts Education Arts High School is collecting creative writings from teen writers, ages eleven to seventeen. Original stories, poems, essays, journal entries will be used to develop and produce an original play, “Ninth Grade Nothin’.”

“I’m looking for honesty and specific experiences related to the middle school/high school transition for this play. My hope is that my students from the Arts High School and I can create a theatrical piece that may help middle schoolers cope with some of the common worries that come with the transition to high school,” says Peterson.

Peterson’s daughter, Scout, inspired the project. “As I watch her grow and make decisions based on gut reactions and palpitations of the heart, it makes me want to help kids through this maze, give a bit of a road map, so they might at least find a clearer sense of direction.”

Students and educators interested in participating in the project should visit the Perpich Center’s website: www.pcae.k12.mn.us/middleschool.html for submission forms and more information.

The website has suggestions for subjects, themes, and writing ideas. Entries must be submitted by mail, and postmarked no later than June 12, 2009; young writers can choose to keep their identity confidential.

About the Perpich Center for Arts Education: The Perpich Center is an agency of the State of Minnesota that helps students develop and integrate their artistic and academic abilities, and educators improve student achievement.

A few month ago I let you in on a little secret known as Gordon Voidwell formerly known as Will Johnson. The alter ego of Gordon Voidwell is speculated to have emerged when multi-instrumentalist Johnson picked up a can of Jheri-Curl relaxer and sprayed a thin mist over all of his instruments. He has been receiving rave reviews all over the place, with Giant Magazine commenting that “if I had to compare Gordon Voidwell to anyone, it would definitely be Mr. Assless Chaps himself, Prince Rogers Nelson.” All of us out here in the land of Purple Rain (and snow) understand that to be compared to Prince is nothing short of astounding, but it is well deserved.

He is currently featured on RCRD LBL’s feature DEMO DAYS, noting “Gordon Voidwell’s doughy, glitchy pop calls to mind a Prince-fronted Passion Pit.” You’re in good company.

I got the lucky opportunity to design one of his two single covers (I think I got the better one) as he is being released by two record labels! That’s right, homeboy got signed twice. Nobody does that. I wish I could be signed just one half. Here’s an MS-Paint preview of the real paint cover which is in the works:

Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the upcoming Waxpoetics, which will feature a full page story on Voidwell. You’re sure to see this man in the future, so jump on it now so when he does blow up you can say “Oh, yeah, I love Gordon Voidwell, I’ve been listening to him since 2009, that Ivy League Circus shit was my joint.” And they will be in awe.

Check out his songs at Gordon Voidwell on Myspace.

Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council (WACTAC) members Partick Risberg and Evan Gabriel caught up with Nicholas Larkins of the band MMMs to talk about his participation in the 13 Most Beautiful Young Artists performance. Check out the interview and join us for the free performance on Thursday night!

WACTAC alumna Erica Qualy’s band The Vignettes will play at Stevens Square Center for the Arts on Saturday, February 28 for the opening of an art exhibit called Minimum Wage. The event is from 6:30-11pm. Oh, and it’s also FREE!

1905 3rd Avenue South Minneapolis

Salt, Vinegar and Sugar: Paintings by Louis N. LaPierre
Nicademus Art
March 14th 2009 at 7:00pm
w/ special performance by Face Candy

This show is a collection of work by Louis N. LaPierre. Louis’s works with many different mediums including, acrylic and mixed media pieces on paper and wood. His work is a depiction of contemporary waistlands mixed with the mundane human existence that fosters our surrounding’s continuous state of flux. Salt, Vinegar, and Sugar is an exploration into bitter happiness and sweet despair, diving into utter realities and the joys of being left in the dark. In the end, it is a search into finding comfort in the uncomfortable, and a constant struggle to search out truth when there is no clear truth in sight.

Face Candy
Face Candy is the brain child of E&A frontman, Eyedea. It is an improvisation based quartet melding free-jazz and freestyle rap into an unchartered amalgamation of the two, with roots in jazz, rap, comedy and theater. The line up includes local legends, J.T. bates, Casey O’brien, Eyedea and new found local favorite Kristoff Krane. Come see them as never before in this gallery setting, as they support friend and contributor Louis N. Lapierre. Performance begins around 9:00pm.