Midwest Happenings!

Greta Mikkelsen: Tobacco Silks Reimagined on Exhibit 

(Minneapolis, MN) — Explore Minnesota’s little-known historic couture fashion industry and learn about the female artisans who led it. Minneapolis and St. Paul designers had strong ties with metropolitan Europe, particularly Paris and London, with respect to training, design trends, and fashion fabrics. Minnesota’s couturières satisfied more than just vanity; they offered proof that a refined lifestyle was possible in a young, developing state. Featured in this installation will be historic dress from the Minnesota Historical Society collection—most never displayed before—set in context with paintings and works on paper from Mia’s collection.

Cargill Gallery
Free Exhibit

Third Thursday: Fashion Night Thursday, May 16, 2019

Celebrate the opening of Mia’s latest exhibition, “The Art of High Style: Minnesota Couture 1880–1914,” with a free night of fashionable fun! Enjoy a “Then & Now Fashion Show,” live DJ set, and cash bar. Take a fashion-themed tour of Mia’s collection, illustrate your own style-inspired design, make a fashion mood board, and strike a pose.

This exhibition showcases Minnesota’s little-known historic couture fashion industry and highlights the female artisans who led it. It features never before displayed historic dress from the Minnesota Historical Society.

The “Then & Now Fashion Show” is inspired by styles and trends spanning across the century, showcasing how Minnesota fashion designers continue to reinvent and redefine the art of making clothes. This live fashion show with local boutique The Fitting Room, highlights the looks of creative and inspiring designers who are leading Minnesota’s fashion of today. Enjoy spotlights from Alma Mia, Joeleen Torvick, Karen Morris Millinery, Strey Design Handbags, Tessa Louise and Vikse Designs and more.

Nuno Felted Seamless Skirt Workshop taught by Cathryn Fritz-Jung

Take your basic nuno felting skills to the next level. In this class you will be making a skirt to the size you choose. You will also be learning options which replace the need for labor intensive rolling. This class will be given in a studio with lots of natural light on a scenic Wisconsin homestead farm. We will break for one hour for lunch when you can stroll to see cows or take a walk by a stream on the premise.

The workshop is limited to six students so first time felters will feel welcome.

Tuition and Fees:

$220 for two days. $50 for silk, wool, embellishments and zipper. The pattern will be made to your desired dimensions and all felting tools will be available. The pattern will be yours for the taking. You will choose wool color pallette before the workshop.

(Minneapolis, MN) – Orient, Disorient, Repeat

Showcasing work by the 2018/2019 Jerome Fiber Artist Project Grantees
Janet Dixon, Heather MacKenzie, Mary Pow
Joan Mondale Gallery

Artist Reception: Thursday, May 23, 2019 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

This culminating exhibition showcases the accomplishments of the 2018/2019 Jerome Project Grant
artists working in textile traditions, materials, and techniques. In the work of this year’s grantees,
Dixon uses memory and imagination as a basis for autobiographical abstract maps that use
breakdown screen-printing and low immersion dyeing; MacKenzie uses contributed text coded in
textile structures to create a series of queer encrypted weavings-as-heirloom; and Pow investigates a
creative process through methodical cut-and-sewn color block work to explore multiple viewpoints
contained within humanity.

Through the Jerome Fiber Artists Project Grants program, Textile Center supports and celebrates the
creative spirit of emerging fiber artists by helping them develop professionally and thrive in their
studios. Generously funded by and in partnership with the Jerome Foundation, these grants provide
funding for individual artist projects that inform and advance the development and creation of new
artistic work.

(Brainerd, MN) – Prince Exhibit at Crossing Arts Alliance

Opening Reception:
Tuesday, May 28 – 5 to 7 pm

Regular Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday 10 am to 2 pm

Imagine a room filled with purple fabric art…
All the same size…
All the same fabric…
All the same color…
All inspired by Prince and the huge legacy he left behind.
As Minnesotans, Prince was one of ours, and his impact can be seen everywhere in the state.

Cherrywood Fabrics is a Brainerd, Minnesota business that manufactures Hand-Dyed fabric for the quilting, garment, and fiber art industries. It was only natural to choose “The Purple One” as the theme for their annual Fiber Arts Contest. A dramatic collection of “quilts” were selected from 388 entries that came in from all over the world.

It is hard to believe that these 20-inch pieces are made entirely by hand out of fabric, thread, fibers, ribbon, beads, etc. The variety of techniques is incredible—who knew you could do that with fabric?! You will want to study each one closely after you take in the dramatic impact of the whole collection.

You will see Purple Rain, Raspberry Beret, Little Red Corvette When Doves Cry, Paisley Park, First Avenue and countless others references to Prince’s life, music and home.

Free will donation to The Crossing Arts Alliance strongly encouraged for bringing you this exhibit.