Bandshell, Local, Downtown Red Wing, Events John Becker Bandshell, Local, Downtown Red Wing, Events John Becker

The Shell takes shape

Central Park Bandshell Construction Update

The Central Park Bandshell took a big leap forward yesterday when the crane arrived to install the ironwork. The entire back wall will be glass, making the bandshell inviting from both sides. The roof shape is designed to create a better acoustical environment. The rendering on the bottom image is the architectural orthographic projection.

And just to clarify, the actual audience will not be semi-transparent. 😊

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Bandshell, Downtown Red Wing, Local John Becker Bandshell, Downtown Red Wing, Local John Becker

Central Park Bandshell update

Red Wing Central Park Bandshell Construction Update

The Red Wing Central Park Bandshell is beginning to grow from the ground. The footings are in place, and concrete forms are starting to define the shell itself. I am impressed by how progress wasn't slowed down by the sub-Arctic weather. The Red Wing Construction crews are true professionals.

I anticipate this will have a major positive impact on the entire community. This will be a beautiful new performance venue to complement the Sheldon Theatre. We can look forward to music, live theatre, public gatherings, stand-up comedy, outdoor movies, special events, and more. It's going to be exciting and electric.

The grand opening is targeted for July 4th, 2009.

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Local, Downtown Red Wing, Bandshell John Becker Local, Downtown Red Wing, Bandshell John Becker

Mister Becker's neighborhood

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

It has been an unusually cold and snowy winter so far (cold is mentioned twice because it has been just that cold), but it hasn't slowed down neighborhood activities.

Just a half block from the shop, the new Red Wing Central Park Bandshell is slowly growing from the ground. This project, the result of a generous donation from a local family foundation, is going to have a major impact on the cultural community. The first use of the bandshell is scheduled for July 4, 2009, and it will have regularly scheduled community and cultural activities going forward. It is an exciting design and promises to have excellent acoustics.

On the wall outside the shop, I am field testing some new large format materials to see how cold tolerant they are. The image is a self-portrait photo taken by my son. The colors were de-saturated, and the image highlights were blown out to create this very interesting "Chuck Close" effect. I slit the image every 4" to create movement in the wind, and the final image size is 6 feet wide by 10 feet tall.

Chuck Close is a terrific artist. He is a photo-realist and paints portraits on a massive scale. And in this case, size does matter.

Meanwhile, The Giant Dan is always smiling in the neighborhood of make-believe.

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