Cartooning…

Exciting Upcoming Art Exhibit: Contemporary Cartoon Artists

We are thrilled to announce tentative arrangements for an art exhibit later this year featuring the work of contemporary cartoon artists. Our friend Britt Aamodt will be releasing her book around the same time, driving this exhibit forward. Her book will be available at the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

The plan is to invite several talented artists, showcase large format cartoons, hold a cartooning Q&A session, and host a book signing event spread across three venues: Best of Times Bookstore, The Sheldon Theatre mezzanine gallery, and our gallery.

You might wonder if cartooning is a legitimate art medium. It absolutely is! And I would suggest keeping any doubts to yourself, lest you become the target of a parodied cartoon.

The beauty of cartooning lies in its versatility. It can lampoon or glamorize its subjects, be humorous or brutally frank, address real life or create an entirely new universe with its own rules. In other words, cartoon art defies definition.

This exhibit promises to be a lot of fun. I grew up reading the comics, and I still enjoy them today. I love the comics.

This event aligns perfectly with our past exhibits, including the Brown & Bigelow Pin-up exhibit in 2007, the Cream of Wheat original advertising art in 2008, and the original pulp magazine cover art in 2009. Stay tuned for more details as they unfold.

1st cutting

Reflecting on the First Hay Cutting and Business Optimism

July in Minnesota means the first hay cutting of the season. In a normal year, most farms will have two cuttings and then leave some winter ground cover for the critters. The first cutting will have the most yield, but it isn't until the second cutting that the break-even point is reached.

For a farmer, the first hay cutting is an opportunity to reflect on the business (year-to-date), and also project the business going forward for the rest of the year. Stretching this metaphor to a near-absurdist level, it isn't that much different in the art industry.

Business is up, and the industry is cautiously optimistic. The nature of the business has changed, and the types of projects have also changed. Anticipating these changes and responding to them are some of the biggest challenges a small business owner will face.

We will continue to evolve, but we will also continue to provide the things we enjoy most about being in this business.

A new web-based product is under development and should be available before the end of the year (the evolving thing). There are also discussions taking place regarding an original art exhibit in the November/December timeframe (the enjoyment thing).

And of course, thank you for your patronage. Art is good.