Leslie Merrill is our Arts Retreat visiting artist for two weeks in June. She is a Denver-based choreographer, performer, video artist, and movement educator. During her residency, Leslie will be working on her upcoming interdisciplinary performance work, The 13th and Final Principle, to be performed by a cast of nine dancers in September, 2013. She will also be teaching an adult dance class, free and open to all, in the Cultural Center upstairs dance studio on Thursday, June 20th from 10:00 – 11:15 a.m.  You are sure to work up a sweat as you jump, soar, stretch, and turn your way through the studio in this fun, upbeat jazz dance class, which will take place in a welcoming, non-competitive environment! Call the Center to register (218-385-3339), or just show up on Thursday morning.

Leslie holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography and Performance from the University of Colorado, where she pursued secondary emphases in Interdisciplinary Performance and Dance for the Camera.  She has been teaching dancers of all ages and skill levels for 16 years in a range of dance forms, and is currently an instructor at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School, Mountain Kids, and Studio D Academy of Dance.   Leslie also works as Affiliate Faculty at Metro State University of Denver, where she is currently in the process of co-creating the curriculum for a new dance major.

Leslie has enjoyed performing professionally with Haan Dances, Move On Dance Company, Bound Life and Chaos Creations, Poor Richard Dance, and dancing and choreographing for Interweave Dance Theatre. She currently performs with the Cindy Brandle Dance Company and Louder than Words Dancetheatre, and works as a choreographer, dancer, and video artist for Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado. Leslie co-founded the Boulder-based, Peekaboo Sole Productions (PSP) with Mimi Ferrie and Jessica England in 2009.  PSP produces the work of emerging and established choreographers in Front Range Colorado, and facilitates collaborative exchange amongst dance artists and their communities.

Leslie has been commissioned by several choreographers to collaborate in the creation of dance films, including Cindy Brandle, Mary Wohl Haan, and Meredith Black, in addition to producing her own video work. Her work has been shown nationally as part of the American Dance Festival’s Dancing for the Camera Series, the TARLA Dance for Camera Festival, the Holland Project, and the Intangible Bodies Conference. Internationally, Leslie’s work has been presented in British Columbia as part of the Collision Symposium on Interarts Practices
and on tour with the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema in Mexico and Germany. Leslie also works for the Colorado Dance Alliance as a writer, editor, and website manager.  She has enjoyed sharing her research in conference presentations and publications and has been fortunate to receive a variety of grants for her creative scholarship.

York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Presents Visual, Performance, Fiber and Culinary Arts Events at the Wadena County Fair 

(Under the Sheltered Structure by the Fair Office unless otherwise noted)

Thursday, June 27 

12:00-4:00 p.m. Wadena Area Growers Association.  Meet local food producers, learn their techniques, find out when they have  farmers market times and buy fresh produce for the evening’s meal including pistachio bread.

12:30-1:00 p.m. “Controlling Weeds in Your Garden” class by Kathy Connell, owner of Redfern Gardens a Community                Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) farm and former organic farm inspector, will share her master gardening techniques adaptable to          your garden.

1:45-3:00 p.m. “6 Kinds of Puppets” by Margo McCreary, a master puppeteer from Minneapolis with give a performance             demonstrating various puppets and follow-up with a workshop on how to make puppets.

3:00-4:00 p.m. Kids Drawing Class Please note: This event moved to Friday, June 28 at 3:00.

4:00-5:00 p.m. Puppet workshop by Margo McCreary

5:30-6:30 p.m. “The Brothers Burn Mountain”, Compared to the Black Keys but different, this duo of electric guitar and drums   plays blues-infused music. Swirling harmonies are set atop fast rhythms, drums are synced up or pulled perfectly away from             guitar riffs–it’s tight but not stiff,  locked but not robotic. Seeing them play is definitely a hypnotic treat. On the Band-Shell          Stage

Friday, June 28

12:00-4:00 p.m. Wadena Area Growers Association. Meet local food producers, learn their techniques, find out when they have   farmers market times and buy fresh produce.

12:30-1:00 p.m. “Controlling Pest/Disease in Your Garden” class by Kathy Connell, Redfern Gardens.  Learn about safe natural  ways to control the pests and diseases in your garden.

1:45-2:45 p.m. “Cooking Mexican Meals” class.  Learn the basics of Mexican cooking to create authentic delicious Mexican meals. 

3:00-4:00 p.m. Kids Drawing Class by Dawn Rossbach, an artist from Menahga, will teach basic drawing skills with each student     receiving their very own sketchbook, pencil, sharpener and eraser.

4:30-6:00 p.m. “Los Diamantes” Mexican Conjunto (Band) On the Band-Shell Stage.  This high energy 6 piece band, from Long    Prairie, will get your feet tapping and head bopping to a Latin beat.

Saturday, June 29 

12:00-4:00 p.m. Wadena Area Growers Association. Meet local food producers, learn their techniques, find out when they have   farmers market times and buy fresh produce.

12:30-1:00 p.m. “Composting for Your Garden” class by Kathy Connell, Redfern Gardens. Learn how composting is not only good  for the environment but great for your garden.

1:45-2:45 p.m. Cooking with Fresh Produce.  Learn new cooking techniques for cooking fresh produce and taste the delicious     results.

1:45-3:00 p.m. Spool Knitting with Lil McRae, owner of At Loose Ends a store in Perham.  Learn how to spool knit, create wearable  items and leave with your own spool and yarn.

3:00-5:00 p.m. Learn to knit with the Sit n’ Stitch group.  Sit down with some experienced knitters and learn how to knit or         crochet. Each participant will leave with their own yarn and knitting needles.

This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

Art In Your Park will be held in New York Mills, Perham and Wadena this year.  Deb Baune returns as the coordinator and activities designer.  Check the schedule for times and places.  All activities are FREE of charge.

        Art in Your Park

 New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

        Art projects for kids through grade 6

         Free!! Call with questions 385-3339

Have your children enjoy their creativity,

the fresh air and the joys of Nature.

Our participants bring their creations home each day, with stories of how they made them, and tales of time with their friends

Photographic portraits of  Minnesota citizens

John Noltner’s exhibition of black and white photographic portraits of Minnesotans include statements about Peace by each of the subjects.  Open at no charge now through Sunday June 30th with a reception and conversation with the artist on Saturday, June 29th.  For more information about Mr. Noltner’s photographic and interview project, visit his website by clicking on the headline above or on the photo of the cover of his book.  Copies of Noltner’s book are available for sale in the gallery gift store.

What do we share in common as a human race? Despite increasing diversity, we remain deeply divided as a society today. We often find ourselves separated along religious, political, and cultural lines. Polarized public dialogues and culture wars intensify divisions within our communities.

In response, “A Peace of My Mind introduces us to people we likely would never meet on our own — because of differences in ethnic background, faith or the locations we live. And as we get to know these people, we come to realize that our differences are miniscule in light of the most-important trait: that we all want peace,” wrote Faith & Values reporter Jeff Strickler of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Founded in 2009, A Peace of My Mind is a multimedia art project that fosters public dialogue about issues related to conflict resolution, civic responsibility, and peace. With black and white portraits and oral histories, over fifty subjects describe what peace means to them, how they work toward it in their lives, and some of the obstacles they encounter.

Those profiled include Holocaust survivors and a homeless man, a Somali refugee and a military chaplain, a pottery instructor and an oil company executive. Artists, volunteers, politicians, and business leaders all share their thoughts and inspiring stories in a series that celebrates our common experience and sense of community.

The ballet class of 2012-13 is at an end but the joy and exuberance of the young dancers may be seen in this video of the youngsters.  Thanks to Wendy Dornbusch, ballet instructor.

Michael Eble is the current artist-in-residence at the New York Mills Arts Retreat. He is a painter and currently resides in Morris, MN, where he is an Associate Professor of Studio Art and Curator of the Humanities Fine Arts Gallery at the University of Minnesota, Morris. While on residency here in New York Mills, Michael will continue to produce artwork that focuses on the element of water and its relationship to humans and the environment.

Michael was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received a BFA degree in painting from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a MFA degree in painting and drawing from the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi.  He has shown his paintings and works on paper in numerous regional and national solo and group exhibitions, most recently in Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Michael is married to Pilar Blanco Eble, and they are busy raising four budding artists, Ben Michael, Eli, Miles and Oliver. You can learn more about Michael and see some of his artwork at his website: www.michaeleble.com.

On Thursday, May 30th at 7:30pm, there will be an Artist Lecture and Studio Visit with Michael. He will start with a Slide Lecture downstairs in the main gallery space and then move upstairs for a studio visit, to share what he has been working on during his residency. There is no cost to attend, and all are welcome.

Visit the Think-Off website to read about the finalists for this year’s contest.

Click on the headline above to visit the Think-Off site and see who the final four are.