Well, it’s been a minute, but welcome back to Artistic Inspiration News! Once a month, this substack brings artistic opportunities, activism, events, ways to learn and develop as an artist, and artists and artworks to watch. All events in the Artistic Inspiration News are free unless noted. We are Twin Cities-centric, but we do report cool opportunities all over. Jackson Street Arts’ substack (including Artistic Inspiration News) remains free, at least for now. Thanks for reading!
Visual Arts
(Everywhere) ArtIsMagic is doing a free creative retreat weekend July 8th and 9th featuring mostly workshops in mixed media.
(Everywhere) It must be collage season, because Willa Workshops/The Fodder School is hosting a free 12-day Fodder Challenge of online collage classes starting July 10th.
(Everywhere) Create the Cut is hosting a free four-day floral painting workshop beginning June 27.
(Everywhere) Not sure what the size of the center of the Venn diagram of Harry Potter fans and people who want to be able to eat their watercolors is, but if you’re in that special slice of magical edible middle, have I got the art supplies for you. Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Paints, from Boulder Colors. A set of 8 pans is $30.
(Everywhere) Do you need an illustrated technical guide to making waterworks, fireworks, art, and secret extravagances? From the 17th century? That was beloved by a certain little kid named Isaac Newton? Doesn’t everyone? Luckily, the Gutenberg Project has digitized John Bate’s Mysteryes of Nature and Art. Go forth, get a stick of bamboo (a void cayne!), and make a “somewhat troublesome” flying dragon.
(Everywhere) Visual Arts Passage sponsors free two-hour Thursday evening live drawing sessions at 6 p.m. CDT.
(Twin Cities) The Wakpa Triennial Art Festival has launched and will run through September. I’m a little overwhelmed by it, tbh, but a lot of the shows are free and there’s definitely time to explore. Check the details here.
(Twin Cities) Unified Theory Collective is a walk-in, free, public art studio that opened this weekend. Looks like a great community space.
(Twin Cities) The Walker Art Center has free Summer Social events every Thursday evening all summer. Some of them look like fun, like the opening reception with Kahlil Robert Irving on Thursday June 29th at 6 p.m. (with snacks from Justin Sutherland after the talk).
(New York City) Happy Medium is always hosting fun art-making events. I’d love to take the oil painting class ($120) with Paul Ferney on July 2, but the build-a-chair class and several of their other events also look fun.
(Iowa City, IA) There’s an opportunity to see Andrew Schneider’s amazing interactive piece, N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (the stars) at the University of Iowa’s Infinite Dream festival in October, but you probably need to buy festival passes ($85) now. There are other cool performances scheduled as well included in your pass, like the Sphinx Virtuosi, but I’m calling this out specifically because [the stars] was really a life-changing piece of art for me this year. It’s worth paying 85 bucks and buying tix months in advance, I promise.
Movement/Dance
(Twin Cities) Midwest Mountaineering is hosting a Climbing 101 class at their store Monday July 3rd at 5:30 CDT, $5. You do have to call in advance and pre-register.
(Twin Cities) Uptown Swing has basic 6-count swing dance classes on Thursday evenings in July at 7 CDT, at the Center for Performing Arts, which is a wonderful dance space down the most charming and romantic alley in Minneapolis. Have drinks after on the roof at Gai Noi. $45 for a month’s worth of classes.
(Montreal) The Montréal Complètement Cirque Festival runs July 6th to 16th, and we’re most curious about the free outdoor circus events throughout the city during the festival. For example, check out La Rue Completement Cirque. It sounds like wonderful madness.
Writing
(Everywhere) ServiceSpace is hosting a free 21-day “pod” on the topic of telling a new story. Storyteller Wakanyi Hoffman is one of the facilitators. Starts July 9.
Travel
(Norway) At Midsommar, Minnesotans dream of winter. Here’s a wonderful winter dream – sailing the darkness of the Arctic Circle on the Tall Ship Company’s Barquentine Antigua. Northern lights, whales, tall masts, darkness, ice. Not as expensive (1,460 euros per person) as I would have imagined for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
And that’s a wrap! We’ve missed you! Are you glad we’re back for your monthly dose of inspiration? Let us know in the comments, or by liking, subscribing, or sharing this around.
I think the Norway Tall Ships trip sounds amazing! Tall Ships are a once in a lifetime opportunity in general but actually being able to go on voyage would be over the top! Such a cool trip idea!