Artistic Inspiration News
A free Adobe Premiere class, the most high-design upholstery adventure imaginable, and other ways to get more joy out of your second Adar.
Welcome back to Artistic Inspiration News! Once a month, if we’re organized, this substack brings artistic opportunities, activism, events, ways to learn and develop as an artist, artists and artworks to watch, and whatever else catches our fancy. 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!
Film, Theater and Immersive:
(Minnesota) Sod House Theater has announced their 2024 season and it sounds incredible. A free musical version of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People in Saint Cloud, complete with a Water Days celebration; a touring show about making magic in your own backyard; and another season of their farm-to-table dinners with shenanigans. Some tickets free; details not announced yet.
(Twin Cities) The Saint Paul Public Library is offering a free class in Introduction to Adobe Premiere. Learn video editing! Software access is provided for the course. Three Tuesdays beginning March 19th from3-4:30 in the Innovation Lab at the Latimer library downtown across from the Ordway.
Music and Dance:
(Twin Cities) The Schubert Club has free chamber music concerts most Thursdays at noon in courtrooms in Landmark Center. Maria Jette singing on March 21st looks especially good.
(Upper Valley, New Hampshire) Belly Dance with Gina is offering free belly dance classes March 12-17.
(Twin Cities) I’ve been meaning to visit Berlin, the new Minneapolis jazz club. I bought tickets to a show, even, and then couldn’t make it. This March 7th gig at 7 with Twin Talk sounds like a good excuse. $10 cover.
(Major U.S./Canada Cities, but not the Twin Cities) Groupmuse is offering one free RSVP to any of their house concerts with the coupon code LOVE5. These all sound so fun.
(Everywhere) Kimera Morrell is offering a free 5-day learn to record vocals with only what you have at home challenge, March 11-15th. This looks informative.
Visual Arts:
(Minnesota) March 4-8th is Arts Action Week in Minnesota. Join Minnesota Citizens for the Arts in advocating for increased resources for artists who live here.
(Minnesota) Writer and designer Nicole Crowder has opened up spots for her Upholstery Retreats in June and August. If I had $1,100, I’d absolutely go — her taste is flawless, and I bet she’s a great teacher, too. Cost includes everything involved in designing and upholstering a chair, food/lodging, and even a massage!
(Everywhere) Cara’s Garden is offering a free 5-day Botanical Inspiration illustration workshop beginning March 11, with a live session on March 15th.
(Everywhere) Stacie Bloomfield is offering a free 5-day Floral Art Licensing Challenge, for folks interested in illustration or surface pattern design. March 4-8.
(Everywhere) Nicholas Wilton is once again offering his free 5-day art workshop, Art of Your Life, March 4-8th. I attended part of this one last year and tbh it wasn’t my favorite. But if you struggle with perfectionism and mark-making, it might be perfect for you. And it includes both video lessons and live instruction.
Education:
(United States) This list of free college programs all over the country, put together by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education is pretty inspiring.
(New York) Einstein Montefiore Medical School just received a major gift that will allow it to fund free tuition for all students.
(Minnesota) If you’re a Minnesotan whose household income is less that 80K and you want to earn your first undergraduate degree at a public in-state institution, the North Star Promise has got you.
Spirituality:
(Everywhere) Just like in the Gregorian calendar, in the Hebrew calendar, this is a leap year. But leap years in the Hebrew calendar don’t come with one extra day — they come with a whole extra month! And the extra month is always Adar, the month associated with joy, because we can always use more joy. Be happy, it’s Adar, many Jews will say. We’re just finishing Adar I, and about to enter Adar II, and the At the Well Project is offering a free 5-week journey toward practices of cultivating greater joy. Looks fun!
Writing and Books:
(Twin Cities) The University of Minnesota Libraries is hosting a talk about two collections of letters — those in their Children’s Literature Research Collections, and some additional letters from vintage 2SLGBTQIA+ magazines. I’m feeling like the gossip will be good at this one. Includes free lunch and a tour of the library caverns. April 5, lunch at 11:30.
Relationships:
(Everywhere) Relationship researchers John and Julie Gottman have a free monthly “Love Notes” newsletter that comes with a free relationship building game, handout, or download every month. This month’s focuses on how to be lucky in love, and looks like a fun one; if you sign up, they’ll send it to you.
Domestic Affairs:
This Week's Meal Plan: We’ve heard if we’re meal planning, y’all want us to share the labor, so we’re trying a week’s worth of meal plans in this newsletter. Give us feedback in the comments if you want more content like this.
Breakfast this week is oatmeal with peanut butter or pineapple cake cashew butter and frozen berries. (We did not get in our order for Pineapple Cake Cashew Butter fast enough. They sold out. So, we made our own. The linked page essentially gives the recipe. It is absolutely delicious.)
We're snacking on apples and string cheese like we’re third graders around here.
Dinners include:
Harissa-roasted cherry tomatoes and beans with whole-wheat toast (and probably salad)
Broccoli and cheese with whole-wheat toast (and probably salad), with peanut-butter mochi balls for dessert
Tuna melts and salad
For Shabbat, we’ll probably have fish and chips with literal frozen Van De Camp’s fish fillets ‘cause we’re baller like that, homemade french fries, tartar sauce, malt vinegar, lemon wedges, and St. Croix Chocolate Company’s bourbon-pecan toffee for dessert.
What’s for dinner at your house this week? What’s inspiring you? Let us know in the comments, and, as always, like, subscribe, and share this newsletter to keep the goodies coming.