Published by
of the Red River Valley
A guide to the area’s arts and culture
march/april 2012
Unlike White noise: The quiet revolution of graphic design
Photo by Laura Caroon
Graphic design permeates many aspects of our daily lives, from stamps, to publications, to product packaging.
By Julie Walnum he next time you’re in the grocery store, take a moment to consider what the products on the shelves would look like if each, in plain text, simply stated what was in each can, bag or box, without fanfare or color. Imagine how differently that would feel. Jim Bolluyt, whose high school art teacher asked his class to think about how much design is incorporated into every product at the grocery store, has thought more than a little about the design detailing that goes into each product. That art assignment: to design a box of cereal from start to finish. Bolluyt, now Fargo freelance designer Jim B. Creative, said some of his ideas about design are influenced on the idea that, “design takes order and structure to be able to conceive it and understand it.”
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In other words, design must have a frame to communicate something directly. “It needs to take you from point A to point B,” he said. Without even thinking about it, we glide through a world inundated with design that is communicating constantly. Raul Gomez, design editor for High Plains Reader, highlights our everyday dependence on computer-generated materials. “Every piece of paper that comes in the mail, every billboard, every sign, every magazine or newspaper utilizes design,” Gomez said. If you include such everyday items as stamps, postcards and coupons, that list goes on and on, but it is often unnoticed. And yet, some design definitely does catch our eyes. Part of the reason someone buys More white noise on page 5
Drawn together: Gaming creates lush environments packed with art and design
By Kris Kerzman ozens of young men and a few women stream into Paradox Comics on a cold Friday night. They stand in groups, laughing and talking, and sit at rows of white tables, chins resting on hands as they ponder their next move in a game of Magic: The Gathering. A large timer on the wall counts down the first round of action in the night’s tournament. A further look around the store reveals rows of board games and figurines, and shelves full of comic books and graphic novels. They come in all colors and styles, creating a setting as vibrant as the worlds the games and books create. The idea of captivating one’s imagination, along with the creation of
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Magic: The Gathering, a cardbased fantasy/strategy game, uses the work of more than 400 artists to embellish gameplay with powerful design.
More drawn together on page 10
Photo by Britta Trygstad
Inside
Camria Ballet Academy - page 8
3 Viewpoint 3 Commentary: Eric Daeuber 4 News Briefs 5 Community Supported Arts Program 6 Celtic Festival 6 FM Opera 7 HCSCC
8 Camria Ballet Academy 10 TAP’s Logo 11 ArtsPulse Graphic Designer 11 Commentary: Susie Ekberg Risher 12 TAP Primary Partners 12 TAP Advocate Partners
13 Great Performances 14 Quilter’s Guild 15 Theatre B 15 Fargo Public Library 16 Misfit Cups 16 Thomas Huus 18 Arts on Ice 19 Art21
Quilter’s Guild - page 14