Progress 2020 - Arts & Culture

Minot Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2020 MinotDailyNews.com • Facebook • Twitter

Arts & Culture

Creativity links subjects

Magic City Discovery Center’s Keller explains importance of art

By CIARA PARIZEK

Staff Writer cparizek@minotdailynews.com The Magic City Discovery Center has big plans for bringing even more art to its new building.

Wendy Keller, the interim executive director, said that they started with the acronym STEAM, meaning Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. “Research says that the arts are so important in connecting math, connecting to science,” she explained. “Math has patterns, science has patterns. Art is patterns.”

One of their early childhood experts, who is also a design team member, described to Keller how children see rainbows as art before they see any of the mathematic or scientific aspects of it. The angle of the arc, how it relates to geometry and the prismatic colors aren’t recognized until they begin picking it apart by individual disciplines of math and science later on in their education. Kids don’t automatically know that rainbows are formed by light passing through droplets of water after it rains.

Pattern Place is one of the new sections, where kids can experiment with patterns and colors. The Community Quilt area is a large digital screen with several squares that show “selfies” the children took. The images switch to give the young artists a chance to see their own faces on the screen.

A Digital Playground will include using light and digital tools to create their own masterpieces.

Keller said she may plan some watercolor camps to give kids a chance to paint along with the member running it.

Another art camp idea she mentioned was bringing in an artist and having the kids pick apart a piece made by the guest artist. Two of the main factors they would look for are what the artist is about and how the piece was created.

Submitted Photos Learning about some of the classics can help some children build a foundation and help them understand the as- TOP LEFT: Artists used paper and markers to design their triangles, all of them being put together pects of art. Oil paintings made by Vincent van Gogh were to form a Sierpinski Triangle.

See DISCOVERY — Page 2

ABOVE: At an inventor's camp, a young inventor uses paper towel tubes, cardboard and painter's tape to make her own device.

A work of Artspace

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND

Home, business and retail

Staff Writer kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com It opened seven years ago amid a mixture of optimism and skepticism.

Today it has become a recognizable feature of downtown Minot. Located on the east side of the north end of Main Street, Artspace stands tall.

“We love our Minot building,” said Jean Kramer-Johnson, Minneapolis, director of asset management for Artspace. “It’s currently home to 34 households, many of whom are artists who moved in when we opened. We do have some vacancies, but fewer than the area average.”

Artspace is the largest non-profit arts developer in the United States and oversees the operation of 52 Artspace buildings across the country.

The commitment to Minot, said Kramer-Johnson, is “to keep the building affordable into perpetuity.”

Minot’s Artspace is an impressive structure comprised of apartments situated above business and retail space at street level. Artspace houses the office for the Minot Council of the Arts, the Children’s Music Academy, and the Suite 1 Gallery where artists display and sell their work.

“I truly believe it is a success story for the city,” said Terry Aldrich, Children’s Music Academy. “Artspace provides affordable housing for a lot of individuals and affordable retail space for arts organizations. All are

Kim Fundingsland/MDN

ABOVE: Minot’s Artspace is one of 52 such endeavors in the United States, committed to providing an atmosphere for various artists to pursue and develop their talents.

Submitted Photo

INSET: Jean Kramer Johnson, Minneapolis, Artspace director of asset management. wonderful resources for the community and important parts of what a vibrant downtown needs.”

Walter Piehl of Minot, a retired art

“Artspace is an amazing organiprofessor from Minot State University and an accomplished artist, was zation,” said Piehl. “They re-hab or also instrumental in the develop- build new to provide affordable living and work space for fine arts. ment of Artspace in Minot.

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That’s their primary purpose.

Whether it be a poet, sculptor, artist or writer, art involvement is a plus factor in terms of being accepted into the building.”

Aldrich was an early supporter of the Artspace concept in Minot and has watched its development from the groundbreaking to the present day. One of the changes at Artspace was the loss of the “Heart of the Turtle” art gallery that opened shortly after Artspace became operational. It was a stand-alone venture that featured Native American art. It was eventually replaced by a cooperative effort of participating artists under a new name – Suite 1.

“The art work they sell, whatever their artistry, brings dollars and revenue into the community indirectly,” remarked Aldrich. “To see it up and running and artists doing well, each one of them a cottage industry, it has a tremendous impact. It’s not always quantified.”

Suite 1 is open to the public Thursday through Saturday. It features monthly themes represented by a variety of creative artists showcasing their chosen medium.

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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Putting creativity on stage Community support keeps Bottineau theater group going

By JILL SCHRAMM

Senior Staff Writer schramm@minotdailynews.com BOTTINEAU – Keeping a small town community theater going for nearly 60 years is a feat not possible without a generous amount of local support.

Bottineau Community Theater has that support from area residents who appreciate and look forward to the shows and from dedicated troupe members who enjoy bringing entertainment to their audiences.

There’s a sense of being part of something valued in the community, said longtime member Judy Allard.

“Everybody just loves the Bottineau Community Theater,” she said.

Bottineau’s theater group typically performs a winter musical and a summer or fall comedy as a dessert theater. It sustains itself strictly on ticket sales.

“We’ve developed quite a following. People do want to come see the productions,” said Tim Davis, another longtime member and director.

“Some have been going to the plays as long as I’ve been directing, which is wonderful.

So, I think theater here in town is a really positive thing.

People look forward to it.”

He recalled a letter from one out-of-town theater-goer, who wrote, “God bless you for doing these plays. They are the highlight of our summer.’’

Davis, who is in his 52nd year, is one of the major reasons that Bottineau’s community theater is still going and successful, said theater group president Kim Schoenborn.

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Tim Davis, a long-time member of Bottineau Community Theater, stands Feb. 12 in Davis Playhouse, which annually hosts a dessert theater.

“Just his experience, his knowledge, his passion for it,” she said.

Allard agreed that Davis’ dedication is a big reason why theater remains a staple in the community.

“He’s so energetic and he makes everything fun,” she said.

When the director of this past spring’s production of “Mamma Mia!” had to step down, Davis took up the directorship role to keep the show on track. Davis said his dedication comes from wanting to see the theater thrive.

“I’m determined that it’s going to exist,” he said. “I’ll push it as long as I can.”

The theater also persists because members readily invite new people, who often start in small roles and end up with lead parts. Davis recalled one new actor whose first role lasted 20 seconds until his character was murdered in the first scene. He played the part so well, though, that he

left a lasting impression on the audience, and it hooked him on future performing.

“I enjoy so much seeing some of these people just blossom on stage,” Davis said.

He remembers a community member who wanted just a bit part in a play so he cast her as a crowd member. The next year, she went after the lead and got it.

It’s never too late to try out, either, as Davis said his mother-in-law was on stage for the first time at age 82 in “Hello, Dolly!”

In other cases, theater has been therapy for people dealing with grief and loss.

“I could go on and on and on about individual stories of people who have benefited from it,” Davis said. “I would not only say just theater, but you get into any of the arts and what a wonderful thing it is.”

He sees that artistic creativity on stage in the talents of not only actors but cos-

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tume and set designers. He and his wife, Lana, whom he met through community theater, decorate their home with the works of local artists.

“The number one thing that enthralls me is the creativity that’s there,” Davis said. “There’s so many talented people, I would surmise, in any community, but I see them all of the time here.”

Community Bottineau Theater started in 1961. In the early days, plays were performed at the downtown school and later the armory from 1973 to the late 1980s.

When the James Howell Auditorium was built, the theater moved there. The theater group later acquired the former Presbyterian Church and transformed it into Davis Playhouse, named for Tim Davis. These days, the playhouse hosts the dessert theaters and the school stage is used for the larger musicals.

Davis came to Bottineau to teach at the high school and acted the role of the prince in the community theater’s 1969 production of “Cinderella.”

He went on to direct multiple productions for the community theater, the high school and for a summer playhouse in the 1970s at Lake Metigoshe. He’s taken plays to the Peace Garden and nearby communities in North Dakota and Manitoba.

“My philosophy, having to

Discovery

do with community theater, is, first, it has to be fun,” Davis said. “It should be fun for everybody, and should allow for their creative outlet. It should be a learning process about how theater is done.”

Davis had attended Lake Region College in Devils Lake and then went on to Minot State University, participating in a number of theater productions before graduating in 1968 with a degree in speech and drama and minors in English and German.

Having taught 34 years at the high school and then at Dakota College at Bottineau, Davis has seen many former students get involved in community theater. Children sometimes get their start through community theater, too.

“We have shy kids on stage. Once they are through with a theater production, they are not so shy anymore.

It’s not a cure-all for everybody, but you really see a lot of growth and development, and that’s the fun thing too,” Davis said.

Schoenborn said Davis has been a casting genius as well. Sometimes the group wonders how he does it when they see the final production come off as well as it does, she said.

The shows draw more than 400 people, and a waiting list for tickets is typical, she said. That’s rewarding for

the actors.

“I enjoy making people happy. I enjoy making them smile or feel something – just to leave the world a little bit and be entertained,” Schoenborn said.

She also enjoys the camaraderie and sense of family experienced as part of the theater group.

“I always say, at the end of the show, it’s so bittersweet,” she said. “You kind of lose that time with that family.”

She added that keeping a community theater going is challenging because of the difficulty in coordinating people’s busy schedules to arrange for the practice time necessary to produce a show.

Bottineau has been fortunate to continue to find new recruits, but Schoenborn noted theater members are active recruiters because they are conscious of the need to maintain their numbers.

Allard’s first experience with the theater was in the mid-1970s when she helped out with costuming.

“After that, I was hooked,” she said. “It’s just a good pastime for the winter months. I enjoy the people and just being active with the different people from all different walks of life. It just keeps me more active and more involved.”

Theater members meet about twice a year to discuss upcoming productions and ensure upkeep on the playhouse. An $82,000 donation from a former theater group member has allowed for installation of an upper level bathroom, handicapped accessibility and construction of a garage for storage.

The theater is just one avenue where Bottineau shows its community spirit.

“We are all pretty active, not just with the community theater,” said Allard, who does a lot of volunteering, particularly at the nursing home.

Davis, who also oversees the local historical museum, has worked alongside numerous other community volunteers in horticulture planting at Dakota College, helping at the food pantry, making nearly 500 dog beds for animal shelters, sorting and selling used books for the family crisis center and printing chapters for inclusion in Braille Bibles.

“I’m overwhelmed with the number of people who volunteer,” Davis said. “A lot of these things – it’s more fun than it is work.”

Continued from Page 1

made mainly from his emotions and what he was feeling while working on them.

One of his most famous oil paintings is “Starry Night,” which was painted from memory and he made the swirling clouds in the sky to give insight on his emotional state of mind.

Pablo Picasso, who created Cubism alongside Georges Braque and took part in many other art movements, is one of the most influential artists. There’s no doubt that he’s an important figure, especially because he could pick out the essential building blocks of something and turn it into a colorful abstract piece.

Despite the importance of the classics and what they teach, some children and teens may not be able to relate to it or have any interest in, therefore possibly losing interest in art altogether.

Keller said she could explore some other options, like having the kids who attend the watercolor camps paint a cartoon character. For some of the older children, she may have them experiment with the graffiti or street art style.

Bringing modern or contemporary artists, characters and aspects into art can help capture young artists’ interest and inspire them to continue creating. Some children may like drawing in a cartoon, comic or anime style. Some may enjoy the realistic drawings.

As things change and new generations enter the amazing world of art, things in the

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Submitted Photo

A young artist used keva planks to make a flower design during an event. education of art may need to change to give the students something they can relate and connect to. Without something to truly connect to, they may not continue as an artist.

Their new 20,000 square foot museum is planned to be built on North Hill next to the Sertoma Softball Field.

The Discovery Center board has come to an agreement with the Minot Park District to build it on their property, allowing them to have a wonderful view of the valley.

Another part of the agreement is that the park district will lease the building to the

Discovery Center for only $1 a year, just like they do with Scandinavian Heritage Park.

As of April 7, the office for the MCDC was still in one of the basement spaces under Town & Country Credit Union, but Keller said they are still planning on breaking ground for the new building.

During the winter months, they were using space at the Dakota Territory Air Museum to do their activities and events. The interim space is closed for the season, but they invite everyone to visit their permanent establishment once it is finished.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

Page 3

‘It costs nothing to hope’ MSU Summer Theatre makes plans

By CIARA PARIZEK

Staff Writer cparizek@minotdailynews.com The Minot State University Summer Theatre is being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. If things do not get better by the time summer comes around, they may have to cancel their 55th season.

Chad Gifford, the artistic director of the Summer Theatre, said they could not hold local auditions like they normally would. Social distancing put a damper on the fun of being around fellow performers. Their auditions had to either be recorded and sent in, or they had to show up to an “online video group” to audition.

More than 70 people have auditioned to take part in the three musicals and one play for the summer of 2020.

Gifford said the original plan was to begin with “Something Rotten,” following two men who are trying to compete with William Shakespeare, and things do not quite go the way they expected. The second play would be the classic children’s story about the exotic “Willy Wonka.”

To shake things up a bit for their comedy play, a murder mystery comedy was thrown into the mix. “The Game’s Afoot: or Holmes for the Holidays” follows a man who is obsessed with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional character, Sherlock Holmes.

Trying to think like the great detective, the man attempts to solve a murder.

“The Sound of Music” will bring the 55th season to a close, following the Von Trapp’s in Nazi Germany as they struggle with family and love.

Only one of the four plays planned for 2020 has been done before: “The Sound of Music.” The others are brand new to everyone.

Some of the actors and actresses that auditioned have also taken part in many previous plays. “Both Peg Morris and Brett Olson are not only key members of the leadership team,” Gifford said, “but are also fan favorites who both graduated from MSU.” A couple of the other “popular faces” that are returning to the stage are Ryan Haider and Brittany Armstrong.

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TOP and ABOVE: A few of the shows in last year’s 54th season of MSU Summer Theatre included “Beauty and tthe Beast” and “Mamma Mia.” The artistic director also mentioned that he is planning to bring in some “outside talent” to help keep things rolling smoothly and bring something new to the table. This year, they were planning on bringing in Katie Langemo as a choreographer.

Brett Olson and April Hubbard were to be brought on as directors. Gifford and the others of their newly found board of directors are still deliberating on having others join to “complete” their company.

When Gifford became the artistic director, he created the board of directors to share the responsibilities and leadership of the summer theater program. “We spent 2019 writing up by-laws and establishing the initial membership,” he said, “and then at the first annual meeting at the start of 2020, we set membership rotations and added an additional member.”

Board members are chosen by popular vote, their terms lasting three years before their positions are up for reelection.

Gifford and the rest of the Summer Theatre crew had been raising funds

to go toward their renovation project of the amphitheater. By the end of their season, they were hoping to begin construction on updating the facilities. COVID-19 may be bringing that to a halt if the pandemic doesn’t come to an end. In that case, the renovation will have to be pushed back another year.

The renovation project would include many things, according to the college’s website. A ticket office, dressing rooms, bathrooms, office space and premium seating are to be built.

The summer theatre complex would have a new plaza and a drop-off/drivethrough area. The physical accessibility for all patrons will be increased.

The concession stands are to be moved to the ground level to give it more of a mall-type look. A stage canopy is part of the project, as well.

For each new area built, except the restrooms, there are opportunities available to name them. For more information on that, contact the MSU Advancement Office.

By making donations up to $999, the donor’s name will be put on the

donor wall of recognition. Donations of $1,000-$4,999, their name will be put on the wall of recognition and get three complimentary season tickets for three years. The final gift package consists of having the donor’s name put on the wall of recognition and get six complimentary season tickets for three years.

To give donations, visit minotstateu.edu/give and be sure to change the “Designation” to “Summer Theatre Renovation.”

Architectural renderings of what the new summer theater will look like are available on their website: minotstateu.edu/theatre/revitalize.shtml.

The Summer Theatre season of 2019 was very successful. Gifford said they had record attendance. Two of the more popular shows they performed last year were “Mamma Mia!” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

One of their lesser known comedy brought in huge crowds and they were also able to get their hands on “some of the coolest costumes (they) have ever had.” “Moving forward,” Gifford added, “that has us looking

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into ways to improve our costuming budget as well as making sure that the non-musical comedy remains part of our lineup.”

So far, the performances have not had to be cut or canceled. On April 7, Gifford said he would have some more solid and updated information on how they will proceed for the summer on April 16. “Safety is our utmost priority, but we are taking our cues from the university president and the governor.” If either Dr. Steven Shirley or Gov. Doug Burgum give any restrictions, they will follow them.

Gifford shared some wise and positive words, “Our position on decisions this summer is simple: It costs nothing to hope. We are hoping that things turn around, hoping that people stay healthy, and hoping that our summer can go on. If season 55 does not happen this year, we will look forward to another great season in 2021.

Until that decision is made, we will continue to hope.”

Hope is a wonderful thing to hold on to when things seem bleak.

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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

Saturday, April 18, 2020

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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

Taube Museum of Art youth movement and its connections in the community

By BRANDON CARR

Staff Writer bcarr@minotdailynews.com Growing up in a military family, Rachel Alfaro spent seven years in sunny Florida before attending Minot State University for its art program from 2012-2017. Ready for a new adventure plus affordability and numerous scholarships, were some of the many reasons why MSU was the destination.

“To me, Minot is an artistic community. I came here for the arts. For a smaller area compared to where I grew up, we have more arts here. The community is supportive of our artists here. We have a lot of galleries, museums, tons of downtown events that support the arts. It’s really supportive,” said Alfaro.

A little over a year ago, Alfaro started her career at the Taube Museum of Art as the gallery coordinator. After a few months, previous director Nancy Walter decided to retire.

While pregnant, the museum board and staff got behind Alfaro as her experience of working with other organizations accompanied with her major in arts and a minor in marketing qualified her for the position.

She decided to apply and ultimately got the job.

Being an executive director involves balancing a lot of paperwork, finances, setting up and booking shows, gallery work, cleaning the facility, the hanging of the paintings, and the development of future projects. There’s grant writing going on, which consists of filling out proposals and the wrap up of grants that were received and funded a project.

“I love working with the artist and seeing the different artwork that goes through here.

I get excited about how to display (the artwork) and to bring attention to the artist by help-

Rachel Alfaro, executive director of Taube Museum of Art.

ing them get their name out there by showing their beautiful works,” said Alfaro.

Becoming a new mother while managing the limited staff of the Taube is an ongoing challenge for Alfaro. Including herself, the museum staffs two members. First is gallery coordinator Charlie Lee, and his mother, Margaret Lee, who is the education coordinator and a board member.

“We have support from the volunteers in the community that come in and help, support from my boyfriend, who babysits as much as he can. I’m a little hesitant with daycare because I’m a new mom. People love seeing a baby here, so it probably helps, especially when she waves at them,” said Alfaro.

Alfaro said the Taube plans to make the exhibits more exciting in the future by including additional classes that relate to presentations as well as demonstrations that are unique and interesting for the viewer.

“There’s this notion for some people that they come in, see the artwork hanging, and that’s it,” said Alfaro. “Things are going on all the time besides the artwork hanging on the walls.

We change the artwork all the time. We have different things going on all the time, so there are reasons to keep coming in.

Every time you come back and

visit, you should expect to see something different.”

Currently, the museum has three annual fundraisers with the hopes of getting a fourth.

Another celebration of the arts will take place sometime in June. The event is a festival for the people that will feature artists and vendors. Previously, the Taube used to hold such events but had to suspend operations due to the difficulty of arranging the event, explained Alfaro.

“It became too much work for so little people, but we’re working on it. Hopefully, we are bringing it back,” said Alfaro.

She went on to say, “We remodeled to give it a more modern look, and we’re looking to start bringing in more modern artists as well. We’re just trying to bring the museum up to speed while giving it a fresh look by making it a space that is interesting to both our current population of people coming in regularly but also bringing in a younger crowd as well.

“We’ve done a lot of little things to the museums look, like the walls, which used to be a darker tan, we painted them white.”

The Taube recently set up a portable museum at the Minot Relay for Life to fight cancer with art. Alfaro said co-organizer Polly Klemp had reached out to her in support of the Artisans Against Cancer fundraiser by bringing artwork for display for guests to look at to give the event more of an artsy feel, Alfaro recalled.

“I said yes, of course, I brought a representation of artists from our gift shop. I’m trying to be as involved as I can with other people’s projects and fundraisers and things of that nature when they reach out for help. I do want to be more involved with the community,”

Taube Museum of Art is located in Downtown Minot.

said Alfaro.

One of the Taube’s most successful campaigns was Soup It Up, which is an evening social that included a night of art, a silent auction, a raffle for a gift card tree, and beer and wine tastings. This past February, the event doubled the amount of income compared to 2019, marking the most successful Soup It Up since 2012.

“We had more of an open layout compared to years past.

For starters, the event took place in the evening instead of during lunch hours, which brought more attendance. We had free alcohol at the event, which always helps. We had a gift card raffle for over 500 dollars, which every ticket sold out, which was great. We didn’t have art vendors this year as we had more of a focus on the food.

Normally, the event takes place at different venues around Minot, but we’ve had it here for the past two years. We had more seating compared to last year’s more upscale event, which involved a lot of walking and wondering.”

Alfaro said it was encouraging and wonderful to have the support from the community.

There were a lot of changes for the fundraiser compared to years past, which could get worrisome because society is

hesitant toward change.

“We want to do things that interest the community by the trends that are happening. For instance, there’s a lot of fluid art painting that people are doing right now like Pete and Tammy Hoffert, who were on display Feb. 19-March 28. Tammy would pour (a mixture of) colors into a pink cup and then poured it onto the white canvas, and then it spreads out.

People like to do it, and we want to give them a venue to do that, so we provide the supplies, of course. We offer wine to those 21 and older during some of our classes as well.”

Under its new leadership, the Taube has been incorporating trends while using technologies to advance the culture when creating new campaigns.

Particularly in advertising, the use of movement catches people’s eyes, according to Alfaro.

She said she’s been trying new eye-catching advertisements like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The social media platforms are used for short videos and gifs to get art enthusiasts and everyday people’s attention as far as likes or just people stopping to watch their advertisement.

“I’ve been trying to push sustainability more by moving toward economic practices and products that are better for the

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Submitted Phot

environment. When people bring us their regular or shredded paper and plastic goods, we reuse them for our kids projects and things of that nature.”

Establishing a connection with people is what Alfaro values the most. She stressed the importance of knowing the patrons and people in the community who regularly attend the museum. A future goal moving forward is creating partnerships with businesses.

In May, the Taube and Main Street Books are collaborating for an exhibition. The venture will feature a group of events throughout the month, with the first being related to book arts. Usually, two exhibits are going on at one time. The main gallery will feature works

by Arvin Davis Jr., and the lower gallery will hold events that relate to the book arts exhibit. Both organizations will hold events that coincide with each other while supporting one’s business.

“It’s very therapeutic being an artist. It’s satisfying to have the finished product you’ve made in front of you. It gives you a sense of completion. If you’re dealing with anything, the process is very therapeutic, especially when you’re stressed out. Being an artist helps you calm your mind.”

Page 6

Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

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Saturday, April 18, 2020

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Page 7

Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

‘Digital’ art MSU exhibitions move online amid pandemic

By CIARA PARIZEK

Staff Writer cparizek@minotdailynews.com The Northwest Arts Center in Minot had big plans for the summer with the Juried Student Show, the capstone art show for the graduating seniors of 2020 and exhibitions of two guest artists. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibitions had to either be put online for viewing or postponed to the fall semester.

The two exhibitions that are currently on display in the Northwest Arts Center have also been put online to be viewed. “Preserving History” from Jamie Azevedo will be on display The Northwest Arts Center began taking submissions on April 1 Juried Student Show for Minot State University students. The juried student show has been an annual tradition for art majors since the 1980s. They get to show of their own styles in media of their choice and a qualified external juror gives artistic awards of distinction.

This year’s show will be juried by Ian Mabry, the Assistant Professor of Art at Dickinson State University. He has a focus in ceramics, having a sort of specialty for jurying three-dimensional artwork. A Facebook post on the Northwest Arts Center page said, “... perhaps an irony in our current situation.”

The pandemic has forced everything to go digital, abiding by the social distancing and online learning guidelines. At a faculty meeting last week, Greg Vettel, Northwest Arts Center director, said that a new plan was discussed for displaying the artwork in person. A drivethrough style exhibition could possibly be in the works for a one or two day event toward the end of April. High traffic areas outside on campus are optimal, but it was still in the works as of April 1.

The Juried Student Show is online at www.minotstateu.edu/nac/jss.shtml. It will

Submitted Photos

ABOVE: A large portion of a wall in the Walter Piehl Gallery was occupied by one graduating student’s work in the 2019 Capstone Exhibition at the Northwest Arts Center.

LEFT: Paintings on canvas hung behind ceramic works in the Walter Piehl Gallery in the Northwest Arts Center for the 2019 Capstone Exhibition.

also be posted to the Northwest Arts Center Facebook and Instagram pages, each containing links to their other social media accounts.

Seniors and other graduating students have had to hold off on having their capstone exhibition, showing their best work. If the situation improves and the pandemic status is lifted, Vettel is hoping the art students will be able to display their pieces proudly in the Walter Piehl Gallery in the Northwest Arts Center at the end of June. If the pandemic status is not lifted, the exhibition will have to be online, as well.

Should the students have to submit their work for a virtual exhibition, physical works like drawings, paintings and three-dimensional would have to be submitted by taking a

photograph of it, listing the artist’s name, real size and media. Videos describing the art is an idea that Vettel mentioned, talking about their creations like they would in a real gallery.

The two guest artists that were supposed to have their art on display from April to May had to push their exhibitions back to the fall semester.

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano is a printmaking artist originally from Caracas, Venezuela, not based in Spokane, Wash. For the Americas 2019: Paperworks exhibition, Zambrano won best of show with “La Sopa: Como Decia Mama.” It’s an achromatic relief print on paper, meaning that it lacks color and is only black and white with shades of gray.

High hopes

By CIARA PARIZEK

Staff Writer cparizek@minotdailynews.com A young Minot man with a love for music has taken the leap of a lifetime and landed an independent record deal with Bentley Records in New York.

Dalton Johnson began on the piano when he was a child. His mother has a great passion for music and Johnson said that passion rubbed off on him.

“She told me I could do whatever I wanted to do, like my dream could come true,” Johnson recalled, “if I just stuck to it, and it was music. My mom has always been my biggest fan.”

He spent a lot of time playing on the keyboard that his mother kept around. Pictures of him playing on the piano and keyboard were still around the house, reminding him of where he started and just how far he has come.

He still plays the piano, but it’s quite different than the traditional one. To make his music, the instrument he has now also doubles as a synthesizer, so he can change the sound of the keys. Instead of sounding like a piano when he plays, he can make it sound like a flute or a violin. The synthesizer plugs into his computer and works with the software that he uses to help him produce his own music.

One year and five months ago, Johnson contacted the secretary of

Submitted Photo

Dalton Johnson set his goals high and now he is taking the necessary steps to achieve them.

state to start his own company. His personal record label is called Illa Flo Records. He records under the stage name $.H.E.L.T.A., which is an acronym for $teadfast Hustler that Everyone Listens to Always. His music is currently released through his own label. He gets it out any way

that he can, and “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

Besides being a producer, he raps. He started when he was 14 and would rap with his friends, just doing it for fun. One of them was passionate about the guitar and had an amp and speakers for it. They went over to his house and with his friend playing on his guitar, Johnson recorded his first song. From that point on, he used whatever equipment he could get to make his music.

“For the last year and a half, that’s when I really started giving it my all,” he said. “I’ve just been really trying to learn to play the piano as best I can and then finish one great song, and then use that as the building blocks for rapping.” He raps every day, finding different instrumentals, beats and songs. He described it as his outlet, wanting his music to impact people emotionally and impact the world. “Some of it’s like my personal stories.”

About a month ago, Johnson took a huge leap forward and sent in a demo of four of his songs to Bentley Records, an international record label based on Wall Street in New York City. They get several demos submitted every day from all around the world. When they listened to Johnson’s music, he got a call back about three weeks later.

Bentley Records told him that even though they wouldn’t be able to offer him an exclusive record deal, they could represent him as an in-

The exhibition that has been postponed is called “MELAO’,” containing woodcut prints.

It was originally scheduled to run in April.

May’s exhibition would have been “Gas Bubble in Eye” by Roxi Mathis. Her art has been displayed in multiple galleries around the state with the North Dakota Art Gallery Association.

Mathis mainly works in watercolors and her latest show contains pieces that show what she saw during the recovery of her three eye surgeries on her detached retina.

COVID-19 has strongly impacted the Northwest Arts Center and the art students at Minot State. “We are doing the best we can under the current circumstances,” Vettel said.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been told to self-isolate and quarantine themselves. The exhibitions being posted online instead of completely canceled is uplifting and gives the citizens of Minot some light.”

Minot man signs with New York record label dependent artist. Johnson “got brought on for a distribution and marketing deal for one year.” They also agreed to represent him and publish one album to be his first commercial album with major backing.

“It’s good to hear from somebody who’s an executive at a record label that they see potential in me, y’know? So it’s basically a no-brainer to sign up with them,” he said.

“Since age 14, I’ve been doing as much music as I could and it almost seemed too good to be true when the CEO reached out to me.”

Bentley Records is one of the biggest record labels that works remotely with their artists, so Johnson will not have to move to New York.

He and Bentley Records can communicate through email, and he was given his own Bentley Records email address. “It seems more professional that way.”

Over the last 14 years, Johnson has been teaching himself how to rap and how to produce his own music. He described rapping as his forte right now. Some musicians that really inspire him are Eminem and Dr. Dre, how they linked up and created a mutually beneficial relationship. His favorite band is The Beastie Boys, which is also his mother’s favorite. He really likes Three 6 Mafia and the band Sublime. On a personal level, he can relate to the singer Wiz Khalifa, both being born at the hospital in Minot.

Currently, Johnson has music

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posted under his stage name $.H.E.L.T.A. on YouTube and other major platforms, like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Google Music and Apple Music.

He’s thinking that he will probably release some other singles and he also mentioned that he may attempt to put out a couple of mixtapes. After that, he said he would get down to the grind of working on the album.

When the first year with Bentley Records is up, he has the opportunity to be reevaluated with progress and development. Then he could possibly sign to be an exclusive artist, meaning that Bentley Records would be the only record label that can represent him. Working as an independent artist, he has the freedom to produce other music with his own record label or work with others.

Johnson is interested in science, and if he hadn’t taken the musical path, he said he probably would have gone into the medical field as an emergency room doctor or something of the like. High school graduation put a lot of pressure on him and he had a choice to make: music or doctor. He had to decide just how much time he was going to put into his craft.

“If somehow I can do something to get closer to accomplishing my goal, then I do it,” he said. With his determination and “staying steadfast,” he can reach his goal and continue setting new ones to make himself a better musician.

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Minot Daily News • PROGRESS: Arts & Culture

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Saturday, April 18, 2020