I'll be having an OPEN STUDIO as part of Art-a-Whirl in North East Minneapolis on Friday, May 20th, Saturday the 21st, and Sunday the 22nd, 2011. If you'd like to stop by I'll be in my studio with Natalie Northrup on the 6th floor of the California Building. Click here for directions.

My work will be up in the Material Matters show at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. The show aims to highlight contemporary artists who work with the language of fibers, textiles, and textile design. Work in the show was assembled by Elissa Auther, associate professor of contemporary art at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs and the author of String, Felt, Thread: The Hierarchy of Art and Craft in American Art, and is organized in conjunction with Confluence, the 2011 International Surface Design Association Conference. Material Matters will be up in the Main Gallery at MCAD from Saturday, June 4th through Sunday, June 26, 2011 and is free to the public. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, June 4, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Also you've got to read Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees by Lawrence Weschler about the artist Robert Irwin. It is fantastic and, though I never thought it possible, the updated version is even better than the original from '82. Ironically when I saw "Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow, and Blue" at Pace Wildenstein in Chelsea the red plate had a huge dent in it. And, when the Walker in Minneapolis re-installed his angled scrim piece from 1971 there was an awkwardly placed pillar in the room that you couldn't stop looking at. Once you've read the book you'll know why these distractions are so uncharacteristic (and slightly funny) for Irwin's work.

Natalie Northrup and I will be doing a show later this summer with Julie Kesti/Chakra Kahn in the Ivy Arts Building. More details to come.

Lastly, there is an issue with the videos that have gone up. It seems that once you hit play, it is necessary to pause then hit play a second time to actually get it going. Otherwise only sound plays. We're working to get this fixed.

The first batch of videos is up and can be viewed here. Also, I've uploaded a couple of images of the fabric I'm working on. The ironing just seems to go on forever.

Currently I am working on a large canvas and linen wall hanging, and a series of short videos. I hope to upload images of the work in progress as soon as I get a break from dying fabric.

I recently finished working with a fantastic Minneapolis based designer named Hannah M. Haugberg. We collaborated on the art work for a new album by the band STNNNG titled The Smoke of My Will and I couldn't be happier with the results. Aside from the cover design the album also features a segment of this painting on the insert. The record is available for order now from Modern Radio Record Label in a 12" vinyl format that comes with an MP3 download. The official release date is October 26th. There will also be a release party on October 23rd at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I will be part of an exhibition at the 501 Club (501 Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN) opening on Saturday, August 7th 2010. The show also features work by Kate Bargau and Matt Scharenbroich. The night of the opening will feature music by Pink Mink and Teenage Strangler. For more information visit the 501 Club's website.

An exhibition of work centered on farming will be up at the Ivy Arts Building, located at 2637 27th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406, Studio #216B, in the Seward Neighborhood. I have work on display there as well as my studio mate Natalie Northrup. In fact it features one of my favorite drawings by her.

The opening for the show, featuring Mixed Precipitation’s Picnic Operetta is scheduled for Friday, June 16th, 7-10:30 pm. There is also a closing reception being planned for August. For more information and gallery hours please visit CSA Love's blog here.

A very special exhibition of international artists will be taking place for one day only at That Gallery in Hong Kong on June 27 2010. Afterwards all work will be available for purchase for one month on their website.The show features artists from around the world who have each produced postcard sized art work at the dimensions of four by six inches. My work in the show includes almost everything featured here. Individual pieces in the show can be viewed on the drawings and collage page. And more information about the show can be learned from visiting That Gallery's website.

Though a number of artists from the Twin Cities area will be a part of it, the opening date for the CSA Farming show at the Ivy Arts Building in Seward Neighborhood, has yet to be determined. Several paintings featured on this site will be on view there. There are special events planned for durring the show, including a private small scale opera! And, there is a nice mention of my and my studio mate Natalie Northrup's work at their blog. More details will come as we know them.

As part of Art-a-Whirl, Natalie Northrup and I will have our studio open, with new and old work up, on Friday, May 14th from 6 to 11pm, Saturday May 15th from 12 to 6pm, and Sunday May 16th from 12 to 6pm. We are in studio #608 (the 6th floor) in the California Building, 2205 California St. NE Minneapolis, MN.

For more information please visit Art-a-Whirl's and the California Building's website.

To receive a card in the mail drop a message in the contact section of this site, or send an email to brian@brianseverns.com with the address you would like it sent to, and a note stating which of the following five images you would like to receive. Please feel free to ask for more than one. No names or addresses will be added to mailing lists unless you state otherwise.

Dead Shunt
2/3
The Hotte Nitemare
Thee Hott Nightmare
II/III

If all goes well more images will be available soon!

A gouache and collage version of this piece, titled II/III, is up in the Foot in the Door 4 show at the Minneapolis Institute of Art from Feb. 19th through June 13th, 2010, in the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Gallery. This giant exhibit happens once every ten years and is an experience of magnitude worth seeing. Admission is free.

Visit the MIA's website for more information.

Foot in the Door 4
Friday, February 19, 2010—Sunday, June 13, 2010
Minnesota Artists Exhibition Gallery
Free Exhibition

Opening reception/Third Thursday: Foot in the Door 4 Premiere: Thursday, February 18, 2010

Celebrate opening night of "Foot in the Door 4," the wildly popular exhibition held every 10 years. Rub elbows with hundreds of Minnesota artists and view thousands of submissions in this stupendous art stampede. Sport your most fab footwear for our "Best Shoes in the Door" Flickr gallery. Sock it to our Saint Stephen's sock drive, ideal for warming the hearts and tootsies of kids and adults alike; new socks accepted at the entry. Live music by Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles.

GROUP SHOW AT THE MARTHA BENNET GALLERY

Two paintings, 2/3 and Cold Nightmare, are up at the Martha Bennet Gallery, at the Blake Schools Northop Campus (511 Kenwood Parkway, Minneapolis, MN) from Dec. 7 – Dec. 24, 2009. For more information or if you are interested in scheduling a visit please contact Tracy Grimm at Blake's Communications Office.

NEMAA 2009 FALL FINE ARTS SHOW AND OPEN STUDIO

New work will be up by myself and Natalie Northrup and our studio will be open during NEMAA's Fall Fine Arts show at the Grainbelt Bottling House (79 NE 13th Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55413). More information is available at NEMAA's website.
Opening Reception: Friday, November 13th /6pm-10pm
Saturday, November 14th / Noon-6pm
Sunday, November 15th / Noon-3pm

FIBER ARTS SHOW AT THE MACROSTIE ART CENTER

Work is up during the month of November at the MacRostie Art Center (405 1st Avenue Grand Rapids, MN) as part of a Fiber Arts group show featuring all facets of fiber works: functional and nonfunctional; wearable and decorative.

More information is available at MacRostie Art Center.

This show is sponsored by the Ladyslipper Fund.

GRAIN BELT ARTISTS COLLECTIVE PRESENTS THE AUTUMN ART-QUINOX

A FREE MULTI-MEDIA, INTERACTIVE EVENT

At the Grain Belt Bottling House in Northeast Minneapolis, Film, Music, Art and More

The Grain Belt Bottling House, Northeast Minneapolis, 79 13th Avenue N.E., Minneapolis, MN 55413. September 18th, 6 pm-midnight, September 19th, noon-8 pm, September 20th, noon-4 pm.

The Grain Belt Artists present a free multi-media event featuring resident
and guest artists working in film, music, performance art, painting,
sculpture and photography. This special event will begin with an
opening reception on Friday, September 18th, 6 pm-midnight and will
continue throughout the weekend on Saturday, September 19th, noon-8 pm and
Sunday, September 20th noon-4 pm. Performance events will be scheduled
all three days, stop by the Grain Belt Bottling House for a complete
listing.

Resident Grain Belt artists participating in this event include:
Jeanne Frink,Joe Greco, Jeff Hirst, Caitlin Karolczak, Holly Nelson,
Natalie Northrup, Tom Riggle, Brian Severns, Lynn Speaker and Coffee
House Press.

Selected guest artists participating in the AUTUMN ART-QUINOX are:

Visual Artists:

Jason Wasyk,Tara Costello,Nate Petterson,Benjamin Moore,Katherine Ryan Roth,Jocelyn Bullock,
Dan Schneiger,Sandesh Nicol,Jeffrey Skemp,Deborah Splain,Josh Stulen,Noreen Tyler,Noelle Wolf,
Paul Von Stoetzel,JM Culver,Scott Wenner,Jane Frees-Kluth,David Kluth,Faye Hoch,Shuji Usui,
Steven Lang,Matt Gorrie,Jesse Golfis,Jeffrey Bordenkecher,Michael Slagle,Nicole Stanoch,Patrick Pryor,
Jason Dorweiler,Bridget Riversmith,Ed Keegan,Gina Germ,Griffin Costello,Tad Murawska,Jen Hanlon,
Robert Eichinger,Tricia Schweltzer, Kristina Mooney,Matthew J.Olson,David Qaudy,C.L Meisinger

Performance Artists:
Brian S. Ellis, HOMERr and the Bi-Penial octopus, The Default Project


Musical Artists:
The Prizefighters, Easy to Love,HOMERr and the BI-Penial octopus, Jenny Dalton,Inushuk Pass,& Military Specialists, Manners

Acknowledgments:
Artspace Projects, Audubon Coffee, EMI, Spinario Design

Friday, Feb 6th 6:00pm-12 midnight

Music: (approximate times)

6:00 The Prize Fighters
7:00 Easy to Love
8:00 HOMERr and the Bi-Penial octopus
9:00 Jenny Dalton
10:00 Inukshuk Pass
11:00 Military Specialists


Film: Outside viewing
By: Matt Gorrie 6pm-12am


Film: Main viewing area
By: Paul Von Stoetzel, Bridget Riversmith, Kate Balsley,Brianna Deihl,Tyler Jensen

Film: Secondary viewing

6-12 TBA


Performance Artist:
The Default Project- Through out the night
Readings: By Brian S. Ellis -Through out the night


Sat, Feb, 7th 12:00-8:00

An Immigrant's Tale
A Program on 19th Century Norwegian Immigration. 1:00pm & 3:00pm
Hosted by: Roger R. Hellesvig

Performance Art:
The Default Project-TBA

Film: Main
Schedule TBA

Film: Secondary
Schedule TBA

Open Studios at the Grain Belt Bottling House durring North East Minneapolis 2009 Art-a-Whirl Event.

Opening Reception Friday May 15th, 5 till Midnight
also Saturday May 16th, Noon-8
and Sunday May 17th, Noon-5

The Grain Belt Bottling House
79 13th Ave NE, Room 113
Minneapolis, MN