You are invited to hear from James Boyd Brent about the intaglio process and the inspiration behind his new series of prints, "Tale Spins: Water, Animals, Ruins," on exhibit in the Architecture and & Landscape Architecture Library.

"Tale Spins: Water, Animals, and Ruins" points at the multilayered nature of existence, and is an invitation to ponder how consciousness lies between one thing and another -- water and land, animals and people, growth and decay.

Wednesday, May 1, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library
210 Rapson Hall
University of Minnesota
89 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis
hours and directions
Exhibition Coordinator: Deborah Boudewyns - ultan004@umn.edu

About the Exhibit
The new intaglio series by artist and professor James Boyd Brent is about ancillary narratives and half-stories. The work illustrates moments that may or may not actually be stories, as such, but which allude to the way the mind concocts a world for itself, among worlds.

This idea echoes the work of wood-engraver Thomas Bewick, best known for the small vignettes that he made to adorn the end of chapters, and which denote a sense of a story without the story ever actually being spelled out. Abound in his imagery are stories, but they do not necessarily correspond with the main text. In each, the viewer is drawn to look into a small, distinct and illuminated world.

Exhibit on view through May 12, 2013 at the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library.

Tale Spins: Water, Animals, and Ruins

March 11 - May 12, 2013

Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library

Opening reception:  April 4th, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public

Artist and professor, James Boyd Brent's new intaglio series is about ancillary narratives and half-stories. It illustrates moments that may or may not actually be stories, as such, but which allude to the way the mind concocts a world for itself, among worlds. This idea echoes the work of wood-engraver Thomas Bewick, best known for the small vignettes that he made to adorn the end of chapters, and which denote a sense of a story without the story ever actually being spelled out. Abound in his imagery are stories, but they do not necessarily correspond with the main text. In each, the viewer is drawn to look into a small, distinct and illuminated world.

Tale-spins: water, animals, and ruins points at the multilayered nature of existence, and is an invitation to ponder how consciousness lies between one thing and another--water and land, animals and people, growth and decay.

Closing Event:  Friday, March 8, 2013 4:30pm - 7pm.  All are welcome!

Tanya Gravening's trash art installation, Plastic Pyramid, will be dismantled and recycled during the closing event.

Monuments of Trash Art Project (MoTAP)
Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library
89 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 

Closing Event:  Friday, March 8, 2013 4:30pm -7pm

Tanya Gravening makes art that focuses on the problems caused by plastic pollution. Monuments of Trash Art Project (MoTAP) is a series of paintings, sculptures, and functional art objects to raise consciousness of plastic pollution. The creative process of MoTAP includes an opportunity for people to participate in the project by collecting plastic trash, which is then used to construct the art work.

One of the pieces in the exhibit, Plastic Pyramid, will be dismantled and recycled during the closing event.

MoTAP Brochure [PDF]

Also in the news...

Next Bloomberg Target: Plastic Foam Cups

Michael R. Bloomberg, the New York mayor who has moved to regulate fatty foods, big sodas and smoking outdoors, will propose a ban on a derided polymer.

Read the New York Times article here. >>

Sponsor: Denver Architectural League

Type: Open, ideas

Location: Denver, USA

Language: English

Eligibility:

Open to all students in a college level design school, interns, designers working in the architectural profession, non registered architects, and registered architects. Open to individuals or teams.

Fee:

$50 per entry. Teams and / or individuals may submit multiple entries at $50/entry.

Awards:

Timetable:

Design Challenge:

An ideas competition for the design of a new housing typology, an 8 unit micro housing complex. The site, located near 3457 Ringsby Court, is across from the entrance into Denver's well known TAXI community (www.taxibyzeppelin.com ) and provides an opportunity for designers to explore and celebrate the following:

This is an ideas competition inspired by a concern about the lack of innovation evident in Denver's existing multi-family housing market where many banal apartment, townhouse and condominium complexes are springing up throughout the area. With this competition, designers have the opportunity to explore the future, question the past and re-invent the notion of responsible aff ordable housing with an emphasis on thriveability and regenerative design (defi ned as a design approach that transcends sustainability while addressing higher principles of societal health, human sustenance, site integration, energy production and appropriate materials and building systems.)

The competition presents an opportunity to follow up on our 2011 Modern House Competition by continuing the design dialogue through an exhibition occurring during the AIA National Convention from June 20 - 22. Prior to the exhibition the submittals will be juried by a distinguished group of representatives in the field of Architecture, Art, Design, Planning and Media. Awards, publication and competition sponsorship will be announced at a later date.

For more information and to register, go to: https://sites.google.com/site/microhousingcompetition/registration

Dawntown Landmark Miami Competition

Sponsor: DawnTown Miami

Type: Open, ideas, international

Location: Miami, Florida

Language: English

Eligibilty: Open internationally to all designers, professionals, and students.

Fee: None.

Awards:

Timetable:

Design Challenge:

The competition is centered around the idea of how cities are recognized and perceived through architecture. Many cities worldwide are instantly identified by their exclusive architectural elements. This raises the question: What is Miami's landmark? Although this city has impressive local architectural gems (The Freedom Tower, Miami Marine Stadium), these buildings reflect a different character and time period of Miami. In the last 10 years,
the city has radically changed and continues to do so. What this competition seeks, is not to replace the significant architecture, but to add a new landmark representing what Miami is about today and for the future.

For more information, go to: http://dawntown.org/competition/

 London Vauxhall - The Missing Link: Ideas Competition

 Sponsor: RIBA, Vauxhall One

Type: Open, 2 stage, international, ideas

Location: London

Language: English

Eligibility:open (internationally) to registered architects, landscape designers and architects, urban designers and students of these disciplines. Multi-disciplinary design teams are encouraged. Architects should be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) in the UK, or a recognised overseas regulatory authority

Fee:

Professionals - £50.00 + VAT

Students - £10.00 + VAT for design students.

Awards:

It is the intention to shortlist 3 schemes for the second stage and each shortlisted entrant will receive an honorarium of £2,000 + VAT. There will also be a prize for the best student entry of £500.

Timetable:

Jury:

Design Challenge:

The Vauxhall area of London is at the heart of an area of huge new opportunity and Vauxhall One, the new Business Improvement District (BID) for Vauxhall are seeking design ideas to improve and enhance the public realm in Vauxhall, providing the 'Missing Link' between the New US Embassy Quarter and London's South Bank.

For more information, go to: http://www.ribacompetitions.com/vauxhallthemissinglink/index.html

Town Branch Common Design Competition Winner Announced

SCAPE selected to design Town Branch Commons. To learn more about the winning design, visit http://www.townbranchcommons.com/