The City Behavior of Grace MN

October 30 – December 11, 2009

Metropolitan State University

Third Floor Gallery

645 East Seventh Street

(In the Library and Learning Center, St. Paul Campus)

Opening Reception: November 5 from 4-7 p.m.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m

This exhibition is a look back at some of the works created by behavioral artist Marcus Young, individually and in collaboration, since 2004 when he first began creating for public and semi-public spaces. The work explores rituals, systems, and institutions of our daily lives or imagined daily lives. Many of the works have been realized in Saint Paul, where he serves as the current City Artist in Residence, a program of Public Art Saint Paul.

Young founded Grace MN, a behavioral art studio whose work attends to the inner, natural, and civic life, creating personal practice and collective experience. Grace MN is also a conceptual place that promotes artistic unorthodoxy, spiritual experimentation, and Midwestern sensibility. Played out practically in public spaces, within institutions, or across systems of the city, their work invites individual commitment, public involvement, and transdisciplinary collaboration. Grace MN members are Marcus Young, Kathleen Maloney, Aki Shibata, and Travis Spangler.

Public Performance/Mind-Body Workshops NYC

Contact: www.naatf.org or hillary@naatf.org


What: A workshop to introduce a new form of public performance and mind-body experiment called “Don’t you feel it too?”

For: Artists, non-artists, meditators, yoga folks, experimentalists, dancers, people looking for happiness or mischief, etc.

Why: To expand the discourse on performance practice: How does this practice relate to theater, to disruptive realism or pranksterism? Where does work like this belong?

When: Take one or more of the following sessions. Sessions will be indoors if it rains.
-Saturday, Oct 10, 12.00-3.00pm
-Tuesday, Oct 13, 10.30am-1.30pm
-Friday, Oct 16, 10.30am-1.30pm

Where: Theater for the New City, 155 1st Avenue at 10th St.

Cost: $5/session cash at the door, or FREE with purchase of a mainstage ticket of the National Asian American Theater Festival

How: Participants must bring an mp3 player with some of their most beloved music on a playlist, approximately 30 minutes. We will dance in public, so wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Bring water.

Contact: For sign-up or questions, visit www.naatf.org or email: hillary@naatf.org. Sign-up for the workshop is recommended. If you drop in without signing up, just be sure to bring an mp3 player.

Info: "Don’t you feel it too?" is the practice of freeing your spirit through dancing your inner life in public places. A generous and courageous act of self-embarrassment and joy, the work is also emotional study, gentle protest, social interaction, performance, and physical exercise. While other more venerable forms of mind-body practice have developed over millennia, this new practice premiered on the streets of the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul in 2008. We invite artists and non-artists to learn and expand this playful form.

Grace MN is a behavioral art studio whose work attends to the inner, natural, and civic life, creating personal practice and collective experience. The group is founded by behavioral artist Marcus Young, currently public artist in residence for the City of Saint Paul, a program of Public Art Saint Paul. This activity is made possible by funds from Jerome Foundation and is a parallel project of the National Asian American Theater Festival. www.graceminnesota.org

Rain Dancing

OK, the dance is on for Friday, Sept. 25.  It may not be a bright sunshiney day but the weather may take you to a new, quieter place in your DYFIT practice.  Do not think that you have to come out in this grey-ness.  If you do chose to dance with us maybe the rain will be transformative.

Meet at the Library at 4PM.  Questions?  Call 651-336-4202

Weather Update

As of right now we are on for today, Friday Sept. 25.  In the case of passing rain or drizzle we will still dance.  If there is a dangerous storm we will cancel. 

At 3:30 we will make the final call.  You can check back here on this site, on http://twitter.com/DontUFeelItToo or call 651-336-4202 for a voice mail message.

Today's Activity

We meet today, September 23 and Friday, September 25 at 4PM on the steps of the downtown Minneapolis Central Library.

If you are dancing with us, by now you should have signed up and are getting the participant updates.  If you are not on the update list yet please contact kathleen. 

Confirmation from DYFIT-ers Requested

Message from Marcus Young

Dear daring DYFIT-ers!

Last year, dancing on Nicollet Mall and at the RNC was a transformative experience.  I think we all felt it!...even if we weren't exactly sure what it was.  For the past two months we have continued to explore this new practice, and again we come to a culmination--a worthy test of ourselves.  We know it can be joyful, open, embarrassing, scary, freeing, spiritual, and like offering a service to the public.  The form is simple, so how is it the experience is so rich? If you haven't joined us this year, there is still time to give it a try.  If you are already an experimentalist, or you already know this work, please consider dancing with us.  I will be at the remaining practice sessions.   Then, there are two "performances."  You can dance with us as few or as many times as you wish, even if you can't make the "performances." Go to this 

Survey Monkey link

and tell us if you'd like to attend.  We are starting to share music, so getting some advanced notice that you're coming is helpful.  We also celebrate with a really yummy dinner (my treat) where we tell stories, reflect, and create the path for the following year, so RSVP for that as well.  I hope to dance with you on the streets.  If you have any questions, please ask.  

My thanks and luv,  marcus

Calling Joyful Performers

Photo by Avye Alexander, see more DYFIT 2008 on Flickr

So long summer. Goodbye State Fair. Now is a great time for outdoor fall frolic with the intrepid DYFIT crew.  Only 6 practice sessions left so join us ASAP! 

Practice Schedule: Final Two Weeks 

• Wednesday, Sept. 9 and 16, 5PM to 7:30PM, leader Marcus Young/Aki Shibata, meet at Mears Park music stage, lowertown Saint Paul
  
• Saturday, Sept 12 and 19, 1-3:30 PM, leader Kathleen Maloney, Minneapolis Central Library, Room N-202, 300 Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis
  
• Monday, Sept 14 and 21, 5:30-8PM (note: new start time), leader Theresa Madaus/Julia Kouneski, meet at Peavey Plaza, downtown Minneapolis
  

In “Don’t you feel it too?” (DYFIT) participants dance their inner lives in public places, confronting personal awkwardness and practicing physical joy. But the investigation is an outward one too: DYFIT functions as gentle disobedience, as dialogue between strangers, and as ethnographic research. This summer, we build on lessons learned dancing last year at the Republican National Convention and on Nicollet Mall. We invite you to develop this form of play and nurture braver, more open spirits.

Performances will take place 

• Wednesday and Friday, September 23 and 25, in the late afternoon to early evening. 
  

You may dance in one or both performances. To participate, try to attend at least 3 practice sessions.  (If you danced with us last year please attend at least one practice.)  Sessions are free, guided, and open to anyone. You need only bring yourself and a set of headphones with music you love. 

To sign up contact: mailto:kathleen@maloco.com.  And for up to the minute updates follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DontUFeelItToo

Call For More Don't You Feel It Too? Participants

We are 20 people who have been practicing a form of public dancing called and we are looking for 20 more to join us.

In “Don’t you feel it too?” (DYFIT) participants dance their inner lives in public places, confronting personal awkwardness and practicing physical joy. But the investigation is an outward one too: DYFIT functions as gentle disobedience, as dialogue between strangers, and as ethnographic research. This summer, we build on lessons learned dancing last year at the Republican National Convention and on Nicollet Mall. We invite you to develop this form of play and nurture braver, more open spirits.

Performances will take place Wednesday and Friday, September 23 and 25, in the late afternoon to early evening. You may dance in one or both performances. A big feast after the performances will be our thanks for your participation.  To take part in performance, you first attend at least 3 practice sessions, which are held on Mondays 6.00-8.30pm and Saturdays 1.00-3.30pm in Minneapolis and Wednesdays 5.00-7.30pm in St. Paul. Sessions are free, guided, and open to anyone. You need only bring yourself and a set of headphones with music you love.  

If this sounds a little scary and a little exciting, perfect! We hope it’s both. Contact: kathleen@maloco.com.  And for up to the minute updates follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DontUFeelItToo

DYFIT 2009 open practice sessions coming up....

Saturday, Aug 29, 1-3:30 PM Minneapolis Central Library, Room N-202, 300 Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis 

Monday, Aug 31, 6PM to 8:30 PM.   Meet at Nicollet Ave. side of Peavey Plaza, downtown Minneapolis. 

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 5PM to 7:30PM Meet at Mears Park music stage, lowertown Saint Paul