Game Night Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out to last Thursday's Game Night at Verdant Tea! We had a great group of people show up, and it made for a super fun event filled with tea, food, and lots and lots of games!


The night started out with several simultaneous games of The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl! There were a lot of folks who were new to the game, but everyone picked it up quickly. There were some close games, and even the seasoned vets took their bruises and bumps before the battles ended.


As the night went on, players split up and chose from an enormous stack of games. Ranging from reliable classics, to theme-heavy cooperative games, to heady eurogames, there was definitely a game suited to everyone's tastes!


Thanks again to the staff of Verdant Tea for hosting the event (and joining some of the games!). It's an awesome place to play, they even have their own stack of games to play at any time! To see more pictures from the event, check out the Flickr Set!

Game Night at Verdant Tea

Gather your ranks, your townsfolk, your fearless leaders, and your foes for a fun and energetic game night at Verdant Tea!

For this event, Light Grey Art Lab is combining forces with Verdant Tea to host an open tabletop gaming night! Everyone is welcome, and participants are invited to learn the brand new collaborative artist game, Rolemodels: The Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl, Pathfinder, D & D, Labyrinth, and more! Stop by from 7-9pm.

You can check out more details on our facebook event page here



Verdant Tea
2111 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404

"More than a tea house, Verdant Tasting Room and Tea Bar is a cafe, neighborhood hangout and collaborative event space, all-in-one. Whether you’re meeting friends over a cup of tea, enjoying seasonally inspired breakfast and brunch, attending morning meditation and qigong, or indulging in local ice cream and chocolate, you’ll find our doors open, ready to welcome in new friends and neighbors."

In Place Opening Reception Recap

A huge thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to the opening reception and book release for In Place! It was an incredible celebration with so many fantastic artworks, and we were happy to share it with all of you!



Each In Place piece was displayed in a larger-than-life format, allowing viewers to 'get lost' in the image and truly discover these breathtaking, culturally relevant, and magical, yet real places! Ranging from the Congo River, to the Shalimar Gardens, the Bavarian Forest, and Marakeesh, Morocco, each piece is captures the discovery of ends of the earth, our awe-inspiring journeys, and our love for curiosity!



The In Place books arrived just in time for the big event! Visitors were able to pick up a copy of their own, have local participating artists sign their In Place Books!



In the next few weeks, there will be several more opportunities to get to know these artists, check out the books, and hear all about the In Place book and process. Dates and information for signings (Magers & Quinn and Boneshaker Books) coming soon! Keep an eye out for all of the invitations!

In Place will be up and on display at Light Grey Art Lab until September 13th! Stop by during our gallery hours Wednesday-Saturday from 12pm-7pm, and Sundays from 12pm-5pm.

If you can't stop by in person, check out all of the wonderful work and In Place book on the permanent In Place online gallery and Light Grey Shop!

Podcast: 'In Place: Wish You Were Here'

Download the MP3 or Subscribe via iTunes!

In Place: Wish You Were Here
Length: 00:56:43
Synopsis: In Place finally opened this past Friday! Along with an awe-inspiring exhibit, the event also launched In Place: Wish You Were Here, a companion book that collects all the artwork from the show in one place, along with context for each piece in text and maps. The following morning we held a book signing and artist talk at Verdant Tea, where we chatted about how the project originated, and were joined by participating artists Casey Crisenbery, Erik Krenz and Jeff Johnson, who shared their perspective and the stories behind their pieces. In the conversation, we directly reference a lot of specific pieces of art from In Place, so you might want to have the online gallery open to follow along!


Show Notes:
In Place online gallery
Buy In Place: Wish You Were Here and artwork from the show
Verdant Tea
Jeff Johnson
Casey Crisenbery
Erik Krenz

In Place Opening Reception Tonight!

The wait is over! Join us tonight to celebrate the work and collaboration of 50+ illustrators, concept artists, and designers as we take you on a journey around the world...and back!


Salar de Uyuni by Victor Maury

The In Place opening reception and Book Release begins at 7pm at Light Grey Art Lab! There will be several local artists, the In Place Books, and of course, all the the sublime and majestic large-scale works of places from around the globe. From a tiny alley way in Shinjuku, Japan, to an expansive mountain scape in Germany, In Place celebrates all sacred, mysterious, cultural, and awe-inspiring places- the places that inspire us to create, travel, and wonder!

You can see more about the opening reception on our facebook event page
Or check out the entire collection on our permanent online gallery and Light Grey Shop!


Marakeesh by Victoria Ying

We hope you can make it to the opening, as well as our book signing and discussion Saturday, August 24th from 12pm-3pm at Verdant Tea! At noon, we will kick off the event with delicious tea and conversation. Starting at 1pm, we will talk about the process of the book, inspirations by Light Grey and the participating artists, and tons of images and books to look at! Stick around after the event for a traditional tea tasting and a Q & A. You can read more about the event here.

Shalimar by Sidharth Chaturvedi

Let's honor these inspiring places and all of the incredible artwork!

In Place Opening Reception, Book Release, and Sneak Peeks!

The wait is almost over! We are extremely honored to bring you In Place: wish you were here, a large exhibition and collaborative book project incorporating nearly fifty works by illustrators, designers, and concept artists from around the world.

Each artist has created magnificent, breathtaking, and detailed works, capturing the experience and history imbedded in each place. From the ancient rows of temples in Bagan, to an abandoned power plant in North Carolina, a tiny alleyway in Toyko, Japan, and a the forgotten Easter Island, In Place is about the beauty and mystery, as much as the culture, ways of life, and mark in history and imagination. These are the places that inspire us to create and dream!


Sneak peek of work by Kim Smith

Come take a trip around the world, as we enjoy all these artworks in the In Place Exhibition, which opens August 23rd from 7pm-10pm. To see the full list of participants or more information about the opening reception check out our facebook event.


Detail of Hardangervidda by Maike Plenzke

Following the reception, August 24th from 12pm-3pm, Light Grey Art Lab will be doing a book signing, artist talk, and discussion at Verdant Tea! Stop by for some refreshing teas and traditional pouring, meet some of the artists, and learn more about collaborative book making and process! We are extremely excited to talk with the artists about their views and research along the way. You can see more about the book signing event here.
You can read more about the In Place book on our online shop, which is now available for pre-order!

Detail of Camelot by Jeff Johnson

We will be celebrating this project and exhibition for an entire month! So stop by Light Grey Art Lab or the permanent online gallery to see more about the show and view the entire collection. (available this Friday)


For more details about the project and the In Place book.

Chinese Tea Ceremony & Tea Tasting with David Duckler / Verdant Tea

Tools of David's Trade

We had an amazing opportunity to sit down and have tea with a group of fantastic individuals, led by David Duckler, owner of Verdant Tea.



If you've never been to a tea tasting you'd never understand what a spa-like experience it can be. We had two and a half hours of tiny, individual relaxing moments - punctuated by the aromas and flavors of David's tea collection. There were nine of us attending and each person was given a small tea cup - smaller than a clementine, larger than a thimble, as their own vessel for our tea.



We sipped tea together as David wove through stories of Chinese folklore. We learned about the tea called Tieguanyin and the Iron Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin. We heard stories of how true Jasmine Tea is made and heard about his good friends, the tea farmers, and their very real appreciation of the craft of farming and preparing tea.

We went through about 7 different teas, each one with a different flavor profile. Some buttery, some floral. After each sip, we'd scribble our tasting notes as best we could onto our tea tasting cards. I found it hard to come up with the right words, but scrawled what I could down.

I'd liken watching David preform his tea ceremony to watching ballet. It looks so effortless, but I know his performance comes from the accumulation of years of practice. He's exceedingly graceful about how he makes each cup, how he pours it, and how he and his wife Lily serve it to everyone. It's calming.



We are looking forward to the next opportunity we have to invite David in to Light Grey. Until then, I'll stumble through my own cave-man-esque tea making process and wish for a brighter future.