CALL FOR ARTISTS: CAMOUFLAGE

EDIT: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT ENTERED THIS CALL FOR ARTISTS!
WE ARE CURRENTLY JURYING AND WILL ANNOUNCE THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS SHORTLY!

CALL FOR ARTISTS ENDS APRIL 11th!
CAMOUFLAGE

CAMOUFLAGE
Hiding in Plain Sight
a group exhibition about blending in
••••••••••••••••
Opens May 26th 7-10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55406
612.239.2047

I sent her a text yesterday, "I miss you."

Then, ...nothing.

I held the phone in my hand for a moment, looking for the little text bubble to flicker on screen. My nerves are hot wires. Please. Write back, please. I stare at the left side of my screen and try to will a message -- it never comes. There's a heavy feeling in my chest where a fuzzy haze used to be. I begin to loathe myself. I've left this little blue bubble in perpetual loneliness next to the other string of emotional ghosts from a few days ago, a few weeks ago.

I've been holding on for too long. I wish I could erase this evidence of my weakness. I know she saw it. She has to have seen it. I can't tell what's worse, delete it? Leave it? I feel like I'm going to throw up. Why can't she see me...?

Let's hide under these sheets and imagine the world outside won't ever come calling. Let me wrap my arms around you and we'll close our eyes. No one will find us here. I'll call in sick. It's your day off. We belong here. A thin stream of mid-day light breaks free through the crack in the blinds and scans the room like a laser yet we remain elusive. "Let's stay here together until everyone forgets us."
We breathe in unison and sink into one another-- We transform, evolve, transcend, and disappear.

What does it mean to be invisible? For the month of May, we're looking for artists to explore the concepts of blending in, assimilating, and adopting. Whatever the reason, we're constantly in hiding in one way or another. Do you cover up or modify pieces of yourself to fit your surroundings? What is a true covert operation? From diverting attention to acts of deception -- the art of camouflage spans the political, aesthetic, scientific, magical, psychological and social realms. So what about our invisibility cloaks, the masks we wear, the movie-theatre carpet, the fake-it-til-you-make-it mentality?

So, let's delve into the psychology of it all and create works that help explain why we strive to blend in.

During the same timeframe as the CAMOUFLAGE exhibition, Light Grey Art Lab will be hosting additional collections by naturalist, Matt Moss and photographer Tanner Johnson, the wonderful field-guide illustrations of Kelsey Oseid, a wonderful collection of travelogue moments from Carrie Liao, and a retrospective exhibition by the 2016 LGAL Iceland Residency Program artists-in-residence. We'll have a huge meet & greet on opening night, where you can meet a bunch of these wonderful people that will be coming to town to celebrate the big reception with us! So, if you've been looking for an excuse to fly out and see what Minneapolis is all about, this would be an awesome weekend to do it.

••••••••

We are looking for artists to create works in any medium (narrative, illustrative, sculptural, patterns, embroidery, prints, paintings, comics, fashion, fabrics and anything else you can think of --- ) to help us explain this phenomenon. We will be asking each participating artist to submit one piece of work alongside their own thoughts of what camouflage means to them. Details on how to submit work, shipping to the gallery, deadlines and dates, and any other information about the show will be provided to the participating artists at the close of the call and a formal blog post will accompany the announcement!

If you are interested in exploring this topic with us -- put your name and links in the COMMENTS SECTION (please don't email your submission because it gets lost in my crazy inbox! Sorry!) like this by APRIL 11th:

Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

HELPFUL DATES & DEADLINES:
APRIL 11 - call closes
APRIL 28th - paperwork due to the gallery
MAY 4 - optional promotional images due
MAY 12 - final artwork due to the gallery
MAY 26 - opening reception!

This show is open to all creatives from anywhere in the world! If you have any questions at all regarding the exhibition, or how to be involved, feel free to send me an email at hello@lightgreyartlab.com! Thanks so much!

Light Grey Game Night: にほん

We're about to travel around half way around the globe, meet dozens of amazing artists, spend five weeks exploring, eating, and singing through the streets, mountains, and karaoke bars of Japan. It's all exciting, to be sure, but I may be most looking forward to my return to the Japanese boardgame shop Yellow Submarine to load up on all sorts of Japanese boardgaming treasures! And of course, I'll want to share the bountiful harvest with all of you, and that means it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! After a too-long hiatus, Game Night resumes right after I get back! So mark your calendar for Saturday April 15th from noon - 5 pm! That's right, SATURDAY, NOON - 5 PM!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is にほん (which in hiragana spells Nihon, aka Japan)!

So check out of some of the quirky games I found in the Japanese boardgame shop Yellow Submarine, conquer feudal Japan in Samurai, upgrade to the mighty Shinkansen (bullet train) in the Japanese deckbulding game Trains, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!

CALL FOR ARTISTS: Color Anthropology Exhibition

CALL FOR ARTISTS: COLOR ANTHROPOLOGY
An exhibition about how color shaped the world
CALL ENDS MARCH 4th!

EDIT MARCH 19: Thanks for your patience, everyone! We will be emailing all participating artists tonight! :) Hang tight and thanks for putting your name in for this show!

A vein of brilliant blue streaks through the chalky cliffside. For thousands of years, cultures around the world harvested this otherworldly color from the earth and celebrated it with reverence. Lapis Lazuli - it is the color of communication, of healing and protection, and represents the throat Chakra. The brilliant blue derived from Lapis graces the eyes, beards, and cowls of ancient Egyptian funeral masks, a symbol of royalty and eternity. Its presence can be found in Ancient Babylonian, Sumerian, and Mesopotamian artwork from over 5,000 years in the past. It's the prized pigment of our ultramarine paints that grace the frescoes of Michelangelo in the sistine chapel. An ancient Persian legend says the earth lays on a large slab of Lapis, which makes up the color of the heavens. The lapis mines in northeastern Afghanistan have been operating for over 7,000 years and currently are under scrutiny, considered a source for conflict material. Lapis can be found in Andes mountains of Chile and has become the national mineral and it's beauty has become an integral part of the national heritage.

The color derived from Lapis Lazuli is more than just a hue, its importance has played a role in religion, culture, ritual, and politics for thousands of years. So what happens when we really analyze the impact color has played in the way we see the world?

COLOR ANTHROPOLOGY
an exhibition about how color shaped the world
opens April 21, 2017 • 7-10pm
118. E. 26th Street #101, Minneapolis MN 55404

We are looking for artists to pick a color, any color, and educate us about it. For the month of April, we'll transform the gallery into a rainbow of stories. Each artist will have the opportunity to create a work using, and about a color of their choice. We'll ask each artist to choose a web color / hex triplet (ex. 000000) and create a work of art using and about that color. The example above is wide-reaching, but artists are welcome to be specific and choose a color like Barbie® pink, Blaze orange, Celadon, or any other color you'd like to get to know and create a work of art about what you've discovered. Neons, opalescents, gilded, or reflective colors are welcome as well, but we'll ask artists to consider how best to represent the color, and choose a medium that will help show the true colors! The color you pick doesn't have to be the only color you use, but it should be the predominant color of the work.

We'll also ask everyone involved to supply us with a blurb about their work so we can hang a didactic next to the piece that viewers can gain some context. Participating artists will be able to send originals and prints for this exhibition. We are happy to be printing the gallery piece for free for all participating artists for this exhibition to make it easier to participate from afar! More information about how to send work, deadlines and dates, and other resources will be sent to all participating artists upon the close of the call for artists. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out: hello@lightgreyartlab.com

IMPORTANT DATES:
Participating Artists Announced by March 7th
Artwork due to the gallery: April 8th
Opening reception April 21st

If you're interested in participating in our April group exhibition, please put your name, email and links in the comments section (please do not send your info via email as these often get buried in my inbox!)

Example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

Thanks so much, everyone! We're really looking forward to all sorts of insights into the nature of color and how much it's played a role in our world.

---Lindsay

Grand Re-Opening and Five Exhibitions!

Friday, March 3rd - 7 PM - 10 PM - RSVP HERE!

In March of 2012, Light Grey Art Lab opened its doors in Minneapolis’s Whittier neighborhood. The mission was to create a place to nurture creative collaboration and learning. Since then, Light Grey Art Lab has succeeded in its mission, facilitating lasting relationships between creatives around the world, creating a platform to teach and share professional experience, and exhibiting exceptional artwork, regardless of the artists’ fields or mediums.

Over the course of five years, Light Grey Art Lab has hosted dozens of exhibitions, and featured the work of over one thousand artists. The gallery has published a range of creative products including books, tarot decks, and video games, created seasonal workshops led by industry leaders in visual design from places like Disney, Cartoon Network, and HBO, and established an annual international residency program in Iceland. Throughout, the people teaching, learning, exploring, creating, and discovering have connected with each other through Light Grey Art Lab.

“We’ve crossed paths with so many bright and talented people in the past five years,” says Light Grey Art Lab founder Lindsay Nohl, “and they’ve found each other as well. Despite being separated by thousands of miles in many instances, there’s a sense of camaraderie that we love to see. Friendships have been formed, careers have been nurtured, and experiences have been shared. There’s a sense that we’re all in this together.”

Light Grey Art Lab is celebrating its five year anniversary by doubling-down on its specialties: the team is increasing the scope and frequency of their exhibitions, expanding the collaborative and educational opportunities on offer, and growing their physical space in a big way.

Light Grey Art Lab remains on the corner of 26th Street and Stevens Avenue, which it has occupied since 2012. But the modest-sized gallery is taking over the entire first floor of the charming 100-year-old building, tripling its footprint. In addition to the Main and Adjunct gallery spaces which comprise Light Grey Art Lab’s original 1,000 square foot space, the gallery is opening an additional 2,000 square feet, which is divided into the Salon, Satellite Gallery, Page Gallery, a dedicated workshop space, and a newly expanded shop.

To kick off this massive expansion, Light Grey Art Lab is launching five new exhibitions, one in each exhibition space. The opening reception for all 5 shows, as well as the grand unveiling of the new space is Friday, March 3rd, 2017.

RSVP HERE!

tobeyou - Main Gallery and Adjunct Gallery

Over the past five years, thousands of artists from around the world have gathered to collaborate, learn, travel, create, and grow together as a part of Light Grey Art Lab’s community. Every public call-for-art includes as many voices as possible, with each artist contributing one piece to build upon a greater theme. For their newest exhibition, tobeyou, Light Grey Art Lab is celebrating that vibrant chorus of voices with an exhibition that shines a spotlight back onto the community.

tobeyou invites over 100 artists from past shows to explore the themes and narratives they hold most dear. Light Grey Art Lab is asking each artist, ‘Who are you?’ Artists are encouraged share personal or revealing stories. To explore the themes that cannot be shaken from their practice. To start a conversation with their peers about what is important to them.

Unsurprisingly, the work produced for tobeyou runs the gamut from lighthearted and aspirational, to intensely personal and critically self-reflective. Each participating artist’s personality is amplified by their contribution. Rachel Quast’s hand-painted set of Russian nesting dolls depicts the various elements that define her. Lauren Gonsalves draws upon remembered smells of phosphorous, potassium chlorate, and kerosene to illustrate a pivotal moment from her past. Dailen Ogden uses wolves, metaphor, and gold leaf to paint a dark narrative about the creative process.

Light Grey Art Lab’s exhibitions usually feature artists from around the world, but tobeyou will be giving special attention to the Twin Cities creators that sparked Light Grey Art Lab’s founders to create the gallery in the first place. Including educators, creative business owners, past participants, friends, and collaborators, these people make Light Grey Art Lab the place it is today, and will continue to inspire the future of the space. This special extension of tobeyou work will be featured in the Adjunct Gallery.

tobeyou will be featured in Light Grey Art Lab’s original Main and Adjunct Galleries, and continues the tradition of large-scale group exhibitions which the gallery has been producing since 2012.

The Dark Forest: An Exhibition About Nature's Secrets - Salon

The Dark Forest features new work exploring hidden mysteries in nature. Assembled from a group of artists who draw heavily from natural inspiration, these creatives use techniques and insight gained from expertise in areas such as environmental studies, textile design, and taxidermy to enhance their creative practice.

Lana Crooks specializes in delicate and intricate faux specimens created from unexpected materials, such as fabrics and found objects, while Jess Polanshek’s painting Beneath explores ‘the secrets buried beneath the forest floor waiting to emerge,’ and Josh Weatherlake creates understatedly peaceful but unsettling pieces using natural linen as paper and cross-stitched embroidery as pen.

The Dark Forest will be hung in the Salon, a featured exhibition space that will showcase guest-curated collections and small group shows.

Solo Exhibition: Erik Krenz - Satellite Gallery

A Minnesota native, Erik Krenz has built a career around a profound love and respect for nature. His work consistently combines an incredibly deft and naturalistic painterly style with a playful sense of fantasy and wonder. Krenz pairs his fantastic imagination with a passion for natural history and science as a painter and designer for Blue Rhino Studios, a leader in artistic fabrication for museum and zoological environments. At Blue Rhino Studios, Krenz helps to create life-size, strikingly life-like sculptures, murals, and dioramas that feature creatures ranging from little known Northwood species to prehistoric mammoths and dinosaurs, which are used to educate visitors at museums and natural history sites around the world.

For his first solo exhibition, Erik Krenz will be showing a retrospective body of naturalistic work, as well as a new collection of paintings that explore fairytales and folklore with an emphasis on landscape, and how it influences the narratives.

Erik Krenz’s work will be hung in the Satellite Gallery, a new space dedicated to showing solo exhibitions and featured artists.

Solo Exhibition: Carolyn Nowak - Page Gallery

Carolyn Nowak is an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator, and author. Based in Michigan, Nowak has created work for BOOM! Studios’s Eisner award-winning title Lumberjanes, as well as Z2 Comics and Cartoon Network. Her self-published fantasy minicomic, Radishes, won 2016’s Small Press Expo Ignatz Awards in the categories Promising New Talent and Outstanding Minicomic.

Nowak’s work revolves around the unique experiences of women, often exploring the themes of intimacy and self-perception. Her work has been recognized by critics who celebrate inclusive media. Her work on Lumberjanes received a 2016 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. Despite tackling important issues, Nowak uses fantastic settings and unusual situations to add humor and levity. “I try to inject a lot of fun, which usually comes from absurdity,” says Nowak. “My strategy for writing is something like: Say what you want to say and use every tool to make it as compelling and engaging as possible. Make stuff up. Invent. Fudge the details. Make them fun. Fun fun fun.”

Nowak will be exhibiting a collection of insightful studies, original pages, and finished comics, including previously unseen work from her newest comic, Diana's Electric Tongue.

Carolyn Nowak’s work will be hung in the Page Gallery, a new space dedicated to narrative work celebrating independent publishing, comic creators, and narrative media.

Featured Shop Artist: Camille Chew - Light Grey Shop

With the expanded space, Light Grey Art Lab will be putting a greater emphasis on retail and consignment with an all-new shop that will feature a curated, rotating selection of handmade products, original art, and creative projects. The Light Grey Shop will host featured artists to celebrate new releases of editions, small series, projects, books, and more.

Light Grey Art Lab is kicking off their featured artist lineup with Camille Chew, an illustrator whose work explores themes of mythology, fantasy, and the occult. Chew will be showcasing her Witch Familiar Mask series. These six, large-scale, mixed-media decorative masks combine traditional occult imagery and symbolism with a graphic and modern style, and continue expanding upon Chew’s previous Witch Series of portraits.

Opening Reception

The grand unveiling on Light Grey Art Lab’s new space, and the opening reception for tobeyou, The Dark Forest, the solo exhibitions for Erik Krenz and Carolyn Nowak, and the release of Camille Chew’s Witch Familiar Mask series is Friday, March 3rd from 7-10PM. tobeyou and Carolyn Nowak’s work remains on display until April 14th. The Dark Forest and Erik Krenz’s work will remain on display until April 28th. The opening reception is free and open to the public, and features multiple chances to win free art throughout the evening, music, and refreshments.

RSVP HERE!

Young Mystics: Tarot and the Cosmos

Young Mystics: Tarot - Tarot & The Cosmos
$5 / free for students (just bring your ID) — drop ins welcome!
RSVP here!
THURSDAY, February 16th @ 6:30 - 9pm

•••••••

Join us for a 2.5 hour workshop in reading Tarot! If you’ve always wanted to feel confident with the symbols, meanings and metaphors in the cards — This time we'll be taking an interactive approach to learning how celestial bodies, the zodiac, and other cosmic influences shape our understanding of Tarot.

This workshop is one in a series of Tarot workshops / meet-ups we’ll be at Light Grey. Look for more study groups, related workshops and more for people looking to explore their mystical side in the coming weeks.

Stars, the Moon, the heavens, and beyond! In this workshop we'll explore the significance of the Cosmos in our understanding of the cards. We'll discuss the cards dealing with intuition, dreams, illusion and our subconcious and look for clues in the Tarot for how to understand the cloaked sides of ourselves a bit better. We'll learn about the symbolism of particular cosmic elements and create our own intuitive spreads.

We'll practice reading together in small groups or with partners, so feel free to bring a friend!

•••••••

This class is open to beginners and beyond - anyone interested in discussing the symbols and stories within the Tarot should stop by!

THINGS TO BRING:
Bring your deck or use one of ours!
Bring a notebook and writing utensil to take notes!

This event is open to the public, so feel free to bring a friend!

Class is $5 / Free for students (just bring your ID).

Feel free to RSVP online on our Facebook Event Page HERE
****
We willl be planning more Tarot meet-ups in the New Year! Stay tuned for more!

****

About Young Mystics:

Light Grey Art Lab's Young Mystics meet-ups allow curious minds to explore metaphysical and mystical concepts with an enthusiastic and encouraging community of individuals with backgrounds in art, symbolism, philosophy, Tarot, and other esoteric interests. Classes are held every two-three weeks at Light Grey on a variety of rotating subjects! Check the Facebook page for upcoming events. All events are drop-in and open to the public! Everyone is welcome!

Light Grey Game Night: Magic Academy

Alright, let's try this again... Practice makes perfect, especially in the world of magic. Your first health potion might accidentally turn your skin into tree bark. A test flight on a broomstick could quickly become 'crash course' in emergency landings. And a quiet night of incantation studies could easily become an epic battle against a great summoned evil. If you aspire to be Gandalf, but currently feel a bit more like Professor Hinkle, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, February 23rd from 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Magic Academy!

See if you've got what it takes to survive and graduate from the Wizard's Academy, work with your wizard-school classmates to close an evil tome in The Big Book of Madness, or hone your potion-making skills in Potion Explosion, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier! See you Thursday!

Podcast: 2016 Pacific Northwest & Vancouver Island Diaries

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

2016 Pacific Northwest & Vancouver Island Diaries
Length: 02:20:47
Synopsis: In the final days of 2016, Lindsay and Chris packed up their sleeping bags and headed out to the Pacific Northwest to camp, ski, and hike their way through remote Washington, Olympic National Park, the Hoh Rainforest, and Vancouver Island, Canada. Between the days of exploring the beautiful landscape and nights of sleeping in backwoods shacks or WW2-era tugboats, the pair took a few moments here and there to share the details of their adventure.

Show Notes:
Fortune: Online Gallery - Shop
Young Mystics: Tarot
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: The New Era

There comes a moment in history where a trajectory is all but set, and you know you're in for one hell of a bumpy ride. If you feel like things are spinning out of control but you're not done fighting yet, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, January 26th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. That's right, THURSDAY - game night is moving back to Thursday, so make sure to make a mental note!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is the New Era!

Ferret out the fascists before it's too late in Secret Hitler, recruit survivors from the nuclear winter landscape to become the dominate colony in Arctic Scavengers, or build your post-apocalypse empire 51st State, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier! See you Thursday!

Young Mystics: Tarot - Animals & Familiars

Young Mystics: Tarot - Animals & Familiars in the Tarot!
$5 / free for students (just bring your ID) — drop ins welcome!
RSVP here!
THURSDAY, January 19th @ 6:30 - 9:30pm

•••••••

Join us for a three-hour workshop in reading Tarot! If you’ve always wanted to feel confident with the symbols, meanings and metaphors in the cards — here’s your chance to get acquainted with the animals and familiars in the cards.

This workshop is one in a series of Tarot workshops / meet-ups we’ll be at Light Grey. Look for more upcoming Tarot classes and related make-and-take workshops in the New Year! We plan on hosting some study groups, related workshops and more for people looking to explore their mystical side.

The animals in the Tarot serve as mirrors, foils, shadow-selves and symbols of inherent attributes of ourselves. They are hidden in the cloaks, the environments, or sometimes right out in the open in our cards, reminding us there are multiple facets to each situation, and more knowledge to be gained from their power.

We’ll practice reading with a few new spreads in class, so participants can practice their new knowledge with others!

•••••••

This class is open to beginners and beyond - anyone interested in discussing the symbols and stories within the Tarot should stop by!

THINGS TO BRING:
Bring your deck or use one of ours!
Bring a notebook and writing utensil to take notes!

This event is open to the public, so feel free to bring a friend!

Class is $5 / Free for students (just bring your ID).

Feel free to RSVP online on our Facebook Event Page HERE

We will be planning more Tarot meet-ups in the New Year! Stay tuned for more!

About Young Mystics:
Light Grey Art Lab's Young Mystics meet-ups allow curious minds to explore metaphysical and mystical concepts with an enthusiastic and encouraging community of individuals with backgrounds in art, symbolism, philosophy, Tarot, and other esoteric interests. Classes are held every two-three weeks at Light Grey on a variety of rotating subjects! Check the Facebook page for upcoming events. All events are drop-in and open to the public! Everyone is welcome!

CALL FOR ARTISTS: TOBEYOU

January 17 - Call closed, announcement coming shortly! Participating artists will receive information about the show as soon as possible, thanks to everyone who applied!

CALL FOR ARTISTS! AN EXHIBITION ABOUT PERSONAL NARRATIVE, TALES, STORYTELLING and MEMORY. CALL ENDS JANUARY 16th!

I believe in synchronicity. I notice patterns. I am comforted by cycles and I find power in familiarity. Every time something new appears, I silently relate it to something I've seen before and remember everything that's come before it.

One, Two, Three, Four... I count the times I inhale while I walk and make my breath coincide with my steps. This morning I woke up and the words "terra firma" were in my head. These words will not go away and I find myself whispering them as I work. What does it mean? Maybe it's residue from a dream I had. Maybe it's something I'll find out later today. I'm not sure. I'll keep my eyes open.

The numbers four and seven seem important. I should remember that when I pick out dates for traveling. My phone number has them both, as does my address. The plane ticket I just bought is flight number 047. The only seat left is B21. I do not like that number.

Everyone is wearing brown shoes except for Jenny. Hers are red. This whole coffee shop is filled with people with brown shoes. Why are hers red...? I make a mental note.

TOBEYOU
An Exhibition About Story
(5th Anniversary Exhibition & Expansion Celebration)
•••
Opening March 3 • 7-10pm
at Light Grey Art Lab
118. E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55406
612.239.2047

We have amazing news! This March, we're expanding our space and our programming! We're turning 5 years old and decided it was time to do it up, make some decisions and add some things we've been dreaming about to the programs at Light Grey! Since 2012, we've been HUGE advocates for trying to create fun, unique projects that are easy to be a part of, with the mission to unite people, showcase the cool things creatives are doing, and to build real relationships across distant locations, different backgrounds and practices. It's been a crazy 5 years and this new exhibition celebrates the community we've built together and stories of growth, individuality, and memory.

For the month of March, Tobeyou celebrates YOUR STORY.

We are looking for artists interested in making work about themes important to you and art about personal narratives, themes, dreams, memories and the journey. Who are you? What is important to you right now or always? What is a theme that can not be shaken from your practice. What is a story you've been dying to tell. How do we get to know how you think, what you feel, or who you are by what you make. Tell us a story. Your story.

This exhibition will feature works by creators in the medium of their choice. We welcome narrative formats, comics, books, zines. We welcome sculptural art-objects, embroideries, jewelry, and other unique formats. As always, drawings, paintings, posters, and other 2d works are always a pleasure. As long as the work is "passionately yours" we welcome it.

The purpose of this exhibition is to get to know the community behind the works. And to share the humanity behind all of the creative energy we've had the pleasure of working alongside for the past 5 years. We will be asking each artist to write a small statement about their work to accompany the piece inside the gallery with the hopes that visitors will hear your voice, learn about you and the themes in your work, and get to know a piece of you, too.

TO BE INVOLVED, PLEASE COMMENT BELOW WITH YOUR NAME, EMAIL AND LINKS LIKE THIS by JANUARY 16th:
<Please do not send any email entries to us because they may get buried! Please use the comments section of this blog post! :) >

example:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com

IMPORTANT DATES / INFO TO CONSIDER:
• We are looking forward to any medium! For this exhibition, we will be showcasing ORIGINALS AND PRINTS! We are looking forward to artists wishing to send framed originals, books / comics / zines or any sculptural items because we've got a brand-spankin-new space that we are just dying to use for your beautiful items!

• Artists are welcome to send an edition of works (up to 6 copies / versions of their work!) The additional copies will be available during the opening for visitors to buy on the spot and take home with them! More information on multiples will be sent to the artists as soon as the show has been juried!

• WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE HERE FOR THE OPENING! This is a HUGE party and we are hosting a meet and greet for any artists that can be present! If you will be joining us for the show, we would love to help coordinate a visit! More info on this will also be sent to all participating artists! Let us introduce you to the other creatives that will be here!

• THE WORK SHOULD ARRIVE TO THE GALLERY by FEBRUARY 17th. We'll be assisting everyone with getting things here and setting them up for the show!

• Artists will have the opportunity to send digital works to be printed / framed in-house if you are unable to ship works from afar within the deadline above. We will help you figure out the best way to showcase your work.

• The final list of participating artists will be contacted / posted on January 18th and all artists will be sent an email with everything they'll need to know about participating including pricing work, sending work to the gallery, and anything else! Thanks so much!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT WITH ANY QUESTIONS!
Thanks again and here's to a new year of exciting possibilities!
Sincerely,
The Light Grey Team

BIG NEWS : NEW THINGS in 2017!

BRING ON THE SOLO SHOWS, GUEST CURATORS, CREATIVE WORKSHOPS & MORE --- MARCH 3rd, 2017!

There are a lot of things we're looking forward to in 2017, but our new plans might take the cake. This year we're turning FIVE! Since opening in 2012, we've worked with over a thousand incredible people from around the world to bring collaborative exhibition projects to life like COSMOS, Skate or Die, ROLEMODELS: The Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl, Botanica, and Fortune. We've had the pleasure of hosting amazing workshops with creative geniuses like Sam Bosma and Kali Ciesemier, Meg Hunt, Colin Foran and Claire Hummel, Teagan White and Victoria Ying and Mike Yamada, and we've taken trips around the world with creative folks that want to explore, learn, and meet other creative people. We're very proud to be a part of a thriving creative community and always try to find fun ways of promoting new ideas, showcasing incredible people, and supporting the amazing things that are happening in the art world.

So this year we're knocking down walls with a tsunami of ideas (and a sledgehammer) and spilling through into our next-door space -- where we'll have the opportunity to add

• a calendar of SOLO EXHIBITIONS
• opportunities for GUEST CURATED EXHIBITIONS on our SALON WALL
• a dedicated PAGE GALLERY for NARRATIVE WORKS (comics, books, animation and more)
• A BEAUTIFUL NEW ART SHOP for creators of ART OBJECTS, ZINES, JEWELRY & TEXTILE ART
• and a dedicated WORKSHOP SPACE for CLASSES, MEET-UPS & LECTURES

to our list of fun ways to be involved-- in addition to the things we already love to do like our group shows, travel programs, and creative projects.

We'll be looking for artists interested in reaching out, pitching ideas for exhibitions, doing book signings for their new comics, people interested in consigning items in the new shop, and artists looking to teach the things they're passionate about in the space! If you have a proposal for a show, idea, or creative get-together, we're all ears. A new form for proposals will be added to our site in FEBRUARY and we encourage you reach out! Watch for it as we get closer to the grand opening of our expansion on MARCH 3rd!

WHATS NEXT?

We'll be blogging the renovations via our instagram (@lightgreyartlab) so you can see it in the works and watch us don our weird space suits and face masks, and see it all take shape!

We're forever grateful to all of the support from everyone that's been a part of the journey, including all of the people involved in the projects and the individuals that come to appreciate the work! Thank you all for being involved in the creative community!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR 5TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY / REVEAL on MARCH 3rd where you can peruse the new space and see what it's all about! We'll invite you to see a brand new series of exhibitions, peruse the space and see what we have in store for the new year!

Questions? Please send us a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com

Gamecraft 2017

Video games. We love them and out of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of artists we talk to each year, a surprising amount want to help make them. Sometimes starting can be the hardest part, but if you've ever wanted to dip your toes into the video game scene, or are already making games and want a chance to meet new like-minded people, check out GLITCH's 2017 Gamecraft event!

Over 200 designers, artists, developers, and writers from around the Midwest gather for a 48-hour event scheduled to coordinate with this year's Global Game Jam. It doesn't matter your area of interest or level of skill, everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate!

Gamecraft 2017 runs January 20-22, 2017, and you can learn everything you need to know and register to participate on their website, www.gamecraft.mn or the Facebook event page!

So grab some friends, some coffee, and some creativity, and go make some games!

Light Grey Game Night: Onward & Upward

After a long night, loud, and rambunctious night of New Years Eve gaming (everyone just plays games all night to celebrate the new year, right?!?) 2017 is here at last! For us here at Light Grey Art Lab, 2017 is a big year. It brings with it a speedy pace, big goals, and plenty of growth! If you're ready to kick this year into high gear and conquer new heights and build new things, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, January 12th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. That's right, THURSDAY - game night is moving back to Thursday, so make sure to make a mental note!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Onward & Upward!

Race upward to build the iconic greek city of Santorini, pave the way for towering skyscrapers in New York 1901, or watch your empire grow in Imperial Settlers, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier! See you Thursday!

Fortune Opening Reception Recap!

Thank you to everyone who made it out to the opening reception and celebration of the Fortune Exhibition! We had a great night admiring all of the gilded images, talking about the new year, and holiday festivities! Thank you for supporting and being a part of the project!

The Fortune Exhibition includes work by 70+ artists from around the globe. Each person has created a unique and limited edition image that has been printed onto artist paper and hand-foiled by the Light Grey team! These gorgeous images represent some of our cultural and individual hopes for the new year, lucky charms, guiding stars, the Chinese Zodiac, good omens, predictions, and fortunes! The images are available as hand-made prints and 2017 wall calendars.

The exhibition will be on display through January 20th. You can stop by the gallery to check out all of the shimmering images in person, on the online shop, or the online gallery archive. You can also see more photos of the project and opening reception on our flickr page.

We will have limited holiday hours so please call or check the facebook page for details!

Young Mystics: Tarot - The Suit of Wands

Young Mystics: Tarot - The Suit of Wands!

$5 / free for students (just bring your ID) — drop ins welcome!

RSVP here on our FB page!

THURSDAY, December 8th @ 6:30 - 9:30pm

•••••••

Join us for a three hour workshop in reading Tarot! If you’ve always wanted to feel confident with the symbols, meanings and metaphors in the cards — here’s your chance to get acquainted with the cards of the heart, our connections with others, and our desires — the Suit of Wands!

This workshop is one in a series of Tarot workshops / meet-ups we’ll be at Light Grey. Look for more upcoming Tarot classes and related make-and-take workshops in the New Year!

The suit of Wands is all about our impulses, our passions, and the things that drive us. The wands our our fuel for creation, spontaneity and persistence. Ruled by the element of fire, it is a suit that needs attention -- we become engulfed in our obsessions, our yearnings and our desire to move forward. It can be a suit of competition, aspirations, and creative integration. This energy can be unstoppable, relentless and persisting -- and may be the thing we most need to keep moving forward.

We’ll practice reading with a few new wands-specific spreads in class, so participants can practice their new knowledge with others!

•••••••

This class is open to beginners and beyond - anyone interested in discussing the symbols and stories within the Suit of Wands should stop by!

THINGS TO BRING:
Bring your deck or use one of ours!
Bring a notebook and writing utensil to take notes!

This event is open to the public, so feel free to bring a friend!

Class is $5 / Free for students (just bring your ID).

Feel free to RSVP online on our Facebook Event Page HERE

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About Young Mystics:

Light Grey Art Lab's Young Mystics meet-ups allow curious minds to explore metaphysical and mystical concepts with an enthusiastic and encouraging community of individuals with backgrounds in art, symbolism, philosophy, Tarot, and other esoteric interests. Classes are held every two-three weeks at Light Grey on a variety of rotating subjects! Check the Facebook page for upcoming events. All events are drop-in and open to the public! Everyone is welcome!

Light Grey Game Night: Like Clockwork

Programming games are a genre of boardgame where you and your opponents simultaneously preplan your actions, then resolve them in order and watch as the best-laid plans fall to pieces. Programming games combine skillful planning, a good sense of spatial awareness, the ability to read those around you, and a hearty dose of humor as things never quite go as expected. If you're feeling like a calculating, cold, emotionless robot ready to program the night away, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 7th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Like Clockwork!

Rev up your robo-rides and smash some baddies in Mechs VS Minions, grab the loot and dash in Colt Express, drunkenly stumble your way through a tavern fight in The Dragon & Flagon, or work together to beat the clock in Bomb Squad, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier! See you Wednesday!

CALL FOR ARTISTS: The Lost Isle of Kismet : A Choose Your Own Adventure Exhibition

EDIT 1/20 -- Thanks to everyone that submitted their name for this call for art! We'll be announcing / sending emails to all participating artists shortly! :)

THE LOST ISLE OF KISMET
A Choose Your Own Adventure Exhibition
Opening Fall 2017
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis MN 55406 • 612.239.2047

Your knife feels nearly useless as you hack through the thick brush in front of you. The sun is quickly setting and although you enjoy a glimpse of the brilliant colors through small holes in the canopy now and again, you know that within the hour you’ll be lost, hungry, and left to ponder your state in complete darkness. With a grunt, you swing your knife again at the thick vines and rip a handful to the side, then beckon your two traveling companions to step through. Your legs ache from walking uphill for hours and any sliver of exposed skin is raw and roasted from the mid-day sun. Up in the trees, you can see the silhouettes of bats sweeping between the mossy treetops. You’re jealous. You raise your knife once more but stop suddenly. There, in front of you is an old rope ladder covered in moss and frayed from age. It extends upward to an old and crumbling footbridge in the treetops. You study it for a moment-- It looks like a path through the canopy...

Your traveling companion, Bill, looks at you with sad eyes. “You know I can’t get up there.”

You feign a smile. “Sure you can…” You give the ladder a small tug to test its strength. An unexpected shower of bugs rains down on the three of you, most of which land on Bill. You watch him hurriedly brush himself off, and can't help to glance down to his leg. He’s right. He can't make it up the ladder, and you all know it. His leg is bloated and a rainbow of colors. The ladder looks like it could only support one person at a time, and it would likely take two of you to help Bill up into the treetops.

Leave Bill behind and tell him you’ll come back for him. You know it’s not likely you could find your way back if you tried, but at least two of you might have a chance to escape the thick brush before night time. (Turn to page 24)
Try to take Bill with you and see if you can assist him up the ladder. (Turn to page 112)

We are looking for artists interested in building a world full of wonder, intrigue, peril, and adventure for our huge Fall 2017 exhibition! We’ll be transforming the gallery into an interactive choose your own adventure-- where visitors will be able to wander through the gallery, traveling from page to page and determining the fate of your party as you go. In coordination with the exhibition, and for those adventurers that can't make it to Minneapolis, we'll be printing an exhibition book, allowing for anyone to wander The Lost Isle of Kismet from the comfort of their own home.

If you've never heard of a CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE -- it's a book with multiple endings, various paths, and choices the reader can make as they go. Each encounter gives the reader a chance to flip to another section of the book and discover how their choices have determined the fate of their hero and their party.

*******

HOW IT'LL WORK:
We are looking to build four 'teams' -- each in charge of one of the categories of encounters on The Lost Isle of Kismet! One group will create the spaces, another the treasures and artifacts, a third the creatures, and finally, one group will depict the disasters the party may encounter. Each participating artist will be assigned a team (based on their preferences below) and make one piece of work within their team category. All artists on each team will be able to bounce ideas off of their teammates, see what others are building for their facets of the adventure, and contribute their own epic encounter!

The teams are put together based on interest and category -- so for example, there will be parts of the journey where our heroes will discover mazes of caves underground, or stumble into a pit of spikes, or a heaving ball of spiders. Whatever you decide, we'll encounter it in the adventure. Below are the categories of encounters we're looking for and a couple words to help you get the idea of what types of things fall into that category --

TEAM DISCOVERY (open vistas, maps, environments, shelters, dwellings, plants)

TEAM TREASURE (treasures, ruins, long lost artifacts, people they meet along the way, clues, talismans and items, equipment)

TEAM CREATURE (animals, monsters, ghosts, demons, transformations, beasts, swarms, bones of things long dead)

TEAM DISASTER (poisonous things, illnesses, traps, natural disasters, explosions, all encounters with terrible things)

Each artist can make one piece of work that will be exhibited in the gallery, archived online, and printed in the interactive exhibition book. The work will be for sale in the gallery and online. Since this exhibition is going to be really unique and interactive, we will be asking for digital files ONLY for the exhibition and will be printing the gallery print for all artists for free to make it easier to participate! The exhibition will be a massive installation, and to help us raise funds for the installation of the event, we'll be printing a limited edition of the choose your own adventure books that will be available at the opening reception and online when the exhibition opens.

The Light Grey Team will be writing a fully interactive story with many twists and turns of fate, disasters, perilous circumstances, and heart-pumping adventure once the artwork comes in, and will return with a multi-faceted story with different endings, journeys, and paths you can continue to read and explore many times over.

TO PARTICIPATE:
If you're interested in being a part of the adventure, please put your NAME, EMAIL, LINKS TO YOUR WORK ONLINE, and YOUR 2 TEAM PREFERENCES BELOW like this:

Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com
1. TEAM DISCOVERY
2. TEAM DISASTER

Then, we'll be reaching out after the call for art ends (a few days after January 20th) to email all participating artists with more information on selling their work, dates and deadlines, artwork submission info, and everything else one might need to know about the show! The final list of participating artists will also be announced via our blog and social media the following weekend!

*******

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND:
EDIT 11/16: We just found out that we'll be able to do something incredible for both the show and the book (SORRY, NO SPOILERS!) and we've adjusted the deadlines for the show accordingly! We're excited that gives all of us a little more time to make it through the holiday season and start the New Year off with a bang!

FINAL ARTWORK will be due MARCH 1st, 2017.

Thanks so much and please let us know if you have any questions!
You can send us a note anytime at hello@lightgreyartlab.com

Here's to an epic adventure!

Light Grey Cookie Party!

Winter is coming and what better way to beat the chilly weather than by indulging your holiday sweet tooth with delicious treats and great company? Join us for our 7th Annual Light Grey Cookie Party on Sunday, December 11th, from 1 - 3 PM!

As always, the Light Grey Cookie Party is a massive cookie swap! So bake a batch of your favorite cookies, sweets, clusters, donuts, cupcakes, or bars to share, but don't forget to bring a container to take an assortment home with you! Variety is the (sweet) spice of life!

No pressure, but prizes will be awarded for a variety of tasty categories, including best looking, best tasting, and 'most unique,' so break out a classic family recipe, go nuts with decadent decorations, or challenge the idea of what 'cookie' even means!

You can find all the details on the facebook event page! Feel free to post what type of cookie you might bring, and invite your friends!

Roll up those sleeves and get baking, we'll see you soon!

Podcast: 2016 England Diaries - Part Two

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

2016 England Diaries - Part Two
Length: 01:11:41
Synopsis: Earlier this month, Lindsay was joined by Teagan White on a trip overseas for the U.K. Tarot Conference in London, England. This week's podcast picks up right where last week left off. As you might recall, Teagan and Lindsay had just returned to London after a week of exploring the English countryside. Now, back in London, the dynamic duo recap their urban-themed adventures, from creeping through ancient cemeteries to studying in esoteric museums to signing in empty karaoke bars. Finally, they go deep into ideas and insights gained at the U.K. Tarot Conference, discussing topics about creativity, symbolism, and personal reflection.

Show Notes:
Teagan White: Website - Tumblr - Twitter
Midnight: Online Gallery - Shop
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Danger and Glory

There are some folks who like to live life on the edge. A gaping chasm exists to be leapt across. A cursed treasure map was made to be followed. And a heaping pile of glittering treasure is just waiting to be claimed. If you're in the mood to risk life and limb for fame and fortune, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 16th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Danger and Glory!

Duel on top of a speeding locomotive in Colt Express, race to the bottom of the sea before your oxygen runs out in Deep Sea Adventure, or save innocents from a blazing inferno in Flash Point: Fire Rescue, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier! See you Wednesday!

EDIT: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT ENTERED THIS CALL FOR ARTISTS!WE ARE CURRENTLY JURYING AND WILL ANNOUNCE THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS SHORTLY!CALL FOR ARTISTS ENDS APRIL 11th!CAMOUFLAGE

CALL FOR ARTISTS: COLOR ANTHROPOLOGYAn exhibition about how color shaped the worldCALL ENDS MARCH 4th!EDIT MARCH 19: Thanks for your patience, everyone! We will be emailing all participating artists tonight! :) Hang tight and thanks for putting your name in for this show!