February 26, 2001 - All Things Considered’s Lorna Benson talks with Bruce Coppock, managing director of the SPCO, about conductor Bobby McFerrin leaving The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. McFerrin took the SPCO job in 1994, signing on for a two year contract after visiting the orchestra to conduct. Those two years turned into seven, and now McFerrin's ready to pursue other projects.
February 28, 2001 - The last day of February means anglers have to take their ice houses off Minnesota lakes. But with so much snow on the ground, skiing and snowmobiling enthusiasts are still living it up. And for some Minnesotans, another winter activity could start any day -- maple sugaring. The season is unpredictable -- requiring warm days and cold nights. Author Susan Carol Hauser writes about maple sugaring and is preparing to tap the trees near her Bemidji-area home. She says according to folklore a wet winterlike the one we've had means more sap.
February 28, 2001 - In the four years Deborah Copaken Kogan worked as a press photographer, she travelled in Afghanistan with rebel fighters, visited drug dens in Amsterdam, uncovered the horrors of the Romanian orphanages, and dodged bullets during the Moscow coup in 1991. She tells her story in "Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War", a book which has drawn both praise and criticism for its frank descriptions of her love life. Kogan told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr she was drawn to photography when she realised a camera could be a passport to many places. But it wasn't the only factor that led her to become a war photographer.
February 28, 2001 - Minneapolis recording company can do what Napster cannot do for the music industry.
March 8, 2001 - INTRO-- An exhibit showcasing the art of Yoko Ono opens this weekend at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Ono, who is best known for her marriage to John Lennon, has pushed the boundaries of art during her 40-year career. The Walker exhibit features more than 150 pieces of her work, including many she did in collaboration with Lennon. Barbara Haskell is a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and co-author of a book about Yoko Ono's work. Haskell says Ono began in the early 1960s with performance art, which was cutting edge at the time.
March 9, 2001 - PRONOUNCE: KARELIA is kuh RAIL yuh A trio of Karelian (kuh RAY lee un) folk musicians is in Minnesota to sing and play centuries-old music from their homeland. Karelia is a piece of northern Europe between Finland and Russia. The land is carpeted with forests and dotted with lakes. These days Karelia is an autonomous region of the Russian Federation. The Karelian Folk Ensemble tunes showcase ancient instruments and stories of forest wizards. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. BACK ANNOUNCE IF USED THURSDAY: The Karelian Folk Ensemble performs tonight (Thursday) at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis and on Saturday in New York Mills.
March 12, 2001 - The Twin Cities radio music scene is getting a make over. The new trend appears to be back to the old. Alternative rock station 105 FM abruptly changed its format last week to classic soul and R&B. But this latest change may have less to do with the listeners requests, and more to do with corporate competition. ABC-Disney owns 105FM, rock station KQRS and three other local stations. According to Pioneer Press Media Columnist Brian Lambert, 105FM is basically a pawn.
March 15, 2001 - When Christina Bjork first took her idea for a children's book on impressionist Claude Monet to her Swedish publisher, she found herself swatting away dubious looks and skeptical remarks. But sixteen years after "Linnea in Monet's Garden" first hit stores, the book is an unqualified hit with fans all over the world. The story follows the adventures of young Linnea and her friend, Mr. Bloom, who travel to Paris to visit Monet's famous home and gardens and Giverny. Bjork attributes the book's sucess to its ability to appeal to all age groups.
March 15, 2001 - One of the world's best collections of Ancient Egyptian Art is coming to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The exhibit, on loan from the British Museum in London, contains objects spanning three and a half thousand years of history and includes objects ranging from large granite statues to tiny ornately carved pieces of jewelry. The collection is travelling to eight U-S cities arriving in Minneapolis in December 2002. MIA Curator Robert Jacobsen says he is particularly excited about one particular piece.
March 16, 2001 - On Word of Mouth, MPR’s Chris Roberts provides a radio guide to the local arts. This episode includes Yoko Ono, Peter Ostroushko, Popular Creeps, and an arts round-up.