Local Video
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| Going golden |
By: DAVID HENKE, Staff Writer
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Posted: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 1:23 am
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NORTHFIELD — Even from the start, Myrna Johnson had big expectations for the Northfield Arts Guild.
So it’s no surprise to Johnson, one of the founders of the guild, that the NAG has weathered 50 years of economic and social turmoil, and has emerged as one of the cultural cornerstones for the community. On Saturday, the guild, which was founded in 1959, will kick off its eight-month-long 50th anniversary celebration with two events: Art in the Park and the Summer Soiree.
For the better part of five decades, Johnson’s life has intertwined with the guild, first as a theater coordinator and board president, then as a volunteer in various capacities and an archivist.
And in all that time, Johnson has watched as the NAG, on the surface at least, adapted to rapidly changing societal norms. Fifty years ago, Johnson said, she could never have imagined that the NAG would host comic book art classes, or a risque theater shows like “Sex with Seven Women.”
But through all the superficial changes, Johnson said, the core tenets of the organization, and its dedication to writing, theater, the visual arts, dance and music, have remained constant. That constancy, Johnson said, has contributed to the longevity of the organization. And the NAG, in turn, has contributed indelibly to life in Northfield.
“The main thing about the arts guild was that it was the first major organization in town, other than churches and service clubs, that crossed over boundaries,” said Dixon Bond, a current member of the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission and a past NAG board president.
When it was founded, Bond said, the organization was integral in connecting the two college communities with the larger, Northfield community, at a time when the three were largely separated.
Now, Bond said, the NAG performs a slightly different function in the community.
“For the downtown to survive, requires people. If you don’t have people, you don’t have any enterprise,” Bond said. The NAG, Bond said, draws visitors, tourists and community members downtown, and that draw power helps maintain the commercial viability of downtown Northfield.
Like Bond, executive director Ann Mosey believes the NAG has contributed commercially and culturally to the larger community, but the fact that an organization like the arts guild can survive for 50 years in town, Mosey believes, is also a testament to the town itself.
“I think it reflects a visionary community, a creative community and a playful community, but I also think it reflects a community that rolls up its sleeves and makes things happen,” Mosey said. “It’s a great co-relationship.”
For all those reasons and more, Johnson can’t help but feel a little pride when she looks back on the organization that she helped found.
“I’m very thrilled to have been a part of it,” said Johnson, a long-time volunteer and one of the organization’s first board presidents. “It was my life; it was my career.”
— David Henke covers city and the arts. He can be reached at dhenke@northfieldnews.com or 645-1100.
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AN OPEN INVITATION
Something very close to me is turning 50, and I want you to come to the party. I’m the board president of the Northfield Arts Guild, an organization that has been a part of Northfield since 1959. This year, the NAG is kicking off a year-long celebration on Aug. 15 to remember those 50 years and renew our commitment to providing arts experiences to all of Northfield. Before you accept my invitation however, you may want to be properly introduced to this 50-year-old, so let me take a few moments to tell you what, how and who we are.
First, the NAG is a diverse arts organization with five major areas of focus: theater, visual arts, dance, literary arts and music.
Second, how is the NAG? Bluntly put, the NAG is suffering from some of the very same money worries you are probably suffering from in these unsure economic times. You are probably very careful with your money right now, only spending on the essentials, and maybe even thinking about ways of increasing your earnings — like getting a second job. The NAG is doing those things too; we’re saving money in big ways by cutting hours for the summer and in small ways by changing all of our light bulbs to compact fluorescents. We’re looking at ways to increase our earnings. We’ve embarked on a remodel of the Division Street building, which will allow us to offer pottery classes, and we’re revamping our dance offerings. These actions should allow us to weather this economy and emerge as a stronger organization ready to face the next 50 years.
As for who we are? Who makes up this “Guild?” Why, that would be all of the artists who paint, sing, sculpt, dance, act or write. The people who view, listen to or otherwise experience this art also help make up this Guild, as do the volunteers who are essential to our survival, and the members who support us financially. This list may include nearly everyone in Northfield, so perhaps an introduction is not necessary. You probably already know the NAG. If not, then the party is a great place to start. Hope to see you there!
— Michelle Olsen is the current president of the Northfield Arts Guild board of directors.
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Five pillars of the arts
The Northfield Arts Guild supports the arts in five distinct areas: writing, theater, dance, music and the visual arts. Five Northfield residents who are involved in each of the NAG’s five artistic media speak to its importance to the community
Paula Granquist
Literary Arts
NAG LITERARY ARTS SPECIALIST
The one place in Northfield that regularly presents writing classes, writing opportunities and Writers’ Nights is the Northfield Arts Guild. This is where writers connect. This is where writers share stories, poems, plays, essays and even our works in progress. We can experiment here, practice and learn in classes, and celebrate writing at our public readings. The Northfield Arts Guild is a great promoter of the literary arts.
BOB GREGORY-BJORKLUND
THEATER
COMMUNITY THEATER INSTRUCTOR AND DIRECTOR
The art of theater is sometimes perceived as remote, inaccessible. But theater is something you experience every day; two kids playing make-believe, your favorite TV show, the cut-up storyteller at work. The guild’s gift to Northfield comes in creating a community for those who love to make and see theater, young and old. Wherever I work in this town, it’s always with the guild’s support. NAG is the hub of the theater wheel in our community.
PAUL NIEMISTO
MUSIC
DIRECTOR OF THE CANNON VALLEY REGIONAL ORCHESTRA
I am grateful to the Northfield Arts Guild for being the midwife and babysitter for our now 30-year-old Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra, and also for the many artistic experiences that enriched the lives of our children as they grew up.
*As told to Bart de Malignon by Paul Niemisto
SHARI SETCHELL
DANCE
NAG DANCE COORDINATOR
One of the most distinct things that the NAG has been able to give to the Northfield dance community is a program that provides a safe, non-competitive environment for young dancers. Creating and sustaining this environment, which is unique in this region, is something I feel very strongly about. Because we aren’t competition-based, we can focus on building technique and creativity as we guide each student to their best selves through movement.
* * * *
August 2009
• Art in the Park and the Summer Soiree, Aug. 15
• Halling Retrospective NAG gallery exhibition, Aug. 26 to Sept. 26
September 2009
• Theater performance of “Jesse,” an original NAG production, Sept. 4-6, 10-12
• “Slam the Square” youth poetry slam, Sept. 19
• Founders Exhibit NAG gallery exhibition, Sept. 30 to Oct. 31
October 2009
• Theater performance of “Ah Wilderness,” the first show the NAG ever produced, Oct. 16-18, 23-25
• “Danse Macabre,” a cabaret with solo and group performers, Oct. 30
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