Rings going up at Central Park West

2017 Iron Pour at MN Waldorf School

An annual children-guided powerful performance centered on overcoming personal challenges and performed in honor of each student’s internal transformation.

Following a parent and student ceremony, James Brenner Sculpture led the iron pour in creating five star constellations with fire lines connecting the glowing stars. During the previous month, the children worked on identifying their personal challenges and created images that reflect the qualities that are necessary to overcome those challenges. This imagery was carved into sand molds in the shape of stars that created the constellations. A large open faced community iron project culminated the pour.

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Benches

Working on grinding benches for the Central Park West

Nearly a Sphere

Almost done with the layers for the Central Park West sculpture!

Layering and Lighting

Setting sphere layers in place and running the fiber optic cable through for Central Park West sculpture, it's coming along well!

Current Project

My sculpture for St Louis Park and Golden Valley - a gateway piece situated in a community connection space at Central Park West-  is underway! Check back soon to see a time lapse fabrication video of the glass, steel, and fiber optic LED sphere.

   

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

Upcoming Events from Hydro-Illuminata

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The opening reception at Homewood Studios was a blast! Thank you to everyone that attended. If you missed it, the exhibition will be on display through May 27. The gallery hours are as follows:

Homewood Studios - 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Mpls, MN 55411
Tuesday: 5–9pm
Wednesday and Friday: 1–6pm
Saturday: 1–4pm

There are two more Hydro-Illuminata events coming up:

Artists' Talk at Homewood Studios
Date: Tuesday, May 16th
Time: Beginning at 7pm
Address: 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Mpls, MN 55411
Details: Informal, question and answer session with attendees, on-street parking available, no entrance fee
Check out the Facebook event here: Hydro-Illuminata Artists' Talk

Closing Party at Homewood Studios
Date: Saturday, May 27th
Time: 2–5pm
Address: 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Mpls, MN 55411
Details: on-street parking, no entrance fee
Check out the Facebook event here: Hydro-Illuminata Closing Party

Iron artists and workshop participants may pick up their artworks at the closing party. In the meantime, here are a few images from the show:
 

2017 Vision Awards

I've received the privilege of being a NEMADD Vision Award winner! This award honors those who have provided leadership and commitment in the service of arts, artists, and culture in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. 

I am humbled by this recognition and look forward to serving my community in the future. 

Hydro-Illuminata Exhibition: May 6, 2017

© 2016 Mike Madison

© 2016 Mike Madison

 

Hydro-Illuminata has been a roaring success! The project will continue with an exhibition at Homewood Studios. The exhibition will feature the cast iron boats, artwork by the iron pour artists, and photographs and video documentation of the iron pour event. Hydro-Illuminata will close with a party during which participants and iron artists may pick up their artwork to take home. Here's a preview of the exhibitted artwork:

 
© 2016 Mike Madison

© 2016 Mike Madison

Important Dates

Artwork Drop Off (for iron pour artists)
Schedule a date and time by emailing jim@jamesbrenner.com
Drop off deadline: April 28
Address: 1720 Madison St Ne, Minneapolis, MN 55413
*One piece per artist. Cast iron work preferred. Please limit dimensions to a 18" x 18" footprint. Work should be delivered "ready to install." If there are special instructions, please include typewritten copy with installation directions. Pedestals are limited but available upon request.

Installation (for iron pour artists)
Date: Wednesday, May 3rd beginning at 10am
Wrap up: Thursday, May 4th beginning at 8am (contingent on need)
*Iron artist may be present for installation but it is not necessary

Opening Reception at Homewood Studios
Date: Saturday, May 6th
Time: 4pm–8pm
Address: 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Mpls, MN 55411
Details: on-street parking available, free admission

Artists' Talk
Date: Tuesday, May 16th
Time: Beginning at 7pm
Address: 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Mpls, MN 55411
Details: informal, Q&A with attendees, on-street parking, free admission

Closing Party at Homewood Studios
Date: Saturday, May 27th
Time: 2pm–5pm
Address: 2400 Plymouth Avenue, Mpls, MN 55411
Details: on-street parking, free admission
*Participants and iron artists may pick up their artworks to take home

Thank you for your continued support! I look forward to seeing you at Homewood Studios.

In the mean time, enjoy this documentary on Hydro-Illuminata by Green Jeans Media:

Central Park West

I’ve been commissioned by St. Louis Park and Golden Valley to create a sculpture for Central Park West! The centrally located water feature sculpture is meant to reflect the values of these communities and serve as a gateway and connection space.

The sculpture combines glass, stainless steel, and lighting elements with ipe wood used elsewhere in the park to mimic and further enhance the aesthetics of the redevelopment. The ipe wood will be laminated and bent into arches that, when loosely woven together, create a sphere. This sphere will contain an additional smaller sphere of glass and steel that is internally lit by fiber optic LEDs.

The sculpture will remain visually engaging from any perspective as it shifts based on time of day and different vantage points. From the benches surrounding the pool, the viewer will see each of the layers unfolding to reveal the layer below. The viewer will see the interior of the sculpture while appreciating the whole of the exterior. The glowing orb will reflect its intimate environment for viewers far away to appreciate. This shift in visual presence from near to far will illustrate the diversity of individual reactions to the space.

For more information, please visit: www.stlouispark.org

Images courtesy of Aaron Marx of Marx Studio

Shingle Creek Aeration Project

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I’m excited to introduce “Hydro-Flow!” This sculpture has been commissioned as part of the Shingle Creek Aeration Project, a stream restoration project managed by the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. Its goals are to stabilize streambanks, add a fish habitat, and improve water quality.

For the Shingle Creek Aeration Project, I envision both a utilitarian system in the sculptures that provides the aeration necessary to elevate the river in its water quality, and a demonstration aspect that will allow the community to witness such transformations. I will use Flow-form technology, as developed by John Wilkes, to move water through a series of cast forms resulting in naturally improved oxygenation.

Building on Rudolf Steiner’s research regarding the various uses and effects of water vortexes, John Wilkes created Flow-forms which produce both the clockwise and counterclockwise stirring movements simultaneously creating a vortex and eliminating the need for mechanical stirring methods. The action of a Flow-form simulates the natural movement of a mountain stream and naturally mix oxygen into the water by moving it in a figure-eight pattern. With the history and biodynamic applications of Flow-forms in mind, I am proposing three sculptures that when paired with bubbler technology will significantly increase oxygenation in the water, support improved plant and animal functioning and produce negative ions resulting in calming effects on the viewer.

To learn more about Shingle Creek , please visit: www.shinglecreek.com

Images courtesy of Aaron Marx of Marx Studio

Finalist for Outdoor Sculpture in Marshall MN

Getting ready to present an outdoor sculpture project for Marshall MN. The City of Marshall with the Marshall Area Fine Arts Council lead an effort to recruit and select an artist to create a sculpture for the Avera Plaza. 

My concept will be on display during the month go may for the public to look at and comment. Looking forward to the results!!

 

 

Gulf Coast Green 2016

Heading to Houston!!! Gulf Coast Green is a symposium and expo conference about green building. This years' theme is Smart Design which includes art, architecture and sustainability. I am excited to be participating as a speaker and talking about Art as a catalyst for change.

For more information on the event https://aiahouston.org/v/site-home/Gulf-Coast-Green-2016/35/

April 28th, 2016

smART Design:

The intersection of art, architecture and sustainability

Midtown Arts and Theatre Center Houston (MATCH)

3400 Main Street 

Houston, TX 77002

Enviromental Exhibition Coming soon.

Sustainable Acts: Mother Earth's Embrace is a unique group exhibition that merges science and art running from October 22, 2015- January 2016. This project investigates the importance in art communicating concerns of organic and suitable food production, climate change, population growth, social justice, water and pollution. Art is a vehicle for igniting conversation that stimulates inner emotional human connections to inspire action.

 

LOCATION:

Institute on the Environment IonE.

University of Minnesota

1954 Buford Ave. St. Paul

 

For more information click here

Convergence, 2014

Restoring Balance III, 2015

Restoring Balance III, 2015

 

Convergence Celebration

 

A gathering to dedicate and unveil my new sculpture for Bloomington's South Loop. Join us in this celebration!

 

Thursday, August 20, 2015. Rain or Shine.

At the Roundabout- Lindau Lane and 28th Avenue in Bloomington, MN

2:00- 2:30   Meet the Artist

2:30- 2:45   Dedication Ceremony

2:45- 3:00   Sculpture Unveiling

 

Music by Steve Sandberg and Friends with members from the Brass Messengers.

Refreshments and ice cream served. 

 

Back from China

Beyond Boundaries Exhibition at TEDA Contemporary Art Museum, Tianjin China