"THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THE JOY"
I have to take an interlude from Newfoundland for today to just "muse" about how amazing it is to be at this place and time in "forming a more perfect union". I know live in Maine, and I moved to Maine from Minnesota where I had lived for over 30 years. I left Minnesota for a plunge into retirement, and I have always left part of the my heart there, part of my family there, and lots of gratitude and appreciation for the North Star state. I have known Governor Walz since his first and winning run for Congress. I was working for the State of Minnesota during his congressional career and left shortly before he was elected Governor. When he, in the most down to earth way, said that the Republican candidates for President and Vice President were just "weird" ... it was like finally in the kindness and most non-malicious way someone stood up against the bullies, shrunk them down to less than life-size and showing us what leading looks like and helping us to have more hope, to bring more joy, to smile and we move towards the November election and the future.
Watching Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz at their first rally together in Philadelphia was heart opening and tear making. How healing to hear the laughter, the enthusiasm, the arms wide opening of welcoming and care for EVERYONE. Most people in this country had never heard of Tim Walz before 2 weeks ago, but they are hearing it now. I am so glad that Minnesota may well get to share another Vice President with the country. (Thank you Vice President Mondale).
There is so much I could share but I am going to share a little Minnesota love. The Minnesota State Fair, I was not a State Fair lover, the Wisconsin State Fair, was ok, but not something I wanted to do year after year, I went one year to the State Fair in Illinois as a little girl and had an asthma attack and was rushed to the hospital (never returned to that State Fair) and I have to admit I have not been to the State Fair in Maine, I am sure that they have one, but after Minnesota, well I just have dreams of returning back home to Minnesota to have a couple of days at the State Fair.
So while browsing the internet I found a little joy. A story from Minnesota Public Radio about Crop Art (one of my favorite things to do while at the State Fair, I even took some crop art workshops) -- the crop art exhibit is so fun and interesting, the work is so very amazing and there is a long history of having a very satirical politcal bent to many of the entries. So I am know sharing my joy with you. You can see why Tim Walz and so many Minnesotans can't help smiling....nature meets the canvas meets the national stage.....
Crop artists scramble in response to news of Walz as VP pick
As the Aug. 7 deadline looms for crop art submissions at the Minnesota State Fair, some artists are scrambling to react to the announcement of Gov. Tim Walz as the vice presidential pick for Kamala Harris.
Mary Beth Leone-Getten of St. Paul is one of those artists. “Then this morning I woke up and saw the news and I was like, I’ve got to do a Walz-themed piece.”
Leone-Getten had been working on a rainbow trout.
Leone-Getten has until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to register her new piece, as does anybody inspired enough by the news to glue seeds to board.
She says she’s been a “crop art super fan” for 25 years, but this is the first time she will enter a piece into the fair. She had taken a class earlier this year taught by crop artists Jill Moe and Marta Shore at Wet Paint in St. Paul.
Shore is now the assistant superintendent for Crop Art and Scarecrow at the Minnesota State Fair, “so she’s got a job now,” Moe says.
“We’ve been teaching just beginning classes, just helping people learn the basics of crop art,” Moe explains. “The goal of the class is to know enough so that you can enter the fair.”
The class does not simply teach the essentials of crop art — gluing seeds and other local plant life into a picture — but also the Fair’s requirements. “There are a lot of rules,” Moe says, “But the basic rules are: Whatever you’re gluing down, make sure that it can be grown in Minnesota.”
Anise may not be used. Common and noxious weed seeds or plant parts are not permitted.
“Crop art is such a beautiful Minnesotan thing,” Leone-Getten says. “It oftentimes really captures important things that are going on in the world, sometimes in a serious way, but a lot of times kind of hilariously. There’s a lot of social and political commentary.”
Her new design will show Tim Walz gesticulating above the words “They’re Just Weird.”
“It’s so specific to Minnesota, right?” Moe says. “It’s just sort of this wall where people can share their feelings, you know, or their beliefs. And Marta always makes the joke that, like people complain that the the crop art is always left leaning. Oh, what does she say? She says only liberals would spend this many hours doing something that won’t pay you anything.”
“It just sort of fits in beautifully with how a lot of Minnesotans operate,” Leone-Getten explains. “Like we might not be very forthcoming with some of our more pointed political views, but were willing to spend 100 hours placing seeds in order to display it at the State Fair.”
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