Explore the world in amuz.
The Seeds of Inspiration: Minnesota Crop Art
Years ago when on a western bound road trip we got suckered into visiting Mitchell South Dakota. Mitchell is home to the “World's Only Corn Palace”. It was originally constructed in 1892 to celebrate the harvest and stimulate the economic growth of the community. Through the years entertainers and politicians have made the journey to Mitchell. Obama was there in 2008.
There is a new theme every year and one can’t help but marvel that a community still pulls together to create a crop art of such magnitude. It is reminiscent of of the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade; another exemplary example of seed art excellence.
Cut to Minnesota - another Midwest stalwart state of perseverance, community and innovation. The Minnesota State Fair started displaying crop art in the 1960s. Early entries promoted the fertile and overabundant nature of the state's agriculture. Only cultivated Minnesota grown farm crops or garden fruits, vegetables and seeds are permitted.
Today this is one of the most popular fair exhibits. Lines to view crop art works may exceed four hours. Entries are at an all time high. There is a humor and intelligence that endears in this humble art form.
In 2026 the crop art reflects our turbulent times and need for community catharsis. We felt humbled by the creativity and talent on display. We had a few laughs and imagined how many hours and the talent that it took to turn millet, lentils and pumpkin seeds into works of art.
For those who couldn’t queue up for hours or get to the Fair it’s not too late to see some magnificent crop art!
The Minneapolis Institute of Art is hosting a curated show featuring 30 pieces from the Fair. The “Cream of the Crop: The Second Harvest” runs from September 19 - November 29th, 2026. There were no lines and admission is free.
Themes were diverse. Several works reflected the horror of ICE raids. One entry was an homage to beloved icon Dolly Parton. Some artists drew upon masterworks in the MIA’s collection. There is precision in the execution and technique.
Jennifer B.Nelson found inspiration in Pablo Picasso’s anti-war mural “Guernica”. Nelson’s work is entitled “Twin Cities 2026/Guernica 1937”. Picasso’s horse was replaced by Minnesota’s loon. The work inspires thought about peace and peace making. Most importantly it bears witness to the innocent victims of war and aggression.
A terrific moment of levity is provided via the piece, “Paul’s Bunions” by Krissy Sorensen. This is not oil painting on canvas but it is masterful and fun.
The folk lore tale is that the massive feet of Paul Bunyan formed the thousands of Minnesota lakes, no doubt leading to the podiatrist’s often seen ailment.
Sorensen’s words about her piece reflect her humor: “The Minnesota-based artist uses naturally sourced seeds to create work that balances the craft and the kitsch of crop art. She has plantar fasciitis and wears a size 7 shoe.”
Explore Minnesota in amuz.
Connectivity is the Thing!
News of Bob Metcalfe’s Madison talk sent me back to his 1990s InfoWorld columns—the same guy who invented Ethernet.
There is plenty to consider in Bob's career, but this bit of trivia invites the reader to dive in, deeply: Great moments in geekdom:
In December 1995 our own Bob Metcalfe predicts in his From the Ether column that the Internet will collapse within a year. It doesn’t, and in April 1997, Metcalfe eats his words — literally — but only after popping the column in a blender and hitting Puree.
I've posted slides and a machine generated transcript from his 10 September 2026 remarks, here.
A few favorites:
"And by the way, you'll notice that the telephone didn't change much. This is the Model five hundred in nineteen forty-nine. This is the Model five hundred in nineteen eighty-four. This is what happens when you turn an industry over to a monopoly. [00:04:30] It takes forever to do stuff like, for example.... Can you imagine Steve Jobs holding one of these up- -every year?"
"Now there are some surprises in this history, and I've chosen three, and I'm calling them reversals. The first one — there was an IBM executive named Roche [sic], and he plotted the cost of IBM mainframes versus their total power."
"His law, roughly speaking, is bigger computers are better. So IBM and others all went out and built bigger computers. Meanwhile, [00:37:00] across the country in Palo Alto and around, was the — Moore's Law said smaller computers are better, in essence. So you have the East Coast adopting the mainframe mindset and the West Coast adopting the PC mindset, and guess which one won? Semiconductors won."
"Here's a paradox. Neurons — you all have them. Billions of years old, pitifully slow and huge compared to transistors. Transistors are like a — what's it say here? Oh, there it is — transistors are a thousand times smaller and a million times faster than neurons. And yet, human brains, which are built out of pitiful neurons, are much faster and intelligent than what we can build using transistors. You all see the paradox? How can that be? You take these slower things and you make a [00:41:30] faster thing."
"And the answer is the theme of my talk, which is almost over now — connectivity. The connectivity of transistors is typically one or two or three, and the connectivity of a neuron is typically ten thousand. So the way that the neuron gets to be so powerful is by connectivity among..."
Explore the world in amuz.
 |  |
Still Life: Madison
The pace of construction within our Isthmus City continues, offering plenty of street scenes, seasoned with the arrival of > 50,000 University of Wisconsin-Madison students for the fall semester.
A deeper visual dive into the Capitol City Trail amidst John Nolen Drive reconstruction.
Explore Madison in amuz.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)