PROCEEDS HELP FUND PROGRAMS IN
THE PARK.
ALL OF THAT STUFF GOING ON
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
THE BIGGEST OF THEM IS THE
UPTOWN ART FAIR.
MORE THAN A QUARTER MILLION
PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND
THIS WEEKEND.
THE FAIR HAS BEEN AROUND FOR
FIVE DECADES.
ALLY IS LIVE THIS MORNING TO
TELL US WHAT IS NEW AT THE FAIR
THIS YEAR.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE THERE?
A BUCKET?
ARE YOU COLLECTING CHANGE?
THESE ARE CANS ON DISPLAY.
THEY'RE DECORATED BY ARTISTS.
THEY'RE DISPLAYED BY BUSINESSES
PARTICIPATING IN THE ART FAIR.
YOU CAN BID ON THEM, TAKE THEM
HOME AND HELP DONATE TO THE
CAUSE.
HERE TO TALK ABOUT ALL THINGS
ART FAIR IS THE DIRECTOR.
THESE CANS.
IT'S MODELED AFTER THE GIANT
ONE WHEN YOU WALK IN.
IT'S CALLED CANVAS UPTOWN.
WE ASK BUSINESSES AS WELL AS
ARTISTS.
WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE WOULD GET
25-50.
WE GOT 185.
SO THEY'RE DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT
THE TWIN CITIES AND NOW THE
PUBLIC GETS A CHANCE TO BID ON
THEM.
THE BUDDY IS GOING TO GO FOR AN
ART PROJECT IN UPTOWN.
THIS IS DECORATED BY BRIAN
DOZIER.
HE'S THE COMMEMORATIVE ARTIST
THIS YEAR.
WE'LL HEAR FROM HIM LATER.
HE DOES EVERYTHING WITH DOTS.
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF MEDIUMS.
THIS IS THE LARGEST ART FAIR IN
THE STATE, OVER 150 ARTISTS
PEOPLE COULD SEE NATIONAL AND
FROM HERE LOCALLY, BUT WHAT
SEPARATES IT FROM MAYBE THE
OTHER ART FAIRS THAT ARE GOING
ON THIS WEEKEND.
WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY 350
ARTISTS.
AND THEY COME FROM 34 STATES IN
THE U.S. AND TREE -- THREE
COUNTRIES ABROAD.
WE HAVE A NATIONAL REPUTATION.
WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 52 YEARS.
TO GET INTO UPTOWN ART FAIR IS
A VERY, VERY COVETED EVENT.
WE CAN ONLY TAKE SO MANY.
PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO BE HERE
AND BE SELLING THEIR WARES.
AND IT'S NOT JUST PAINTINGS
AND POTTERY THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE
THERE.
'S ALSO A CULINARY ARTS
COMPETITION.
IT IS.
ART COMES IN A LOT OF SHAPES
AND FORM.
IT COULD BE MUSIC.
IT COULD BE DAPS, BUT THE ART
OF FOOD IS REALLY, REALLY BIG
NOW.
OUR CULINARY STAGE HAS BEEN
GOING ON FOR FOUR YEARS.
THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE ALWAYS
HAVE TO ADD SOMETHING NEW, WE
HAVE A HOME COOK COMPONENT.
SO AT 4:30 TOMORROW, TWO HOME
COOKS WHO WERE CHOSEN ON AN
ONLINE SEARCH ARE GOING TO
COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE MENTORED BY
THE CHEFS AT OCEAN AIR BECAUSE
THE COMPETITION IS A SEAFOOD
COMPETITION.
I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED.
I HEAR THEY ARE EXTREMELY
TALENTED, BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S
MIX IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US THIS MORNING.
NOW, THIS CANVAS, WHICH I
TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE EARLIER,
THE SCENE WAS SET BUT THEN A
BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS PAINTED IN
ALL THE INTRICATE DETAILS, SO
IT'S A FAMILY EFFORT FOR THAT
CANVAS.
WE'LL TALK TO HIM A LITTLE
LATER.
JASON, YOU'RE THE FOODIE.
I KNOW.
I'M SORRY YOU'RE NOT COOKING.
THEIR WAY TO THE UPTOWN ART
FAIR THIS WEEKEND.
THAT FAIR HAS BEEN GOING ON
FOR 52 YEARS.
ALI LUCIA IS LIVE THIS MORNING
WITH THIS YEAR'S COMMEMORATIVE
ARTIST.
THIS IS ONE OF HIS PIECES
CALLED HEAVY CORN.
WE LOVE OUR SWEET CORN.
THIS PIECE TAKES BRIAN A MONTH
TO MAKE.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE INTRICATE
ART DETAILS.
HE JOINS US THIS MORNING.
YOU WERE INVOLVED IN A SKIING
ACCIDENT WHEN YOU WERE 16 YEARS
OLD.
YOU'RE QUADRIPLEGIC.
NOW YOU'VE GAINED MOVEMENT AND
CAN WALK.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START
DOING ART AFTER YOUR ACCIDENT?
I STARTED DOING ART BECAUSE
I LOST A LOT OF THE ABILITY --
THOSE THINGS I USED TO LOVE
WERE A LOT OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITIES.
WHEN I GOT HURT, I JUST REALLY
WAS SEARCHING FOR SOME OTHER
SORT OF HAPPINESS OR PURPOSE
AND SOMETHING I COULD FIND
PASSION IN.
OUT OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS, IT
WAS ART AND IN PARTICULAR
MAKING ART.
AND THE DOT ELEMENT OF YOUR
WORK IS REALLY UNIQUE.
TELL US WHY YOU DO DOTS.
THE DOTS CAME ABOUT.
MY ACCIDENT, I LOST A LOT OF
ABILITY IN MY HANDS.
WHEN A FRIEND OF MINE WAS
TRYING TO GET -- TO MAKE ART, I
JUST PICKED UP THE PEN.
I HOLD IT LIKE THIS.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I COULD
DO.
I MAKE DOTS.
ACTUALLY I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
I GOT IN THE DOT ZONE AND FROM
THERE IT'S A REALLY POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE TO GET DOWN AND MAKE
DOTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW FAR
YOUR WORK HAS COME SINCE YOU
STARTED, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO
BE SELECTED AS THE
COMMEMORATIVE ARTIST THIS YEAR?
IT'S AN HONOR.
THIS STARTED FOR HAPPINESS ITCH
I'M THANKFUL I HAVE THIS AND TO
BE APPRECIATED BY AN EVENT
THAT'S AS CELEBRATED AS UPTOWN
ART FAIR IS REALLY BEYOND WORDS
WHAT THIS ALL MEANS TO ME AND
BEING OUT HERE AND SHARING THIS
HAPPINESS WITH EVERYBODY AND
ALL THESE PEOPLE, IT'S JUST
REALLY A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL
TO MAKING ART THAT'S REALLY
SPECIAL AND.
IT'S A LOSS OF WORDS.
YOU MAY SEE ME SHED A TEAR OF
JOY OR TWO THIS WEEKEND.
I'M THRILLED.
YOUR STORY IS INSPIRING.
YOU CAN SEE THE PIECE BEHIND
US.
HE DID THE WORK AND A GROUP OF
PEOPLE DID THE COLORING.
THE ART FAIR STARTS THIS
AFTERNOON AROUND LUNCHTIME AND
RUNS THROUGH SUNDAY.
HE IS FROM PENNSYLVANIA, BUT HE
MOVED TO MINNESOTA THREE YEARS
AGO.
LIVES IN LITTLE FALLS.
ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT.
SO WE LOVE HEARING THOSE KINDS
OF STORIES TOO.
IT IS A GREAT STORY.
HIS ART IS FANTASTIC.
THAT'S WHY HE DESERVES TO BE
THE COMMEMORATIVE ARTIST.
WHAT A GREAT STORY TOO, ALI.
I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW LONG IT
TAKES HIM TO DO ONE PIECE.
THAT'S A LOT OF WORK.
ONE MONTH.