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Rifle Sport Alternative Arts was an art gallery that sat above Block E, in downtown Minneapolis. It lasted from 1985 through 1988, when the city closed down the block with grand plans. Now, over 12 years later, the city of Minneapolis is starting to develop the block. It seems like a fitting time to put this brief introduction up.
More will be added to this site: Links to people involved; Visual, Sound and Video art; Examples of work from the period;
News articles and other rarities.
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Shows and EventsThe phenomenon of the Gallery Crawl is a subject unto itself. Rifle Sport's shows, while not sharing in the guise of the other galleries, usually outdid the other openings in as far as entertainment and surprise. The Art being featured in the gallery was one aspect of a much larger event. Following is a chronologic list, not a complete list; but a list of installations, openings, performances, publications, installations at other venues, and the like.
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
Rifle Sport ArtistsFollowing is a partial, but mostly complete list of the artists and performers who were associated, in whatever way with the overall event known as Rifle Sport. For lack of any better way, they appear in alphabetical order.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
V
W
Y
Z
How it all beganF rank Sherman owned the building on Block E. In 1985 the RIFLE SPORT arcade moved out of the second floor, creating a 12,000 Sq/ft vacancy. After some problems with Moonies, who had occupied the space for 6 months, Mr. Sherman sub-leased the space to a family friend: Scott Baddenoch. Mr. Baddenoch was a U of M student at the time. He rented studio units to artists at about $2.00 a Sq/ft per year. There were 8 studio spaces ranging from 500 Sq/ft to 1500 Sq/ft. Among the artists were Colleen Barnett and Doug Argue. Colleen was a University student at the time, she was a bronze sculptor. She had been homeless for a few months, after having been locked out of her apartment by a less than stable roommate. When she began living at the old pinball gallery, her particular studio was one of the larger open spaces. Before she had finished building walls, she lived in a pile. She had made an amazing structure that had similarities to a Beavers’ Dam; in that from the outside it appeared to be a pile. It was a structure made of books and plywood, canvas and debris. It looked like a junk pile. No one knew she was living there, under the rubble. This was good, and necessary. She was living alone in a wide open space, in the middle of a notorious part of town, and violating city code(s). With the studio she had intended to have a foundry, but the city codes put an end to that. With encouragement from Robert Lindell and Walter Jost, both painters, she turned to her next idea: a gallery. Colleen’s first show was Melanie Somberg. A painter, and wife of a University professor. A local band, Tete-Noir played on the night of the opening {They were a mix of power-pop and folk stuff, all women}. It was an excellent show. Colleen Barnett and Bill Taylor met shortly before that show. Taylor: “Though I was not involved yet, I remember she picked the name from the pinball arcade. Everyone recognized the name and knew exactly where it was. “After the October break for a gallery rebuild, Colleen opened a group show of Walter Jost, Robert Lindel & Scott Brennan. It was a tight show, very professional. It got some reviews. Some of the artists were still students, so Rifle Sport became known as a ‘Student’ gallery.” He continues: “I had been hanging out with Colleen, and other artists at the gallery and helped with the opening. Artists seemed to come from all directions, from all disciplines. All wanting and deserving shows. It was overwhelming! Artists also needed to vent. The sterile gallery scene seemed to reject all local artists, not just students. “High profile, high buck artists from the coasts seemed to get all the attention. But some local people that were young and inventive, had success. Aldo Moroni who made ceramic land/city scapes had landed grants and sold some large work. Doug Argue was doing well, many others also seemed on the brink. There was even talk of a new ‘Regionalism’ sweeping the nation, and maybe the art power brokers on the coasts wouldn't’ta have so much control. Maybe artists won’t have to go to New York to make it big.” Taylor: “There were two arts related papers in town: Artpaper and Vinyl. Oh for the days of lots of funding... Already a theatre town, the papers had a built in audience for art info. Both papers covered the gallery crawl, did reviews.”
Characteristics of time periodW hen looking back at creative events, or periods, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing “That they were ahead of their time.”. I do not believe this to be the case with Rifle Sport. I believe the artists involved at Rifle Sport had an often acute sense of the immediacy of the times. What was happening, among other things, was the beginnings of a new experience for the Twin Cities, and the artists who frequented the place. The mid-eighties, artistically, was a period of mixing: of mixed media, which is what it was called back then. Anyway, it was a time when artists of different persuasions were taking in elements of other mediums in attempts to better express their creative vision. Limits were being stretched and rules broken. "But art is spilling out of its frames into subway graffiti. Will it stop there? This is a quote from a William S. Burroughs piece called Apocalypse, written in the late 80’s. He did not write this regarding the artists coming together at the old arcade building on Hennippen Ave. Not specifically at any rate, but it seems appropriate enough. At this time the existing galleries seemed stiff and cold. One of the tenants of the Rifle Sport aesthetic was inclusion. All who entered should be treated equally and openly. Engage them in conversation, involve them in the experience of art. Another factor of the time that cannot be underestimated was “that Punk thing”. The over used phrase of “Do It yourself” is accurate. The same power that threw musical instruments and bands together was having the same effects on artists of all disciplines. It was art in your face. The mid 80’s also saw a drastic period of city development. There were still loft spaces downtown, but the buildings were going fast. Either destroyed by parking ramps, arenas, gentrification or the like. The artists who worked and lived in these spaces felt the pressure of the city and were in the mood to resist, even a little if that’s what could be done. A mood of wanting to take some of it back; to hold on for as long possible. Longer. It felt good: It was loud and rough and new. Just by being there, up above Hennepin Ave and across from the then thriving city center was good.
LocationBlock E was a block out of context. It had become a sort of microcosm of the city’s past, and a present that was slowly vanishing from sight. It was only a matter of time before this last easily visible remnant of the cities underbelly was razed in the name of progress: more parking. But in the meantime it was a great place. Block E’s artistic expression. Central location to just about everything, and those windows. The greatest windows to sit in and watch. 40,000 cars a day. Sitting up there, just higher than the street and watching everything and everybody go by ( People in metropolitan areas don’t look up very often.). But there was a lot more going on besides watching Henneppin Avenue. There was cheap rent. The rent for this space at that time was $2.89/Sq. Ft/Year. This was less than a third the average for downtown cheap rents. A man by the name of Frank Sherman owned the building. The second floor was subleased to Scott Baddenolh. Built as a Knights of Columbus dance hall in the early part of the century; later, an arcade. For 43 years pinball and shooting games took place in the 12,000 Sqft terrazzo floored space. The ‘Rifle Sport’ arcade was a staple of Block E. The block had a variety of stores and wares for the working class and those seeking a taste of adventure or illicit activity of a wide variety. On either corner stood a Shinders; Stardust Adult Entertainment had the basement. There was Moby’s/Brady’s Bar, and the Best Steak House. Up above was the old arcade space along with 7 artists studios.
Artists coming out of the wallsThe first show opened in September of 1985. October was spent closed, rehabbing the space, and then reopened in November.After the second or third show, I’m not certain if Rifle Sport was even a gallery at this point, artists started to appear at the space wanting to show their work. People were also coming to talk. To talk to people who were working with art, who made art , who were living in art. What had happened was that Rifle Sport had appeared at the right place at the right time. What was unique was the idea that anyone could show up, to see what was going on and end up with their work on the wall, the ceiling, the stairway, the roof.... And people were coming to talk. Minneapolis had had an awesome music scene going for a few years, 'zines were appearing more frequently,video was poking around, and everybody was a performance artist. The visual artists, sound makers and poets were beginning to come together. There was a great deal of creative energy going on and no real venue for gathering it all, or even attempting too. Then all of a sudden there is this place downtown that has amazing new artwork and artists around. And they’re people. You could talk to them. There was a hunger for this kind of space. Arguably it can be said that if it wasn’t there it would have been somewhere else. If it hadn't have been these people, it would have been other people. This is always the case. These spaces and places are usually created by more than what is at face value. But it was there. And it was at Rifle Sport, at that particular point in time. The following is from the introduction to the 1988 calender: "Rifle Sport, a commercial gallery, breaks fresh ground for artists. We provide a stimulating environment for artists to present their work as well as creative options and alternatives for a wide variety of art buyers and patrons. As curators we act as a liaison between these two groups and take responsibility for the coordination of the exhibition process from inception to completion. "In organizing each show, we feature art which makes people think. We strive to stimulate, nurture, and encourage each artist in order to present the best work possible. Rifle Sport Gallery exhibits art which everyone can be excited and enthused about." -Colleen Barnett + Bill Taylor. 10-87
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