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She changes form. She moves in between things and in between states, from liquid to solid to vapor: raindrop, snowflake, cloud. She orients. She refreshes. She transforms and sculpts everyone she encounters. She is a landmark and a route to follow. She quenches our thirst. We will not live without the lessons in which she continually involves us any more than we could live without water.

SHE MOVES LIKE WATER: DIVINING SANDY SPIELER COLLEEN SHEEHY 3

THEATER OF HOPE DAVID O’FALLON 18

IN THE HEART OF THE CITY HARVEY M. WINJE 21

BIGGER THAN OURSELVES PAM COSTAIN 25

LIFE’S FORWARD MOTION LAURIE WITZKOWSKI 28

FORTY YEARS BLOOMING NADJA REUBENOVA 31

SHE LOVES THE WORLD SO MUCH! FLORENCE CHARD DACEY 34

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER SHEILA REGAN 37

NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES 39

SANDY SPIELER: AN ARTIST’S LIFE 53

SELECTED WORKS 65

ABOUT THE AWARD 77

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WhenaMinnPostintervieweraskedSandySpielerwhyshehadchosenpuppetsashermedium,Sandyrepliedthat“

ForSandy,suchtransformationistheveryessenceofart,andthetransformationinwhichshespecializesextendsfarbeyondanysingleperformance.Sheandhercolleaguesandherneighborstransformideasintospectacle.Theytransformeverydaymaterialslikecardboard,sticks,fabric,andpaperintofiguresthatcometolife.Andthroughtheirart,SandyandhercollaboratorsatIntheHeartoftheBeastPuppetandMaskTheatre(HOBT)havehelpedtransformtheircityandourregion.Theirwork—whichinvitespeopleinbytravelingtowheretheylive,learn,play,andwork—combinesarrestingvisuals,movement,andmusictoinspireustobethecaretakersofourcommunitiesandtheearth.

Main-stageperformancesattheAvalonTheaterinMinneapolis,hometoHOBTsince1988,areonlythebeginning.HOBTtoursregionally,nationally,andinternationallywithshowsthatbotheducateandentertain.SandyandotherHOBTartistsconductresidenciesandpuppetworkshopsinK–12schoolsaroundMinnesota.HundredsofchildrenattendsummercampscreatedbyHOBTinpartnershipwithotherartsorganizations.And,ofcourse,theannualMayDayParadeandFestivaldrawsmorethan50,000revelersandhundredsofparticipants,whohelpbuildandoperatetheparade’sgiantpuppetcenterpieces,intoHOBT’sneighborhoodeveryspring.

Asapre-medcollegestudent,SandychoseMinneapolisasherdestinationforarequiredsemesteroffcampusdoingsocial-justicework.Shelanded—anddecidedtostay—inthePhillipsneighborhood,thenasnowaneconomicallychallengedpartofthecity.Formorethanfourdecades,sheandherfellowartistsandherneighborshavecometogethertheretocreateartdesignedtomakeusthinkaboutawiderangeoftopicsthatneedtheworld’sattention:waterstewardship,immigration,government-sanctionedviolence,racism,colonialism,andmanymore.

“Ifeelendlesslygratefultobeabletosharethisplaceinthisneighborhoodwithsuchdeep-thinkingvision,”shesays.WeMinnesotansfeelendlesslygratefultoo.Asitturnedout,Sandy—painter,sculptor,performer,designer,director,teacher—didn’tneedamedicaldegreetopracticeherhealingarts.

INTRODUCTION

TED STARYKChair, The McKnight Foundation

HAVE NO PUPPETSLIFE OF THEIR OWN, AND YET, WHEN YOU PICK THEM UP, A BREATH COMES INTO THEM. And then, when you lay them down, the breath goes out. It’s the ritual of life: We’re brought to our birth, then we move in our life, then we lie down to the earth again.”

An enormous THANK YOU! to The McKnight Foundation

for this sudden gift. I am humbled and immensely

honored. When I was told of the award, I buckled over,

crying and shaking in disbelief, joy, and dread.

Disbelief because it was a total surprise. Joy because it

is wonderful to be appreciated for one’s life’s work (and

my bones know how hard I’ve worked). And dread because

of being chosen as an individual while much of my work

has been collectively created at In the Heart of the Beast

Puppet and Mask Theatre. I accept this award only with

immense gratitude for my brilliant co-workers who have

been part of my life for so long: walking with me, working,

wrestling to find that deepest image, crying with me over

the state of the world, papier-mâchéing, defying me,

finding ways to keep the work alive during lean times,

sharing so many moments of connection, love, and joy.

This award would not happen without them—their skill,

their wisdom, their patience, their energy. I want

anyone who happens upon these pages to know this.

—Sandy Spieler

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SandySpielerlooksattheworldwithanexclamationmarkandaquestion:

WONDER! andWONDER? These

arethephilosophicalpolesthatinfuseherwork.Exclamationsariseinresponsetotheunfathomablebeautyoftheuniverseandourhumanabilitytocomprehendandadmireit;questionscomeoutofperplexityoverhumanweaknessthatresultsingreed,injustice,violence,andsuffering.

Formorethan40years,Spielerhasofferedthoseexclamationsandquestionstous—herneighborsinthePowderhornandPhillipsareasofsouthMinneapolisandthelargercommunity;residentsofsmalltownsandbigcitiesalongtheMississippiRiver;Britishtownspeople;SouthKoreancitizens;andmanymorearoundMinnesota,theUnitedStates,andtheglobe.Alongtheway,SpielerherselfhasbecomeaWonderandaMarvel.

Spielerisanartistofunusualcomplexityandelusivenessinartisticdisciplinesandmethods.Onthesurface,youcansaythatforfourdecadesshehasbeentheartisticdirectorofIntheHeartoftheBeastPuppetandMaskTheatre(HOBT).Sheisavisualartistwhomakessculpturesfromclay,paper,wheatpaste,paint,andfabric,andwhocreatesgraphicdesignofdazzlingsimplicityandpower.Sheisaperformer.Shedirectstheatricalperformancesforthestreetandthestage.Sheworkscollaborativelywiththeaterartists,musicians,dancers,visualartists,andcommunitymembers.

Insoundingherdepths,youmightsaythatSpielermoveslikewatermorethanmostartistsdo. She changes form. She moves in between things and in between states, from liquid to solid to vapor: raindrop, snowflake, cloud. She orients. She refreshes. She transforms and sculpts everyone she encounters. She is a landmark and a route to follow.

SHE MOVES LIKE WATER: DIVINING SANDY SPIELER BY COLLEEN SHEEHY

SANDY SPIELER 3 - 4

SHE QUENCHES OUR THIRST. These qualities of water, a subject of long exploration for Spieler, also serve as rich metaphors for this artist’s way of working and her impact on people and communities. We will not live without the lessons in which she continually involves us any more than we could live without water. Spielerembodiesboththeancientandthecontemporaryinart.SheisthesortofartistasteacherandcatalystthattheGermanartistJosephBeuyschampionedfromthe1960suntilhisdeathin1986,harkingbacktotheroleartistsplayedinprehistoric,ancient,andtraditionalsocieties.Anartistissomeonewhohelpstotransformandhealothers—and,byextension,society.Anartistmaysculptphysicalmaterials,butsomealsoworkoninvisiblematterslikerelationships,attitudes,personalinsights,emotion,andspirit.Thesekindsofartistsmake“socialsculpture,”asBeuystermedit.Theyviewsocietyandtheworldastheirmediums.

Today,whensociallyengagedart,or“socialpractice,”isagrowingareaofcontemporaryartinternationally,Spielerhasquietlybeenanexemplarandleaderofthiswork—asmuchasorganizinganannualparadeinvolvingtensofthousandsofspectatorscanbeconsidered“quiet.”Manyyoungerartistscouldfollowherforcuesaboutcommunityengagement,aprocessthatisnoteasyorfaddishbutthatrequiresenormouswellsofpatienceandgenerosityandcommitment.Spielerliveshervaluesinadmirableandinspiredways.Andatthesametime,sheretainsanequallystrongcommitmenttomakingartthatisvisuallyriveting,relevant,andphysicallyandpsychicallyinvolving.Thesuccessofthiscombinationisarareachievement.

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RootedonandaroundLakeStreet,whereHOBThasbeenhousedsince1988intheAvalonTheater,Spielerhasministeredtothecommunity,invitingpeopleofallraces,incomelevels,andeducationalbackgrounds—alongwiththewounded,theneedy,oldandyoung,andfamiliesofallconfigurations—tocreateonefamily,especiallyforMayDay,thatmagicalSunday-afternoonparadeandfestivaleachspring.Displayingthedeepdevotiontocommunitythat’smorecommonlyfoundinanactivist’sembeddednessinplaceandcause,orinaminister’scallingtoaparish,orinavisionary’slargeviewoftimeandspace,Spielerhasfoundherwellspring of creativityalongLakeStreet.Thatplaceledhertoallofhumanityandtheworld.Sheunderstandsthattoworkinamicrocosmtransformsthemacrocosm,justasallthepropertiesofwaterarecontainedinapuddle,apond,araindrop,orocean.

SOURCE, UNDERGROUND, RESERVOIR*

Whatdeep wellshasSandySpielerdrawnfromtodriveandsustainherartsand40-plusyearsofwork?Whatrivers have given lifetoherdedication?“Ididn’tcomefromeithertheartortheaterworlds,”shehassaid.Yetsomesourcescanbefoundinherchildhood,whenshelovedart,sculpting,makingfaces,andsewing.Shetaughtherselfhowtosewtomakeclothesforherdolls.Thoughshehadlittleformaltraininginart,sheremembersbeingfascinatedwatchingherfatherletteringsigns,perhapsoneinfluenceonherdistinctivehandlettering,asignatureaestheticofHOBTpostersandothergraphics.Spielerrecallsbeinggratefulthatherfatheragreedtofightahighschoolrequirementforgirlstotaketypingsothatinsteadshecouldtakeadearlyde-siredartclass.Despitehavingmodestmeans,herparentstookSandyandhersiblingstoclassical-musicconcertsandotherculturalevents.She,hersister,andhertwobrothersallgrewuptobeartists:apuppeteer,afiberartist,ananimator/videoartist,andanindie-rockmusician.

Herfather’sLutheranministrytookthefamilyfromOhiotoMichigantoWashington,DC,andtowesternPennsylvania.Shecameofageinthe1960sandwasinWashingtonwhenmanygreatmarchesforcivilrightsandagainsttheVietnamWartookplace.Arrivinginthecapitaljustbeforethe1963MarchonWashington,theoccasionofthemostfamousspeechbyMartinLutherKing,Jr.,Spieler’sfamilyplungedintothecivilrightsissuesoftheirnewhome,invitingthefirstAfricanAmericanfamilyintotheirparish,whichcausedmanywhitefamiliestoleave—astarklessoninracismfortheyoungSpieler.HerfamilywasstilllivingintheWashingtonareain1968,whenDr.KingandRobertKennedywereassassinated.

* Thesesubheadsdescribingpropertiesofwaterarewordsgeneratedbypeoplegatheredtomeetandlearn fromSandySpielerinJuly2014atPlainsArtMuseuminFargo,ND.Spielerwasanartistinresidencefor Living as Form (The Nomadic Version),anexhibitionaboutsociallyengagedartandartists.

King’sphilosophyofsocialjusticeforall,includingeconomicjustice,deeplyinfluencedtheyounggirl.Duringthatperiod,hervaluestookshape,infusedwithKing’sconceptof“a beloved community.”Itwasavisiontostrivefor—acommunitywhereallwerecaredfor,clothed,housed,fed,bodyandspirittended,andwhereeveryonemadecommunitytogether.

Withherethicofsocialcare,Spielerthoughtshemightwanttobeaphysician,andintheearly1970swenttoBeloitCollegeinWisconsintopursueapre-medcourseofstudy.ButherpathfollowedatributarythatbroughthertoMinneapolisin1973.Needingtochooseafield-termexperienceaspartofhercollegerequirements,shedecidedthatshewantedtogainknowledgeinsocialjusticeandethicaldecisionmaking.SheconsideredinterningattheUnitedNations,butinsteaddecidedtoworkwithJoeBash,aLutheranministerwhosewritingandideasoncivilrightssheadmired.ShemovedtoMinnesotatoworkwithhimatachurch-sponsoredorganizationinMinneapolis.

Followingherfieldterm,SpielertraveledtoDenmarktogaininsightintohowsocializedmedicineworked,thenreturnedtoMinneapolis,wheresheworkedinahospitaltogainexperienceinamedicalenvironment.ShewasamemberofAlmondTree,acollectiveinthePhillipsneighborhoodlocatednexttoanewhousingdevelopmentforNativeAmericans—LittleEarthofUnitedTribes.Thehouseholdmemberspracticedtheirownuniqueritualofpausingevery40daysforcontemplation:ofwheretheyhadcomefrom,wheretheywere,andwheretheywereheaded.Sometimes,

SANDY SPIELER 5 - 6

Tree of Life, MayDay 1991. Photo © Salvatore Salerno

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thecontemplationswerepersonalandinterior;sometimestheywerepubliccelebrationsthatbroughtthehouseholdtogetherwithitsneighbors. DuringtheseongoingyearsoftheVietnamWar,Spielersharedwithmanythedispiritedattitudesaboutmainstreaminstitutions,whichmanysawascomplicitinperpetuatingwarandinequality—oratleastirrelevanttomakingsocialandpoliticalchange.ReturningtocollegealsodidnotseemcompellingwhenSpielerwasimmersingherselfinthecreativecommunitiesemerginginMinneapolis.Whenanewfeministtheater,CircleoftheWitch,askedSpielertomakealargefigureforoneofitsperformancesafterhearingaboutherartisticabilities,thecompanymemberslovedit.OnemembertoldherthatitremindedheroftheworkofBreadandPuppetTheaterinVermont,ledbyGermanartistPeterSchumann,andrecommendedthatSpielerconnectwithasmallgroupinMinneapolisthatwasmakingpuppets. Thatgroup,thePowderhornPuppetTheatre,wasstartedin1973byDavidO’Fallon(nowpresidentoftheMinnesotaHumanitiesCenter)andRaySt.Louis.TheybothhadleftAliveandTruckingTheaterCompanytoinventnewwaysoftellingstoriesthrough

puppets,inspiredbyO’Fallon’svisittoBreadandPuppetTheater.TheysetupasmallstudioworkshopinthebasementofWalkerCommunityChurchnearPowderhornParkandusedtheparkastheirperformancespace. SandySpielerjoinedO’FallonandSt.Louisin1974,instinctivelyattractedtotheaestheticsandtenetsofthegrassrootsartformofpuppettheater,whosesensibilitiesalignedwithhers.Intheexperimental,openculturalclimateoftheearlytomid-1970s,Spieler’screativityblossomed.HernaturalinstinctstowarddanceandmusicflourishedinthepuppettheaterandyouthcultureofthePowderhornneighborhood,wheredancingtolivemusicwas“whatwedid,”shesays.Whatshelovedaboutpuppettheaterwasitsembraceofsomanydifferentartforms:movement,music,image,object,andstory.Spieler’sinnatetalentsforpreciseandgracefulmovementmadeheranaturalforbreathingwordlesslifeintopuppets.Even outside of performances, her conversations are punctuated by the riveting, expressive gestures of a

DANCER .

Workingcollaboratively,PowderhornPuppetTheatrecreatedperformanceslikeThe Grass Will Grow and theRiver Flow.Thisshowmournsthecolonialmindsetthatleadstoecologicaldistress,takingtheformofanepicpageant/circus,anapproachthathasremainedahallmarkofthetheater.Earlyon,Spielersuggestedthatthetroupeper-formLa Befana,basedonanItalianfolktaleaboutanoldwomansearchingforaholychild,apiecethatremainsabelovedpartoftherepertoirerotationofHOBT.

In1975,thesmallgroupperformedthefirstMayDay,whichhappenedtocoincidewiththeendoftheVietnamWar.TheyhadmadeanEarthpuppetandaWaterpuppetforThe Grass Will Grow and the River Flow.Theyaddedsomebirdsand,accompaniedbyaccordionplayers,thegroupprocessedtoPowderhornParkanddancedaroundamaypole.(Whatseedsthatsimpleceremonysowed!)In1979,thegroupchangeditsnametoIntheHeartoftheBeastPuppetandMaskTheatre,inspiredbyapoembyCubanpoetJoséMartí.Thephrasecalledforpeopletoworkwheretheylivetoliberatetheworld.Inthemostdifficultplaces,wherechangeisneeded,greatthingscanarise.

FLUID, LIFE GIVING, LIFE SUSTAINING

Spielerbecamethetheater’sartisticdirectorin1976.Littledidsherealizethenthatthetheaterwouldbecomeherlife’swork.Yettheartist’sheadwatersinsouthMinneapolisflowedoutward,carryinghertomanyotherplaceswheresheandothercompanymemberssharedtheirknowledgeandskillsandlearnedaboutothercultures,histories,andartistictraditions.Theycreatedareciprocalstreamofideas,approaches,images,andstoriesfromsouthMinneapolistothewiderworld—travelingupanddowntheMississippi,outtoschoolsandtownsforceremoniesandresidencies,topuppetfestivalsintheUnitedStatesandabroad,toSouthKorea.

SANDY SPIELER 7 - 8

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GuidedbySpieler’sinclusivevision,thetheaterabsorbedperformancestylesandtechniquesfromacrosstimeandgeography—Balineseshadowpuppets,JapaneseBunraku,medievalPunch-and-Judyroutines,Sicilianmarionettes—alongwithinnovativetechniquessuchasstickpuppets,suitcaseshows,tabletopshows,andthemammothpuppetsfromcarnivalparadesthattoweroverstreetsandstages,requiringmanypeopletocarryandperform.Thecompanyworkedtoreflectandwelcomepeopleandartistsofallcultures,respondingtothediversityofNativeAmerican,AfricanAmerican,Latino,andAsianAmericanresidentsintheTwinCities,andapplyinginfluencesfromaroundtheglobetowhatwashappeningintheirownneighborhood.Puppetsspeakacrosslanguagebarriers,ausefulqualityinlightofthegrowingdiversityofHOBT’scommunity.

Thoughconsistentlytakingondifficultsubjects—warandviolence,racism,colonialismanditsongoingimpacts,andenvironmentaldestruction,Spielerandthetheateralsoknowthesavinggraceofcomedy.ManyHOBTstageshowsandMayDaysincludethezany,thesilly,andtheslapstick.Stiltwalkers15feetabovethegroundarepartoftheirspectacularrepertoire.Andthentherearethesimple,beautifulimagesandfiguresthatcantakeyourbreathaway:theRiverpuppetembracingthestageandtheperformingtroupewithitsexpansivebluearms.Insomanyways,Spieler’s sensibility is to acknowledge atrocities and painful histories and current dilemmas but to find hope and a way forward—working together, inspired by wonder and generosity.Spieler’spracticeinsiststhatcontemporaryartistsdonotjustreflecttheworldaroundthemorreachdeepinsideforpersonalinsightsbutalsoactivelyinvestigate,research,andpropelnewideas.Unlikethestandardrepertoireofmosttheatercompanies,HOBTproductionsarecreatedasoriginalworkthatgrowsoutofcontemporaryconcernsandexperiences.Spielerkeepsherfingeronthepulseofthetimesandasksandlistenstowhatcolleaguesandcommunitycollaboratorsarepayingattentionto,whilealsounderstandinghowdeeplyhumanrhythmsandritualsstillholdmeaningtoday.

Thoughresearch-basedartisnowacommonpartofcontemporaryartists’approaches,thisinvestigativeworkwasnotwidespreadduringtheyearsthatSpielerspentstudyingwaterissuesforThe Circle of Water Circus,a1983productionthatsawtheHOBTcompany(including25adults,fivechildren,andtwodogs)navigatingtheMississippiRiverforfourmonthsfromBrainerd,MN,toNewOrleans.Thetourincludedresidenciesinrivertowns,helpinglocalscreateparadestoaccompanythecompany’scircussideshowsandlargerringshowthatcelebratedtheriver.

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OtherproductionsthatgrewoutofextensiveresearchincludedThe Reapers’ Tale (1989),whichrecastthestoryofColumbus’sarrivalintheNewWorldasaDayoftheDeadperformance,withallcharactersasskeletons.ThetheaterexploredthehistoryofcolonialismintheAmericasoverseveralyears,culminatinginThree Circles of 500 (1992),apageantthatreckonedwiththequincentenaryofColumbus’sarrival.ManyofHOBT’sworksrequiredthedeepdivingofascholar,surfacingtocreateperformancesofstunninginsightintostoriesthatarenotbeingtoldelsewhereincontemporarytheaterorvisualart,asinBefriended by the Enemy,a1993playbasedonthetruestoryofaKuKluxKlanmemberwhowastakeninandcaredforbyaJewishcouplewhomhehadbeenharassing.

Laurie Witzkowski and Esther Ouray in The Reapers’ Tale, 1989. Photo © Salvatore Salerno The Reapers’ Tale event poster, 1989

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DEPTH, SOOTHING, NECESSITY, SYSTEM

In2003,SandySpieler’screativechannelsflowedtoEngland,where,withsupportfromaBushFoundationLeadershipFellowship,shewasabletodevoteayeartoacademicstudycombinedwithvisualartandperformanceprojectswhileearningamaster’sdegreeinculturalperformance.IntheUniversityofBristol’sprogram,whichincorporatesanthropology,philosophy,theater,visualart,andcommunitystudies,Spielersynthesizedtheknowledgeshehadgleanedfromyearsintheaterwiththeoreticalandglobalculturalstudies.Itwasapivotalexperience,linkingherworkinsouthMinneapoliswithexpansivecontemporaryideasanddeepculturaltraditionsofceremony,procession,parade,andritual.

ShealsolearnedfromBritishartistswhoseworkspoketoher,suchasWelfareStateInternational,whichstageslargecelebrations,andPlatform,agroupwhoselong-termresearchandactivitiesaimto“unravelthecarbonweb.”InspiredbyherexperiencewithPlatform’s“carbonwalk”ofLondon,Spielercreatedaparticipatoryartinstallationpiece,Museum for the Age of Oil.Itscenterpiecewasacarcontainingthehistoryofoilfromtheseven-generationsustainabilityperspective,whichholdsthatthecurrentgenerationisresponsibleforlivingsustainablytobenefittheseventhgenerationintothefuture.Thecarwaspaintedentirelywhiteandofferedaplaceforpeopletocommentonoilbywritingonthecar,insideandout. Spieler’sgraduateworkdeepenedherlongstandingcommitmenttopromoting

awareness of humans’ interconnectedness toNATURE ,harkingbacktoherearly20swhensheheardNativeAmericanleadersandeldersspeakingaboutwateranduraniumminingintheBlackHillsofSouthDakota.Buildingonherhistoryofworkingonwaterissuesandexploringrelationshipswithotherspeciesandnaturalsystems,Spielergroundedhergraduatestudiesinadrivetocreateaparadigmforatheaterof“inter-being.”Inthisformulation,influencedbytheVietnamesemonkThichNhatHanh,humanswouldnotlabelotherhumansas“other”norwouldtheyregardotherspeciesornaturalelementslikewaterasdistinctfromus.Wewouldseeourselvesasonewiththenaturalworldandunderstandthatoursurvivaldependsonourcarefortheworld. IntheEnglishtownofUlverston,Spielerlearnedthatasmallriver,calledtheTownBeck(beckmeansriver;“Itdidn’tevenhaveitsownname!”sheexclaims),hadbeencoveredovertoprovidemorespaceforparkinginthecitycore.Seeingthisphysicalobliterationasareflectionofourlackofregardforourwater,Spielerdesignedanddirectedacommunityperformance,Voicing the River,thatre-engagedtownspeoplewiththeTownBecktouncovertheforgottenessencehiddenintheirmidst.Aspart

oftheperformance,Spielerandothersuseddiviningrodsmadeofwiretofindtheriverhiddenunderthetown’sstreetsandplazas.“Theattractionwassostrong,anyonecouldfeeltheforce,”shesays.Theyusedspecialpainttodrawthecontoursoftheriverthroughthestreetsandparkinglots;then,ritualistically,performersdressedallinwhitecarriedwaterinbowlsalongtheroute.Theyinvitedtownspeopletolistentothewater’svoiceandwritedownwhattheriverwassaying,thuscreatinganengrossingcollectivepoemofgratitudefortheriver.ThisprojectandSpieler’sreflectionandconceptualframeworkforitbecamethesubjectofhermaster’sthesis,“TowardaTheatreofInter-Being:ExcavatingtheUndercurrentsofColonialLegacy.”

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Performing within the Origins of Corn shrine, Table, Table, 1987. Photo © Warwick Faraday Green

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INTER-BEINGSANDY ON

I always have many questions, and often feel that the older I get, the less I know. The only thing I know for sure is that I wish to contribute my work as an artist toward the invigoration of the reality of “inter-being.” The mentality of separateness disconnects humans not only from each other but also from all of creation; I consider this to be one of the most devastating constructs of the Western mind. Hence, I’ve started wondering how to enact a “Theater of Inter-Being.”

Maybe the Theater of Inter-Being is a theater where listening prevails, a theater quiet enough to hear the heartbeat of a sparrow, and empty enough to hold the sorrow of unborn death. Maybe the Theater of Inter-Being is slippery enough to cross the borders of language, colorful enough to catch the attention of a bee, and as slow as the growth of hairs on my head. Water sings in this theater, that is for certain. The Theater of Inter-Being exists in the footprints of each minute, and my task is to live it as fully as possible, though sometimes a distracting stinging ash falls upon the portals of its stage.

Terror is the buzzword in the news and on the screens. But terror is born of the lie of separateness. All life is born of Water and the Earth, and my task is to celebrate the sensuous, funky, interconnected diversity of this lusciously divine living world.

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Teachers and Studiers, painted banner honoring women’s work, from Illuminations, 1998

BUOYANT, TRANSFORMATIVE, REFRESHING, REFLECTIVE MIRROR

Inthebuilduptothe40thMayDayParadeandFestivalin2014,SpielertookthetimetoreviewallthepastMayDaytabloids—programsthatthetheaterproducestoelaborateoneachyear’sparadethemesandsections. “I realized what an accomplishment this had been—40 years,” she says. “All the people who had been part of it, some no longer with us. All the generations.”

TheMayDayParadeandFestivalisanactof RADICAL AUDACIOUSNESS.AsmalltheatercompanytapsthecommunityandworldzeitgeisteachFebruary,gatheringandtalking.Fromthoseconversations,SpielerandtheHOBTcompanydeliberateanddreamonaparadetheme,languageemergingthatdirectsthestoryandkeyimagesthatstructuretheparadesections. Just the sheer poetry of past themes rings out: Voices of Trees. I Am Another Yourself. Wheel of Change Ever Whirling. In Honor of Seeds: Awesome Vessels of Power!

Then,hundredsofpeopleflockintothetheatertohelpbuildtheparade,anamazingcollaborativeactamongahandfulofartistsandthecommunity.Andthentheparadedayarrives,broughtaboutbythousandsofdecisionsandplanslaidbythetheaterandfriends.Paradewatchersaredazzledanddelighted.The“JoinIn/FreeSpeech”sectionfollowingthemainparadealwaysholdssurprises.Andthen—theceremonyinPowderhornPark,afteralullthatallowsspectatorstosettleontheirblanketsonthegrass.Thencomemorerevelations,alwaysendingwiththeSunreturningandtheTreeofLiferising.Alwaysthesong“YouAreMySunshine,”andtheexhortations:“TheTreeofLife,giftforusall!”and“HappyMayDay!”ThewholeeventalwaysstrikesmelikethemiraculousmultiplyingofsustenancefromtheBiblicalstoryoftheloavesandthefishes—thatonesmalltheatergroupcancreateanddirectanoutdooreventfortensofthousandsthatrivalsofficialcityparades!Spielercallsherself,simply,“a midwife of MayDay.”

EvenafterallofthoseearlierMayDays,Spielerspokeofthe40thannualeventwithfreshenergy:“Ijustloveditsomuch,”shesays.Themed“Wonder?Wonder!,”thecelebrationrevived,renewed,andreconnectedthecommunityafteralong,coldwinter.“Itwassogreattoseethepatientrelationship-buildingcomingtofruition,”shereflectedlater.“It’sthelonghaul.It’sthechoicetobeinaneighborhoodforthelonghaul.It’slikethewaterwork.I’mdedicatedtoitformylife.” Inrecentyears,

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Spielerinitiatedapuppetworkshopforemergingpuppeteers,titled“WITH

JOY,”

andbegansigningheremailswiththatclosingphrase,whichcametoherafteraperiodofdepressionfromwhichsheemergedwithrenewedenergy.Shesaysthatshehasmadeaconsciouschoicetofacethechallengesofourcurrentworldwiththebestshecanmuster.“IfIamtodothisworkinthefaceofsomuchadversity,”shesays,“I have to do it with joy.” She wrote a reminder that she keeps close at hand in her studio: “The mantle of responsibility is heavy. Please, please, take it, carry it with joy, so joy is what is given.”

InhonoringSandySpieler,TheMcKnightFoundationalsohonorsIntheHeartoftheBeastPuppetandMaskTheatre’sdedicationtocollectiveandgenerativework;allthegenerationsandthehundredsofthousands(perhapsmillionsbynow)whohavebuiltandcheeredMayDayParadesandFestivalsforthepast40years;thepeopleofsouthMinneapolis;waterandalllife;theconstantstrivingforabetterworldthatsheinspiresinallofuswhohavebeentouchedbyherwork—andherjoy.

ColleenSheehy,PhD,isdirectorandCEOofPlainsArtMuseuminFargo,ND.SheandSandySpielerco-curatedthe1999exhibition Theatre of Wonder: 25 Years in the Heart of the BeastattheFrederickR.WeismanArtMuseuminMinneapolis.Sheehyeditedanaccompanyingbookofthesametitle,publishedbytheUniversityofMinnesotaPress.Shehasworkedinartmuseumsfor30yearsandsharesSandy’scommitmenttosocialengagement;art,music,anddancing;andchangingtheworld.

Cultivators of the Soul, painted banner honoring women’s work, from Illuminations, 1998

THEATER OF HOPE BY DAVID O’FALLON

IhaveavividmemoryfromearlyinthelifeofthePowderhornPuppetTheatre:SeveralofusareatworkinthebasementofWalkerCommunityChurchwithafewtubsofclay,someplanksforworkbenches,sometorn-upbrownpaper.Wearemakingpuppetheadsandmasksofclaythatwewillcoverwithpapier-mâché.Iamslappingintomyclayheadallofmyangeratgreedandcorruption,atpublicliesandpollutionoftheairandwaterand...well...allofit.Slap!Punch!AllthatiswrongwillbeslappedintothisclayheadI’mforming.Ilooktomyleft.Ayoungwomanisshapingtheclayintoaface,amaskthatisgraceful,kind,evensad.Awitness.Mymaskisfullofconfusedanger.Hersisalive.

That was Sandy.

Whenwestartedthepuppettheaterin1973,thequestionmyco-foundersandIhadwas:Couldatheatertrulyandauthenticallybelong?Coulditbealivingpartofacommunityandnotjustavenuewithapassiveaudience?Toreallybelong,wethought,atheatermustcomefromtheaspirationsandfears,thelonginganddreams,thedailyworkandstriving,ofthoseinthestreetsandhomes,thechurchesandshoestoresandrestaurantsandmercados.

Sandybecameartisticdirectorofthetheaterin1976,andsincethenshehaskeptitfirmlygrounded,rootedinitsplace.Itbelongstoitsneighborhood,toitspeople.SheandIntheHeartoftheBeasthavetraveledthenationandtheworldbutkeptLakeStreetandthePowderhornandPhillipsneighborhoodsashome.ShehasformedHOBTintoaconstantYES!tothevalueofthatuniqueandspecialplace,totheliveslivedthere.HercommitmenttoplaceisoneofthereasonsthatHOBThaslasted.

Anotherishercapacityforinspiringhope.In1999,Iwrote:

Inthelate1960sandearly1970sadebatewasragingbetweenthosewho thoughttheartscoulddirectlyrevolutionizesocietyandthosewhodidnot.... Wethoughtourplaysandartworksandsongscouldsupportandhastenanew societyintoreality,thatartitselfwasapowerfulantidotetolies.Webelieved aswellthatart,andtheaterespecially,asapublicactioncouldstirpeopleto otherpublicactions.Wedebatedhowartmakingcoulddirectlyconfrontthe abusesofpower,thelies,theperversionsofinstitutionsandrestorehealth andsomebalancetoaturbulent,non-nourishingculture.Webelievedthatthe stakeswerehigh.Wewereright.

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Asitturnedout,Sandywasabletosenseandbringfortha

NASCENT SPIRITUALITY thatwaspartofPowderhornPuppetTheatrebutnotattheforefrontofitswork—andIthinkthatisoneofthekeystoHOBT’ssurvival.Herspiritualityshowsupinthegracefulness,theslowness,thealmostmeditativenatureofsomeofHOBT’sperformances,whichcanseemmorelikeritualsthantheater(and,ofcourse,theatermayspringfromthesamerootsasritual).Itshowsupinaperpetualreturntohope,evenwhendirectpoliticalactionlikestreettheaterseemswithoutresult.

It’struethattheworkissometimessad,angry,fierce.Aherdofbuffalowandersthroughacrowd,ponderousandgraceful,evokingalosttimeandplace.Andwearetheretowitnessandtocontemplatethefuturewithoutthem.

ButSandy’sspiritalwaysguidesusbacktohope.WhocouldwatchorwalkwiththeMayDayParadeandnotfeelasuddenlift?Thegiantpuppets,theraucousmusic,thestrangeandwonderfulbeasts,thethousandsliningBloomingtonAvenueandthousandsmoreinPowderhornPark. The rising of spring and fire and life from the long winter as the Tree of Life is uncovered, lifted, and celebrated. Hope is not just possible; it is an essential force for change. Andasanartist,Sandyseesandbringsforththeimagesandemergingmythsthatconnectandhealandpromisehope.

HOBTgrewwithSandyandgrewbecauseofher;hercapacity,skills,andknowledgegrewaswell.ThatyoungwomanintheWalkerCommunityChurchbasementwasjust20yearsold,sothetheaterandSandygrewuptogether.Underherguidance,HOBTnotonlystandswithus—itisus.Formorethan40years,ithasbuiltonwhatPowderhornPuppetTheatrebegan,comingtoembodyafewbasicvalues:That we are all part of a common existence. That we are all responsible for this life. That we can and must engage and together go through the rising cultural and political and environmental and economic crises that we face.

DavidO’Fallon,presidentoftheMinnesotaHumanitiesCenter,wasoneofthefoundersofthePowderhornPuppetTheatre.HewasformerlytheCEOofMacPhailCenterforMusic,theexecutivedirectorofthePerpichCenterforArtsEducation,andtheeducationdirectoroftheNationalEndowmentfortheArts.

I was initially drawn to the world of puppet and mask theater because I liked

to sculpt and I liked to move. David O’Fallon was primarily interested in

theater as a means of building community—so from the very beginning, my

work included encouraging community participation as well as sculpture,

music, movement, painting, and the graphic arts. What has deepened over

the years is my respect for the lineage of this work from ancient times as

a way to live purposefully in both activist and ritual vividness. The first

puppeteers were perhaps shamans articulating the mythic mysteries of

human existence within the rituals of community life. Puppeteers have also

been street wanderers for hundreds of years, able to offer social commentary

about local intrigue and injustices with their puppet performers that human

performers would be jailed for. I take inspiration from these lineages.

PUPPETS SANDY SPIELER 19 - 20

SANDY ON

Sculpting heads for Oh! River! in the basement workshop of the Gustavus Adolphus building, 1980

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Thenearlytwo-milemidtownsectionofLakeStreetbetweenInterstate35WandHiawathaAvenuehasalwaysbeenuniquealongthisthoroughfarethatspanstheentiresix-milewidthofMinneapolis.Amainpublic-transitlineintheearly20thcentury,itwastheheartoftheneighborhoodthatcametobeknownasPhillips,andwasaconnectinglinktojobs,entertainmentatamusementparksandtheaters(includingtheAvalonTheater,an850-seatmoviehouse),andshoppingbothatsmallfamilybusinessesandatthegiganticmillion-square-footSearsretailandcatalogheadquarters.

Changeswereprobablyinevitable,astheyareineverycity.Astripmallreplacedastreetcaryard;abig-boxretailerreplacedatractormanufacturer;andfamilytheaters,includingtheAvalon,morphedintoporntheaters.Inthe1960s,theareawasdisruptedbytwogovernmentprojects:theconstructionofI-35W,whichboxedtheneighborhoodin,andMinneapolisofficials’divisionofthecityintocommunityareasforplanningpurposes.SquabblesovergovernmentfundingeruptedandPhillipseventuallysecededfromthePowderhornCommunity,becomingmoreinsulatedfromsurroundingneigh-borhoodsintheprocess.Inthe1970s,whenSearsbegantomoveitslocaloperationstoChicago,itsshrinkingpresenceonLakeStreetbecameacatalystforblight.

ThatwasthesoilontowhichSandySpielersteppedwhenshearrivedinMinneapolis:fertile but hardened by decades of ethnic, religious, and racial segregation; divided by geographic and political boundaries; succumbing to the changing economy.SandywaswellawareofanthropologistMargaretMead’sobservationthatfor99percentofourtimeonthisplanet,humanshavelivedintribes,extendedfamilies,andsmallvillages,anideathatsuggestsauniversalinclinationtowardcommunityandcommunication.Indeed,fueledbytheremnantsofantiwaractivismandconcernsaboutcivilrightsandwomen’srights,manypeopleinsouthMinneapoliswereyearningforcommunitycohesion.AftertheendoftheVietnamWar,manyresidentshopedthatresourcesandworkcouldshifttoconstructivepeacetimeefforts.Butinspiteofthisurge,wewerestillrivenbydivisions.

SandymovedintoAlmondTree,acollectivehouseholdinaformerDominicanconvent,agrandoldbuildingilluminatedby40archedwindowsinashapereminiscentoftheHebrewlettermem(מ),asymbolbothofthenumber40andofwater.Thehouseholdmembersrecognizedthespiritualsignificanceofthenumber40—thenumberofdaysinLent,thenumberofdaysandnightsthegreatfloodlasted,thenumberofdaysJesuswanderedinthedesert.Fortyrepresentsacycleofincubationandchange,struggleandwaiting,watchfulnessandnewbeginnings.Infact,“almond”

IN THE HEARTOF THE CITYBY HARVEY M. WINJE

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With giant river head sculpted by Gustavo Boada and Malia Burkhart

and“watchful”sharethesamerootinHebrew;surpriseshappeninourlivesjustas

almondtreessurpriseusbybloomingbeforeallothertreesinthespring.

Every40days,AlmondTreememberstookaconsciousmomenttocontemplatetheintertwinedandenrichedmeaningsofthesesymbols.Theyaffirmedtheiropennesstosurprise,thepossibilityoffulfillmentofdreams,andtheneedforcelebration,evenduringtimesofhardshipandstruggle.Andtheyheldperiodicgatheringsforcelebrationofthatjourneyandoflife.

Manyoftheseideas—theessentialness of trees and water, the importance of coming together to celebrate—becameembeddedinthedialogueandworkthatSandycreated.Shebegantobreakdowndivisionsandcultivatecommunityinhernewhometownbyrevivingtheancientartsofmasksandpuppetry,echoingbygonecivilizations’practicesofcommunicatingwithlinedrawingsandfigures,tellingstoriesthroughcharacters’facesshapedinclayandpapier-mâché,andbringingthestoriestolifethroughcommunityactorswearingthesemasks.Her engaging spirit, magnetic artistry, and appreciation for all living beings, along with her gregarious

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ability to shape community at the same time she is shaping clay, created a place for neighborhood residents, students, audiences, and other artists to participate in storytelling together. Shemodeledsustainabilitybyusingcommonlyfoundobjectsinherwork,underscoringthebeliefthateveryobjecthasredeemingqualitiesasdoeseachandeveryperson.AndshepatientlyhelpedtoovercomethenaïvetéofthoseofuswhohadlongassociatedmasksandpuppetsonlywithKukla,Fran,&OllieandHowdyDoody.

Sandy’soriginalintentionofbringingtogetherthepeopleofthePhillipsandPowderhornParkneighborhoodswiththeMayDayParadeandFestivalgrewandgrew.Thecrowdsincreasedeveryyear,eventuallydrawingvastnumbersofpeoplefrommanyneighborhoodsandculturalcommunitiesacrossthemetropolitanareatogatherandsatisfyourinnateneedtocelebratetogether.WithSandy’shelp,acommunitythathadsufferedfrommanydivisionsandseparationswasfindinganewwaytounite.

LucindaAnderson,IntheHeartoftheBeast’scompanymanageratthetime,understoodthatthesilverliningoftheneighborhood’sdecliningpropertyvalueswastheopportunityforsmallbusinessestomoveintovacantstorefronts—includingHOBTmovingintotheAvalonTheaterin1988,fillingtheemptyspaceleftafterneighbors’years-longprotestagainstthetheater’sporn-filmrepertoirefinallyworked.HOBTstakedaclaimforartandcommunity,collaborationandrespect.Morepositivechangestookhold,slowly.Today,theMidtownExchangeoccupiestheformerlyboarded-upandblightedSearsbuilding,withresidentialunits,morethan40smallbusinesses,anda1,500-personcorporateheadquartersthathaveallhelpedtorejuvenateadjacenthousingandbusinesses.LakeStreetnowteemswithdynamicpublicartthatrepresentsresidents’resilienceandoptimism:paintedmurals,mosaicmuralsandsculptures,stoneandmetalsculptures.Andthisyear,asithasforthelast40,theMayDayparadeassembledalongsidetheformerAlmondTreeat18thAvenueand25thStreet.

ThoughSandy’sworkasavisualartistandartisticdirectoriscompelling,therealmiracleofherworkliesbeneathitallinthetrustandcommunity-buildingthathappensonthewaytothetheater.Sandyinvitesthebroadcommunitytowalkalongsidehertotelltheirstories,todrawandshapetheirvisions,tomakeartthatcreateschangeandgiveshope,andtodancetheircelebrationofnewlifeeveryspringandeveryday,knowingthat—astheHOBTproductionofLa Befanatellsus—every child, every person is holy.

HarveyWinjewasbornin1940intheareathat20yearslaterwouldbenamedforabolitionistWendellPhillips.HeisanAmericanbyvirtueofhisfather’simmigration;aNorwegianandaBohemianbybirth;aseekerofbalanceandjusticebyvirtueofbeingbornonthecuspbetweenVirgoandLibra;acarpenterbytrade;afatherbythemiraclesofadoptionandbirth;thesenioreditorofThe Alleynewspaper;andaninveteratekeeperofhistoryandbuildingparts.

VITALITY At the time we were moving into the Avalon, I had a dream in which throngs of wounded people lined up on Lake Street—standing with crutches, being carried on stretchers, all waiting to go into the Avalon as a sanctuary, a place of healing. I had just researched Avalon’s place in English lore: at the center of the island of Avalon there was a fountain that healed wounded warriors with the Water of Life. This dream spoke to our intent that our new home on Lake Street be a place of vitality for participatory community creativity.

SANDY SPIELER 23 - 24SANDY ON

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Tenders of the Land and Animals, painted banner honoring women’s work, from Illuminations, 1998

BIGGER THAN OURSELVES BY PAM COSTAIN

Everycommunityneedsitsspiritualleaders—thosewhocallustoourbetterselves,whoremindusthatourrelationshipstooneanotherareatthecoreofbeinghuman,thatthereisenoughonthisgood,greenearthforeveryonetoshareandthatbyworkingtogetherwewillsurvive.For40yearsSandySpielerhasbeenthe“pastor”to our passionate, wildly diverse, headstrong, and independent-mindedPowderhorn community.Herpoignantvisualimagery,giantpuppets,ritualceremonies,andcelebrationsofplacehaveknitustogether.Theyhavespokentoourfearsandanxietieswhileevokingourlongingforaworldinwhichwealthissharedandtheearthishonored.

Manyofmyfamily’smostpowerfulmemoriesareconnectedtoSandyandIntheHeartoftheBeast,andwearenotalone.Ifirstmadecornstalkpuppetswithmyoldestdaughterthreedecadesago,andnowshemakesbutterflywingswithheryoungson.Wehaveimmersedourarmsinwheatpasteandtornnewspaper;sewnbeautifulcostumesoutofscrapmaterial;stiltedourwaydownBloomingtonAvenue;andbeenbladesofgrass,big-lippedfish,seaserpents,andwoodnymphs.WealsoinhabitedgiantpuppetsofPaulandSheilaWellstoneaftertheirtragicdeaths,walkingthelengthoftheMayDayParaderoutewithreverencetohelpourcommunityhealfromtheirloss.

MayDayisourfamily’shighholyday,aritualwewouldnotmiss.Nomatterwherewehavescattered,wecomehomefortheparadeandceremony,risingat6:00a.m.tolayourblanketonthehillside,joining others to make a patchwork of color.Threegenerationsofusgatherontheblankethourslatertosingandshoutandbringthesunbackacrossthelake.EachyearweexultintheresurrectionoftheTreeofLifeasitrisesonceagain.Atday’send,weleavetheparkexhausted,butalsowithadeepsenseofbelongingtosomethingbiggerthanourselves.

ManythousandsofpeoplemakeMayDay.Thatisitsmagic.AndSandywouldbethe

firsttosaythatitisaCOLLECTIVE EFFORTbornofabeliefthattogetherwecanbethechangeweseekintheworld.Butdespitebeingownedbyallwhoprepareit,participateinit,andwatchit,MayDaywouldnothaveenduredwithoutthevision,love,andhardworkofSandySpieler.Yearafteryear,Sandyselflesslygivesthisgifttoourcommunity,renewingourspiritdespitetheworld’swoes.We are so grateful for her patience, stamina, sense of wonder, and outstanding artistic vision that binds us all together. And we honor her.

PamCostainisthepresidentandCEOofAchieveMpls,thestrategicnonprofitpartneroftheMinneapolisPublicSchools.ShewasformerlythestatedirectorofParentsUnitedforPublicSchools,directorofeducationandtrainingatWellstoneAction,andexecutivedirectoroftheResourceCenteroftheAmericas.

SANDY SPIELER 25 - 26

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MayDay is a collective endeavor: While it thrives on oodles of individual artistry, it is impossible to trace its collective brilliance to any one artist. Over the years the individual work of artists shines forth, and those who follow MayDay for many years are able to pick out the stellar contributions and individual styles of the various artists who have evolved the character of the celebration. It is wrong to call MayDay the work of any one artist—it is built, enacted, and supported by many artists, staff, organizers, board members, and hardworking volunteers.

I am one of the people who helped to found MayDay, and over 40 years I have worked with teams to set MayDay’s path (navigated with imperfection!) and to protect it as a community-built, community-enacted, and community- supported event that receives multiple generations of people who work together. Somehow.

MayDay COLLECTIVE BRILLIANCE

MayDay ceremony rehearsal with puppets designed in collaboration with Alison Duddle, 2000

SANDY ON

LIFE’S FORWARD MOTION BY LAURIE WITZKOWSKI

WhenIcontemplatetheadhesivethathasboundmetoIntheHeartoftheBeastfortheselast30years,thefirstwordthatcomestomindisfaith.I’vealwaysthoughtoffaithasSandy’sbestofferingtome.Shecarriesitwithherasanaroma.Shehasirrepressiblefaithinherself;sheembodiesthepre-flightmandate“Whenusingoxygen,putthemaskonyourselffirstbeforehelpingothers.”

Thereissomuchtobedone,somuchreparationandredemption,somuchsmalldailydevotion.Itdoesn’tmatterifyoureffortsareimperfectoruncomfortable,justthattheyproceedfromyourheart.Thatyoushowup.Our girl shows up, each day and then the next. Willing to stumble and to shine, to connect, to try.

Herpersistenceandself-confidenceattractotherssimilarlyendowed,andalsootherswhohavelessfaithinthemselvesbuttremendousfaithinthetruthofartmakingandthesharedvisionofacirclewhereloveweathersall.Sandyandthecirclegeneratefaiththatextendstome.Iinturnplacemyfaithinthecircle.Wemakeeachother’sworkbetter.

Makingtheaterthatisoriginalandcollaborativeisamessy,disorderly,inspiredprocess.Whenyoureallyshowupforit,itbringsoutthebestandtheworstinyou.Itcanbesoawkward.Itcanfeelsoimpossible.Theonlythingthatcanpullyouthroughitisknowingthatunderlyingitisaprocess,apatternthatwillprevail,justasmatingritualsandgivingbirtharemysteriouslyconvolutedanddangerous...yetinevitable,directedbythepulloflife’sforwardmotion.You have to remember that there is something that needs to come forth through you; the task is to hear what that is.

AndwhenyoudrawinallCOLLABORATORS,theimmediatecommunity,thelargerone,theworld,theplants,animals,andmineralsoftheearth—oh,whatatangledwebholdsyou!Butyouneedn’tbeafraidorlimitedbythisifyouareapartofit.Youopenyoureyesandearswide.Whenyou’redirecting,youaretheeardrumofthesong.You’vegottomakeyourownsenseoftheenergiesatplay.

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Youmakecallsbasedonyourreadingofthewaters.

Itisearlyspring,earlyenoughthatit’shardtobelievethesnowwillfinallymelt.Agroupgathers,acouncilofdreamersforMayDay.Thecircleislarge,bulgingintotheedgesofthetheater’slobby.Everyonespeaksfromtheirownheartandmotives.Manyobservations,needs,images,wishes,mandates.Bigexpansesofpaperarefilledwithwords,andtheroomtastesofgriefandhope.

Allofthisexpressionmustsomehowbewrestledintoathemeandastoryfortheparadeandceremony,orperhapsignored.Sandyinsistsondirectingthisenterprise.Wegracefullyandgrudgingly(wearealljumpingupanddownwithideas!),withreliefandtrepidation,grantherthisduty,anditbegins.

Weeachbringourbestinspirations;theymaynotprevail.Wefume,wepout.Wegoaway.Wecomeback.Weanalyze,wejustify,wemediate.Webreathe,welisten,welaugh.Wedream,weundermine,wesupport,wedefend,weconcede.Wetrytodominate,wecollapseindefeat.Wefoolourselves,wearehonest.Wereturntothetablealways.Wesayyesagain.Sandyisatthehelm,willingtoconjure,infuriate,shudder,encourage,tweak,chop,contradict,bless.

Whoarewebutabunchofanimalsdancinginthemoonlight?Aflockoflumpywartybeautifulpeopletrying.Webelieveinthis!Inlifeanditsassertions.Inthepowerofeachandeveryheartandbladeofgrasstoovercome.Inahandandabowlofwater.

It is May. There is a morning, there is light and a contagion of color, sound, children, and joy. We come with our flawed stupid brilliance and lay our gift on the grass.

HOBTisfamilythatIdanceandwrestlewithandleaninto.HereIgivebreastandIsuckle. I show up. We all show up.AndSandyturnsoutthelightsatnightandringsthebreakfastbellinthemorning.

LaurieWitzkowskiisacreatoroftheater,music,ceremony,andgardensinbothEnglishandSpanish.ShehasbeenastaffandcontractartistatHOBTfor29years.

I like that the dictionary defines divining as “perceiving through some

inexplicable perceptive powers,” because I’ve come to see my image-finding

process as divining—a rather messy wrestling match between my ever-present

self-doubt and some restless inarticulate something that wants to speak,

that asks me to channel it into tangible form. But, dang! “It” never gives me

a defined path, only a sly hint rising from beneath layers of things, saying,

“DO SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING!”

Against my fear of beginning I force myself to pick up a pencil, to lay my hands

into clay, or to ask my co-workers to improvise a scene with frighteningly little

direction. It is always an act of faith to begin, and an act of faith to continue.

Thank you, loyal pencil, for translating the “something” into the figure that

appears on the paper! Thank you, blessed clay, for finding the curve that

allows the light to fall just so! Thank you, brilliant colleagues, for wrestling

with me to find that moment of soulful truth! It is because of you that I

begin again and again, against all doubt.

DIVINING

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SANDY ON

Self-portrait, 1986

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FORTY YEARSBLOOMINGBY NADJA REUBENOVA

“Bloom where you’re planted.” That’ssomethingSandysays,referringtoanadageonaframedprintthathunginhermother’skitchenwhenshewasgrowingup.Sandyspeakswithappreciationabouttheeverydaywonderofdandelionsthatpushthroughcracksincement,resilienteveninharshenvironments.ThisisanappropriatemetaphorforIntheHeartoftheBeast,acompanythathasbloomedeveninverydifficultconditions.

IworkedwithSandyintheearlyyearsofHOBT’stenureintheAvalonTheateron15thAvenueandLakeStreet.Istartedasfinancialmanagerin1988andbecameHOBT’sfirstexecutivedirector,servingfrom1991to1996.Duringthattime,Iwitnessed—

andcontributedto—HOBT’sTRANSFORMATIONfromsmallpuppetcompanytoculturalinstitution.Thoseweredifficultandpowerfultimes.WorkingintimatelywithSandyforfiveyearstonavigateHOBT’sdauntingtransitionandcontinuingourfriendshipsincethen,IseetheinfluenceSandyhashadbothonMinneapolisandonmepersonally.

Formuchofthoseearlyyearsitfeltlikewewerecreatingterra firmafromchaos.WhenIstarted,HOBThadjustmovedintotheAvalon.Internally,mostpartsofthespace—theadministrativeoffices,thelightinggrid,thestage—weremakeshift.Functionalspacesexistedinourmindsonly,tobeactualizedastime,resources,andinspirationallowed.Ourfinancial-managementsystemhadtobeoverhauledtomeettheneedsofagrowingorganization;otheroperatingnecessities,suchaspersonnelpolicies,neededtobecreatedfromscratch.Externally,thedemographicsofourneighborhoodwereinflux.Prostitution,drugsales,andgangviolencewereontheriseonLakeStreet,butsowerewavesofnewcomersfromacrossthecountryandtheworld.Werecognizedthatwewerelocatedatagreatculturalcrossroads,andwewelcomedtheinfluencethiswouldhaveonourwork.

Moneywasincrediblytight.Foreverydimeavailabletherewasatleastadollar’sworthofneed.Meetingpayrollwasattimesdoubtful.In1989Iwitnessedmostofthestaffagreeingtoforgopayforeightweeks,gamblingonagrantawardthatmightcomethrough.(Itdid,andtheyallreceivedbackwages.)I’veneverencounteredmoresacrificeandfaithinwhattheyweredoingthanIsawinthestaffatHOBT.

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ItwasinthiscontextthatSandyandherartstaffcreatedthefallshow,theholidayshow,theexperimentalseries,andMayDayeachyear.Whenwesecuredschoolresidencies,wewovethemintothecalendar,andtheteamworkedasteachingartistsinclassrooms,Sandyonthefrontlinesworkingalongsideherteam.Inaddition,sheshoulderedleadershipresponsibilitiessuchasorchestratingcommissionedworks,managingproductionbudgets,reportingtotheboard,andraisingmoney.Thehourswerestaggering.Sandytoldmeonesummerthatshehadenjoyedworkingonlya40-hourweekduringhervacation—itfeltsoeasy!

Sandy is humble, warm, encouraging, andunflappable;sheworksincollaborationwithothers,alwaysseekingthewisdomofthegroup.ThiscanbeseeninhowtheMayDaythemeisshapedeachyearbyscoresofideascollectedatcommunitymeetings,andbythewayinwhichstaffartistsoftencollaborativelydevelopascript,buildtheset,makethepuppets,andperforminproductions.Indeliblyetchedinmyconsciousnessisthatnomatterwhatthecircumstance,Sandyalways,always,hasstoodforartisticqualityandintegrity.

OneofthethingsIappreciateaboutSandyishercapacitytocreateanorganizationalculturewheremagicalthinkingisaccepted.Towit,therewasthetimeinthesummerof1989whentheAvalonbuildingapprehendedarmedthugsandmadeacitizen’sarrest.AndtherewasMayDay1991,whenTurtleSpirit,respondingtoitsplaceofhonorintheMayDaytheme,ReturntoTurtleIsland,blesseduswithsuchheavyrainsthatwehadtoreschedulethefestival.(Uponreflection,itmakessensethataturtlewouldconsideranoverabundanceofwateranappropriategift.)WeoncespentthebetterpartofastaffmeetinginterpretingthemeaningofadreamastaffmemberhadinrelationtothesuccessofMayDaythatyear.IthankthegodsthatthereisaSandySpielerintheworld,thatshe welcomes the odd view, and that she attracts freethinkers.

ThatHOBTandMayDaysurviveareatestamenttoSandy’sleadershipandhertremendousstaminaandfaith.Othershavecome,contributedgreatly,andgone;resourceshaveflowedinandoutofthecompanypurse,andallthewhileSandyhasbeenthemidwifeandmothertoHOBT’svision.Likethatdandelionthatbloomedwhereitwasplanted,Sandydidtoo.SheandthetheatergrewastrongtaprootinthesoilofLakeStreet.The“blooms”haveincluded40seasonsofproductions,artworkthatgracespublicspaces,arevitalizedBloomington-Lakebusinessdistrict,andanextgenerationofartistswhohavehonedtheirpuppeteeringchopsatHOBT.

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MyloveforSandyisdeeplyrooted,too.Her influence permeates my being.Themarigoldsinmygardenaregrowninherhonor.Spielerarthangsinnearlyeveryroomofmyhouse.There are moments of Sandy’s exquisite puppetry that still bring tears to my eyes just in the remembering. Sandy’sworkonwaterissuesinspiresmyownactivism.I’vebecomeawarethatatthebottomlayersofmydreaming,thereisaMayDayParadegoingonwithmaskedcharactersdancingandhornsblasting.Ithinkthepartyiscontinual;Ijustcatchglimpseseverynowandthenindeepsleep.

ItmakesperfectsensetomethatSandyhasreceivedtheMcKnightDistinguishedArtistAward.Shedeservesit.Absolutely.ButletusalsobestowonSandyanewaward:theDistinguishedDandelionAward,forbloomingsomasterfullywhereshewasplanted.

NadjaReubenovaisanartscoach,facilitator,collaborationspecialist,andaco-ownerofPossibiliTreeLLC.

SHE LOVES THE WORLD SO MUCH! BY FLORENCE CHARD DACEY

WeareworkingontheproductionoftheoperaLightningin1985,rehearsingattheSouthernTheaterinMinneapolis.Sandygoesonstagetodemonstratetothewomenwhoarehandlingthetallgrassexactlyhowitshouldbedone.Frommyseatinthedarkenedtheater,Iwatchasshecoaxestwostalksofgrass,whichareclothandstick,tallerthanherself,intoundulating.Suchasimpleact,butrevelatoryforme.ForsuddenlythewindisshimmyingthroughthegrassandIamsevenyearsold,perchedonahill,awaketosomemysterythatwantstomakeapathstraightintome.

Idon’trememberwhatsceneitwasorwhythatgrasswasintheshow,butIrememberSandy’sgraceand earnestness.Theintentlookonherbeautifulface.HowIfeltandwhatIrecognized.Iamnotveryknowledgeableabouttheartofpuppetry,butIknowthecreativeactwhenIseeit.Sandywaspayingattentiontowhatwasinherhands,identifyingwithityetremainingseparate,respectful.Sheforgotherself,evenasshebroughtherwholeselftobear.Thenthemagichappened.Theobjectbecamesubject,grewlarger,illuminedthespacearounditsotheviewersuddenlysawwiththeimagination.That’saholytrinityIcanputmyfaithin:theartist,thematerial,andthatthirdthing,thecreationasapprehendedbytheother.IrealizethateventhosefewminutesonthestagerequiredSandy’sskillsbornofyearsofpracticeandperseverance,allboundupwithahugedesiretoaltertheworld,onebladeofgrassatatime,ifthatiswhatittakes.

OverthedecadesIhavewitnessedSandy’s artistry in action onstage and off.IhavesatwithheratameetingwhereshecoaxedastructureoutoftheeclecticideasandartisticpassionsofaMayDayteamofartists,watchedherhandsbringasorrowingpuppettolifeforanewproduction,collaboratedwithhertofashionlinesofpoetrysotheymightreflectthedepthandwisdomofthemythic,urgentfigureswhofirstemergeddeepinherimagination.

IwanttosayIdon’tknowhowshehassustainedherenthusiasm,hercommitmenttothecommongood,andherabilityanddeterminationtofashionbeautyandjoyoutofwhatremainsaworldfraughtwithintractabletroubles.ButthenIthinkaboutthatmomentwiththegrassandaboutwhatthatrevealedaboutherspiritandhergifts,andIsupposeIdoknow,atleastinpart.Shelovestheworldsomuchsheletsitmovethroughher,beilluminated,moveus.Herartmakingisessentialandhighlyevolved.Likethemovementoftheearth’swatershewantsusalltoprotect.Liketheprairiegrassrisingagainandagain,tobowintheMinnesotawind.

FlorenceChardDaceyhaspublishedfourpoetrycollections,including,mostrecently,Rock Worn by Water,poemsaboutourplacewithinthenaturalworld.

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AsIstepintotheskinofapuppetoramask,Iencouragecompassionforthatbeingorentitytogrowwithinme.Morethansteppingintoaskin,theprocessactuallyfeelslikemelting,orbecomingnaked,astheboundariesofmyownskinandegodissolveintoempatheticunderstandingofthesoulofanother.Pointsofnakednessareopeningstootherworlds,avitalintegrationofrealmsnotpresentintheanalyticalthinkingworld:birth,death,thosetimeswhenfleshamassesanddissolves.Thereissomethingaboutthedissolutionandre-formingofskinthatbringsmeintothemostintimateexperienceoftheinterconnectionofmybodilycellswiththecellsoftheuniverse.Ifindthatmo-mentofcompassionaterecognitiontobeaplaceofhealing.

COMPASSION AS I STEP INTO THE SKIN OF A PUPPET OR A MASK, I ENCOURAGE COMPASSION FOR THAT BEING OR ENTITY TO GROW WITHIN ME. The process actually feels like melting, or becoming naked, as the boundaries of my own skin and ego dissolve into empathetic understanding of the soul of another. Points of nakedness are openings to other worlds, a vital integration of realms not present in the analytical thinking world: birth, death, those times when flesh amasses and dissolves. There is something about the dissolution and re-membering of skin that brings me into the most intimate experience of the interconnection of my bodily cells with the cells of the universe. I find that moment of compassionate recognition to be a place of healing.

SANDY SPIELER 35 - 36

SANDY ON

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WE ARE ALL INTHIS TOGETHER BY SHEILA REGAN

Thesedays,theartsworldisabuzzabout“creativeplacemaking.”DefinedbytheNationalEndowmentfortheArts(NEA)aswhathappenswhenthepublic,private,nonprofit,andcommunitysectorscometogethertoshapethephysicalandsocialcharacterofacommunityaroundartsandculturalactivities,creativeplacemakinghasinspiredmanyMinnesotaartsorganizationstoinitiateprogramsthatservetheircommunitiesindeepandmeaningfulways.Spurredbynewfundingsources(e.g.,theNEA’sOurTowngrants)thatencourageaudienceparticipation,publicandaccessibleprograms,andcollaborationsamongneighborhoodgroups,governmententities,andbusinesses,arenaissanceofartsprojectsthataremoreaboutprocessandrelationshipsthanafinalproductisoccurring.

Whileplacemakingisaucourant,it’snothingnewforanartistlikeSandySpieler,whohasspenthercareercreatingtheaterforandwiththecommunity,fromthegroundup.UnderSpieler’scare,IntheHeartoftheBeasthasgrowndeeprootsinitssouthMinneapoliscommunity,forgingconnectionswithadiversearrayofneighbors,communityorganizations,faithgroups,businesses,andmore.

It’sdifficulttoseparateSpielerfromHOBT.Becausetheytakesuchacollabora-tiveapproachasacompany,oftenthere’snotasinglecreativeforcebehindaparticularproject.AsHOBT’sartisticdirector,however, Spieler deserves credit for nurturing an environment where so many people have taken ownership of the art and community that HOBT creates.

Thebestexample,ofcourse,isthebelovedannualMayDayParadeandFestival,whosespiritreverberatesthroughthelifeofthecommunityallyearlong.HOBT’sPhillipsProject,apartnershipbegunbythecompany’seducationdirector,BartBuch,toengageneighborhoodkidsinartsactivities,isanotherinnovation.Theprojectgivesunderservedchildrentheopportunityforimmersioninmediasuchaspuppetry,photography,video,music,andpoetry,butitdoesmuchmorethanthat:participantslearnabouttheneighborhood’sphysicalandsocialhistory,interviewcurrentresidents,andusewhattheylearntocreateartthatexploresmanyfacetsoftheirneighborhood.

Spieler’sleadershiphasalsomoldedHOBTintoacompanythathasinspiredandinfluencedinnumerableotherMinnesotaartsorganizationsdevotedtoforgingtightbondswiththeircommunities.HOBTalumnihavegoneontocreatecompaniessuchas

theMinneapolis-basedOpenEyeFigureTheatre,whose“drivewaytours”takepuppetryintoneighborhoods,andtheMagicSmeltPuppetTroupeinDuluth,presentersoftheannualwinter-banishingRunSmeltRunParade&PartythatculminatesinthepresentationoftheSmeltQueen.

BareBonesProductionsandBedlamTheatre,bothintheTwinCities,havelongsharedHOBT’sspiritofparticipationandcommunitybuilding(aswellasthetalentsofmanyartistswhoworkonproductionsatallthreecompanies).HOBT’ssignatureuseofspectacleandpublicperformanceisevidentinBedlamandBareBonesevents,suchasthelatter’sannualHalloweenpageant.Morerecently,organizationssuchasPillsburyHouse+TheatreandPangeaWorldTheatre,bothofwhichhaveahistoryofdoinggrassrootswork,havetakenstepstostriveevenfurtherinthedirectionofplacemaking,whereperformancenotonlyhappensoutinthecommunitybutalsoisoftenco-createdbythecommunity.ManyoftheirsuccessesbearsignsofinfluencebytheworkofSpielerandHOBT.

Thefar-reachingculturalinfluenceofSpieler’sworkhashappenedbecausethework itself is so viscerally affecting.In2006,IperformedinHOBT’sLa Natividad,whichpresentstheNativitystoryasametaphorfortheU.S.immigrationcrisis.MaryandJoseph,asundocumentedimmigrants,wereforcedtoleavethecountry.IalwaystearedupatthepartwheretheaudiencewalkedwithMaryandJosephfromtheAvalonTheatertoSt.Paul’sEvangelicalLutheranChurch,wheretheywerestoppedbyablockade.Performers,with“Welcome”signsinhand,toredownthebarrier.

Thatmoment’sprofoundresonancecamefromboththepowerfulmetaphorofbreakingthroughthewallsthatsurroundusandtheparticipatorynatureoftheaction.AnditillustratedwhatIlovesomuchaboutSpieler’svision:Theshowwaspolitical,butnotlimitedbyitspoliticalpointofview.Instead,itmixedstrongmessagingwithspiritualandcommunalritual,creatingathrillingexperience.Theeffort,likemanyofHOBT’sotherproductions,requiredanenormousnumberofvolunteersworkingindifferentgroups.Therewastheangelchoir,theconsortiumofanimalpuppeteers,childrenlikemeperformingasangelsandshepherds.Whileeachgrouphaditsownleader,Spielerwaseverpresent,overseeingthewholeproduction.

She’sasmallwomanwitharatherangelicdemeanor,especiallywhenyouspeaktoherone-on-one.Inalargegroup,however,she’sapowertobereckonedwith,bringingalldifferentkindsofpeopletogethertowardacommongoal.Her work is about reaching toward the whole—where people, animals, plants, the wind, the water, and the earth all meet as one in search for unity.

SheilaReganisaMinneapolis-basedjournalistandtheaterartist.ShecontributestotheTwin Cities Daily Planet,mnartists.org,City Pages,Vita.mn,andClassicalMinnesotaPublicRadio,amongothermediaoutlets.

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FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUESNOTES FROM

With Susan Gust, best friend since 1970

Itwas1970inahighschoolinAmbridge,PA,asmalltownontheOhioRivernamedaftertheAmericanBridgeCompany,ownedbyU.S.Steel.Themillswerebeginningtolayoffworkersindroves,youngmenwerereturningfromVietnaminbodybags,eventsconnectedtothecivilrightsmovementweremakingthenightlynews,andthereseemedtobeahugegapbetweenthegenerationsinhowwereckonedwithatumultuousandchangingworld.Sandyhadarrivedinmytownmidwaythroughjunioryear.Iwastoldtoshowthisminister’sdaughteraroundtheschool,anditwasataskIdidnotwant.

IcanstillvividlyrememberthedaySandymovedfrombeinganalbatrosstobeingafriendwithwhomIwantedtosharemydeepestfearsandfeelings.Sheaskedourhomeroomteacherifshecoulddecoratethebarrenblackboardatthebackoftheroom.Whenwecametoschoolthenextday,bright-coloredconstruction-paperquotesandimagesofasunadornedtheblackboard,critiquingtheVietnamWarbutcompelling us to envision peace and giving us words to inspire us to do so together.

Evenasagirl,Sandywasalreadyskilledatusingimagestowrestlewithandunderstandourresidencewithintheheartofthebeast—andatdoingthisworkwithaprofoundspiritoflove,forgiveness,andhope.

SUSAN GUSTCOMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERMINNEAPOLIS

Overthelast40years,Sandy’s work has given voice to the unseen and overlooked people, places, creatures, and forces that shape our lives.Herpuppets,betheytinyfingerpuppetsorgiant,parade-stylepuppets,standinwitnesstoourinteractionwiththenaturalworld.Hereisanartistwhocouldhavegoneanywhereonthestrengthofhertalent,yethaschosentostayrootedhere—intheheartofaMidwesterncity,inoneofthestate’smosteconomicallychallengedanddiverseneighborhoods.Throughgoodtimesandbad,shehasjustkeptdoingherwork.Hericonicfigureshaveapowertomoveusinwaysthatgobeyondlanguage,silentlychallengingustodobetter,tobebetterstewardsoftheearth,tobekindertoeachother,andtostandupforjustice.Workingalongsideherfor20yearshasbeenoneofthegreathonorsofmylife.

KATHEE FORANARTS ADMINISTRATOR; HOBT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 1996–2010SAINT PAUL

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I joined In the Heart of the Beast for The Circle of Water Circus tour because I already knew about Sandy and loved her work. We might have been riding on a houseboat, but working with Sandy was like skiing behind a powerboat: Hang on.

We were working with a beautiful, 20-foot-tall puppet. I was the right hand.“The eyes. Follow the eyes.”“But I’m a hand!”“Do it.”“Oh, now I get it.”

The next day: a finger puppet.“Your knees. You’re not using your knees.”“It’s a finger puppet!”“Do it.”“Oh, yeah. Huh.”

One show in Hastings, Minnesota, it must have been 98 degrees. Two Mormon missionaries came by. In no time, Sandy had them inside this burlap buffalo. She worked them, but after the show there they were, huge grins, sweat-soaked in white shirts and ties.

I marvel at her heart, her passion and artistry. When you honor the work you honor yourself and those who come before and after you.

Things I learned from Sandy that I carry:Art is community.Art is a verb.Good art moves people, physically and emotionally.Art is on purpose.Everyone can make art.Everything can be art.But not everything is art or everyone an artist.The world is art waiting to happen.Give it your all.Work from the knees.Follow the eyes.

NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

KEVIN KLINGACTORMINNEAPOLIS

Wewereallgrowinguptogether,comingofage—IntheHeartoftheBeast,AttheFootoftheMountain,AliveandTrucking,OrréaMimeTroupe,CircleoftheWitch,thePalace,theIllusionTheater.Thereweremore.Wecameandwent.Butweallsawoneanother’sworkandsharedourdreamsandourmailinglistsandourduplicatingmachinesandourpublicityfilesandouropinionsandourvenues.AttheFootoftheMountain’sfirstfull-lengthplay,River Journal,washousedinWalkerCommunityChurch,whereHOBTandtheMinneapolisEnsembleTheatre(latertobecomethePalace)werefirstlocated.Andwesharedourlights,ourglue,ourpapier-mâché,ourfrustrations,oursuccesses.WhenMayDayfirstbeganandtheparadewassmall,wealldonnedmasksandbroughtourinstruments,claypots,andbamboosticksandwalkedtheroutetothepark...

OnJuly4,1976,weallclimbedintoHOBT’shugebuffalo-headpuppetsinmybackyardandslowlywalkedacrossthestreetandthroughtheparkbeforethefireworksbeganasatestimonytothegreatcreaturesofthelandthathavebeenslaughteredorcagedbythoseofuswhocelebrateourfreedomonthisday.Wewerealwayspushingtheenvelope.Wewererebelsandwewereardentvisionaries,determinedtohaveourvoicesheardandtomaketheworldabetterplaceforeveryone.

Today,mostofusstillstandclusteredinourisolationandourignorance,desperatelyhopingforthereleasefromallthissufferingwhichwehavebroughtuponourselves.ButwithSandyandherexpansivevisionatthehelm,HOBTremainstrueto the dream of a peaceful world, inviting us through song and dance and magnificently beautiful giant puppets to notice how filled with blessings our lives are,ifwewillonlytakethetimetosee.

SANDY SPIELER 41 - 42

MARTHA BOESINGFOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (1974–1984), AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAINOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

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KIDSLOVE FROM YOUR

Whenweweregrowingup,ourmomalwayshadsomethinguphersleevefordinner,andwe’renotjustreferringtothefood.Whetheritwassittingaroundhuskingcornwiththeneighborhoodkidswhilediscussingthelifejourneyofasinglepieceofcorn,orreadingthe“IHaveaDream”speechonMartinLutherKing,Jr.,Daywhilefightingbacktears,mealtimewasaplacewhereshecouldteachandshare her values with whoever was lucky enough to be around.

Ofthemanydinnersthatstickoutinourminds,oneparticularstorytookplaceonacoldDecember’seve.Wewereyoungteenagersatthetime,andwehappenedtohaveacoupleoffriendsoverfordinnerthatnight.Asweallsatdownatthetable,werealizedthatsomeonewasmissing.“Where’sMom?”Roseasked.

Suddenly,therewasaknockonthedoor.Ourdadjumpeduptoanswerit.“Oh,my,”heexclaimedasheopenedthedoor,“comerightin!”

Hobblinginfromthecoldnight,amaskedoldwomanenteredthediningroomcarryingasackoverhershoulder.Werecognizedherrightaway—itwasLaBefana,theItalianequivalentofSantaClaus.Ourfacesturnedredwithteenagedembarrassmentaswebothgigglednervouslyatourfriends.Unfazed,LaBefanaproceededtopulloutallsortsofgoodiesfromhersack.Atoothbrush,somedentalfloss,anapple.Shesilentlylimpedaroundthetable,givinguseachsomethingspecialbeforeblowingusakissandretreatingtowardthedoor.

Acoupleofminuteslater,ourmomappearedatthetable.“Wherewereyou?”ourdadasked.“YoumissedLaBefana!”Sheexpressedherdisappointmentatmissingourvisitor,butshruggeditoffandledusinabriefprayerforthefoodwewereabouttoeat.Ourfriends,stillreelingabitfromtheearliercommotion,askedifitwassomekindofspecialoccasionthatpromptedLaBefana’svisit.Weassuredthemitwasnoholiday.Justanormalnightaroundourdinnertable.

MICAH SPIELER-SANDBERG ROSE SPIELER-SANDBERG PROUD SON PROUD DAUGHTERSEATTLE ASHLAND, WISCONSIN

SANDY SPIELER 43 - 44Illustration for Artpaper, 1991

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NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

Sandyismymentor,myfriend,andmyinspiration.Istudiedmycraftbysensingthecontoursofhersculpture,handswetwithpapier-mâchépaste.Shetaughtmetheimportanceofleavingspaceforimagination,formystery.Sheshowedmehowtobringformoutofthedarknesswiththeabsolutesimplestofmaterialsandtools.Sheshowedme,throughherart,thatitispossibletotakeacomplicated,multilayeredideaandcreateanimagethatencapsulatesallaspectsofit,clarifiesit—likeapoem,anicon—sothatitspeaksdirectlytotheheart.Shehasalwayssharedherknowledgeandherdiscoveries;sheisn’toneofthoseartistswhowrapsherselfinanairofmystery.IamoneofhundredsofartistswhoovertheyearshavelearnedfromSandy,beenencouragedalongtheirpathbyher,andinwhoseworksomethingofherinfluenceshinesthrough.

Perhapsbecauseofbeingaminister’sdaughter,Sandypossessesanamazingability(isitlearnedorinnate?)tochargethesimplestofobjectsandactionswithprofoundmeaning,withsignificance.SheunderstandsbetterthananyoneIknowtheimportanceofritual both in theater and in our everyday lives, made all the more meaningful be-cause of the unpretentiousness and quirky humor that are as much a part of her work as deep thought and artistic skill.Tomycompletejoy,in2004Sandyagreedtoofficiateatmywedding.Icouldn’tthinkofanyoneIwouldtrustmoretomarksuchanimportantmomentwithreverenceandcareyetwiththelightesttouch.

ALISON DUDDLEPUPPET- AND MASK-MAKER AND DIRECTORJOINT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, HORSE + BAMBOO THEATRELANCASHIRE, U.K.

OneofmyfavoriteimagesofSandyisherinimitablelecturedemonstrationmomentofshowingagroupofschoolchildrenhowanythingcanbeapuppet.She’llseizeablackgarbagebagand,whirlingitintoafury,scream:“Atornado!”Anditis.Truly,inSandySpieler’shandsanythingcanbeapuppet.Andis,andwas,andhasbeen.

WhatIcherishinherworkisthesamethingI’dfindwhenwewouldstoptosharelunchinthemiddleofaworkday—thejoyshetakesinslicinganapple,herdeepappreciationfortheorangenessofacarrot,sippingaglassofwaterasifitwereafinewine.Clarityandsimplicity,whathasbeencallednaïvetébutisalsoknownaswonder,joy,amazementatthesmall,thefearlessnesstobeenormous,findingtheprofoundintheeveryday.Sandy walks the earth with the heart of a child, her eyes wide open to all its beauty and despair. And then she pulls it into her hands to create something beautiful, important.Thisistheworkoftheartist,andSandydoesiteveryday.

STEVEN EPPACTORMINNEAPOLIS

NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES SANDY SPIELER 45 - 46

Sandy’sparticularmagicissomehowcreatinganimageoratheatricalmomentwhichseemslikeacollectivedéjàvu:somethingyoudidn’tevenrealizeyouforgot,butwhenyou see it, it makes your heart sing.It’ssomethinglikenostalgia.

Thismightbeintheproportionsofthefacialfeaturesofamask,theelongationorangleofapuppet’sfingers,thetransformationofaset,orthequietgrandeurofagiant.Asatheater-maker,Iknowhowharditistofindthisgrace...butitisundeniablypresentinsomuchofSandy’swork.ThisisoneofthereasonssomanyartistshavecometolearnfromSandyovertheyears.

Thestrangethingis,Sandydoesn’tnecessarilyknowhowshedoesit,butsheknowswhenit’snotthere.This,Ibelieve,iswhatdrivesher.I’veseenhersculptaperfectlydecentmaskanddiscarditbecauseitdidn’tholdanessentialqualityofacharacter.Andshedidn’tknowhowelsetofinditbuttotryandfail.Thisdriveforthatessencesometimesmadeforlong,difficultrehearsalsifyouwereinagiantpuppetorholdingaglovepuppetaboveyourhead.

IworkedwithSandyregularlyforabout10years,from1992to2001.Ihavesinceworkedwithseveralotherpuppetandmaskcompaniesandstartedafewofmyown,butSandywillalwaysbemyfirstpuppetrymentor.SomuchofwhatInowknowaboutthepowerandpoetryofthisancientandridiculouscraftofpuppetry,IlearnedworkingnexttoSandy;forthisIwillalwaysbegrateful.

ANDREW KIMFORMER HOBT STAFF ARTIST; FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THINGUMAJIG THEATRE AND HANDMADE PARADEWEST YORKSHIRE, U.K.

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NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

TheholidayproductionLa Natividad,directedbySandy,evolvedfromanearliershowcalledThe Hunt,whichwasmyfirstshowwithIntheHeartoftheBeastin1979.WhenweperformedThe HuntoneyearonthestageatPlymouthCongregationalChurch,IpuppeteeredtheVirginMary.(DuringtherunIdiscoveredIwaspregnant,aphenomenonthathappenedwiththreedifferentwomenwhoplayedMaryinthreeconsecutiveyears!)Mypuppetwasprimarilycardboardandfabric;theimageofbabyJesuswasanunseenlitcandleinsideapaintedcardboardbox,creatingaglowfromwithinthefauxcradle.

AsMotherMaryleanedoverhernewborn,Ismelledsomethingodd.Mypuppet’sbodyhadcaughtonfire!Ithrewhertotheground!Flameswererisingfromthestage!Andbecauseweallperformedbarefoot,noonecouldstampthefireout!

Sandy,resourcefulpersonthatsheis,hurriedtocenterstageandcalledoutverypolitely,“Doesanyonehaveashoe?”Fromtheaudience,onewasofferedup.SandywhoppedpoorMarywiththeshoe.Thefirewasstifledandtheshow,ofcourse,wenton.

ESTHER OURAYASSOCIATE ARTIST, HOBT MINNEAPOLIS

Irememberbeing18yearsoldandseeingThe Reapers’ Tale,createdbySandySpieler,LaurieWitzkowski,MarthaBoesing,andthecompanyatHOBT.

Iwasmind-blown.Ihadseensometheaterbythatpointinmylife,butnothingpreparedmeforthevisceralpageantIwitnessed.Larger-than-lifesculpturescamealivetellingthestoryofChristopherColumbus“discovering”America.Icanstillhearthesoundsofhundredsofaluminumcansbeingdumpeddowntheaisleofthetheatertoaccompanyaprocessionofskeletonsastallastheceiling.Itwassoabruptatheatricalmomentthatitwaslikethescreechofchalkonblackboard.Thewholeperformancewaslikethat:eventstobeexperienced,muchmorethanaplaytobeobserved.

It changed me,changedwhatIhavecometoexpectorwantfromatheaterexperience,andchangedhowIwantmyownworktobeperceived.

IhaveseenSandycreatesomanygorgeous,heart-filledpuppetsandpageantmomentsoverthelast20years—abeautiful,compellinghistoryofwork.

ALISON HEIMSTEADPUPPET THEATER ARTIST AND DIRECTOR; PERFORMANCE CURATOR AT HOBTMINNEAPOLIS

SANDY SPIELER 47 - 48

Inthesummerof1980,Iwasa21-year-oldhippiefromBaltimoreattendingtheBlackHillsInternationalSurvivalGathering,whereacoalitionofIndians,ranchers,environmentalists,andpeacenikswastryingtostopuraniumminingintheBlackHills.TherewereantinukescientistsandAmericanIndianMovementleadersandpowwowdrumsandantiwarveteransandcommunityactivistsandpoets.Therewasadensedailyscheduleofveryseriousworkshopsandpaneldiscussions.

ThenIcameacrossapuppetshow:aminiaturetheaterwithhandpuppetsperformedbyafewkids,andayoungwomanplayingtheharmonica.AbadmannamedMr.Plutonium,ruthless,greedy,andevil,wascausinglotsofproblems.AsuperherocharacternamedNoNukes,wearingacapewithalargeNonit,struggledwithMr.Plutonium,butMr.Plutoniumwastoostrong,aformidablefoe.NoNukeswaspersuadedbyhissupporterstoappealtoMrs.Plutonium.Thisstrategyworked.AsIrecall,Mr.andMrs.PlutoniumwereinbedwhenMrs.PlutoniumfinallygotthroughtoMr.Plutoniumandhepledgedtostopmakingnuclearweaponsanddestroyingtheearth.

IwasespeciallydelightedbytheinterplayoftheboywhoworetheNoNukeshandpuppetandthewomanplayingtheharmonica.TheirperformancewassojoyfulandskillfulthatIconvincedmyselfthesetwomustbemotherandson.Afterward,IlearnedthatSandyhadhostedaworkshopduringwhichkidsandvolunteershadcreatedthisshowinafewdays,andthatshehadnotknownanyofthekidsbeforethegathering.Thatshowwasarevelationtome.Itwassomanythingsatonce:mythology and slapstick and education and humor and reality and nonsense and resistance and encouragement.Itwasabsurdandbeautiful.Icouldseethatthiswasapowerfulartform,andIlovedit!

MygirlfriendwasingraduateschoolinFloridastudyingtheater.IwrotetoheraboutthepuppeteerSandySpielerandhercompanyinMinneapolis.Withinayear,wehadsettledinMinneapolisandhadbecomeHOBTcompanymembers.

JIM OURAYPUPPETEER AND FOUNDER OF THE MAGIC SMELT PUPPET TROUPEDULUTH

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IwasdrawnintothebasementofWalkerCommunityChurchaftersingingforashowthatSandycreatedaboutAnnaMaeAquash.Whatacreativeworldexpandedandcontractedinandoutofthelittleworkshopbehindthevinylaccordiondoorsonthewestsideofthebasement!ThebeginningsofMayDay,aswellasmanysmallshows,werecreatedoutofthatspace:burlap,whitesheets,Ritdye,oldsewingmachines,fringe,fringe,fringe,cardboard,clay,Vaseline,tripstoButlerDrugonthecornerofBloomingtonAvenueandLakeStreetforsewingnotions.Thentherewasthehazardousmaterial,celasticdippedintoacetone;rubberglovesandaventilatorforbreathing.

ForthenextproductionIwasin,The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly,SandycreatedthemaskofSophietheGorilla.IwasSophie,wearingdyed-greylongjohns,aredpolka-dotdressandafelthat,playingoppositeEsmeralda(Sandy),herexactingandcontinuallydisappointedtrainer.MypuppetrycareerstartedinthebeautyandpathosoftheAnnaMaeAquashstoryandthesillinessofSophie.IamoneofsomanyrecipientsofSandy’spassionforherart,andoneofthebeneficiariesofherholdingthevisionsostrongly.

Amongtheartists/activistswhoorganizedthefirstMayDayParadeandFestivalwereagroupofpeople,includingSandyandme,affiliatedwiththeAlmondTreeHousehold.Thehouseholdmemberswereengagedincommunityactivismrootedinspiritualbeliefs,andinexploringtheroleofritualandceremonyinre-creatingthefuture.Itwasourdesiretoconnectwiththeartistic,political,social,emotional,andspiritualaspectsofourlives.Sandyhadthegeniusandtenacitytomakethatvisionreal,tocreateceremonythatunitesacrossculture,creed,andrace.

ItistheembraceofourwholeselvesincommunitywithoneanotherthatIbelievedistinguishesSandy’swork,workthatisexemplifiedinMayDay.TherearemanythousandsofpeopleforwhomMayDayisaspiritualhighlightoftheyear,ahighholydayofconfessionandabsolution,joyandwonder,anchoredbytheTreeofLife,aunifyingiconthatispartofeveryculture’ssacredstory.

Everybody in, nobody out.

NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

MARGO MCCREARYPUPPETEERMINNEAPOLIS

DAN NEWMANMAYDAY TREE OF LIFE PUPPETEER AND HOBT BOARD MEMBERMINNEAPOLIS

SANDY SPIELER 49 - 50

Fouryearsago,IsuggestedtoSandythatCommunitiesofLightCooperative—anonprofitdedicatedtoimprovingthephysical,mental,andspiritualhealthofresidentsinseveralMinneapolisinner-citycommunities—participateintheMayDayParade.Aspartofitsmission,CommunitiesofLightsellssolarlanternsandportablesolarelectricgenerators;wewantedtoshowcasesolarenergyintheparade,alongwithourideaofPangeaWorld—aworldunited.

WhentheMayDayworkshopbeganatHOBT,Iperchedatoneofthetablesfourtofivedaysaweekforsixweeks,workingonourPangeaWorldcontributiontotheparade.ItwasagruelingtaskbecauseIhadlimitedresourcesandvolunteers,butoneoftheHOBTstaffcametotherescuewithideasforbuildingaworldbypapier-mâchéingyogaballs.Itworked!

CommunitiesofLighthasreturnedtotheworkshoptableandtotheparadeeveryyearsince.SandyunderstandsthatitiscrucialthatBlackandAfricanAmericancommunitymembersberepresentedintheofficialparade—andthatbuildingcommunitycanhappenaslongasyoucontinuetoworkatbringingcommunityintotheprocess.In2014,CommunitiesofLightwasfeaturedintheparade,representedbymorethan80communitymembersfromawiderangeofcultures.

Sandy Spieler proves, and keeps on proving, that a consistent community effort will work!

DEE HENRY WILLIAMSCO-OP MEMBER, COMMUNITIES OF LIGHT; FOUNDER, ART FOR HEALING & CELEBRATION MINNEAPOLIS

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NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES NOTES FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

Inthesummerof1981,IwassittingatapicnictablewithCarolBlyandMeridelLeSueurintheshadowofaGustavusAdolphusCollegedorm.WewereinSt.Peterfor“TheGathering”—aconvocationofradicalandpoliticaltheatercompaniesfromacrossAmerica.Itwasachancetomeeteachother,toseeeachother’swork,toaffirmthatinthepost-Vietnamera,theartwemadestillmattered(or,perhapsmoreaccurately,matteredmorethanever).

Sittingattheendofthetablewas,asMeridelwouldsay,“athinslipofagirl,abeanstalkwithbrighteyesandatableofcurlsontop,”SandySpielerbyname.

SandyandIbeganaconversationthatsoonturnedtoherspinningoutadreamoftakingacircusfromtheheadwatersoftheMississippitotheGulfofMexico.AcircusthatwasatheatricalperformanceofthehistoryoftheMississippiRiverandthewatersthatflowedinto,within,andthroughittothewideocean.Ilistenedandthoughttomyself,“That’sprettyambitious.”Iwonderedhowitwouldwork,howyouwouldpayforit,whowoulddosuchathing.Somewherealongthelinesheaskedme—orIoffered—tohelpmakeithappen.

So began my 33 years of conversations with Sandy Spieler about what is and what could be.

LOREN NIEMISTORYTELLER; HOBT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 2010-2014 MINNEAPOLIS

SANDY SPIELER 39 - 40SANDY SPIELER 51 - 52

Rehearsing for The Prairie Circus and Wild West Show, 1978

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Sandy, 1973. Photo © Gary Cox

SANDY SPIELER:

AN ARTIST’S LIFE

SANDY SPIELER 53 - 54

1953BorninColumbus,OH,thesecondoffourchildren.Father,Robert,isaseminaryprofessoroftheologyandGerman;mother,Shirley,isasecretaryandhomemaker.

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1957 - 1958 TheSpielersmovetoBrighton,MI,whereRobertservesaspastorofSt.GeorgeLutheranChurch.FamilyincludessiblingsKrista,Bob(Robert),andJim(James).

SANDY SPIELER: AN ARTIST’S LIFE

Top: age 4, 1957. Lower left: age 5, 1958. Lower right: James, Robert, Sandy, and Krista Spieler

1959 - 1961 RoberthassuccessfulbrainsurgerythataffectsSandydeeply,“givingmeinterestinhospitals,inbodies,andintherealityofdeath.”AteacherencouragesSandytodrawandwritepoetry,andcastsherasthePiedPiperinaschoolplay.

1962 – 1969FamilymovestoMarylandforRoberttoserveaspastorofSt.JamesLutheranChurchinWashington,DC.Robertwelcomesthechurch’sfirstAfricanAmericanparishioners,sparkinghatemail,threats,andthedepartureof70percentofthewhitecongregation.Sandybecomesactiveintheantiwarcommitteeatherjuniorhighandattendsnumerousprotestsinthecity.

1970St.JamessellsitsbuildingtoanAfricanAmericancongregationandtheSpielersmovetoAmbridge,PA.WithSusanGustandFredJust,Sandyhelpstoorganizeacounty-wideWalkforHungerandopenayouthdrop-incenter.

1971 - 1972EntersBeloitCollegeinWisconsinasaliberalarts/pre-medstudent.SpendsasemesterinMinneapolisdoingeventandconventionplanningfortheyouthdepartmentoftheAmericanLutheranChurchandlivinginAlmondTree,acollectiveinthePhillipsneighborhoodacrossthestreetfromthenewLittleEarthofUnitedTribeshousingcomplexforNativeAmericanresidents.“Withoutmybeingaware,IamcalledtomakethiscommunityofPhillipsacoreofmylife,”shesays.SpendsfourmonthsinDenmarkandafterwardreturnstoMinneapolisinsteadofgoingbacktocollege.

SANDY SPIELER 55 - 56

At a rally in Washington, DC, 1968

55 56

First mask ever sculpted, for The Grass WIll Grow and the River Flow, 1974

1973 - 1974Createsfirstfull-bodysculptureforCircleoftheWitchtheatercompany.TakesaclassatPowderhornPuppetTheatreandishiredbythetheater.PerformsinasmalltouringshowandhelpscreateandperformThe Grass Will Grow and the River FlowandLa Befana.

SANDY SPIELER: AN ARTIST’S LIFE

1975WorkswithmembersofAlmondTree,PowderhornPuppetTheatre,andotherneighborstocreatethefirstMayDayParadeandFestivaltobringpeopletogetherindefianceofhowthewarinVietnamdisruptedbondsbetweenneighbors.

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1976 - 1979Beginscreatingresidenciestoteachpuppetrytochildrenandadultsinschoolsandcommunitycenters.BecomesartisticdirectorofPowderhornPuppetTheatre.MayDaycelebrationscontinueannually,andthegroupofcollaboratingartistsgrows;otherpageantsandproductionsincludeaBuffaloProcessionfortheU.S.bicentennial;The Prairie Circusand Wild West Show;WakeUp!;andparticipationintheContinentalWalkforDisarmamentandSocialJustice.FormstheAlmondTreeChoir.CreatesThe Story of Anna Mae AquashinhonorofaNativewomanbrutallymurdered.SpendsthreesummersworkingwithBreadandPuppetTheater.In1979,PowderhornPuppetTheatrebecomesIntheHeartoftheBeastPuppetandMaskTheatre(HOBT)andmovesintotheGustavusAdolphusbuildingonLakeStreetinMinneapolis.

With fifth-graders during a residency in Brookings, SD, 1979

1980 - 1982AttendstheInternationalSurvivalGatheringintheBlackHillsandisinspiredtobuildshowsandresidenciesfocusedonstewardshipofthewatercommons,includingOh! River!, Water, Whose Choice?, War for Water,and Round About Water Tale.CompanyworkexpandswithShoes of Infant LightandThe Hunt.StudiesBalinesemaskeddanceatNewYorkUniversity.

Performing The Love of The Moon and Oh! River!, 1980

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SANDY SPIELER: AN ARTIST’S LIFE

Rehearsing for River Allegory (later Oh! River!), 1980. Photo © John Franzen

MayDay ceremony, 1981. Photo © John FranzenWith Steve Sandberg and puppets from La Befana, 1988. Photo © Margo McCreary

With grass mask for Lightning, 1985. Photo © Michal Daniel

SANDY SPIELER 59 - 60

1983 - 1990MajorworksincludeDusk Til Dawn;Lightning; The Nightingale; Table, Table; and The Reapers’ Tale.Water-focusedpiecesincludeA Life of HOH andThe Circle of Water Circus,whichtoursnationallyin1983andtoSwedenandDenmarkin1985.MarriesStevenSandberg;welcomessonMicahSpieler-Sandbergin1987anddaughterRoseSpieler-Sandbergin1990.In1988,HOBTmovesintotheAvalonTheateronLakeStreet.Conductsnumerouslocalandnationalresidenciesforspecialevents.SabbaticalyearincludestraveltoMexicotostudypre-Columbianart.StudiesGreektheaterinEpidavros,Greece.

The Circle of Water Circus company after the final performance in New Orleans, 1983

Spieler-Sandberg family, circa 1995

Performing a puppet made by brother Jim Spieler, Table, Table, 1987

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1991 - 1994Three Circles of 500,anepicquincentennialritualpageant,examinestheUSA’smulticulturalroots.DesignsdreamsequencesforfeaturefilmTarantella.WithEstherOuray,co-createsBefriended by the Enemy.CreatesthefirstDiadelosMuertoseventinMinneapoliswithCreArteandIntermediaArts.

SANDY SPIELER: AN ARTIST’S LIFE

Prayer, a collaboration among Iraqi, Korean, and American artists in South Korea, 2003

1995 - 2002Befriended by the EnemyawardedCitationofExcellencebyUnionInternationaledelaMarionnette(UNIMA).RestagesThe HuntinsupportofthelocalMexicanimmigrantpopulation.JourneywithBethPetersontoexploreGoddesssitesinEngland,Ireland,andGermanyinformscreationofIlluminations,withatorch-litpathofperformanceinstallationstohonorfemininespirituality.OtherworksincludeGyre: Song for a Mil-lennium and DMZ 2000,anepictheaterritualinthedemilitarizedzoneinSouthKorea.About Peace: Tree of Life isperformedinSouthKoreajustafter9/11,andagainintheDominicanRepublicthefollowingmonth.

2003 - 2004Water-focusedworksincludeWe Bow to the Water/Water Connects the World,acommissionedinstallationforTheMcKnightFoundation;andTheater of the Everyday Miracle: Homage to Water,avideocollaborationwithWillHommeyer.CreatesopeningceremonyforGwacheonHanmadangTheaterFestivalinSouthKorea,collaboratingwithKoreanandIraqiartists.Earnsamaster’sdegreeinculturalperformancefromBristolUniversityinEngland;aspartofthesis,designsanddirectsacommunityperformance,Voicing the River,inthetownofUlverston.OtherworkscreatedinEnglandincludeAn Act of Gratitude; Room of Divining;The White Car;andthefirst“WhatIf?”toytheaterworkshopsforcommunitydreaming.

SANDY SPIELER 61 - 62

2005 - 2010MajorworkssetwithinthecontextofHOBT’sneighborhoodincludeLake Street Excavations,awalkingperformance/site-specifictourintheneighborhood;andLa Natividad,abilingualversionoftheChristmasstory.InitiatesInvigoratetheCommonWell,anongoinginvestigationofthewatercommons,withworksthatincludeCome to the Well; Beneath the Surface;SomosAgua;andDecorate the Well in Gratitude,astreetfairtochristenthereimagineddrinkingfountainintheAvalonTheaterlobby.ConductsmajorwaterresidenciesinWinona,Bemidji,Ely,andFargo-Moorhead;Are You Thirsty?emergesasatouringshowforschoolsandcommunities.

2011 - 2013CollaborateswiththeMinnesotaOrchestraonHansel and GretelandThe Magic Flute.PerformsWonder of WaterattheEugeneO’NeillTheaterCenter’sNationalPuppetryConferenceinWaterford,CT.CreatesLa Guadalupana withtheKalpulliKetzalCoatlicueAztecDancersandtheBasilicaofSaintMaryinMinneapolis.

2014Conductscommunityworkshopsaboutoil,sand,andwaterinMinneapolisandinFargo,ND;paintsthecantastoriaWhat the Frack?!;andcreatesthetoytheaterIts Substance Reaches Everywhere.The40thannualMayDayParadeandFestivalbringstogetherneighborsincelebrationofcommunityandthecomingofspring.

With Jim Koplin, longtime colleague, MayDay morning 2012. Photo © Nick Lethert

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INTERCONNECTION MY WORK CELEBRATES THE GLORIOUS, YET OFTEN UNNOTICED, INTERCONNECTION OF ALL THINGS, THE ASTOUNDING INTRICACIES OF BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY, AND THE ETERNAL CYCLE OF BIRTH, DEATH, AND BIRTH AGAIN. My work also mourns and questions the poverty of soul and body perpetrated by hatred of self, of “the other,” and of the earth, seeking to untangle the artificial constructs of racism, classism, sexism, and the linear fear of death that manufactures systems of genocide, ecocide, and inexplicable greed.

SANDY SPIELER 63 - 64

SANDY ON

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SELECTED WORKS

2014MayDay:Wonder?Wonder!Its Substance Reaches EverywhereWhat the Frack?! La Natividad

2013 MayDay:SeetheWorldBetween the WorldsLa Guadalupana (attheBasilicaofSaintMary,Minneapolis)Wonder of Water (EugeneO’NeillTheaterCenter,Waterford,CT)

2012MayDay:TheEndoftheWorldasWeKnowItLa NatividadHansel and Gretel (withDenverOrchestra)YES! Dancin’ in the Street! WhatIf?andWaterBlessing

2011 MayDay:CawstoUniteLa NatividadHansel and Gretel (withMinnesotaOrchestra)Sleep Will ComeThe Magic Flute (withMinnesotaOrchestra)

2010MayDay:UPROAR!La BefanaWater, Water Everywhere(Fargo-Moorhead)

2009MayDay:OurCommonTreasury—DigItA Path Home

¿Tienes Sed?Drinking-fountainmuralforMinnesotaStateFairWaterpromenadeonSemersBeach(Ely,MN)WaterCircusresidencyandperformance(Bemidji,MN)

2008MayDay:ANewBridge:InfrastructurefortheFutureBeingsBeneath the SurfaceDecorate the Well in GratitudeAre You Thirsty?(touringshowthrough2014)La NatividadOurWaterCommons(yearlong;Winona,MN)

2007MayDay:SomosAguaCome to the WellInvigoratetheCommonWell (eventsthrough2008)We the People, Wake! (PuppeteersofAmericaNationalFestival,St.Paul)La NatividadGift of Seeds(sculptureforpubliclibraryinMaplewood,MN)

2006MayDay:TheTimeIsNow!toComeTogetherfortheCommonGood!Gotama: A Journey to the BuddhaLa NatividadDesignforLutheranYouthGatheringnationalconvention(SanAntonio)PublicartforBloomington-Lakestreetscape,Minneapolis

SANDY SPIELER 65 - 66

2005WorldPeaceandPrayerDay(PahaSapa/BlackHills,SD)MayDay:WhereDoWeGofromHere?Lake Street ExcavationsWhat If?(Ulverston,UK)Voicing the River (Ulverston)

2004MayDay:LEAP!Room of Divining (Bristol,UK)Museum for the Age of Oil (Bristol)

2003MayDay:ThisIsOurChildTheater of the Everyday Miracle: Homage to WatervideoOpeningpageant,GwacheonHanmadangTheaterFestival,SouthKoreaAn Act of Gratitude(Bristol,UK)Water Connects the World (sculptureforMcKnightFoundationoffices)

2002MayDay:MAYDAY!MAYDAY!The Nightingale Befriended by the EnemyBetween the Worlds: Stories of Dark and Light

2001MayDay:PrayerfortheFloweringofCompassionMago(Suwan,SouthKorea)About Peace: Tree of Life(Gwacheon,SouthKorea,andSantoDomingo,DominicanRepublic)La BefanaBorn of Dreams: Celebration of the Sisters of St. Joseph

2000MayDay:DiviningEconomyDMZ 2000(Imjingak,SouthKorea)Seed: Awesome Vessel of PowerResidencyandperformancefor20thanniversaryofMusicCenterofLosAngeles

1999MayDay:SomosUnoGyre: Song for a MillenniumEasterserviceatGuthrieTheaterincollaborationwithHennepinAvenueUnitedMethodistChurchTheatre of Wonder,exhibitionandaccompanyingbookbyFrederickR.WeismanArtMuseum

1998MayDay:Sing!Illuminations

1997MayDay:MayAbundantBlessingsFlowA Very Old Man with Enormous WingsThe Hunt

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WORK WITH WATER MY WORK WITH WATER WAS PROPELLED BY TWO EVENTS IN 1980:

- A Japanese friend sent me a booklet, Give Me Water, that is an account of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, of people screaming as their cities burned, their trees, houses, bodies on fire—running to the rivers screaming, “Give me water, give me water!”

For me, this was a cry for the water of life, a cry into the center of the heinous pain of war.

- In July of 1980, I attended the Black Hills International Survival Gathering, organized by Lakota activists to protest the U.S. government’s proposal to mine uranium for the nuclear power industry out of the sacred land of Paha Sapa (the Black Hills). Understanding that the mining would severely deplete the water table of Paha Sapa, the Native elders spoke astutely about issues of environmental genocide as parallel to issues of human genocide.

SANDY SPIELER 67 - 68SANDY ON

Detail from Water Connects the World, installation at The McKnight Foundation offices, 2003. Photo © Camille Lizama

67 68

Details from Water Connects the World, installation at The McKnight Foundation offices, 2003. Photo © Camille Lizama

SANDY SPIELER 69 - 70

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The conference was outdoors. It was hot, really hot, and dry. I was thirsty. As the elders spoke I remembered the photos of charred trees and bodies, and something became completely clear to me—in my mind, yes, but mostly in the cells of my body. My thirst is the thirst of the earth, of all life connected by a dependence on water. How we share the water is primary to the peace of the world.

I thought of how I lived so close to the Mississippi River, how this great lifeline was becoming a great sewage line, of how many nuclear power plants were being placed in close proximity to this river. I went home from this conference and got to work! Many big and little shows; paintings; The Circle of Water Circus and its Mississippi River tour; my work in Ulverston, England; and various installations on the banks of the river emerged over the next 25 years.

Then, in 2006, I stood looking at the drinking fountain in the lobby of our theater in Minneapolis and had one of those “aha” moments.

The fountain was decorated, as it had been for many years, with an “Out of Order” sign. Rather than invest in the repair and maintenance of our public drinking fountain, we had instead started selling water in plastic bottles. We had entered into the privatization of water without even thinking! I suddenly recognized this fountain as a sad emblem of our public care of the water commons.

At that moment, Invigorate the Common Well arose; it later evolved into an ongoing initiative about water quality, quantity and “ownership” questions—starting with a performance series using our broken public drinking fountain as an emblematic lens to focus on the stewardship of our water commons. At once a civic project, a sacred project, and a communal health project, Invigorate the Common Well has encompassed performances, MayDay ceremonies, street fairs, panel discussions, community residencies, and more. Always beginning with deep reverence for the water itself, the goals are to affect people’s everyday practices of water stewardship, to build experiential-education curriculum about water for students of all ages, and to affect public policy in ways that nurture the water commons.

SANDY SPIELER 51

WORK WITH WATER

SELECTED WORKS SANDY SPIELER 71 - 72

1996MayDay:BeaBridgeBetween the Worlds: Songs of Light and DarkBefriended By the EnemySong for a Millennium

1995MayDay:GorgeousFeverofConsciousnessLa BefanaTree of 1,000 Leaves

1994MayDay:InHonorofSeeds:AwesomeVesselsofPower!DiadelosMuertos processionandinstallation My Other Heart(NorthlightTheatre,Skokie,IL)DesignforLutheranYouthGatheringnationalconvention(Atlanta)The Miracle Play of Our Lady Of Guadalupe(GustavusAdolphusCollege,St.Peter,MN)

1993MayDay:LettheSleeperAwake!Befriended by the EnemyCreatoranddirectorofpuppetryforTarantella,afilmbyHelenDeMichiel

1992MayDay:IAmAnotherYourselfBetween the Worlds: Songs of Light and DarkThree Circles of 500

1991MayDay:ReturntoTurtleIslandOn the Day You Were BornLa Befana DesignforLutheranYouthGatheringnationalconvention(Dallas)

1990MayDay:WheelofChangeEverWhirlingLa BefanaLake Street MamboIllustrationsforWinter Prairie Woman,MinnesotaCenterforBookArtsWinterBook

1989MayDay:VoicesofTreesThe Reapers’ Tale: A Celebration in the House of the Dead Featuring the Grand Feast of the Skeletons and Their Reenactment of the Great Voyage of Christopher Columbus in Honor of the Life of the WorldThe Invisible ChildLa Befana

1988MayDay:WhentheDragonSpeaksLa BefanaHouse of Mysteries

1987MayDay:WeMayBeFamilyAfterAllPrayer for the Life of the WorldTable, Table

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SELECTED WORKS

1986MayDay:CornIn Our BackyardThe NightingaleThe HuntRio Carnival

1985MayDay:OurWorldHomeLightningLa BefanaThe Circle of Water Circus(SwedenandDenmark)

1984MayDay:InHonorofTimeandChange-bringingofHearts,Hands,MindsThe HuntDusk Til DawnEarth Circus (St.Louis,andChattanooga,TN)Water, Water EverywhereLa BefanaParadeforopeningofeducationwingofWalkerArtCenterGalaopeningofCivicandConventionHall(Lima,OH)

1983MayDay:Water#2La BefanaThe Circle of Water Circus MississippiRivertourA Life of HOHRiverFacesartsandhumanitiesevent(St.Louis)

1982MayDay:Water#1Round About Water TaleOh! River!The Story of Anna Mae AquashLet the Bird of Earth FlyLa Befana

1981MayDay:InHonorofChangeShoes of Infant LightOh! River!Water, Whose Choice?The War for WaterThe Story of Anna Mae AquashLet the Bird of Earth Fly(St.Peter,MN)La Befana

1980MayDay:TheYearoftheChildSarah LaughedRiver AllegoryThe Hunt

1979MayDay:WakeUp!The Old Woman Who Swallowed a FlyThe Ever-WantingLa BefanaIntheHeartoftheBeastValentine’sDayshowinhonorofcompanynamechange

SANDY SPIELER 73 - 74

1978MayDay:TheseThingsAreFree!Song CycleLa BefanaThe Prairie Circus and Wild West Show (Brookings,SD)In the BeginningandThe Descent of Ishtar

1977MayDay:SeasonsThe Christmas StoryThe Prairie Circus and Wild West ShowThe Red Show and The White Show

1976MayDay:TheArkThe Valentine’s Day Show: History of Love

BuffaloProcession(MinneapolisandWashington,DC)BuffaloStoryandFeedingProcession (NewOrleans)DesignforLutheranYouthGatheringnationalconvention(NewOrleans)

1975MayDay:BringUsBackTogetherFeast of FoolsMagnificatLa Befana

1974La BefanaThe Grass Will Grow and the River Flow

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PAST DISTINGUIS

DOMINICK ARGENTO 1998WARREN MACKENZIE 1999ROBERT BLY 2000DALE WARLAND 2001EMILIE BUCHWALD 2002MIKE LYNCH 2003STANISLAW SKROWACZEWSKI 2004JUDY ONOFRIO 2005LOU BELLAMY 2006KINJI AKAGAWA 2007BILL HOLM 2008BAIN BOEHLKE 2009SIAH ARMAJANI 2010RANEE RAMASWAMY 2011JOHN CADDY 2012WENDY LEHR 2013

HED ARTISTS

SANDY SPIELER 75 - 76

ABOUT THE McKNIGHT FOUNDATION

The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, seeks to improve the

quality of life for present and future generations. Through grantmaking, collaboration,

and encouragement of strategic policy reform, we use our resources to attend, unite,

and empower those we serve. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William

and Maude McKnight, the foundation had assets of approximately $2 billion and granted

about $86 million in 2013, of which about 11% was directed to support working artists to

create and contribute to vibrant communities.

The McKnight Foundation is committed to the protection of our environment, a

philosophy that underlies our practice of using paper with postconsumer waste content

and, wherever possible, environmentally friendly inks. Additionally, we partner with

printers who participate in the PIM Great Printer Environmental Initiative. This book

was printed with soy-based inks on recycled paper containing 100% postconsumer waste.

CREDITS

Design + Art Direction velvetpeel, Joanne Grobe

Editing frankhart, ink., Colleen Frankhart

Photography Sarah Hrudka Photography

Printing Shapco Printing, Inc. Certified PIM Great Printer Environmental Initiative

Uncredited vintage photos are courtesy of Sandy Spieler.

MarthaBoesingtestimonialonpage42excerptedandadaptedfromTheatre of Wonder: 25 Years In

the Heart of the Beast,ColleenSheehy,ed.Copyright©1999bytheFrederickR.WeismanArtMuseum.

UsedbypermissionofUniversityofMinnesotaPress.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Anne Binger

Erika L. Binger

Meghan Binger Brown

Robert Bruininks

David Crosby

Phyllis Goff

Bill Gregg

Debby Landesman

Perry Moriearty

Ted Staryk

Robert J. Struyk

© 2014 The McKnight Foundation. All rights reserved.

OFFICERS

Ted Staryk, Board Chair

Kate Wolford, President

Bill Gregg, Assistant Treasurer

Rick Scott, Vice President of Finance and Compliance, and Secretary

ABOUT THE AWARD

TheDistinguishedArtistAwardrecognizesartistswho,likeSandySpieler,have

chosentomaketheirlivesandcareersinMinnesota,therebymakingourstateamore

culturallyvibrantplace.Althoughtheyhavethetalentandtheopportunitytopursue

theirworkelsewhere,theseartistshavechosentostay—andbystaying,theyhavemade

adifference.Theyhavefoundedandstrengthenedartsorganizations,inspiredyoung-

erartists,andattractedaudiencesandpatrons.Bestofall,theyhavemadewonderful,

thought-provokingart.

McKnightiscommittedtofosteringanenvironmentinwhichallartistsarevalued

leadersinourcommunity,withaccesstotheresourcesandopportunitiestheyneedto

succeed.Thisaward,whichcomeswith$50,000,goestooneMinnesotaartisteach

year.Nominationsareopentoeveryone,andthosereceivedbyMarch31areconsidered

thesameyear.Thepanelthatselectstherecipientismadeupoffivepeoplewhohave

longtimefamiliaritywiththeMinnesotaartscommunity.

OurthanksgotopanelistsPhilipBither,WalkerArtCenter’sseniorcuratorof

performingarts;GraydonRoyce,theatercriticattheMinneapolisStar Tribune;Stewart

Turnquist,formercoordinatoroftheMinnesotaArtistsExhibitionProgramattheMin-

neapolisInstituteofArts;2001McKnightDistinguishedArtistDaleWarland,founder

oftheDaleWarlandSingers;and2002McKnightDistinguishedArtistEmilieBuchwald,

founderofMilkweedEditions.Theirhighstandardsandthoughtfulconsiderationmake

thisawardatrulymeaningfultributetoMinnesota’smostinfluentialartists.

VICKIEBENSON

ArtsProgramDirector,TheMcKnightFoundation

SANDY SPIELER 77

710 South Second Street, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 mcknight.org P 612 333 4220