Diorama-rama returns, moves to Sacred Heart

Two years later and Diorama-rama 4 is finally upon us.

“Well, last year I was in school pretty hardcore,” explained the event’s organizer, Sarah Heimer.

Adding to the wait: She was also looking for a new home for the event, as the last two were held in the old Emerson School co-op — where she lives.

“I don’t know; it almost made it more stressful because I didn’t like putting any strain on my neighbors,” she said. “It just felt like it was kind of getting too big for our little gym.”

She landed on Sacred Heart Music Center.

“I was shopping around for a new place to [hold it] in, and Sacred Heart came up,” Heimer said. “The toughest thing was finding a venue suitable for the event that was big enough to have it and fun and, yet, a location that was willing to put on something like that.

“… I guess I just wanted to do it somewhere that was meant to have art and music events so it wasn’t an issue with the cops — our building just isn’t made for 400 people to come to.”

For the uninitiated, Diorama-rama is, at its core, a showcase for

community-contributed dioramas. And it really is open to everyone, from casual tinkerers haphazardly arranging action figures to celebrated artists who are in it to awe their friends and neighbors.

Even Heimer, despite all the effort she puts into actually getting the events off the ground, gets in on the action.

“Although it seems like every year I’m hot-gluing my diorama like an hour before the event is supposed to start,” joked the artist, whose illustrations can be seen in Transistor and on the cover of just about every other locally produced compilation released since she started doing her thing.

Then, of course, there is the music. From the first event, which was held at the now-defunct Twin Ports Music and Arts Collective, through the two at Emerson, Diorama-rama patrons have enjoyed performances from local favorites like Charlie Parr and Taconite to out-of-town groups like Best Friends Forever and Dance Band.

Scheduled to perform at this year’s event: DJ 45, Coyote (Marc Gartman and Jerree Small), the Boom Chucks (Jamie Ness and Brad Nelson’s new group), Vortex Navigation Company, Moonstone and the Temporary Service.

What makes this even more exciting is that they will, of course, be performing at the acoustically sound Sacred Heart — as opposed to the made-for-dodgeball Emerson Gym. The former cathedral, which is now run by a non-profit, has housed concerts by everyone from the Crash Test Dummies and Keri Noble to Henry Rollins and Low (and, not to mention, was used as a recording space for many albums, including Retribution Gospel Choir’s recently released “2”).

“The acoustics in there are awesome, so the music will be sounding great,” Heimer said, “and Eric Swanson will be there to manage the sound.”

NEWS TO USE
Diorama-rama 4 will be held at 7 p.m. March 6 at Sacred Heart, 201 W. Fourth St. Performers include DJ 45, Coyote, the Boom Chucks, Vortex Navigation Company, Moonstone and the Temporary Service. Food and drink by Fitger’s Brewhouse. Cost is $6. E-mail caradiabolica@hotmail.com if you want to participate and need help.

Tags: budge a and e, arts and entertainment, sacred heart, dj 45, jerree small, marc gartman, boom chucks, brad nelson, jamie ness, vortex navigation company, the temporary service, fitgers brewhouse, duluth, budgeteer, diorama-rama, coyote, moonstone