LISA THALHEIMER
Arts Writer

As I walked in the doors of the Mendel Art Gallery Jan. 15, I was greeted by women taking tickets at the door. Behind them, the gallery was dark, lit only by purple, blue and pink lights as electronic dance music was blasting out of the usually well-lit, quiet gallery.

The sold-out event was LUGO, the Mendel Art Gallery’s annual art showcase featuring every possible facet of the art world. Suitably accompanied with copious amounts of booze, the showcase included poets, filmmakers, dancers, performers and anything else you could possibly imagine.

LUGO had brought an entirely new life to the gallery. All night long people were drinking, dancing, writing poetry and decorating the gallery with sketches of risqué models who were posing for that very purpose.

While it was one of the best nights I’ve had so far this year, I was a little disappointed in the setup. There was so much going on that it became difficult to keep up with everything. It felt like the moment an event was done in one room, one started in another. There was little time in between for a bathroom break or socializing. Also, there was no announcement or notification (that I noticed) that a performance was beginning. So I ended up missing out on some of the performances.

What I did get to see, however, was wonderful. Local slam poet Charles Hamilton performed a love poem about Saskatoon and a poem about local celebrity Sailor Dan. Foggy Notions, the only live band that played, had a short but sweet set that had a drunken audience paying close attention. Dr. Sketchy provided the risqué models for the crowd to sketch. Dr. J and Keith Doepker kept the crowd dancing and on their feet the entire night and into the early morning.

Unfortunately, by the time I went to check out Bad Monster films that were being displayed in a back room, the bulb on the projector had burnt out and the room had simply turned into another space for people to hang out in.

Despite missing out on some performances, I was thoroughly entertained the entire night. There was a photo booth that came equipped with a giant box of props, masks and hats that had groups of people lining up to get their photo taken. There was also a wall covered in paper that people were encouraged to write, draw and hang their sketches on.

In terms of beverages and food, LUGO couldn’t have been better. The drinks were reasonably priced and, with two bars in the gallery, I never had to wait more than a minute or two to get my hands on a drink. The food was fancy, delicious and served in small portions that were perfect for snacking. Local restaurants like Calories and PickNics were selling some of their specialities, including cupcakes and brownies, the perfect food to compliment a few glasses of wine.

Overall, LUGO was a blast. It was really great to see so many people coming out to support local art and artists. I can’t wait for next year!

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image: Troy Mamer