The Twin Cities is home to a vibrant community of animators. Their films range from hand-drawn to digital, often jettisoning conventional narrative for dazzling spectacle. Audiences can usually catch their work in a range of annual festivals, from MinnAnimate (https://minnanimate.com/) to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Film Festival.

A filmmaker who has been a stalwart presence at both festivals is CC Stanhill. Their mind-bending odes to fluid creativity are buoyed by beguilingly homespun animation. KFAI's Nick Kouhi spoke with Stanhill about the creative process behind their body of work ,as well as the joy that underlines every painstakingly drawn frame of their art

Image: still frame from Stanhill's film Perpetual Notion Machine.

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

"Very Weird Cartoons": CC Stanhill and the Limitless Possibilities of Animation

Born on the Mexican side of the Texas-Mexican border, artist, curator and gallery owner Alondra Garza has made Minnesota her home  — ever since moving here without ever visiting to attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In this story, KFAI's Sheila Regan explores Garza's strangely beautiful work that use an unexpected artist tool: hot cheetos.

Alondra Garza's modern, whimsical take on traditional charcoal drawings

Lucas Mcad

MinneCulture is KFAI’s award-winning audio storytelling program. We produce audio documentaries exploring Minnesota’s art, culture, and history — stories about musical sensations, small town heroes, cultural icons, local lore, and everything in between.

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