I hear you’re obsessed with Minnesota, but aren’t from here. Where are you from?
Louisville, Kentucky. I thought it’d be fun to move somewhere where I didn’t know anybody or much about the place, and see how it panned out. It seemed like the most active, liberal, interesting, least generally known about city.

Had you ever been here for a visit?
I visited once just to be sure that I wasn’t making a huge mistake. A friend back home joked that the only reason I moved here was so I could wear scarves and have a beard all year round.

I hear your beard has received national accolades.
Yeah, there’s a guy in Portland who runs a beard review website, and he somehow stumbled across a photo of me, published it and awarded it a 9.3 out of ten. My score was actually higher than Grizzly Adams.

Ever sported a mustache?
Yeah, I had a handlebar mustache for a little while and I didn’t like it. It kind of turned into a punch line. I don’t think I’m sophisticated enough to have a mustache.

But a beard on the other hand …
A beard can be kind of a classy thing. I mean, if you look at pictures of Russian czars and nineteenth century British royalty, you’ve got some very nicely trimmed beards.

You must look really different clean-shaven.
I look like a doughy Andreas Baader, a German terrorist from the ’70s.

What do you do for a living?
I’m an arts writer and curator. I’m co-authoring a book for the Soap Factory this summer.

What’s it about?
The history of the space; it’s 21 years old this year. In August I’m co-curating a show at the Soap Factory called “Common Room.” We’ve basically programmed a month’s worth of community-based events: film screenings, musical performances and lectures.

Are you planning on staying in Minnesota for a while?
I really like where I live and the things that I’m involved with. The great fact of this place is that sort of underlying Lutheran work ethic. People in Louisville have ambition to an extent, but it’s hot. You want to drink a mint julep, sit on the porch and listen to Slint.

Why don’t you have an accent?
My parents are from Ohio and I grew up in the suburbs of Louisville. But ah can fake a real good accent if ah wunt to. I mean, I kin just sorta turn it on.

Nice. How would you describe your fashion sense?
I told somebody once it was like a blacklisted east-coast art history professor in the 1950s. That’s a pretty good style to cobble together.

HIS STYLE: 
Andy is wearing an outfit pieced together from local thrift stores. HIs jacket, pocket square and tie are from Savers; his shirt is from St. Vincent's; and his sweater-vest is from Unique.