Singer and retired vocal teacher Mary Heston Dahl of White Bear Lake has a special place in her heart for the St. Croix Valley Chamber Chorale. She sang with them for about eight years, but this year she’s looking forward to hearing the performance from the audience. Now in its 49th season, the VCC is the longest-running amateur choir in the Twin Cities, and in that time it’s only had two artistic directors. The chorale includes some 40-50 singers across a range of ages.  This weekend is “Christmas with the Valley Chamber Chorale,” with four performances Fri., Dec. 8 through Sun., Dec. 10. Dahl says the audience can look forward to some familiar carols, beautifully arranged and sung, as well as an opportunity to sing along with a few of them. Performances are Fri. Dec. 8 – Sun. Dec. 10 at the St. Croix Prep Performing Arts Center at St. Cr

Art lover Bill Adams was delighted to visit the Kaddatz Galleries to see Charles Beck: Rarities and Masterpieces. The Kaddatz and other Fergus Falls venues have been celebrating “A Year of Beck” throughout 2023, marking what would have been the Minnesota artist’s 100th birthday. Charles Beck (1923 – 2017) created woodcuts, paintings, and other artworks that often celebrated the landscape of Ottertail County in west central Minnesota. This is the final show in the series, and it runs through Dec. 23. The pieces in this exhibit include works from private collections that would not otherwise be available, spanning from Becks’ college drawings to his final piece. “I would say that Charles Beck's works are quintessential Minnesota pieces,” says Adams, who was thrilled to encounter new works of Beck’s at this sh

Artist and photographer Theresa Drift of Cook, Minn., and theatermaker Payton Counts of Net Lake, Minn., both saw the “Native American Art: Past and Present” gallery show at the Northwoods Friends of the Arts in Cook. It’s a mixture of contemporary and historical pieces by local artists, including paintings, metalwork, birchbark baskets, beadwork and quilting. The show also includes a few pieces from Grand Portage artist George Morrison, a well-known mid-century painter. Counts appreciated the range of the show, which is presented in one room. “I thought it was nice to see a mixture of contemporary as well as older pieces of work, kind of this like partnership of art connecting to the community." “It definitely shows the changing culture and [that] it's not a static thing,” agrees Drift. “It's constantly evolving and growing.” The exhibit runs through Sat.,

"History repeats itself,” says Twin Cities actor James Craven. That was one of his takeaways after he saw a workshop of Combustible Company’s production of “The Hairy Ape” last summer. Written in 1922 by Eugene O’Neill, this play about labor rights and immigration feels just as timely today. Combustible’s production, staged with the company’s signature focus on actors’ physicality, will be performed Nov. 10-18 at the Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis. “It aggravated me. It aggrieved me. It made me fearful. It made me sit on the edge of my seat because I realized that the same things that were going on in 1922 are going on in 2023,” says Craven about the version he saw. “That is to say, the rise of Make America Great Again, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the rise of political violence, all these things are on stage

Minneapolis art lover Ali Kennedy is a huge fan of the DaDa Duende Record Club, a subscription box by Twin Cities creators Chris and Hannah Lynch. Each quarter, subscribers receive a lathe-cut record hand-made by the Lynches, a glossy zine containing photography, poetry and other visual arts and a limited edition 8x8” print of one image from the zine.  “It looks like something you’d buy in a museum gift shop because it’s so beautifully put together,” says Kennedy.According to Hannah Lynch, subscriptions are still available, and Volume Two will be released in late November/early December. The theme will be “Duende,” featuring the Minneapolis-based tango quartet The Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet. The accompanying book will feature work and photography

Maria Asp is the director of education and community engagement with the Speaking Out Collective. She’s a huge fan of Frank Theatre, which for more than 30 years has focused on mounting plays that address social, cultural and political issues. The theater is staging its first live production since the onset of the pandemic, and the new play by former Twin Cities resident Trista Baldwin is certain to spark discussion.  “FETAL” is set in a clinic that provides abortions in Texas on June 24, 2022 — the day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion through the Dobbs ruling. The show focuses on three women in the waiting room that morning, each with a radically different reproductive journey, as well as a female health care provider.  Asp is excited to see both the show and the space: Frank Theatre is staging this show in an intim

Twin Cities arts enthusiast Florence Brammer loves Girl Friday Productions and Open Eye Theatre’s production of “Life Sucks,” a play she called “smart and funny and poignant.” The play was loosely adapted by playwright Aaron Posner from Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.”“First of all, when I walked into the theater, I was blown away by how gorgeous the set design is,” Brammer says. “And the performances are so good.”Brammer was struck by the broadness of the performances — but says it became obvious that this was a decision on the part of the playwright, as well as director Joel Sass. “Because as the play continues, the characters become more and more layered and complex. It&#39;s sort of like us, isn&#39;t it?“ Brammer says that the play made her laugh and cry, “which is my very favorite theatergoing combination.” </

Theater maker Kayla Hambek is looking forward to seeing the play “The Pavilion” at the Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka, Minn. Billed as “Our Town” for contemporary audiences, the play follows Peter and Kari, who were nominated as the cutest couple in high school, as they encounter each other again at their 20-year high school reunion. It’s a story of love and loss, and how the decisions we make affect others’ lives. Directed by Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan, “The Pavilion” is an intimate show with just three actors; in addition to the roles of Peter and Kari, a third actor plays the narrator as well as all the other people at the reunion. The play was written by Craig Wright, who grew up in Minnesota, and it’s set in a fictionalized Pine City.Hambek noted that the play feels timely thanks to the fact that it’s staged in October whe

Artist and educator Preston Drum of Burnsville recommends a visit to the Rochester Art Center.  He highlights two solo shows by Minneapolis College of Art and Design graduates, Roshan Ganu and Ivonne Yáñez. Roshan Ganu’s show “जत्रा (Ja-tra) : A Feeling At The Beginning Of Time” is one large artwork in a space that is made up of various mirrors, projections and animation. It’s a multi-sensory installation, with sounds of vendor calls and sung prayers. जत्रा’ (“ja-tra”) is a Marathi word for a town or village fair. The installation feels carnivalesque, with thousands of tiny interactions that you can choose to focus on specifically or let wash over you. Drum says it feels “as though you were walking into a time-traveling / space-traveling device. And when you walk inside, it&#39;s kind of like you&#39;re being teleported to India, but also in India in different times.” <

Pamela Ziegenhagen-Shefland of Minnetonka, Minn., is an animation features editor and textile artist. Recently, she made the trip to the Owatonna Center for the Arts, where she marveled at the multi-sensory, interactive installation that is “Legacy Dream Space.” The exhibit was created by composer Craig Harris and visual artist Candy Kuehn, in collaboration with Kym Longhi and Jim Peitzman. Photographs line the walls, as do scrims, which are overlaid with video of exhibit visitors. Two play spaces invite visitors to interact with the exhibit by pressing buttons to hear spoken words or write their own words that appear on the scrims.Harris’s original piano composition complements the experience. Taken together, the exhibit explores our hopes for the future and the legacy we leave behind. “There&#39;s things for everyone to enjoy,” says Ziegenhag

Queen Drea of St. Paul describes herself as a sound alchemist. She loves the innovative, community-centered performances of Ananya Dance Theatre. The theme for this fall’s performance is processionals, which can both celebrate life and disrupt its flow when they take the form of protests. Ananya Dance Theater investigated its theme by performing several processionals in the Twin Cities this summer; Queen Drea had the opportunity to be involved with one during the George Floyd memorial service in May. She looks forward to seeing how that idea has developed into a staged dance show, marked by interruption, innovation and liberation.  Queen Drea appreciates that Ananya Dance Theatre’s works involve a confluence of artists alongside the dancers, adding, “Every year, I go, and there&#39;s just something unexpected.” “Michhil Amra: We Are the Procession!” pla

Katie Carter is an art lover and former arts reporter for Northern Community Radio. Recently, she made the drive to the Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork, Minn., where she says she was blown away by Terry Leinbach’s show “Wonder.” The show includes 39 large, abstract paintings, which Carter calls “a feast of texture and color” that offers layered imagery whose meaning and emotion seemed to evolve the longer she looked. Leinbach leaves room for this wonder-led interpretation: she numbers — but does not title — each piece. At the center of the gallery space are small wood block creations marked with words that invite the viewer to stop and contemplate. “It struck me in my cells, when I looked at her art,” Carter says. “It just had such a vibrancy and energetic-ness to it ... To me, her stuff could be right next to Helen Frankenthaler.” <br/

Theater maker Grant Sorenson of Minneapolis is excited about the return of a unique theater project being staged at Norway House in Minneapolis.Local creative Kurt Engh adapted the Norwegian author Erlend Loe’s cult novel “Naïve. Super” into a one-person play where — here’s the twist — the show will be performed by a different actor each night.The play is about a 25-year-old who one day realizes they aren’t happy with their life. Through a series of small changes and discoveries, they piece their life back together into something they can enjoy.The actors include seasoned veterans and emerging talents. Sorenson, who saw the original pre-pandemic iteration of the show, is fascinated by the ways the play could shift nightly.As to the challenges of directing and performing a show with a shifting cast, Sorenson says “the show is built to support the

Luverne Seifert is a Twin Cities actor and acting teacher. He recommends going to see “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” from Dark &amp; Stormy Productions.In this edgy production, set at Marcia Blaine School for Girls in 1930s Scotland, the lessons are less about math and reading than they are about love and sex. “It’s a very provocative play,” Seifert said. “And at times I think your jaw will drop.” The cast consists of University of Minnesota students making their professional stage debut, and the production runs through Sept. 17 at the Gremlin Theater in St. Paul.Duluth filmmaker Khayman Goodsky, of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, loves a good book. That’s why Goodsky suggests going to the <a href="https://www.twoloons.mn/events" cla

Meggie Moench is a Minneapolis-based musician and dancer who is excited to attend 10th Wave Chamber Collective’s upcoming event “At Dusk: Outdoor Chamber Music Concert Series.”“I love listening to local live music in Minneapolis, and 10th Wave Chamber Collective is a group whose performances I always make sure to see,” Moench said.This particular concert series is extra special, she said, because it features all BIPOC, contemporary composers with a modern flair playing outside in nature.There are two concerts. The first is at 7 p.m. on Aug. 19 at Lutherie Lab (2619 Ulysses St. N.E., Minneapolis). An additional performance takes place a week later at 7 p.m. on Aug. 26 at the University Lutheran Church of Hope Courtyard (601 13th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis).Karla Grotting is a local dancer, choreographer and dance ed

Former St. Paul art critic Diane Hellekson came out of retirement to rave about Kathryn Nobbe’s exhibition “Indelible Vestiges: Mother, Her Mother, Me.” The exhibition attempts to capture the the blurred reality between the present and past through memory through a vareity of multimedia elements. “There’s old shoes that look like little ghosts walking alongside the gallery.” Hellekson said. “Indelible Vesitages” is open through Sept. 9 at Form + Content Gallery at 210 Second St. N. in Minneapolis. Special performances designed to complement the installations punctuate the run, including a spoken word event 4-6 p.m. on Aug. 19. West Coast transplant Juliet Parisi lives in Eagan, Minn., now, where she uses alcohol-ink and mixed media to turning everyday chaos into something beautiful. No wonder she is drawn to Cap

Nat El-Hai describes herself as a Minneapolis writer, organizer and lesbian commentator. She’s looking forward to the latest Southside Shtetl — an outdoor Jewish makers market that celebrates the local Jewish community and includes everything from pottery to political education. Plus: Anyone can join in the klezmer jam session from 6-8 p.m.“This month’s event is really grounded in the Jewish diaspora,” El-Hai said. “You’re not going to find any other Jewish event in Minneapolis like this.”Southside Shtetl takes place 4-8 p.m. Aug. 13 at 3103 Chicago Ave. in Minneapolis.Tinia Moulder is a fan of Sue Scott’s recurring variety show and podcast “Island of Discarded Women.” The actor, choreographer and teaching artist, who jus

Ian Francis Lah is an actor and the executive artistic director for the Northern Lakes Art Association in Ely, Minn. He’s currently in rehearsals for the musical “Songs for a New World,” but this week he took time out to sing the praises of another event. “I love this time of year in Ely, Minnesota, because it’s when the Blueberry Art Festival happens, he said of the festival, which features more than 200 artists and crafters, 25 food vendors, a beer garden, and freshly baked blueberry pies. “It’s a wild time. Ten thousand people pass through a day and that is triple the amount of citizens in Ely.” The Blueberry Art Festival takes place in Whiteside Park and runs from Friday, July 28, through Sunday, July 30.By day, Carolyn Cherry is an educator with

Singer-songwriter Katy Vernon, who was born in London and now lives in White Bear Lake, Minn., recommends Theatre 55’s production of  “A Chorus Line – In Concert,” based on the 1975 musical about aspiring Broadway dancers.“Everything they do is geared towards performers 55 and up,” she says. “And as a performer myself, reaching that age in the next few years, I just really am encouraged and inspired by theater that shows none of us have an expiration date.”She adds: “‘A Chorus Line’ is all about putting yourself out there.”Performances run Friday through July 23 at Caponi Art Park in Eagan.Pamela McNulty of Minnetonka has been retired for four years after two decades of working in fundraising for women&#39;s higher education. Her recommendation, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” is produced by The Gray Mallard Theater Co. and is their se

Anastasia Hopkins Folpe of Rochester, Minn., first encountered the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona several years ago. “I would describe it as a hidden gem,” Folpe said. “It&#39;s on the river in Winona, kind of behind the downtown. You have to hunt for it a little bit.”  She credited the museum’s director Scott Pollock for investing in spaces devoted to younger visitors.   “It&#39;s just a very welcoming and mellow place. I just like to go there and hang out. I think people just don&#39;t know about it. So I hope everyone learns and goes there.” Peg Guilfoyle is a writer living in downtown St. Paul and a longtime arts enthusiast. She’s also a fan of sea shanties. “There is something about coming off the street into a room filled with singing,” she explained. “I&#39;m here to testify to the flat fun of the sea shanty sing-along held monthly at the Dubliner Pub on Un

Kyle Bernier is a Minneapolis-based art therapist and author of “Lazy Creativity: The Art of Owning Your Creativity.” He wanted to introduce Art Hounds audiences to the work of Susanna Gaunt, whose work can be seen through Sept. 5 at the Merrill Lynch Fine Arts Gallery of the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth. “Susanna is a Duluth-based artist who&#39;s been working at the GLA for a year now on the Great Lakes Almanac,” Bernier said. “Susanna has been gathering stories from the community about their engagement with natural history, whether at the aquarium or just out in nature in general. Susanna has taken the survey and created artwork from those stories that she&#39;s now put up on display.” Gaunt’s work can also be seen online. Heather Beal of Minneapolis is a journalist who writes about the arts and all aspects of the built and natural environments. Sh

Noah Hynick of Minneapolis works at an escape room. He recommends a new play at Bryant Lake Bowl titled “The Assassination of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand.” The play was written by Minnesota stand-up comic Joey Hamburger and is produced by Jackdonkey Productions. “It&#39;s all about the events leading up to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand,” Hynick explains. “It&#39;s sort of a tragic comedy and follows some real things that happen as well as some not quite true things.”  “Lots of places are still feeling the effects of COVID and everything. And now having new theaters come out, I think it&#39;s a really good chance to support smaller theaters and new art,” Hynick said. The show runs June 14-17, with an additional performance June 22. Amy Garretson of Rochester is the education and community outreach coor

Ellen Mueller is an artist based in Minneapolis. She recommends “Im/perfect Slumbers,” on view in the window galleries and skyway entrance of the Minnesota Museum of American Art through August 20. “You can be walking down the street, and you will get the privilege of passing by several very cool artworks,” Mueller says. She especially likes the work of Peng Wu, “who has some really great vinyl installations.” Mueller also recommends Rachel Breen&#39;s recycled textiles and fiber creations and Katya Oicherman’s work. According to Mueller, the theme of the show is sleep, and especially disrupted sleep, “which everybody can connect to.” Jenny Fogarty lives in Le Center, Minn. and attended an exhibition of photographs by Edward S. Curtis, who was raised partially in Le Sueur County and whose

Kate Lawson, a former arts administrator and current arts enthusiast living in Minneapolis, is excited for Art-A-Whirl, the sprawling northeast Minneapolis open studio art tour that begins Friday.  In particular, she wants to point people to Hossle Woodworks. Founder Justin Hossle creates mid-century modern furniture and home decor. “The clean lines and natural finishes of his pieces really let the beauty of the woods stand out,” she said. “And it&#39;s a really fun experience to get to see how the pieces are put together in his workshop.” Hossle Woodworks will offer demonstrations and classes throughout the weekend. Sarah McGrill is an art consultant and educator in Minneapolis. She is a fan of visual artist Tammy Ortegon, who she says “has been a force in south Minneapolis, as she&#39;s owned her own gallery for

Sarah Schultz is a freelance curator and writer in Minneapolis. “I am really excited to see this body of work,” she says of the exhibition “Paysage Français: mémoire et fantasme” by Minneapolis artist Ilene Krug Mojsilov, which brings together decades of the artist’s work. Schultz explains the show title translated into English is “French landscape: memory and fantasy.” She says Mojsilov’s work is inspired by time the artist spent in France. “It&#39;s a rich assortment of work. It&#39;s both abstract, has elements of realism. [It] is a series of drawings and pastels and also large paintings. It&#39;s really beautiful and evocative,” Schultz said. “Paysage Français” is on display at Alliance Française in Minneapolis through June 10. South Minneapolis resident Davis Brinker took time away from cat sitting to recommend the play “West

Patricia Anderson of Rochester is a choral director who teaches voice. She is excited about a forthcoming concert by Resounding Voices Chorus, “a wonderful organization that is part of a growing worldwide movement to improve the lives of people living with some sort of dementia and with their support partners through musical participation.” She explains that artistic director Suzy Johnson ”gets a wonderful mix of music … and then she arranges them so that they really fit very well with the people that are singing in the choir.” The concert is called “Rain or Shine” and will take place May 14 at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester. Louise Robinson of Minneapolis has a career managing professional dance companies in Minnesota. “I grew up in Winona in the 60s and never imagined finding a connection with the South Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam,” she says. “But years ago, my paths crossed wit

South Minneapolis playwright and poet William Nour recommends “Returning to Haifa” by Pangea World Theater. This is a U.S. premiere of a play based on a novella by Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani. The play tells of a Palestinian couple who return to Haifa after the 1967 war to find the baby they left behind in 1948. They find a Jewish family of Holocaust survivors living in their old home. “It&#39;s my reality,” Nour says. “I came here when I was 16. Basically, because there were no opportunities for Arabs in Israel, like as second-class citizens. So it&#39;s very poignant for me and it&#39;s just — I cried when I saw it for the first time.”  “Returning to Haifa” plays through May 6 at the Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis. Eric Heukeshoven is the director of Worship, Music and Arts for Central Lutheran Church in Winona, Minn. He says he’s “really excited

Updated: 9:35 a.m. Daniel Doktori and his wife moved to Minneapolis and found painter Evan Abrahamson&#39;s work at local art fairs.  “We kept running into Evan and his booth and his work. And we really fell in love with it,” Doktori says. “His work is oil on canvas. And it combines this kind of really impressive skill in terms of rendering lifelike images of both landscapes and people with this kind of blurring technique that results in a kind of a haunting or like a dream-like type image and we think it&#39;s really quite wonderful.” The show at Gallery 360 in Minneapolis runs through May 28. Merritt Olsen recently moved to Minnesota from the West Coast and recommends the Rochester Civic Theatre’s production of “The Miracle Worker” on stage through Sunday.</

Nancy Crocker of Minneapolis recommends the musical “How to Avoid Burnout in 73 Minutes: A Minimally Invasive Musical Procedure.”  “I saw this show in its initial run. This is a wonderful, life-affirming show,” Crocker said. The show was created by Dr. Stuart Bloom, who also performs. It depicts his journey from a comedian in New York to an oncologist in Minnesota. The show is built around a simple premise: Bloom reads from a questionnaire designed to determine if someone is experiencing burnout at their job. “And of course, doctors – and especially oncologists – have one of the highest burnout rates of any profession,” Crocker explains. “And so he goes through this questionnaire, one question at a time, but his answers are always in the form of a song.” The musical is at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis from April 19-23.  John Orbison of Minneapolis is an amateur musician. He recommends the sea

Pamela Lundstrum is a member of the Cultural Centre of Bird Island, which brings fine art to central Minnesota, south of Willmar. The center is offering an exhibit by wildlife painter Bradley Donner called “Wild Art,” which continues through the end of the month. Donner explains on his website that he enjoys going to the “wilds of northern Minnesota, Canada and the Driftless trout streams of southeast Minnesota and Wisconsin” to research art. “I am so excited about the newest exhibit,” Lundstrum says. “It&#39;s very exciting to see something that is just so beautiful and so perfect. And we only have to go to Bird Island to see it.” “Wild Art” will be on display at the Cultural Centre of Bird Island through April 22.  Bonnie Stewart is the executive director of the Fosston Community Library &amp; Arts Association. She is looking forward to attending perfor

Catherine Glynn is artistic director of Audacious Raw Theater in Lanesboro. She was able to see a preview of the play that opens Commonweal Theatre’s 35th season: “Bernhardt/Hamlet” by Theresa Rebeck. Glynn calls the play “a love letter to the theater and the art of collaboration.” The play is a work of historical fiction about actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was wildly celebrated in her time. Set in Paris in 1899, when Bernhardt’s theater has become riddled by debt. In order to save it, she decides to play the lead role in “Hamlet.” All of Paris is up-in-arms over whether she can pull off a “pants role.” Bernhardt herself is daunted by Shakespeare’s language. Glynn notes that this a perfect show to cap off Women’s History Month, having been written, directed, costumed and sound-designed by women. Glynn says that the role of the famous actress is beautifully played by Commonweal company member Adri

Arts advocates rally for creative jobs lost during pandemic Arts advocates gathered Tuesday at the state Capitol to rally for a bill that would fund the rehiring of jobs lost in the creative sector during the pandemic. From the state&#39;s budget surplus, the legislation would direct $190 million to the State Arts Board for grants.  Sarah Fossen of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts says that arts and culture is the only sector to not have received state relief funds. “It helps 1,500 organizations in the arts, culture and entertainment sector, rehire jobs that were lost over the last three years,” Fossen told MPR news. “When we think about industries that were hit hard, no one was hurt more than the arts. So, 57 percent of arts and culture jobs were lost during the pandemic.” According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Minnesota&#39;s creative economy generates about $12 billion

Minneapolis actor Nissa Nordland was drawn to the play “Wish You Were Here” because of the premise: It’s a one-act improvised comedy about grief. A group shares memories about a friend who has died some time before. The show, which tends to vary each night, considers how their relationships have changed since the loss. “I love that it&#39;s the idea of bringing joy to a situation that we often are looking at with a sad lens,” said Nordland. “We are celebrating the person… and finding the joy in remembering them, and then figuring out, where do we go now?” The show was created and directed by Mike Fotis, a co-founder of Strike Theater, which is dedicated to building a community of sketch comedy, storytelling and the spoken word. Nordland says the cast features a group of Twin Cities “comedy legends” who are sure to bring a funny and heartfelt show. “Wish You Were Here” runs March 10-11 and 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. at

Updated: 2:55 p.m. St. Cloud-based concert pianist Mark Ochu is looking forward to an eclectic evening by vocal and musical trio Partly Tame, presented by the Granite City Folk Society. The trio consists of the group’s founder Mariénne Kreitlow, violinist Cristina Seaborn and Susan Schleper, vocals. “All three musicians are authentic performers … comfortable in multiple genres ranging from classical to folk, to slap stick comedy, to the introspective and spiritual,” Ochu said, adding that he never knows quite what will be on the program. He said Kreitlow, a composer, is an intuitive performer, shifting to incorporate poetry, jazz improv, and more as the mood of the show requires. The one-night show starts at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in St. Cloud.

Retired science teacher Ellen Fahey says art galleries are her refuge, and she’s gone three times to see Peyton Scott Russell’s retrospective exhibition at the White Bear Center for the Arts. The show features 40 years of Russell’s work, from elementary school through today. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Russell is perhaps best known for his murals, including one painted in 2020 of George Floyd, entitled “Icon of a Revolution.” The exhibit features that work as well as examples of Peyton’s Graffiti art, stenciling, jean jackets and sculpture. The exhibit runs through March 3, with an open house March 2 at 6:30 p.m. Jendayi ‘Jedi Maji’ Berry of Minneapolis loved creating abstracts to live music back in September as part of MacPhail’s Spotlight Series: Musical Exploration

Rachel Coyne, an author and artist in Lindstrom, Minn., plans to attend the opening artist reception this Friday for Robert DesJarlait’s show “Woodland Visions” in Hinckley. The solo show at the East Central Regional Arts Council Gallery features 21 watercolor paintings describing Ojibwe stories and culture. Coyne loves DesJarlait’s brightly colored paintings of dancers whose movement seems to leap off the canvas. Coyne looks forward to standing in the middle of this gallery and taking in the energy of the whole show. DesJarlait is a member of the Red Lake Nation. He’ll give an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The exhibit’s opening reception takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The show runs through March 17. Lucy Soderstrom, director of the Ely Folk School, loves seeing the stree

Mina Leierwood is a Minneapolis art teacher who creates art and puppets of recycled materials. Recently, she saw a retrospective of Anita White’s work entitled “Journeys” at Vine Arts Center in Minneapolis, and was fascinated by White’s documentary art style and the stories told. White has a daily practice of capturing the people and images she sees with marker and watercolor. The exhibit includes White’s world travels, her spiritual journey and her navigation of the medical system. The artist learned as an adult that her grandmother was Jewish, a fact hidden in order to avoid Nazi persecution in Europe. One series of drawings explores her Jewish identity and family history, incorporating old family photos and her travels to her ancestral home in Romania, as well as sparks of the divine. Leierwood was also struck by White’s drawings of her medical journeys as she documented her husband’s illness and death. “Her way o

A discussion at Open Book in Minneapolis explores artist Sam Robertson’s illustrated art-book take on the King James Bible. Sarah Nassif’s hands-on “Weaving Water” workshop connects the ancient art of indigo dyeing and spinning fiber with local water systems. And at The Southern Theater, the group Cumar combines West African rhythms and Celtic dance to create something new.

This week’s Art Hounds recommend the spine-tingling play “The Haunting of Hill House” at Rochester Repertory Theatre, a sweet evening of song and storytelling from James Rone and Alsa Bruno in Minneapolis, and “Act III: Who the Heck is Hoffman?” a posthumous exhibit of painter Frank Hoffman’s life’s work, curated by a St. Paul artist who acquired dozens of his artworks on Craigslist.

In the first week of 2022, Art Hounds recommend visual artist Paula Barkmeier, Led Zepplin cover band Zeppo, and Pao Houa Her’s exhibition at the Walker Art Center.

Megan Arney Johnston, an independent curator and contemporary art enthusiast based in Stillwater, recommends a trip to Winona to see Water Stories: New Work by Anne Labovitz at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Johnston says Labovitz, who is based in St. Paul, goes to the “next level,” involving large-scale paintings and an even larger scale installation that evoke the essence and the importance of water. At the entrance, visitors see Labovitz’s large scrolls responding to the Winona area and landscape. Subsequent rooms reveal a series of large abstract paintings, each a different hue,  and using layers of paint to create landscapes Johnston calls “atmospheric” and “sublime.” In the next room, there is a room-sized installation of painted Tyvek house wrap. You walk inside and listen to the sounds of Lake Superior at sunset. Capping off the exhibition is a chance for visitors to write their own water stories in little wat

Raul Gomez, longtime publisher of the High Plains Reader in Fargo recalls rushing to put the paper to bed by midnight so they could drive over to Ralphs’ Corner Bar in Moorhead to cap off the week. Ralph’s was a fixture of the music scene in northwest Minnesota, drawing big names from the punk and indie music scene. The bar was demolished in 2005. Gomez says he was pleased with the way the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County paid homage to the venue in its Ralph’s Corner Bar exhibit at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead. Each of the four rooms in the exhibit “captures different styles and vibes of Ralph’s.” One of the exhibit’s four rooms looks like the bar itself, complete with wood paneling, booths, and a wall that looks like a pool table. Other rooms record memories of patrons and pay homage to its musical history, including instruments, band memorabilia and posters. The exhibit is on v

Ashley Hanson wants you to know about an exhibit that celebrates rural Minnesota artists and stories. Hanson, executive director of the nonprofit Department of Public of Transformation in Granite Falls, recommends “Field Notes: 7 Truths about the Rural,” which draws together the work of seven artists of various disciplines. They explore subjects that make up our rural places, including small-town newspapers, post offices, mining and extractive economies, relationship to the land, and more. Laura Youngbird of the Minnesota Chippewa, Grand Portage Band uses mixed media to investigate “issues of identity as they relate to family members’ forced enrollment in boarding schools.” Installation artist Matthew Fluharty of Winona looks at the ways rural communities are presented in national print media compared with local newspapers. Abstract painters Andrew Nordin and Lisa Bergh of New London look outward to architecture a

St. Paul poet and artist Hawona Sullivan Janzen was deeply moved by the multimedia exhibition “Beneath the Stripes, Under the Stars,” curated by Fawzia Khan. Ten female artists explore American identity. All of the artists “have lived a life that requires some navigation between American culture and at least one other culture,” says Sullivan Janzen, “and the work that they have produced in response to this is wide ranging. It’s technically, visually and intellectually some of the most complicated work I&#39;ve seen in a recent show exploring these topics.” Sullivan Janzen was particularly struck by a beautiful bedsheet by Khan, whose intricate embroidery explores “what it means to be a woman and a sexual being coming from Pakistan and living in America.” The show runs through Dec. 11 at the Catherine G.

Arts and culture enthusiast Tommy Sar of St. Paul recommends checking out the screening of a new documentary centering women and nonbinary people in Taiko drumming. Filmed in Minnesota and Japan, “Finding Her Beat” makes its state premiere this weekend during the Sound Unseen film festival. For centuries, only men were allowed to take part in the traditional Japanese art form of Taiko drumming. That has changed in recent years. Sar remembers when performers gathered at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul several years ago, which is featured in the film. Sar called the documentary of the performers’ Taiko journeys “moving and powerful,” with high-energy performances. Don't see video? Click here. The first showing of the film on Friday has sold out, but there is a s

Mark Ceilley of St. Paul has picture books on the mind, as a debut author himself. On a recent trip through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Ceilley discovered Picture Book Parade. The series features one picture book by a Minnesota author every two months through next August. Individual pages are blown up on panels so that visitors may feel they are stepping into the story. The book for this month and next is “In Search of the Gingerbread Man” by Timi Bliss, followed in 2023 by Peter Pearson’s “How to Eat an Airplane,” Molly Beth Griffen’s “Ten Beautiful Things,” Cheryl Minnema’s book “Johnny’s Pheasant” and Bao Phi’s “A Different Pond.”   The exhibit is located between gates C18 and C19 at Terminal 1. Wendy Knox of Frank Theatre stopped at Prove Collective in Duluth to see Carolyn Sue Olson’s work. Olson cr

Musician Woody Stulberg looks forward to wearing his Halloween costume to Cabarave: MadHaus III this weekend. He says the event by RatHaus Productions as an “immersive nightclub experience with a theater twist.” Pop-up live performances include aerial silks, fire dancing, live music and performance painting, which take place around — and above — the audience. Stulberg describes the atmosphere as “sensual” but also welcoming to all. Halloween costumes and audience participation are encouraged. The shows take place this Friday and Saturday evening at Brother Justus Whiskey Company in Minneapolis. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the shows start at 8 p.m. Greg Krausert of Austin, Minn. is also planning on wearing a Halloween costume this Saturday night when he attends a cabaret performance at the Austin Country Club by local drag performer Roxie Manacoochi.

Actor Heather Meyer of Eden Prairie has a goal to watch all 11 productions in the Twin Cities Horror Festival. Advertised as “the longest-running horror theater festival in the country,” the event pays homage to the horror genre from psychological thrillers to true crime, spooky cabaret, and scream-inducing plays replete with stage blood. Meyer says each show in the line-up is rated for language, violence and blood, so you can pick the brand of horror that works for you. The festival runs Thursday through Oct. 30 at the Crane Theater in Minneapolis. Masks are required except when eating, drinking or performing on stage. Minneapolis actor Cathleen Fuller calls concerts by the Minnesota Bach Ensemble “balm for the soul.” She enjoyed watching their concerts online when venues were closed amid the pandemic,

Karen Mary Davalos, professor of Chicano and Latino Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, suggests a visit to see Dougie Padilla and Xavier Tavera’s new work at Anderson Center at Tower View in Red Wing. Titled “Frontera Liminal,” the show investigates borders both physical and spiritual. Padilla’s series of screen prints forge a connection with his great-grandmother, whom he never met. Among his images are ghost prints, the second, third, or more pulls on the same inked plate of a printing press, that produce ethereal remnants of the original image. Even the hanging of the images is ghostly, said Davalos. The images hang free from the ceiling, allowing them to move in the breeze and adding a sculptural element to 2-D images. Tavera is a photographer who has been traveling to the Mexican border for more than six years. He’s interested in the intersection of Catholic and Indigen

Rita Walaszek Arndt, White Earth Nation, recommends “Kindred Spirits: Three Indigenous Artists Who Speak Through Beads” at the Gordon Parks Gallery on the Metro State University campus in St. Paul. Curated by professor and gallery director Erica Rasmussen, the exhibit features three artists, from Minnesota and Wisconsin; Walter Super LaBatte, member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Sarah McRae, member of the Red Lake Nation, and Douglas Limón, member of the Oneida Nation. The art displayed includes traditional clothing, paintings, wall art and wearables. The exhibition runs through Oct. 20. Painter and scientist Suhaila Ihsanullah attended the opening night of the two exhibits currently running at Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis, and suggests others check it out. “[The opening] was very impressive, and I think that’s why I wanted other peopl

Heather Lawrenz of Red Wing Arts was deeply inspired by Journey to Rock Bottom, a visual arts show that celebrates athleticism. Burnsville artist Annie Young began creating this show after running an ice marathon in Antarctica in 2018. She interviewed her fellow runners about their Antarctica journeys, then created paintings inspired by their stories and her imagination. An artist living with blindness, Young also collaborated with 10 local artists with a variety of backgrounds and abilities. A free artist reception Saturday will bring together many of the artists as well as the “athletes coming in from all over the world who inspired these pieces,” Lawrenz said. Some of the runners plan to compete in the Twin Cities marathon on Sunday. The reception is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The show runs through Nov. 5 at the Ames Center Art Gallery in Burnsville. There is an audio description of the

Updated: 9:47 a.m. Raya Esmaeili of northeast Minneapolis is looking forward to the “Music of Iran” concert, part of the Twin Cities Iranian Culture Festival.  The show will feature Minnesota-based artists performing a variety of Iranian music. One of the groups performing is The Ensemble Aras, consisting of Niloofar Sohi, Negin Chahardoli, Yashar Alizadeh and Aidin Milani. Esmaeili said the group performs music from different ethnic groups and cultures found in Iran, including in different languages. “If you haven’t heard it before, I think it’s a great introduction,” Esmaeili said. Others performing include the Twin Cities Daf Ensemble and vocalist Aida Shahghasemi. The “Music of Iran” concert at the <a href="https://twincitiesiranianculturefestival.com/2022/07

Art curator and bilingual instructor William Franklin recommends a trip along the St Croix River this weekend for the River Valley Potters Fall Tour, with stops at three pottery home studios in Shafer and Marine on St. Croix. Nick Earl, Peter Jadoonath and father-daughter duo Guillermo and Alana Cuellar are the host potters, each of whom will host an additional four to six artists, ensuring that there will be plenty of handmade ceramics to see at each stop. Franklin particularly appreciates the work of fellow Venezuela-to-Minnesota transplant Guillermo Cuellar. The pottery tour runs Sept. 16-18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s part of a larger event called Take Me to the River, which celebrates “art at every bend in the river” through Oct 2. Rachel Miller looks forward to her home

Cynthia Hall-Duran of St. Paul has been a fan of the AZ Gallery (also called Argyle Zebra Gallery) in Lowertown for a while, and she was able to attend the soft opening of their September show “Rejected.” More than 2,200 artists, both emerging and professional, submitted their work to the State Fair’s Fine Arts show this year, and only 324 were on display. Plenty of quality work didn’t make the cut, and AZ’s “Rejected!” gives these photos, paintings and other works a second chance to be seen. Hall-Duran called the show delightful. AZ Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There’s an artist reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. The show runs through Sept. 25. Art lover Florence Brammer of West St. Paul said sh

Monarda Thrasher loved Mixed Precipitation’s traveling production of “The Magic Flute” when they saw it earlier this month in Grand Marais, and they highly recommend this fun, modern take on Mozart’s opera. Mixed Precipitation calls its traveling series “The Pickup Truck Opera” because the truck and trailer are both the mode of travel and part of the set design. Set in Strange Land Middle School, this production explores teacher shortages, burnout and toxic positivity. Papageno and Papagena are janitors, and the raging Queen of the Night is recast as an education administrator. The dialogue is in English, and performers slip easily from German arias to pop songs and back again. As an opera lover, Thrasher worried that this shortened production might leave them wanting more, but they said there was enough of the original music to satisfy, danced and sung in a way that kept their whole family entert

Nancy XiáoRong Valentine is a visual artist in Underwood, and she was deeply moved by the exhibit, &quot;Return to Normal? COVID Diaries from Local Youth&quot; at the Otter Tail County Historical Society in Fergus Falls, Minn. The exhibition by five high school students and one college student uses a range of artistic styles to tell the story of how COVID-19 affected their lives and education — and what it means to return to normal. Valentine was struck by how thoughtful and vulnerable each of the artists were in considering the complexities of the pandemic. She says she was moved to tears by the work of Sylvia Pesch, who wrote an original piano piece that pairs with poetry and visuals. The show runs through Sept. 30. Retired arts educator Le Ann Gehring-Ryan of North Mankato recommends a show at the Owatonna Arts Center, the solo exhibit by landscape painter <a href="http

Puppeteer Karly Bergmann was a fellow in the previous PuppetLab cohort, and she is excited that the series is back after a pandemic hiatus for its 10th year. Four residency artists have spent the past six months developing and workshopping new, experimental works with puppets, which will air as two distinct shows this weekend and next. Titled, The PuppetLab Festival of New Work at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis, Dominique Herskind and Mary Plaster will perform this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Amoke Kubat and Liping Vong perform Aug. 19-21. Both shows run about 60 minutes. Masks are required in the theater. Brian Parmeter has been a fan of Prudence Johnson’s singing career for decades. He’s looking forward to seeing her and a number of other performers he recognizes from “Prairie Home Companion” at the <a href="https://backusab.org/" class="de

Mai Tran, a woodcut and print artist from Mankato, is looking forward to seeing an exhibit at her favorite local gallery, 410 Project. The show is titled “Art Inside,” and it features 60 works made by people incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility - Faribault. The artists are students in Scholars Serving Time, a Minnesota State University, Mankato program. Tran is impressed with the works the gallery has revealed so far online.  The exhibit runs Aug. 5 - 20, with an opening reception Friday from 7 - 9 p.m. The Fringe Festival kicks off Thursday and runs through August 14 with shows running under an hour at venues across the Twin Cities. Callie Aho, a director and intimacy counselor from Savage, is looking forward to attending. In particular, she’s planning to see Sheree Froelich’s show “<a href="https://mi

Laura Burlis of Minneapolis appreciates the work of the organization “Art to Change the World,” and she’s looking forward to attending the artist talks at Saturday’s closing event for their “Age of Age” project. The exhibit features 10 pairs of artists, roughly 20 years apart, who create art works either together or in conversation with one another. The artists’ ages span from 25 to 103 years old, and they vary in experience level. Burlis enjoyed hearing about the connections that the creatives formed. One pair, Madalina Kelner, 25, and Layl McDill, 51, reached back to their childhoods to create habitats for fairies and Smurfs from found objects. Other pairings created paintings and self-portraits, and other works sure to spark conversation in this exhibit designed to spark conversation about age. The exhibit at <a href="https://homewoodstudios.com/event/age-of-ag

Brad Pappas of St. Louis Park performed in Theatre 55’s concert production of “Hair” last summer. Now he’s looking forward to seeing the company’s performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” opening Friday. Pappas said the show promises strong actors in a beautiful setting, at the outdoor amphitheater at Caponi Art Park in Eagan. Lyrics will be provided for the audience to sing along to the title song during the encore, though the audience is welcome to sing along during the show as well. It runs through July 24. Tickets are $15 a person or $30 per vehicle with up to six people inside. St. Paul actor and director Greta Grosch recently discovered the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra, and she’s excited to spread the word about this community ensemble with several upcoming concerts. Formed in 1991, the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra has about 25 musici

Join MPR News, Art Hounds and the APM Research Lab for a celebration of the art and artists that have been essential to Minnesota’s communities. Some of our MPR News Art Hounds will share their insights, and detail how we can ensure art, theater and music are serving diverse communities in Minnesota. Plus, the APM Research Lab will share how Minnesotans of color view and access the state’s cultural amenities. We’ll highlight how the arts community is addressing the longstanding barriers to access and inclusion in the arts, and we’ll share how you can get involved. Hosted by Denzel Belin and featuring Ben Clary from the APM Research Lab as well as the following artists: <a href="https://www.lilytungcrystal.c

Bobby Marines of Rochester heard about a juried arts show about walking and wondered what such a pedestrian topic would yield. The Rochester Art Center show blew Marines away. Titled “Walk With Us,” the show of 15 local, national and international artists is varied and creative in its use of space. The exhibit is tucked into the hallways and alcoves of the building. Artists explore the physical act of walking, its meditative properties and our connections to land and water. Marines liked Presley Martin’s cairns made of plastic that the artist found walking along the Mississippi River and painted to resemble rock. The exhibit runs through October 3. Emma Fitzsimmons is a dancer and choreographer in St Paul. She’s been able to get a sneak peek at the show <a href="https

St. Paul creative Tommy Sar recommends checking out the play “Cambodian Rock Band” at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis, co-produced by Theater Mu. The play follows a Khmer Rouge survivor returning to Cambodia after 30 years as his daughter prosecutes a war criminal. Key to the show is its music, as the actor-musicians perform popular Cambodian psychedelic rock music from the 1960s and new music by the American band Dengue Fever, whose lead singer is Cambodian. “Many times, whenever we Cambodians are portrayed as survivors and victims of tragedy, and that is very valid,” said Sar, whose father survived the Khmer Rouge and was also a musician. “But I also feel it&#39;s important to see Cambodians not just as survivors but as rising again and thriving again and rediscovering and creating new music, we have so much to offer. And we are very proud of our heritage.” The play runs through July 31 at the J

Sally Power, a paper marbling artisan in St. Paul, took a trip to the Owatonna Arts Center for Kristin Peterson’s exhibit, “Children of Nature: Find your Wonderland.” This solo exhibit of pencil drawings and watercolor is an invitation to pause and find delight in plants, insects, and shells. “You can walk through the show and see the different things that caught her attention and come out thinking, well, what should I focus on?” Powers said. The show runs through June 30. Rachel Doran of Crash.Dance.Productions. calls RatHaus’ immersive Cabarave performances “what you wish every night out could be.” The cabaret includes aerial artists, fire performers, singers, dancers and painters performing short sets around — and occasionally above — the audience. The audience has a 360-d

Behavioral artist Aki Shibata is delighted that the all-night festival Northern Spark will return to her Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods. This year’s festival takes place at four locations along and near University Avenue in St. Paul, from 9 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m., with a closing event Sunday morning that ends shortly after sunrise on Raspberry Island. The theme for the artists’ work is “What the World Needs Now.” Visitors may navigate their way among the locations to admire a range of art, many of which have interactive elements. The locations include the Victoria Theater Arts Center, the Rondo Community Library, Springboard for the Arts, and the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Shibata says she plans to attend them all, but she is particularly looking forward to the Drive-in Movie Extravaganza with shadow puppets, created by Eva Adderlay at the Victoria Theater,

Elementary school music teacher and singer Ellen Christensen, of Minneapolis, is a big fan of the Bakken Trio, and she’s looking forward to their final show of the season where they will perform Pavel Haas’ String Quartet No. 2 “From the Monkey Mountains&#39;&#39; alongside the puppeteers of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz. To create the show, the Bakken Trio invited listening groups to describe what they saw when they heard the music. Those imaginings informed the storytelling puppetry that will accompany the live performance. Haas was a prolific composer whose musical career was tragically cut short when he was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944. His music was nearly lost following his death but has seen a resurgence in recent decades. Christensen is glad that Minnesota audiences will have a chance to hear and see this 1925 composition presented in an imaginative way. The performance is Sunday at 4

Beth Bergman, former owner of the art store Wet Paint, recommends a visit to the Form + Content Gallery in Minneapolis during its 15th anniversary exhibit.“You never know exactly what you’re going to see,” says Bergman. The style and medium of art on display changes month-to-month with each show. The anniversary exhibit includes all 36 artists who’ve been members of the artist-run cooperative since its inception. True to name, the show specifies the form but not the content to its artists. In this case, all pieces are 15 x 15 x 15 inches. The content–the subject, form and style–will vary with each artist. “Thoughtful Dialogue: 15 Years of Form + Content” runs through May 28. The gallery is open Thursdays through Saturdays. Minneapolis photographer and writer George Slade appreciates a current photography exhibit by Andy Richter entitled “<a href="https://www.andyrichter

Civil rights attorney, activist and Racial Justice Network founder Nekima Levy Armstrong appreciates the work of independent photojournalist KingDemetrius Pendleton, who has long documented social justice demonstrations and events. Levy Armstrong said he’s known on the streets as the Black CNN, “because he’s always there, always documenting.” His photography exhibit, The Movement Never Stops, runs Friday through Sunday at Block Portrait Studios in St. Paul. Pendleton’s exhibit will include photographs taken across the Twin Cities after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers. “I think that people will be in for a real surprise, just to see the scope and depth of what he has been able to capture through his lens, and through his dedication and steadfast commi

Florence Brammer of West St. Paul says the newly refurbished St. Anthony Main Theatre is “absolutely gorgeous,” and she’s excited for its new life as MSP Film at The Main. The Minneapolis St. Paul Film Society has taken over operations and will now be programming all five screens year-round. Brammer looks forward to attending in a space dedicated to independent and international film. The society will also highlight the work of Minnesota artists through such special programming as Minnesota Made, Cine Latino and Nextwave, a youth filmmaking initiative. The space will debut as host for the 41st annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, with films starting Thursday at 7 p.m. The MSPIFF has a full lineup for those attending in person as well as virtual screenings this year. The festival was fully

Miles Taylor of Wood Lake, Minn. is a burlesque DJ and visual artist with a particular interest in glitch art. He admires the innovative work of Autumn Cavender, a Dakota artist and midwife. Her art finds a common thread in digital media and traditional Dakota quillwork and hide processing. A year ago, she recorded the sounds of the birth of her second son. Cavender turned those sounds into a digital image which Taylor says bears striking similarities to her quillwork. “Wowicakekage: Dakota Art Encoded” is currently at the K. K. Birge Gallery through May 7, and then it will travel through the summer. The exhibit will be at the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council in Marshall May 12 through June 17, then spend August at the Crossing Arts Alliance gallery in Brainerd. Adam Wiltgen, residency coordinator and development director at the

Art aficionado Linda Tacke of Lanesboro says she plans to devote a day or two to this weekend’s Bluff Country Studio Art Tour. It’s the 21st year of the event, which grew from four artists to around 36, spread across 23 locations. Visitors can stop by the studios of painters and potters, jewelry makers, woodcarvers, fabric artists and more. Print off a map of artist studios here, or download the mobile app through the website to guide your arts tour across the Driftless Region. The event runs Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. John Sievers, trombonist of Loud Mouth Brass is sharing the word about a new work by fellow Rochester artist and musician Becky Schlegel. “The Lullaby Collection” is an alphabet book with Schegel’s animal illustrations wit

Actor Gabriele Angieri of Burnsville went with his family to see the play “The Family Line” at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis. The 2-man show takes place entirely within a car, as a Jewish grandfather and his 15-year old biracial grandson meet for the first time and embark on a 24-hour road trip from Florida to Minnesota. The grandson, whose mother has just died, struggles with a sense of abandonment as his grandfather swoops into his life to deliver him to a new life in Minnesota with a father he does not know. Set in 2020 during the unrest in Minneapolis, it&#39;s a show interwoven with family secrets and social commentary that Angieri said sparked both laughter and tears, as well as an excellent discussion with his 12 year-old daughter afterward. “The Family Line” is the second show for Stage North, which launched in fall of 2021 with a focus on plays about urban life. Its shows are

Artist, poet, and activist Dougie Padilla recommends a visit to ArtReach St. Croix in Stillwater to see the exhibit “Jim Denomie, Sweet Dreams,” which runs through May 7. Denomie passed away March 1. Padilla, his longtime friend, said Denomie was a “truly brilliant painter” and “a sweet and gentle man, a blessing to many in many different communities.” “Jim was also the master of his own style of portraiture, and of what can only be called Dreamworld painting. With his own unique palette of blues and purples, pinks and oranges, greens and golds, Jim told stories that came out of some deep underground stream from far down inside his psyche, in the psyche of his Ojibwe ancestors,” Padilla said. “It penetrates the heart softly, even while shaking the very ground beneath our feet.” The show in Stillwater includes portraits and character studies. <a href="https:

Musician and educator Harry Chalmiers has admired the music and performances by Gao Hong since he first saw her in the ‘90s. Gao Hong, who teaches at Carleton College, is a master of the pipa, a Chinese instrument used for thousands of years and which is similar to a lute. The style of play is both highly technical and poetic. On Sunday, she’ll celebrate 50 years of performing in a 3 p.m. concert at the Ordway in St. Paul. Chalmiers called her a “fabulous collaborative spirit” whose adventurousness in exploring different styles and performing with others across genres continues to produce innovative music. The lineup of Sunday’s performance is an example of her wide-ranging collaborations. It will include rapper-singer <a href="https://www.dessawander.com/?msclkid=6a48ea87b03b11ec99ce967e5028ba4c

Dan Boyer of Virginia, Minn., who’s part of the music scene on the Iron Range, can’t say enough good things about the community of singers and songwriters in the north. In particular, he’s a big fan of the Virginia-based band Horse Fzce, whose lyrics are twists on familiar circumstances, set to music that’s “folk-oriented” with a “pop-y drive to it.” Two members of the band will be among the lineup of talented local singer/songwriters Thursday at the Ore House in Gilbert. The music starts at 6 p.m. Apple Valley, Minn.-based musician Kerry Johnson recommends seeing the play “The Big Blue River” at the North Garden Theater in St. Paul. It’s a double-debut — marking the launch of both the Mariah Theatre Company and of the play, written and directed b

Diamond Knispel recommends checking out the work of a fellow Bemidji, Minn.-area visual artist, Tawnee Corning of Bagley. Corning is working on a series of 5 feet by 6 feet paintings that place humans in natural, yet surreal settings. The thought-provoking oil paintings are lavished with bright colors. Conceived as a project that people could view regardless of any COVID restrictions, Corning’s work is on view both on her website and in a series of time-lapsed videos on YouTube that document her painting process. The videos document the progression of both her paintings and her pregnancy with her third child. Motherhood is an important theme in Corning’s work, along with our connection to nature. “Whatever our future holds, it seems that with Tawnee’s view on the world and with her

Puppeteer Seth Eberle is excited to see the “low-tech, high-magic puppetry effects” when “Once Upon a Winter Night” opens Thursday at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis. “If there&#39;s something that Open Eye does very well, it is making fairy tales for adults with really good puppetry,” Eberle said. The show is a new production by Open Eye co-founder Michael Sommers, whose work has explored ideas from Hans Christian Andersen in the past. </li

Duluth singer-songwriter Breanne Tepler of Breanne Marie and the Front Porch Sinners is digging the new album by Matthew French, who is based in Minneapolis. The album is called “Two Sides,” and French digitally released the first five songs as “Side 1” at the end of January. The songs take on themes arising from the pandemic. Tepler singles out the song “Still Got a Heart” for its call to kindness and civility amid polarized politics. “There&#39;s just something really comforting and exciting at the same time about his music, his voice and the way he plays his guitar,” said Tepler. Don't see video? Click here. The digital launch of “Side 1,” hosted by Sarah Morris, is <a href="https:

Visual artist Alison Price says she is regularly struck by the power of A. Drew Hammond’s paintings and collages. Some of Hammond’s works are fun and playful — she particularly likes his anthropomorphic frogs — while others take on Black history and current events in a way that stops her in her tracks. Case in point, she says, is his work “Melon Colony,” in which watermelon seeds are packed in the formation of people on a slave ship. His thoughtfully layered collages always encourage a closer look, says Price.  A. Drew Hammond shares a studio with his wife, artist and dancer Beverly Hammond, in the Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis. His work is also on view in the Ramsey County Courthouse, the Grandview Square Financial building in Edina, Minn., an

Kelli Foster Warder of Theater Latte Da recommends going to see a musical fitting for Valentine’s Day. It’s Bucket Brigade Theater’s “Till Death: A Marriage Musical.” The show tells the story of two married couples stuck together in one cabin. One couple is reevaluating their marriage, while the other appears caught up in that honeymoon glow. The result, Warder said, is “hilarious and insightful and a really great night.” The 10-year-old production’s performers are all married couples in real life, including Jeremiah and Vanessa Gamble, who co-wrote the music and lyrics. Warder said she’s seen the show several times over the years and gets something new from it each time. The final four shows of the run are Friday through Monday at Art House North in St. Paul. The production is in-person with reduced audience capa

Michael Whistler is a huge fan of cabaret, and he plans to attend the Valentine Day’s edition of Dr. Jay’s Cabaret Presents: Cabaret Amore! this Sunday. Dr. Jay is pianist Jay Fuchs who, with his musical partner Eric Schwab, runs Cabaret Camp, where they teach singers to develop their voice and performance style. Performers in Cabaret Amore are alumni of the camp; and some will be familiar to fans as featured singers as past Dr. Jay Cabaret events. Being this close to Valentine’s Day, the focus of the show is love in its many forms. The song covers range from Alanis Morrisette to Stephen Sondheim. Whistler says he’s excited to hear how the artists craft these songs to bring the audience into the story “the way only cabaret can.”  The show is Sunday at 5 p.m. at

Most of us could use a dose of bright colors by this point in January. The bold palettes are what Heather Lawrenz of Red Wing Arts is seeking when “Vivid Survival” opens Friday. The eight-artist exhibit at the Anderson Center was curated by Lindsey Cherek Waller, who has a studio at the Anderson Center. The forms vary from giant paintings to wearable creations. The strong colors allow viewers to consider survival during the pandemic. There is a free artists’ reception on opening night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibit runs until March 26. Mary Fox of Renegade Theater Company in Duluth, Minn., says she was deeply affected by her visit to the <a href="https://www.duluthartin

Sheena Janson Kelley of Minneapolis watched the world premiere of “Bina’s Six Apples” as soon as it opened at the Children’s Theatre Company. Set in 1950 Korea, the story follows Bina on her journey to find her family during the war. On her way, the young girl encounters a number of characters — some are humorous, others have heartbreaking roles. Recommended for audiences ages 9 and up, the play was written by Lloyd Suh, inspired by his parents’ experience during the Korean War; and directed by Eric Ting, Artistic Director of California Shakespeare Theater. “It was thrilling to see such a robust and well-cast cast of characters,” said Kelley, who is Asian-American and a freelance casting director. “I think there are moments where audiences will also start to discover new parts of themselves through this young girl … It absolutely made me laugh and cry in the same moment. I could not recommend

Choreographer Taja Will has watched performances of the Naked Stages Fellows in Minneapolis for years, and they always appreciate the innovative voices of the solo performers. Each performance is the product of a seven month-long fellowship, which allowed the artists to learn the business side of art while developing a creative work with a director of their choice. The works are transdisciplinary, often combining text, movement, and music along with creative use of the space. This year, both the 2020 cohort, Alia Jeraj, Atlese Robinson, C. Michael Menge, and the 2021 group, Alys Ayumi Ogura, Margaret Ogas, Ashembaga (Ashe) Jaafaru, performed for a limited audience in December. The performances are available for ticketed streaming Jan. 15-30 via Pillsbury House and Theatre in Minneapolis. Beth Hall of Duluth recently visited the <a

Andre Schü recommends checking out the work of a fellow Minneapolis glitch artist they find inspiring, John Bumstead of RDKLinc. Glitch art, Schü explains, “is using technological systems in ways that they weren&#39;t intended in order to demonstrate the expressive, creative agency of technology that we might otherwise overlook.” Bumstead repairs laptops for a living, and uses some of those broken pieces of tech for his art. In photographing everyday objects through broken media, Bumstead creates images that offer a new way to look at both the everyday and the tech that creates and distorts it. He is currently about two-thirds of the way through a “Broken Screen of the Day” project, creating Non-Fungible Token images made from broken screens. <div class="amat-oembed missing" data-url="https://www.youtube

Former St. Paul mayor and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity head Chris Coleman loves music, and he clearly remembers the first time he heard country singer Trevor McSpadden perform on his friend’s front lawn in the summer of 2020. Coleman showed up expecting a dad band, but said, “all of a sudden there is Trevor and Mary Cutrufello on electric guitar, and they are just knocking it out of the park. And I went, ‘Wow, what a find. This is amazing.’” Coleman has seen McSpadden perform several times since. He appreciates the singer’s classic country voice and bluesy quality. Don't see video? Click here. McSpadden plays at Forager Brewing Company in Rochester on Friday at 7 p.m., and in Wyoming, Minn., at Smokey’s Pub &amp

Slow down and look at the beauty around you. That’s what Pacem in Terris Hermitage Retreat Center director Tim Drake is reminded to do when he looks at a painting by Joshua Cunningham. Cunningham’s oil paintings of landscapes across Minnesota capture the seasons. “He paints places you feel you recognize, even if you&#39;ve never been there,” Drake said. “They are peaceful, and peace-filled.” Cunningham started the paintings long before he knew how to finish them. He often would complete them over the course of several visits to the same place. The exhibit of Cunningham’s work “Further In” is on display at the Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis now through Jan 8. “A Snowy Kiss: An Improvised Holiday Romance Movie” is

Darren Tesar of FOGSTAND Gallery in St. Paul recommends a visit to the current exhibition by visual artist Charles Matson Lume, which also celebrates light this December. The site-specific, light-based exhibition, “what opens — like a blaze of fire” is at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine&#39;s University in St. Paul. It runs through Dec. 12, with an artist talk Thursday on campus. Lume uses humble materials such as reflective paper, hologram tape, and even dirt to manipulate and reflect light throughout the two symmetrical rooms of the exhibit. Tesar says that Lume uses poetry as his jumping-off point for creation. In this exhibit, Lume collaborated with Minnesota’s second poet laureate Joyce Sutphen of Chaska and Minneapolis-based

Susana di Palma of Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre is planning to attend the world premiere this weekend of “Shaamya — Of Equality.” The performance by Katha Dance Theatre is a coming-together of music, dance and poetry, inspired by the poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s visions of equality across gender, race and religion. Choreographed by Katha Artistic Director Rita Mustaphi, the show incorporates ballet, hiphop and flamenco along with the rhythmically complex kathak dance from northern India. The show features music by J.D. Steele and poetry by Somali-American performer Ifrah Mansour. Taken together, di Palma says, this original work is “going t