Art Hounds

Painter and Minnesota State University, Mankato art professor Brian Frink is thrilled with how a large public art mural is coming to life. The Ardent Mills silos are impossible to miss on the north side of town; over the past two years artist Guido Van Helten has been painting the exterior, and is set to complete the mural this summer. Inspired by the history of the mass hanging of the Dakota 38 in 1862, Van Helten photographed young children learning traditional Dakota dances at a pow wow. They now dance larger than life, overlooking the city.

Jennifer Bowen, founder of the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, was delighted to discover the work of plein air painter Philip Alexander Carlton. Plein air painters are known for painting out of doors, usually capturing gorgeous natural landscapes. But since Minnesota began its stay-at-home order, Carlton has been keeping close to home and painting what he sees in his neighborhood. Bowen says the results are beautifully rendered paintings of humble scenes that normally would go unnoticed.

Guitarist Matt Sowell is enjoying regular livestreamed concerts by local music legend Dakota Dave Hull. Each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10 a.m., Hull plays a three-song acoustic set that features a mix of blues, jazz and folk. Sowell says he enjoys the intimacy of the performance, which often includes Hull talking about the guitars he’s playing and the history of the music.

Mother’s Day weekend marks the 28th annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour, but due to physical distancing guidelines, the three-day event has moved online. Potter Sandra Daulton Shaughnessy says she’ll miss the socializing and festive atmosphere, but she still plans to get her ceramic fix. She’s going to be perusing potters’ websites and she has even set up a couple of appointments with potters who will — via FaceTime — show her their latest wares and help her make her selection. The tour goes “live” at 10 a.m. Friday and runs through Sunday. You can find the directory of online shops here.

Dan Pinkerton is a big fan of vocalist and actor Leslie Vincent, and so he was quick to pick up a copy of her debut album “These Foolish Things.” Pinkerton says Vincent’s virtuosic vocals and a stellar jazz combo bring fresh energy to some timeless classics, whether it’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” or “The Nearness of You.”

Photographer Bill Cottman was intrigued when fellow photographer Scott Streble put out a call on Facebook, looking for subjects for a series he’s calling “Porch Portraits.” The series aims to capture families sheltering in place during Minnesota’s stay-at-home order. Cottman says he thinks it’s important to document this particular moment in time, and the people who were here for it.

Fiber artist and botanist Sarah Nassif believes in the power of working with your hands, especially as a means to calm the mind. She’s been coloring in drawing sheets by artist Tia Salmela Keobounpheng (aka Tia Keo) and wove a simple basket from a kit created by Teresa Audet. Nassif recommends trying out these or similar activities if you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed by the news.

Amateur dancer and actor Jarrod Downy-Beard has been taking dance classes with South Asian Arts and Theater House, or SAATH MN. In recent weeks, SAATH MN has begun streaming its classes via YouTube; Downy-Beard says they’ve helped him to get up off the couch, get moving and lift his mood. Classes range from Bollywood to folk to classical South Asian dance and are streamed live on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

These days Macalester professor Jenna Rice Rahaim is listening to the album “From Our World to Yours” by string duo Gao Hong and Issam Rafea. Gao Hong plays the Chinese pipa and Rafea plays the Syrian oud. Rahaim says while the two instruments come from very different cultures, together in the hands of this duo they combine to make beautiful music.

Musician and stage fight instructor Annie Enneking has been enjoying the work of Duluth artist Carolyn Olson. Olson recently began a series called “Essential Workers — COVID-19 Virus.” They portray the work of jobs that have become both risky and critical during the global pandemic: mail delivery, grocery store clerks, bus drivers, food workers and many more. Enneking loves how the bold colors and larger-than-life figures give the workers an almost mythical quality.

Playwright and performer Kyle B. Dekker recommends you check out a streaming performance of “Booth’s Ghost,” a one-man show by Andrew Erskine Wheeler. The play — a 2019 Fringe Festival favorite — is both a ghost story and a tribute to theater, and Dekker says it’s the perfect thing to watch while theaters are dark. Bonus: each of the six showings is a fundraiser for a different Twin Cities theater. Screenings — both on Facebook and on Wheeler’s website — run Friday through May 3.

Liz Wilkinson of the band Wilkinson James is a fan of Northfield writer Benjamin Percy. Percy is prolific, writing short stories, novels, movie scripts and also graphic novels. Wilkinson recently checked out the podcast “Wolverine” which is a dramatic telling of one of Percy’s stories. She says she binge-listened to season one, “The Longest Night”, and can’t wait to dig into season two, “The Lost Trail.” She says it’s great for both fans of the Marvel character and for people who just love a really gripping story. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Anishinaabe writer and artist Heid Erdrich has been heartened to see several of her Native American artist friends turning their talents to making protective face masks. Their work features traditional fabrics and ribbons, turning the simple masks into spiritual and cultural works of art and solidarity. Sarah Agaton Howes, the owner of Heart Berry, has even put together a tutorial on mask-making. Erdrich says it reminds her of the jingle dress, which is believed to have been born out of the 1918 flu pandemic.

Writer Claire Miller is reading a lot these days, and she was particularly taken with Mindy Mejia’s new novel “Strike Me Down,” featuring a female forensic accountant who is hired to track down $20 million in missing prize money. Miller says the story — which is set in Minneapolis — successfully transported her at a time when she really needed a break from reality. Interested in learning more about the book and the author? You can join a Zoom chat with her organized by Next Chapter Books this coming Monday night.

Guthrie Theater’s Sara L’Heureux loves traditional arts and crafts, and lately she’s been fascinated with North House Folk School’s Instagram feed. There are live lunchtime classes in everything from blacksmithing to weaving, photos of Scandinavian sweaters and wood carvings, and the occasional video of Lake Superior — or some sheep. L’Heureux says she loves the feed’s variety, and is hoping one day she can finally get up to Grand Marais to pay the school a visit.

These days artist Deborah Foutch likes to spend her mornings checking on her favorite local artists on Instagram. In particular, she finds Meg Corcoran’s “happy paintings” to be quite magical. Corcoran started painting little pictures of birds and coffee cups as a way to cheer herself up in isolation. It turns out the paintings are having a similar effect on others; she’s now selling the paintings on a first-come, first-served basis. Foutch loves how Corcoran and her appreciative audience are helping each other through this difficult time.

Z Puppets Rosenschnoz’ Shari Aronson has been going on walks through her Powderhorn neighborhood, being careful to observe social distancing. It was on one of these walks that, while shouting hellos to a neighbor, she found out about The Nightingale Trio’s latest digital album, “Love Songs.” The all-female trio sings folk songs of eastern Europe and the Balkans. Aronson says the music makes her think of all those who came before us and the hardships they suffered. She says the music offers a beam of light to guide us on the path forward.

Art aficionado Curt Gruhl is looking forward to Easter Sunday in Red Wing. While people wont be able to gather together to celebrate the holy day, the community has come up with a way to celebrate as one, regardless of their faith tradition. It’s called “Red Wing Rings.” At 10 a.m. seven churches will ring their bells for 10 minutes. Afterward, residents of Red Wing are invited to make their own joyful noise, whether it’s cheering, banging a drum or honking a car horn.

Guthrie lighting designer Stephanie Richards recommends you catch the final weekend of “Beowulf.” Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s John Heimbuch gives a one-man retelling of the Old English epic poem. Richards says the story, which features a monster that silently kills people in groups, feels eerily timely. You can watch Heimbuch’s performance livestreamed via Facebook as you cower behind your own door from a much smaller — but also deadly — monster.

Amateur musician Dana Farmer thinks you should check out the new Facebook group “Livestream Cover Challenge.” Local musician Joe Scarpellino started the group as a way to pass the time during the coronavirus pandemic. How it works: Musicians challenge each other to cover songs, and then the person who has been challenged has 24 hours to respond with a performance. In just a few weeks, the group has grown to more than 25,000 musicians, both professional and amateur, and Farmer says the vibe is wonderfully supportive and enthusiastic.

Artist Heidi Jeub is finding Mary Bruno’s “Quarantine Storytime” to be a much-needed sanity break. Bruno is a letter-press printer with her own company “Bruno Press.” At noon each day, Bruno takes a break to read her favorite children’s books. Jeub says Bruno’s enthusiasm is appealing to both kids and parents alike, but what makes her particularly charming is her ability as a letter-press printer to appreciate illustrations and design. You can find her on her Facebook page.

Artist and writer Ann Klefstad is impressed with Tara Austin’s paintings which, while abstract, are inspired by nature. Brightly colored and richly patterned, Austin’s paintings reference botany, geometry and even rosemaling. Klefstad says Austin’s technique of painting on two sides of plexiglass add dimension and energy, as the two sides “shimmer” at one another. An exhibit of Austin’s paintings was scheduled for Friday through May 30 at Joseph Nease Gallery in Duluth — the gallery is moving the exhibition onto its website.

Yellow Tree Theatre’s Bailey J. Hess recommends you give a listen to “Break the Dice,” a podcast that is a mashup of improv comedy and Dungeons&Dragons. Produced by Minneapolis-based The Bearded Company, it’s basically some really funny people acting out a fantasy adventure with their characters’ fates determined by a 20-sided die. You can find “Break the Dice” wherever you get your podcasts.

Melodie Bahan, executive director of Minnesota Film and TV, says while movie theaters may have shut down and film festivals canceled, there are hundreds of Minnesota made film and TV/web series to be found online. Looking for an inspirational documentary? She recommends “The Starfish Throwers,” which follows three people — one in Minneapolis — working to end hunger. Need something that will make you laugh? Bahan is a big fan of the web series “Theater People,” a tongue-in-cheek look at “the drama behind the drama” in the Twin Cities theater scene. Bahan says you can find a list of all Minnesota made films and series on Minnesota Film and TV’s website.

Jeyca Maldonado-Medina co-hosts the podcast “Tuesdays with Lazerbeak” and she’s feeling for all the bands that have had to cancel their shows. In particular, she’s been listening to “Gully Boys,” a self-described “boy band” made up of three non-boys who know how to rock. While their tour has been canceled, you can still listen to them on Spotify and other music platforms, and they’ll be performing live on Saturday on Facebook with NUR-D.

What do you do when your puppet show’s been canceled? Turn it into a radio show! Ghost writer David Walbridge is impressed with how Z Puppets Rosenschnoz quickly converted their puppet show into a webcast “radio” show. He says it works because theater — in all its forms — is really about your imagination. “Through the Narrows” weaves together the stories a Cherokee boy travelling the Trail of Tears and a 3500-year-old Jewish woman crossing the Red Sea. Walbridge says their experiences navigating these “narrow” spaces are a fitting metaphor for our time.

Angelique Powers teaches scenic art at the University of Minnesota, and admits she spends way too much time on Facebook. But it was on Facebook she discovered St. Joseph potter Joel Cherrico. She says she’s become a big fan of Cherrico’s live streams, where he invites you into his studio to watch while he throws pots. Powers says he makes it looks easy, and she finds watching him work mesmerizing and relaxing. Follow him on Facebook at Cherrico Pottery to get notifications when he’s streaming.

Rhythmically Speaking’s Erinn Liebhard recommends checking out “Touch Code” at The Southern Theater this weekend. Choreographed by Jennifer Glaws and performed by six women, “Touch Code” explores our physical boundaries and personal spaces, and what it means to give consent. Liebhard says Glaws’ choreography is visceral, musical and frequently surprising. Performances run Thursday through Saturday.

Actor Andrew Erskine Wheeler is a fan of “The Rinky Dink Show” at Bryant Lake Bowl. Created by the same mind behind the perennial favorite “A Very Die Hard Christmas,” Wheeler says “The Rinky Dink Show” is a skit comedy show that seeks to drive through every boundary it can find. Performances run Friday through March 21.

Lanesboro Arts’ Melissa Wray recently saw “The Fox” at Commonweal Theatre, and she was impressed. The show is the culmination of Commonweal’s Capstone project, in which apprentices stage a show, taking on everything from building the set to sewing the costumes to acting the parts. “The Fox” takes place in 1918; as two female friends struggle to keep their farm afloat and save their hens from a wily fox, a young soldier wanders into their lives and offers help in exchange for lodging. Wray says the play examines toxic masculinity and gender roles in a way that makes it seem all too contemporary. Performances run Friday through March 29.