Art Hounds

Mia curator Jan-Lodewijk Grootaers was quite taken with a small but moving exhibition at the Weisman Art Museum. "Baggage Claims" looks at the impact of global commerce and migration through the eyes of 17 international artists. How does losing one's home affect us? What do we carry with us when we leave? Those and other questions are prompted by a number of compelling pieces. "Baggage Claims" closes this Sunday.

Actress and writer Greta Grosch thinks you should see "Live from New York! He's a Prom Date!" if only so you can call up your mom afterward and thank her for not being quite so, well, motherly as Jen Maren's mom. The show is based on Maren's cringe-worthy experience of being on the Sally Jesse Rafael show — along with her doting mother — because she couldn't find a prom date. Maren plays a cast of characters and uses clips from the TV show to punctuate her story. She performs Saturday through Monday at the History Theatre in St. Paul.

Arts blogger Ed Newman always looks forward to the Duluth Dylan Fest, when Bob Dylan fans from around the world descend on the Twin Ports to listen to their favorite music and check out mementos from the Nobel Prize-winning troubadour's life. The Duluth Dylan Fest runs May 18 through 26 at various locations.

This week on Art Hounds: an art exhibition about migration, a show about a mother who loves her daughter a little too much, and the Duluth Dylan Fest.

Lanesboro Arts gallery director Robbie Brokken just saw Commonweal Theatre's latest production, "Holmes and Watson," and found it to be a great caper. The play is written by Minnesota talent Jeffrey Hatcher, the man behind the screenplay for the film "Mr. Holmes" starring Ian McKellan.

In "Holmes and Watson," three different men in a mental institution all claim to be the Sherlock Holmes — but Holmes has been presumed dead for three years. Dr. Watson is called upon to figure out which — if any of the men — is the real Holmes.

Read more: Art Hounds

If you like shows that take place in mental institutions, here's another one: Actor Jen Maren just saw SOS Theater's production of "Pop Goes the Noggin." It's an original play set in Minnesota, where a group of women are ruled over by Nurse Triplet. One of the women is in love with Neil Diamond and is convinced he is waiting for her at the Minnesota State Fair.

Maren says it's a dark comedy that draws out the touching moments of these women living in their own realities. Performances run through May 12 at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul.

Hmong Museum founder Mai Vang is looking forward to "Art is ... Our Call for Peace." It's one in a series of evening performances being held at the Twin Cities PBS station in downtown St. Paul.

This one features four Hmong-American artists, including author Kao Kalia Yang, song poet Bee Yang, spoken word artist Kevin Yang and visual artist Xee Reiter. Together they'll weave an intergenerational narrative that dreams of peace. The performance takes place at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

This week on Art Hounds: The game is afoot in Lanesboro with "Holmes and Watson," Hmong-American artists call for peace in St. Paul, and SOS Theater presents "Pop Goes the Noggin."

Performer Maria Bartholdi can't stop thinking about Theater Latte Da's production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Bartholdi says she was blown away by the performances, and completely caught up in the spectacle of this glam rock musical and gender-bending love story. The show runs through May 5 at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis.

Dancer and choreographer Jim Lieberthal makes a point of seeing Threads Dance Project's annual "Tapestries" performance. He says it's an opportunity to see fresh and dynamic work by up-and-coming choreographers who are finding their own voice. Performances take place Friday and Saturday at the Cowles Center for Dance.

History professor Colette Hyman is looking forward to seeing Sharon Mansur's "Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree." The event combines dance, visual art, food and dialogue inspired by Mansur's first trip to her ancestral home of Lebanon. Hyman, who has seen previous iterations of the work, is inspired by how it immerses the senses while also building cultural understanding. "Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree" takes place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Page Theatre on the campus of St. Mary's University in Winona, Minn.

Correction (April 25, 2019): Sharon Mansur's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

This week on Art Hounds: A rocking "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," Threads Dance Project's "Tapestries 4.0" and "Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree" in Winona.

Photo by Graham Tolbert

Michael Rossetto performs music from his debut album "Intermodal Blues" Friday at the Cedar Cultural Center as part of a dual CD release concert with David Huckfelt.

Vocalist and performer Lauren Asheim is headed to the Cedar Cultural Center on Friday for a dual CD release concert: David Huckfelt's "Stranger Angels" and Michael Rossetto's "Intermodal Blues." Asheim is particularly enchanted by banjo/guitar player Rossetto's new album, a collection of instrumental pieces that are infused with global influences.

Arts lover and supporter Janis Lane-Ewart is excited to check out something she's never seen before — a performance by black figure skaters. Brownbody is presenting excerpts from its new work "Tracing Sacred Steps," which is inspired by black social dances from slave-era America. Lane-Ewart said she's particularly curious to see how this performance translates to the ice rink — a space that's long been considered out-of-bounds for black people. Performances take place at 4 p.m. April 25 at the Anderson Ice Arena in Golden Valley and at 5 p.m. April 27 at the Highland Arena in St. Paul.

ArtReach St. Croix executive director Heather Rutledge is going to celebrate Earth Day by attending a singalong hosted by local impresario Dan Chouinard. Rutledge said she often feels the experience of singing in community to be powerful, and she hopes the experience helps inspire her to greater environmental action. Interesting fact: Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson was born a short distance from the St. Croix River, and fought to protect it as a U.S. senator. The singalong takes place at 7 p.m. April 26 at Marine Village Hall in Marine on St. Croix.

This week on Art Hounds: Brownbody brings slavery-era dances to the ice rink, a new cd of globally influenced banjo music, and an Earth Day sing-along with Dan Chouinard.

Dancer Dana Kassel is headed to The O'Shaughnessy to see Ragamala Dance and Brooklyn Rider. To be clear, Ragamala Dance is not performing to the music of Brooklyn Rider. Instead, each will perform for half of the evening on the same stage. Kassel says the two groups have more in common than one might think — both are taking classical forms and reinterpreting them for a contemporary audience. The performance takes place on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Longtime language teacher Jim Peterson recommends checking out MotionArt's new show. It's called "Collabulous" because it features multiple "fabulous collaborations" with other local artists, including painter Edward Bock and composer Bruce Wintervold. Peterson says the dancers, who range from professional to lifelong hobbyists, span multiple generations and bring refreshing energy to the stage. "Collabulous" runs Friday through Sunday at the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center in Minneapolis.

Writer Jean Sramek is a big fan of "Gag Me with a Spoon," a monthly community story share at Teatro Zuccone in downtown Duluth. It's an evening of stories that range from funny to tragic to downright weird. Sramek says the audience is incredibly supportive, and the performance is a reminder of all the stories we each carry with us. "Gag Me with a Spoon" hits the stage next on Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m.

This week on Art Hounds: "Gag Me With A Spoon" is a community storytelling event in Duluth... MotionArt dance company presents "Collabulous" in Minneapolis... and Ragamala Dance and Brooklyn Rider string quartet share the stage in St. Paul.