Art Hounds

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.  Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here [https://mprnews.typeform.com/to/shVmil?typeform-source=www.mprnews.org]. ‘HIDDEN HERALD’ RETURNS WITH NEW AUDIO STORIES AROUND ST. PAUL Last year, Jamie Daniels of St. Paul stumbled upon Wonderlust Productions’ mini audio stories, scattered about St. Paul. Season two of “Hidden Herald [https://wlproductions.org/hidden-herald/]” kicks off this weekend, with a new batch of five-to-ten-minute audio stories written by Minnesota playwrights and recorded by professional actors. This weekend’s launch includes a scavenger hunt with prizes. Maps with the audio play locations are available starting Thursday at several St. Paul businesses, listed here [https://wlproductions.org/hidden-herald-scavenger-hunt/]. To listen — this weekend and beyond — simply scan a QR code printed on a durable decal on the ground. Jamie describes the wonder of discovering a new story: You scan [the QR code], and you are transported into a brief five-to-ten minute audio play that takes place in the place where you're standing. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt all year round, because you can find these stickers all over the place, around Lake Phalan, on Payne Avenue and in downtown St. Paul. Some of the plays are definitely kid-oriented, and some of them are not. Last year, there was one that took place in Mears Park that was a genuine horror story that gave me the chills. Some of the plays have a content warning at the top, if need be. Pro tip: bring some headphones or a portable speaker so you can hear them better. — Jamie Davis FAVORITES FROM ST. CROIX VALLEY POTTERY TOUR IN ONE ACCESSIBLE LOCATION Cindy Ihlenfeld is a visual artist from Mahtomedi who serves on the board of the Weisman Art Museum, and she recommends seeing “A Culture of Pots” [https://whitebeararts.org/exhibitions/a-culture-of-pots-2025/] at White Bear Center for the Arts, on view through July 25 in the Ford Family Gallery. She notes that, for those with limited mobility, this exhibit is an accessible way to attend a pottery tour Cindy says: “A Culture of Pots” is an exhibition of the artists that are typically part of the St. Croix Valley pottery tour in spring. And there are 68 artists, and I think 218 of their favorite pieces. The most delightful thing about it is that one of the resident artists at the White Bear Center for the Arts has created a display that looks very much like what the artists have in their yards during the pottery tour. It feels very intimate because of the way the structure is built to display the pots. — Cindy Ihlenfeld PEOPLE AT PLAY Lou Ferreri, a visual artist from St. Paul, appreciates an exhibit by painter David Amdur entitled “At Play.” [https://www.hopkinsartscenter.com/223/Exhibitions] The paintings show groups of people enjoying the outdoors. The exhibition is on view at the Hopkins Center for the Arts through Aug. 2. Lou describes the paintings: They're impressionist, but they're also realistic figures. He incorporates sometimes 10, 15 figures in a setting outdoors, and they could be by the ocean, they could be mountain climbing, they could be by a lake or in a park. They are so celebratory, it makes me feel good looking at them. He’s a fabulous colorist: he manages to combine primary colors in natural settings, so that the clothing that the people wear becomes part of the composition, and it brings your eye all around the surface of the picture plane. — Lou Ferreri Correction (July 10, 2025): An earlier version of this story misidentified Jamie Daniels and had incorrect information about “Hidden Herald.” The story has been updated.

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.  Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here [https://mprnews.typeform.com/to/shVmil?typeform-source=www.mprnews.org]. HEALING THROUGH THE SENSES Molly Johnston works for Springboard for the Arts in Fergus Falls and is the co-director of DanceBARN Collective in Battle Lake. She got a sneak peek at Naomi RaMona Schliesman’s upcoming exhibit “Heilung Saaám (Healing Medicine)” [https://www.kaddatzgalleries.org/current-exhibitions.html] at the Kaddatz Galleries in Fergus Falls. The exhibit runs July 8 through Aug. 16, with an opening artist reception Thursday, July 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Molly says: Naomi’s sculptures have always intrigued me with their textures, colors and materials from nature. This particular show excites me because she is examining healing through the senses. The exhibit combines paintings and prints, sound and music and even smells to create an immersive experience, including creating two interactive murals that when they’re finished, they’re going to be placed around the community for everyone to experience. Naomi’s work comes from her journey of healing and also [from] connecting with her German and Blackfeet [and also Blackfoot] heritage. — Molly Johnston ‘BLOCKED VIEW’ Erik Jon Olson of Plymouth creates machine-quilted art from plastic waste [https://mmam.org/erik-jon-olson-waste-not]. Recently, he visited the Visitor Center at French Regional Park in Plymouth to see the work of Beth Dorsey. [https://www.bethdorsey.com/] Her show of abstracts, entitled “Blocked View,” invites the viewer to take a closer look. The work is on view through Aug. 17, with an artist reception on July 31 at 5:30 p.m. Erik says: I like the way she creates mystery and depth in abstract compositions. Her work appears as though you can't see the whole image, and your mind fills in the missing information, not really knowing how much is missing and how much you are making up. It's kind of like looking at something through a fence or privacy screen. — Erik Jon Olson ‘ENDOMETRIOSIS: THE MUSICAL’ KQ Quinn of Minneapolis is a big fan of comedy, and they remember seeing “Endometriosis: The Musical” [https://www.theatreintheround.org/endometriosis-the-musical/] when it was a Fringe show. Now the full musical is at Theatre in the Round in Minneapolis, and it runs through July 13. The show follows a woman who is trying to climb the corporate ladder but has debilitating pain each month from endometriosis. KQ acknowledges that this hardly sounds like the subject for a comedic musical, but it works: KQ says: They tell this story in such a way that is so funny and relatable, and you’ll see through these amazing songs that when we start talking about our health and consulting with medical providers that we trust life can change and be really, really awesome. It is super fun and lively and also extremely impactful, because we are talking about health and people's experiences with the medical system, and how often, you know, people aren’t believed. Theatre in the Round is like the most beautiful venue for this show, because you can literally look across and see people relating and reacting to all of the content in the show. The songs are, like, truly phenomenal. They’re super catchy. Expect big songs, big chorus numbers, dancing and an amazing band to keep it all rolling. — KQ Quinn

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.  Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here [https://mprnews.typeform.com/to/shVmil?typeform-source=www.mprnews.org]. ‘OF THE EARTH’ JOINS THE DETROIT LAKES TROLLS Former arts administrator Taylor Barnes of Jamestown, North Dakota, has a cabin in Detroit Lakes, and she admires the work of Project 412 [https://project412mn.org/artists/olga-ziemska/] in engaging the community to create public artworks. Last year, they welcomed Danish artist Thomas Dambo to create a series of large trolls [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/05/18/trolls-northern-minnesota-woods-message-detroit-lakes], which remain on view in and around Detroit Lakes. Now, the trolls have company: artist-in-residence Olga Ziemska has created four large sculptures of natural materials, entitled “Of the Earth.” Three of the site-specific sculptures are temporary, but the fourth — a butterfly, currently in the works —will remain at the Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park in Detroit Lakes. Taylor says: I think they had probably 300 volunteers that worked for over 100 hours with her creating the pieces [three of which portray women built at large scale]. One woman is emerging from the earth. Another head is lying on its side, kind of listening. The third one is the woman's head and torso. I particularly like this one, because she's just got this hair that looks as though it's being blown back by a hurricane that's all made out of twigs and branches and sustainable materials. — Taylor Barnes A ONE-WOMAN MUSICAL, FOR THOSE WHO WAIT Lux Mortenson of Brooklyn Park is excited for people to see the one-woman musical “Penelope” [https://www.elisionplayhouse.com/] at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal. It runs June 20–28. Lux says: I’m so thrilled that “Penelope” at Theatre Elision is coming back this month! I was fortunate enough to see it last year, and it was all I could talk about for weeks. Christine Wade is a marvel, a true multi-hyphenate who guides the audience on a tight and beautiful one-act journey through the eyes of Penelope, Odysseus' devoted, incredibly patient wife, as she waits for her husband to return home. Everything comes together to leave the audience spellbound. This is absolutely one NOT to miss this summer. — Lux Mortenson NATURE IN NATURAL MATERIALS AT THE ARBORETUM Art enthusiast Doris Rubenstein of Richfield recommends visiting the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska to check out the new exhibit in the Reedy Gallery in the visitor center. It’s called “Wax, Wire, Wood, and Clay,” [https://arb.umn.edu/art/reedy-gallery/wax-wood] and four artists use natural materials to create scenes from nature. It runs through July 28. It's recommended that visitors to the Arboretum book a ticket online in advance; children 15 and under are free with an adult. Doris says: Lynn Sarnoff-Christensen is the driving force behind the exhibition. Lynn is an encaustic artist; she explained it to me as the process of painting with molten beeswax. For this show, she's taken photos of birds’ nests, incorporating them into the picture, along with other media like oils and pastels. Lynn invited three of her friends to join in the challenge of recreating nature with natural materials. Jodi Reeb sculptures weird seed pods and boulders from wire. Jim Gallop makes sculptures and bowls from knobby tree burls, and Cindy Syme carves tree portraits into clay tiles. So what better place could art lovers look for a show about the beauty of nature than the Arboretum, especially at this glorious time of year in Minnesota? — Doris Rubenstein Correction (June 12, 2025): An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Lux Mortenson's name. The story has been updated.

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the original submission. AMERICANA IN THE HISTORIC AUDITORIUM Jean Shore of Balsam Lake, Wis., recommends crossing into Wisconsin for an evening of American roots music. Minnesota singer-songwriters Emmy Woods, Sarah Morris and Laura Hugo will perform at The Historic Auditorium [https://sarahmorrismusic.com/performances/americana-at-the-auditorium-laura-hugo-emmy-woods-and-sarah-morris/] in St. Croix Falls this Saturday, June 7 at 7 p.m. Jean says: Each performer brings a unique voice and style to the stage, blending folk and country and heartfelt storytelling. But what makes this even more exciting is the venue itself. The Historic Auditorium was built in 1916 and was recently renovated in 2023, and it’s quickly becoming a cultural hub for this area. — Jean Shore A SONDHEIM MUSICAL AT THE RITZ THEATER Twin Cities theater maker Kurt Engh recommends seeing Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Passion,” [https://www.latteda.org/passion] staged by Theater Latté Da [https://www.latteda.org/passion] at the Ritz Theater. Written by the same team that created “Into the Woods,” the show runs through July 13. Kurt says: “Passion” is one of Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known musicals, but one of his most complex and most honest and emotional. It is a melodramatic story set in 1860s Italy during the unification of Italy. It is an uneven love triangle between a beautiful married woman, a very handsome army captain and a in the terms of the musical, a “troubled, ugly woman.” And it is about how love and desire are reflected through beauty and beauty standards. It is a very fascinating musical in that it is directed as almost a chamber opera at a breakneck speed. There are no applause breaks. It does not let you go. It just keeps moving. — Kurt Engh IMPROV FESTIVAL MOVES TO PHOENIX THEATER Michael Krefting of Minneapolis loves the improv scene in the Twin Cities, and he recommends the Twin Cities Improv Festival [https://twincitiesimprovfestival.wordpress.com/], happening Thursday through Sunday, June 8. This is the annual festival’s first year at the Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis, following the closing of HUGE Improv Theater last year. Michael says: They have artists coming in from all over the world, a couple artists coming in from Japan. There are a lot of local names. When they select the artists for the festival, they’re always trying to get the local groups that are doing either the most interesting things or doing something new and creative that's picking up steam. The whole improv community is very welcoming. And I would, I would come ready to not just laugh but also feel. I would say to expect the unexpected! — Michael Krefting (Want more improv? Krefting also recommends Improv A Go-Go at Strike Theater [https://improvagogo.wordpress.com/] in Minneapolis. Every first, second, and fourth Sunday, four or five improv groups are chosen by lottery to perform, offering an affordable evening of “yes, and” energy.)

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the original submission. A PATH TO HEALING Ruth Sloven is a St. Paul-based artist. She recommends the group exhibition “WITNESS עֵד,” a group art show by Jewish artists for Palestinian liberation, at Modus Locus in Minneapolis [https://www.moduslocusmpls.com/]. Ruth says: This exhibit includes ceramics, sculpture, community, quilting, painting and video. Many of the works are traditional Jewish subjects, which have been repurposed in non-traditional ways. What I’m excited about is that it’s a doorway into experiencing and expressing the grief about the destructive war in Israel and Gaza, and hopefully can be part of a path to healing. — Ruth Sloven STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN Joseph “JoJo” Howsley is a music enthusiast based in Fargo. He recommends a showcase by Human Artistic Collaborations [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575718744947#] on Saturday, May 31, starting at 6 p.m. at Brühaven in Minneapolis. Joseph says: I met Kyle Krause last weekend. He is the head of Human Artistic Collaborations, whose aim is primarily to champion human-led art in a space that's constantly being inundated by artificial intelligence. They’re doing an event with one of my favorite producers in the scene. His name is Deerskin, and they have over, I believe he said, 12 artists who will be showcasing and selling their art. — JoJo Joseph Housley EPP SQUARED Kari Olk is a Brooklyn-based teaching artist who grew up in Minneapolis. She recommends “Orlando: A Rhapsody,” [https://www.southerntheater.org/shows/orlando-a-rhapsody] playing at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis through June 8. Carrie says: “ORLANDO: A Rhapsody” by Vinora Epp and Steven Epp is a thoughtful reflection about art, gender, storytelling. It’s both based on Virginia Woolf — a few of her writings: “The Waves,” “A Room of One's Own” and, of course, “Orlando” — and it’s also combined with writing from Vinora and Steve. To see them working together is really special. And so it’s really exciting to see her directorial debut, and it’s really exciting that she’s doing this work with her dad, Steve. The story of “Orlando” is a story about a person who, over 300 years, goes back and forth between being a young woman and a young man, and they both perform as Orlando, and they both perform as versions of themselves. — Carrie Olk Correction (May 29, 2025): An earlier version of this story misspelled Kyle Krause. The story has been updated.