Russian Realism: Paintings from the 20th Century

After a fascinating show contrasting “official” and “dissident” works of art made in the former USSR, the Museum of Russian Art gets back to its strength: Russian realism that celebrates industry, agriculture, and the people of the motherland. What’s on view here shows a diversity of scenes and styles that many will find surprising. In some works, villagers are rendered in vivid colors and invisible brushstrokes, while in others, erratic and heavy streaks of paint almost completely obscure actual objects like, say, a furnace. And besides all the requisite woodsmen and robust milkmaids and strapping factory workers, there’s an image of a grim author and another of a tree bursting with flowers. As always, the museum has adeptly installed this show, displaying the works in association and counterpoint and leading visitors not just along the walls but across the room and to other floors. 5500 Stevens Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-821-9045; www.tmora.org”