ART
Ernest Arthur Bryant
This young (got his BFA from MCAD in 2005) and fast-rising (fellowships from Jerome, McKnight, Bush, and Skowhegan) Minneapolis artist works in the mode of the moment: a combinatoire of painting, assemblage, ragpicking, and video. These are fragmented times we live in, and it’s artists like Bryant who pull together the pieces of exploding cultures in unaccustomed ways. High-art references like the Mona Lisa meet with drawn lines that have the deftness of a tagger who studied with Rembrandt. These elements snuggle up to camouflage fabric and the occasional “identity” reference. This is Bryant’s first-ever solo exhibition; count on lots of interested parties angling to get a look. — by Ann Klefstad
Saturday, Franklin Art Works, 1021 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-872-7494.
200 Artworks, 1 Size, 1 Price, No Names
Art frauds beware. If you’re looking for a guided tour or a catalog indicating the artists and works that will most impress your neighbors, if you’re one of those people who buy high on the assumption that price intimates quality, or if you have absolutely no sense of adventure and amusement, then Soap’s $99 Sale is probably not for you. If you’re looking for bargain art and a great opportunity and adventure, on the other hand, the $99 Sale is certainly a much better alternative to one of those airport ballroom free-for-alls. Here’s the deal: it all begins with 200 unidentified 5″ x 7″ artworks. They have signatures on the back; but, of course, you don’t get to see them until after the piece is yours. I suppose if you really know your artists, or if you have a keen eye for talent, you might make some practical and wise deductions, but this exercise should be more about choosing what moves you rather than showing off your ability to identify what you’re told should move you. It’s a more honest art purchase, and a beautifully innovative fundraiser. Be among the first to have their picks. This evening is the pre-sale party, which includes wine and appetizers, and a first crack at finding something you love — and something that might prove to be quite valuable. Then tomorrow morning, the general public is invited to choose from the remaining works. It’s brilliant. It’s fun. And it’s tax deductible. What more do you want?
Friday from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, Soap Factory, 518 2nd St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-623-9176; Pre-Sale Party $35, the $99 Sale free.
Through the Eyes and Hands of Artists
Chinese art writer Kojiro Tomita once pointed out: “It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet.” Perhaps this weekend is the perfect time for a tryst. The air is cool, the leaves are beginning to change, and a drive is certainly in order. Grab your family, or your coat, and head for the Rustic Road 13 Pottery Event & Sale. Fourteen outstanding Minnesota potters, including Carl Erickson, Steve Hemingway, and Ernest Miller, will show their wares and explore the universal connection between maker and beholder, between artist and owner. Now in its sixth year, Rustic Road 13 features a barn full of art, poetry readings in the gardens, music in the air, and potter’s wheel and raku firing demonstrations throughout the weekend. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to Second Harvest Heartland.
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Historic Farmstead, 1148 Troutbrook Rd., Hudson, Wisconsin; free.
PERFORMANCE
Song, Fire, Booze, and Fisticuffs in the Digital Age
The four members of the Lit 6 Project take their art so seriously that they actually moved in together in order to spend all of their time and energy on their storytelling, turning themselves into the very characters in the process. Often inebriated, hung-over, and miserable, the four writers/performers have documented their lives and work together in multiple media forms. One of the more successful branches of this project has been The Electric Arc Radio Show. Now performed live, in front of hundreds at a time, the show details the lives of four horrible and tormented writers who share a home, booze, hugs, punches, and a toaster. Weird enough for you? How’s this? A bad clarinet-playing Alan Greenspan lives in a treehouse behind them. Tonight’s show, the new season opener, also features the music of Little Man.
Saturday at 8 p.m., Woman’s Club of Minneapolis Theater, 410 Oak Grove St., Minneapolis; 612-813-5300; $15.
FILM
There’s Nothing So Regular about Regular Joe
You’ve got to love the Twin Cities. You’ve just got to. I mean, really, where else is someone going to film a romantic musical comedy about a gay guy who becomes a Cyndi Lauper drag queen in order to get through a mid-life crisis? New York? San Francisco? L.A.? Spain? It certainly sounds like early post-Franco Almadóvar to me. Man, we’re hip! The Completely Remarkable, Utterly Fabulous Transformation of a Regular Joe, shot entirely in the Twin Cities, makes its local premiere this weekend.
Saturday at 7 p.m., Varsity Theater & Café Artistes, 1308 4th St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-604-0222; free.
A Word from Our Film Critic
I asked Rake film critic Peter Schilling about this weekend’s film openings, which now include Silk, Live-in Maid, and Dans Paris. He admitted the latter is actually quite awful, but added the following: “You could, however, mention that the Parkway Theatre has been renovated, serves the best popcorn in town (trust me, it’s awesome), and is showing a pair of thrilling potboilers from the 1950s: From Here To Eternity and The Caine Mutiny. Eternity, as you may or may not know, won Best Picture and resuscitated Frank Sinatra’s career. It is also dogged with the rumor that it was the film whose producer found a horse’s head in his bed, in order to convince him to cast Ol’ Blue Eyes for the role that would win him an Oscar (as suggested by Mario Puzo’s Godfather). To make matters even more interesting, another rumor implies that during advanced screenings the moviegoing public laughed whenever George Reeves’ character spoke–they supposedly yelled ‘It’s Superman,’ and the role was cut to next to nothing. He would later go on to kill himself because of this. Or so they say–most historians don’t believe either rumor is the least bit true.” I love these movies. Thanks for sharing the Secret, Peter.
In keeping with Peter’s ’50s film recommendations, the Bergman Tribute continues this weekend at the Oak Street Cinema with The Seventh Seal. Enjoy a special treat this evening with a death- and angst-laden introduction from StarTribune film critic Colin Covert.
MUSIC
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Anthony Marwood
The second program in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s 2007-2008 season features the highly anticipated performance of the Violin Concerto, Concentric Paths by the vibrant twenty-first century composer Thomas Adès, who has been revered and reviled for his often choppy and creatively versatile pieces, including the orchestral work Asyla and the operas Powder Her Face and The Tempest. Concentric Paths is regarded as relatively restrained and moody (think Shostakovich), and will feature violinist Anthony Marwood, who played the concerto at both its world and U.S. premieres in ’05 and ’06. Also on the bill is Beethoven’s Sixth, or Pastoral Symphony, a beautifully flowing ode to nature that was overshadowed when it premiered alongside the composer’s booming Fifth Symphony. Having been a pacifist, the renowned twentieth-century British composer Benjamin Britten probably preferred the Pastoral to the Fifth; his Sinfonietta will open the performance. Douglas Boyd conducts. –by Britt Robson
Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 8 p.m., Ordway Center, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; 651-224-4222, 651-291-1144; $11-$59.
Tonight’s top music picks include Elvis Costello with the Minnesota Orchestra (both tonight and tomorrow night) and James Cotton Band at The Cedar. The legendary blues harp master can bend a note like few others.
Sure, you can “Come to the Cabaret,” old chum, but the real show this Sunday is at the Grand Casino Hinckley Event Center. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the fabulous Liza Minnelli live and in action, doing what she does best.
CYCLING
Minneapolis Bike Tour
Cycle all over Minneapolis without being hampered by cars (and without having to wait for this month’s Critical Mass). Sunday is the Minneapolis Bike Tour. Take your bike to Parade Field, choose either the 15-mile or the 41-mile route, and enjoy a day of riding on the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway…without pesky motor vehicles. Day-of registration is available, but show up early — 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. (riders must begin the course between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m.) — and bring a helmet. –Danielle Kurtzleben
Sunday at 7:30 a.m., Parade Field, 400 Kenwood Pkwy., Minneapolis; 612-230-6400; $30.
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