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.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

Derek Dahlsad is a filmmaker, actor, and writer in Moorhead. Recently he visited the The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum in town to check out its ninth annual Art Ghoullery. Artists answered the call for Halloween-themed art of all varieties. This year's theme was "Nine Lives to Live." Unsurprisingly, cats featured prominently in a number of the pieces. The exhibit runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, with a masquerade artist reception taking place on the evening of Halloween from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. That reception is free and open to the public.

Dahlsad said the themed art ranges from cute to creepy, including "a stack of zombie doll heads, sculptures welded from tractor parts, and paintings of a variety of devils and spirits and vampires."

Patrick Strait of Minneapolis is the owner of MNComedy.net and the author of two books about Twin Cities stand-up comedy from the Minnesota Historical Society. He recommends marking your calendar for "Advice Column," a series that takes place on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month at 7 p.m. at Sisyphus Brewing in Minneapolis. Hosts Sam Schedler and Lahiru Samarasinghe welcome a rotating cast of four comedians to join them at each show to give advice, win prizes, and keep the audience laughing. Their show on Oct. 28 is a Halloween edition, and costumes are welcome. Audience members must be 18 or older .

Strait notes that November marks the show's one-year anniversary:

"Really, they've found their stride,” said Strait. “They've got a lot of really cool people who want to be a part of this, and it's a well-oiled machine as well as I guess you can be when you have a couple of comics giving you therapy on a weeknight."

Kristine Stewart says she was very involved in the arts community in Worthington, where she lived until recently. She recommends the Sundays on the Steinway at the Memorial Auditorium for the Performing Arts in Worthington. There are three concerts remaining in the series designed to celebrate the 100th birthday of the auditorium's Steinway piano. The piano could have been lost to time, but 30 years ago a group came together to raise the money to have the piano fully refurbished.

The free concerts each take place at 2 p.m. This Sunday, Kurt Haag will perform. Charlie Albright performs Nov. 15, and on Dec. 6 community piano teachers take the stage.

Stewart adds a bonus tip: on Nov. 14, on the day before Charlie Albright’s solo concert, he will perform with the Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra.

"They end the concert every year with holiday classics. It's kind of a kickoff to the holiday season, so it'll be a fun time. An amazing concert,” said Steward. “They always are."

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.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

Rochester trombonist Jon Sievers suggests looking at — and listening to — “Canvas to Composition” at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. Minnesota composer Eric Heukeshoven created sonifications of four artworks in the museum’s permanent collection.

The composer assigned sounds that describe the color, texture and feeling of the works. The compositions will be revealed Friday, at the museum’s New Look Masquerade Party, which is part of its 20th anniversary celebration, but here’s a preview:

In the museum, Sievers says, you’ll be able to hear the music without wearing headphones:

“It's like focused sound that's aimed at just at you, and there's an indicator of ‘here's where you should stand’ as you're appreciating the sonification of [each] particular artwork.”

Kristine Chapin of St. Paul says she was captivated by Linda Snouffer’s installation, “A Prairie Stroll,” at the Dow Gallery in St. Paul. Snouffer’s botanical prints recreate the native grasses and varied shades of the Minnesota sky. Hung on dowels, the dyed and printed fabric sways as you walk through the room, which Chapin says gives you the feeling of walking through a tallgrass prairie.

The show’s run has been extended through Oct. 17 to align with the St. Paul Art Crawl, and Snouffer will be on site Oct. 16 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Oct. 17 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Theater blogger Kendra Plant of St. Louis Park is looking forward to an evening of music when Soul Trouvère and Ukrainian Village Band perform an all-ages concert this Saturday to benefit Unidos Minnesota. Both Minnesota bands perform folk music from Eastern Europe, and Plant says dancing is encouraged. The show is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Celtic Junction in St. Paul.

“I’m drawn to the way the event connects Minnesota’s Ukrainian and immigrant communities through music while supporting Unidos MN. It feels especially relevant to Minnesota right now, and like a strong example of local art responding to the communities around it,” said Plant.

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.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

Annie Dugan teaches art at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where she also runs the Kruk Gallery. She wants people to know about a retrospective of Jim Grittner's ceramic work at Duluth Pottery that opens this weekend and runs through November. There's an artist reception Sunday, Oct. 18 from 2-4 p.m.

Grittner spent 47 years teaching at the University Wisconsin-Superior. "He taught artists that are now teaching the next generation," says Dugan.

Now 92, Grittner's recent work is his strongest yet, says Dugan:

"He works in this specific technique called terra sigillata. It's from Roman times. He's doing these abstract landscapes on these vertical pots or vases. They have this sort of ethereal quality, like landscapes from your memory or landscapes from your dreams. There's just this quiet power to his work that I think is really wonderful to see."

Andy Lehner of St. Paul recommends that fellow arts appreciators check out the St. Paul Art Crawl this weekend. The event runs Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18, at 31 venues across the city, including studios, galleries and other art-centered spaces. Find a map of locations here.

People who want to contribute to the event — and to St. Paul's Halloween spirit — can enter their carved jack-o'-lanterns in a competition at Mears Park. Jack-o'-lanterns can be dropped off between 10:30 a.m. and noon on Saturday, and visitors can vote on their favorites through 5 p.m. that day.

If you’ve never been to an art crawl, Lehner says it’s an easy, drop-in event that lets you choose how much or how little you want to do:

“It really is eclectic. You can choose something in your neighborhood because it's all throughout St. Paul. You can take in as much or as little as you like!”

Bill Adams of Fergus Falls is looking forward to attending a world premiere screening of the new Pioneer PBS documentary “Lost Souls: Reforming Minnesota’s Mental Health Institutions.” The screening is Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Fergus Falls Center for the Arts. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with Susan Bartlett, author of “The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota’s Mental Institutions, 1946-1954,” on which the documentary was based; the Pioneer PBS producers behind the film; and Chris Schulke, retired director of the Otter Tail County Historical Society.

Adams offers a bit of background:

“The reason that it's happening in Fergus Falls is because one of the people whose story is told in the book is Anders Schey, and 100 years ago, he became a resident at the state hospital in Fergus. His daughter, Engla Schey, began working in state hospitals — not in Fergus Falls, but in other communities in Minnesota — and she saw things that needed reforming.”

The film follows the work of Engla and others who pushed for fair treatment of institutionalized patients in Minnesota and beyond.

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.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

Actor Dane Stauffer of St. Paul loves Mel Brooks’ movie “Young Frankenstein,” and he’s expecting the musical version of the show to be just as funny when it’s brought to life at the hands of Theatre 55. The show runs Oct. 9-25 at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul.

Theatre 55 casts actors ages 55 and older. Stauffer says, “As someone who is aging creatively, I enjoy seeing other folks get involved too without any barriers. There's so much talent on the stage, and so much talent behind the scenes in directing and everything.”

Laichee Yang, an artist and designer based in Little Falls, was able to see a rehearsal of Ananya Dance Theatre’s new show “PREM | Love: An Occupation.” She says she was incredibly moved by the performance, which was created as a response to Operation Metro Surge. The dancers and artists move through grief, love and what they’re calling “defiant joy.”

The show runs Oct. 10-17 at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Some performances include American Sign Language interpretation; others are designated “masks requested.”

Yang describes the performance:

"There were moments of shaking and trembling, and bodies pushing through space, and it really made me think about the idea of individual grief as well as shared grief. There was something really beautiful about witnessing all of the dancers carrying their emotions together, and it really made me think about just how we are feeling each other's humanity. And how can we feel it if we're not here to witness each other's grief?”

Rosemary Glesener is the director of the Bird Island Cultural Centre, and she adores the sculptures of master woodcarver Fred Cogelow of Willmar.

Glesener attended the unveiling of two new sculptures as part of Cogelow’s exhibit “Coming Home.” The exhibit, presented by the Cogelow Art Center, features a large selection of his woodcarvings, along with work by four area artists, at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society in Willmar through Oct. 30.

Glesener admires the way Cogelow captures the heart and soul of the characters he carves:

“I personally call him the Michelangelo of contemporary times … [Fred] will do a sketch, whether it's at the farmers market or at the mall, of someone he finds intriguing, and from that sketch, he captures the emotion and also the physical animation of the individuals. He should be considered not only a Minnesota treasure, but an American treasure in the arts.”

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.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

It's an all-theater Art Hounds this week. Let's start with Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, which opens "Eelpout," written by Paul Kruse of La Crosse, Wis., on Saturday.

Writer Rayson Lorrey of Rochester saw a preview of the queer comedy about an ice fishing bachelor party gone awry. Its Lake Mille Lacs setting and take on Midwestern culture will feel familiar to audiences, Lorrey said. It runs through Nov. 1. Friday's preview show is County Free Night, where residents of Fillmore and Houston counties can attend free of charge.

Lorrey appreciated the icehouse set, the takes on Midwestern male bonding and the unique costumes:

"[The show] uses the conceit of a talking eelpout that interacts with the three main male characters: Sven, Ole and Lars. It's a hilarious idea that the Commonweal pulls off really well. There are beautiful eelpout costumes that most of the cast wears at one point, and Laurie Roberts does an amazing job of choreography. You get the idea that there is a school of fish under the ice, dancing. I've never seen anything like it."

As an immigrant to the U.S., actor Patrick Bailey of St. Paul says he's gleaned much of his knowledge of American history from books, screens and theater. He's looking forward to a new opportunity to learn a bit about a lesser-known founding father, John Morton, in a new historical play this weekend. Morton, of Finnish heritage, was a signatory to the Declaration of Independence.

"Morton: The Forgotten Founder" was written by Laurie Flanigan Hegge and directed by Wendy Knox of Frank Theater. The free historical play with music takes place for one night only at the Minnehaha Park Pavilion, near the falls. The show is part of FinnFest, which takes place Thursday through Sunday in Minneapolis. The show is followed by live music and dancing with Twin Cities Finnish folk band Lauluaika.

Bailey says:

"It's kind of a gift from the Finlandia Foundation because it's a free show by Frank Theater, one of the most awesome theater companies in town. It's a fully rehearsed, fully staged [show], costumed with music, hour long. What's not to love?"

Derek Dahlsad of Moorhead loves the theater scene in his area, and he recommends seeing a staged reading by local playwright Em Christie.

Dahlsad says: “‘Living the Dream’ is about employees at four different businesses trying to get through their day and not go crazy at the end of the world.”

The reading is Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the FMCT Community Stage at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.

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.

Erik Ostrom of Minneapolis is an improviser, composer and musician—and he always makes a point when he goes to the State Fair to see the 4-H State Arts-In Musical. The program brings together teen thespians from around the state, who spend three weeks creating an original musical, including sets, props, and costumes. Ostrom describes the show as a half-hour song-and-dance production with a live band. They perform three-to-four times a day in the 4-H Building through Labor Day.

Ostrom loves seeing the kids’ passion for theater:

“I was a small-town theater kid, and I had friends who were other small town theater kids, but it can be isolating, and I like the idea that there are these theater kids coming from all over the state and meeting each other and finding new friends who are excited about the same things they are."

Mary Thomas is an art historian and Deputy Director of US Latinx Art Forum. She recommends visiting the exhibition "Meximalismo" at Northeast Sculpture Gallery in Minneapolis, which runs through Sept. 12.

Here’s how she describes it:

“’Meximalismo’ is a lively and thoughtful exploration of maximalist aesthetics within Latinx art. Curated by Silvana Agostini and Maria Cristina Tavera, this exhibition features a wide range of artists working in mediums that span photography, painting, installation, and multi-media work. The exhibition brings forward multi-dimensional understanding of the social and political significance of maximalism that resonates deeply in a moment that has been overdetermined by narratives of fear and scarcity.”

Looking for a space of beauty to take a breather before the fall arts season swings into action? Doris Rubenstein of Richfield suggests visiting Laura Andrews’ exhibit The Transparent Eye. These “dreamlike” paintings often adjust the viewpoint of typical landscape paintings inviting viewers to look up at the tree canopy or consider the natural world in a new way. The show is on view at the Kolman & Reeb Gallery in the Northrup-King Building in Northeast Minneapolis through Sept. 26.

"No one is forcing you to buy a painting, but hold on to your wallet when you see these!”

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.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

Gretchen Ramlo has been involved with the Austin ArtWorks Festival since the beginning, but lately she has stepped back and is looking forward simply to attending this year. The free annual festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29.

The festival includes more than 80 juried artists working in a variety of artistic media as well as a stage with live music. This year’s author’s tent includes authors writing romance, crime and thrillers, and Austin history.

The festival kicks off Friday at 4 p.m. with a talk by mystery writer William Kent Krueger. Ramlo says she is looking forward to that event as well as a film screening of the documentary “The Life & Art of Eric Anfinson.”

Tricia Heuring is artistic director of Public Functionary in Northeast Minneapolis. She’s excited about a group show taking place in her neighborhood at a nontraditional space: findfurnish on Central Avenue. Titled “The Radical Act of Having Each Other’s Back,” the exhibit features the work of 26 artists created during and since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements' Operation Metro Surge. There is an opening reception Thursday, Aug. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m., and the exhibition remains on view through Sept. 20.

At the center of the exhibit, four graffiti writers have created their own black-and-white version of Picasso’s painting “Guernica,” his response to the Nazi bombing of Guernica, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. Heuring says this version, and the show, allows artists to reclaim the narrative following the height of ICE enforcement activity during Operation Metro Surge. Visitors can add magnetic pieces to the Guernica mural as a way of interacting with the story it is telling.

“I really hope this is the first of many, many shows by artists processing what's been happening in our cities and and in our country. And I really hope that it inspires more artists to start opening up about the narratives that they want to share, so that we can continue just resisting and talking about the things that are happening.”

Jes Reyes is an artist and arts administrator in St. Paul. She wants people to know about Dede Decker’s latch hook exhibit at Fresh Eye Gallery in Minneapolis, which runs through Sept. 27.

Reyes says: “I'm drawn to artists who embrace intuitive making, blur the boundaries between craft and fine art and create work that is both joyful and deeply personal. As a fiber artist myself, I feel a particular connection to Dede's practice. I'm fascinated by the way she transforms latch hook — a medium many people associate with craft kits — into contemporary fine art through her own original designs. Dede's work also resonates with my own belief that fiber belongs firmly within contemporary art.”

(Correction Aug., 27, 2026): A previous version of this story contained a misspelling of Jes Reyes. It has been corrected.