Soon the empty space where the Guthrie once stood will be home to a new sculptural work by American artist Jim Hodges. Four massive boulders, each weighing 8 to 13 tons, faced with veneers of high-gloss stainless steel in pink, gold, lavender, and blue, will gleam in the sun and reflect the world around them. Acquired in anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in 2013, “Untitled” will be installed in early April and formally dedicated at a ceremony on April 26. The artist will be present for both the installation and the dedication.
Talk of the Stacks, a program of Friends of the Hennepin County Library, has announced its summer season. On May 29, Richard Ford, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award, will present his new novel, “Canada.” On June 26, portrait and film photographer Michael Childers will discuss his photography exhibit, “Author, Author,” which includes more than 50 portraits of writers, playwrights and screenwriters. The exhibit opens June 26 in Minneapolis Central Library’s Cargill Gallery and runs through Aug. 18. On July 12, Esmeralda Santiago, author of “When I Was Puerto Rican” and “America’s Dream,” will present her latest novel, “Conquistadora.” In the Library’s Pohlad Hall. First come, first served, free. 7 p.m. (doors at 6:15). FMI.
Someone we probably won’t see at Talk of the Stacks anytime soon is E.L. James, author of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The steamy, sexy “Twilight”-inspired novel is the current No. 1 New York Times combined print and e-book fiction bestseller. It seems that genre fiction, which includes erotic books, is giving the publishing industry a new lease on life. “Consumers are increasingly willing to shell out for less salubrious reading material … without worrying that their lurid covers might give them away as less-than-intellectual readers,” Iconoculture reports in its e-newsletter Iconowatch. “After all, the meek gray shell of a Kindle protects pulp lovers from the judging eyes of fellow Metro and Tube riders.” Remember that next time you’re tempted to read over someone’s shoulder on the Light Rail.
In response to the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin and the stupidity of Geraldo Rivera, St. Paul artist Catherine L. Johnson has issued a call for hoodies: white, gray, or black, used and not laundered. The loaned hoodies will become an installation in the fourth-floor hallway of the Northern Warehouse on Prince Street during the St. Paul Spring Art Crawl, April 27-29. This has the potential to make a powerful statement. FMI.
The Ordway has named Dayna Martinez artistic director of world music, dance and international children’s festival programming. Martinez has been in arts administration for more than 20 years, including 15 at the Ordway, where she most recently served as contract manager. She has also worked in Kansas City and New York. The Ordway’s annual (and hugely popular) Flint Hills International Children’s Festival takes place this year from May 29 to June 3. Tickets are on sale now to performances inside the Ordway — music, theater, puppetry and swashbuckling (“Zorro”). Tickets are $5, that’s not a typo, and it’s not too soon to order. FMI and tickets.
On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) awarded more than $279,000 in community arts grants to 60 organizations in and around the Twin Cities metro area. Grantees include the Washington County 4-H Federation, the Gateway Mural Project, the Out Twin Cities Film Festival, the Dans Askina Turkish Dance Ensemble, and the Copper Street Brass Quintet. See the complete list here.
How fabulous are the Twin Cities? Livability.com just named Minneapolis No. 2 on its list of “Top 10 Cities with the Best Music Scenes Outside of Nashville NYC and LA.” No. 2! Wow! But wait…that’s some funky math. “Outside of Nashville NYC and LA”? In other words, we’re No. 5. We’ll take it. Plus Huffpost puts Minneapolis/St. Paul at No. 5 in its 10 Best American Cities for Cycling.
A new video from Explore Minnesota will give you that warm and fuzzy proud-to-be-a-Minnesotan feeling. The voices are those of Chris Koza, Dessa, Chris Pavlich, Lucy Michelle, Haley Bonar, Gabriel Douglas and Caroline Smith.
Today is the last day to snag an SPCO 2011-12 season pass: $50 for unlimited concerts from now through June 9. Go here or call 651-291-1144.
Tonight, Friday, March 30, the Parkway Theater hosts a STAX tribute. STAX was the label that made Memphis the other Motown. Its artists included Booker T. & the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers and Carla Thomas. You know the songs: “Soul Man,” “Green Onions,” “Hold On, I’m Coming,” “Knock on Wood,” “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” 21+, 7 p.m. FMI and tickets.
Courtesy of Illusion Theater'What's the Word For' premieres Friday night at the Illusion TheaterAlso tonight, Illusion Theater presents the world premiere of a new play by Jeffrey Hatcher. “What’s the Word For” was developed as part of Illusion’s 2011 Fresh Ink series; it returns as a fully developed mainstage production. It’s the story of a woman in her 80s who loves crossword puzzles and a man in his 50s who loves watching movies, brought together by circumstance and facing a difficult decision. Through April 21. FMI and tickets.
Tonight and tomorrow at the Cowles, "B-Boy J-Sun Presents: Hip Hop?" with guests Dancin’ Dave, Arturo Miles, SugaMomma, AnnieUp, Ivy Morrison and Step Child. The program looks at the lives and loves of the dancers, the foundations and evolution of hip-hop dance, misconceptions, and stereotypes, and the inner workings of the hip-hop culture. Here’s B-Boy J-Sun on video. 8 p.m. FMI and tickets.
John Dillinger, Babyface Nelson and Machine Gun Kelly all hung out in St. Paul, thanks to an arrangement with then Police Chief John O’Connor: If criminals agreed not to commit any crimes inside the city limits, Chief O’Connor would protect them. Go back to the gangster era (rather, that particular gangster era) with “Spirits of St. Paul,” screening at the St. Anthony Main Theatre tonight through Sunday. FMI and trailer.
On Sunday, three songbirds of jazz share the Dakota stage. Billed as JaLaLa, Janis Siegel of the Manhattan Transfer, Laurel Massé (an original founding and former member of Manhattan Transfer) and Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices will explore the music of Johnny Mercer. Manhattan Transfer was at the Dakota earlier this month and filled the house. Here’s a promo video for JaLaLa’s CD, “That Old Mercer Magic!” FMI and tickets.
Photo by Alex Legeros'Musical Offering' offers a humorous take on music.Sunday is April Fools’ Day, a day dear to my heart. The Musical Offering is taking full advantage with an afternoon concert of humorous music. The program includes Franz Hasenöhri’s reworking of Richard Strauss’s “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” Mozart’s “A Musical Joke,” and Martinu’s suite from “La Revue de Cuisine,” a ballet based on the romantic rendezvous of kitchen utensils. Featured soloist Eugene Rousseau performs Milhaud’s “Scaramouche for Saxophone and Wind Quintet.” $10 adults, $5 students. Sundin Hall at Hamline University, 3 p.m. Tickets online, by phone (651-523-2459) or at the door.
On Monday, Penumbra’s “Let’s Talk Theatre” series continues with “Remembering James Baldwin,” a happy hour conversation with associate artistic director Dominic Taylor. Readings from Baldwin’s works will be accompanied by wine and small bites. 5:30 p.m. Tickets here. Penumbra’s 2011-12 season continues in May with Baldwin’s “The Amen Corner” at the Guthrie, for which casting was announced yThursday. Ivey winner Greta Oglesby (“Caroline, or Change”) will star as Sister Margaret Alexander. Lou Bellamy will direct.
Out and about
Pianist/vocalist William Brittelle, pianist Michael Mizrahi and violist Nadia Sirota, all players on the emerging indie classical scene who record for the upstart New Amsterdam label, wanted to be in Minneapolis this weekend for the world premiere at Orchestra Hall of a new composition by their friend Judd Greenstein. So they put together an evening’s worth of music and gave a concert last night at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater. Presented by Kate Nordstrum, it was beautiful, moving and fresh.
As bowling pins fell and bowlers whooped on the other side of the door, Mizrahi played Greenstein’s “Ballade,” a spring rain of a piece, after which Sirota played Nico Muhly’s “Period Instrument,” accompanying a recording of herself playing a repeating figure, a drone. Then Mizrahi performed “Four Pieces” by Ryan Brown, which never went below middle C until the last note, at which everyone laughed because it came as such a surprise. He followed with Brittelle’s “Computer Wave,” a combination of piano sounding digital and piano sounding loungey. Sirota and Mizrahi were next with Muhly’s “Drones and Viola,” a sonic massage, after which Brittelle played and sang selections from his own “TV Landscape” in new chamber versions.
The final work was Greenstein’s “The Night Gatherers,” for which Sirota was joined by four members of the Minnesota Orchestra: Peter McGuire and Kenneth Freed on violins, Sam Bergman on viola, and Eugena Chang on cello. Greenstein, who was in the house, introduced his piece by saying how much it meant to be there and have his friends around him on the eve of this big moment in his life. Then he took his seat and the lights went back down and the music filled us with sweetness and yearning.
Free or cheap
Tonight you can take the kids to a “Music in the Park” family concert, where the Ancia Saxophone Quartet will play Scarlatti, Mozart (“Variations on ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ ”), Glazunov, Paquito D’Rivera, and Jelly Roll Morton. 6:15 and 7:30 p.m., St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. Buy $6 tickets here.
Let the art fairs and studio crawls begin. On Saturday, March 31, the 12th annual Art at Highland show features work by 47 artists, including painters, photographers, woodworkers, potters, glassmakers, sculptors and jewelers. Admission is free, but if you leave without carrying something, you’re made of stronger stuff than I am. Highland Park High School Fieldhouse, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The North Artists’ Studio Crawl starts Saturday and continues through Sunday. Visit 33 artists in working studios, watch them do their thing, ask questions and bring home something to use, wear or simply admire. Go to the website, print out a map, and take a day.
On Tuesday, MPR’s Club Book features Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift, star and producer of “The Splendid Table.” Stories about life and food, shared with expertise and enthusiasm. 7 p.m. at the Prior Lake Library. Free. FMI.
Avant-garde multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer Elliott Sharp visits next week from New York City and I, for one, am jumping up and down. On Wednesday, April 4, he performs with Improvestra and the Cherry Spoon Collective at the Amsterdam starting at 7 p.m. Cherry Spoon member Michelle Kinney tells me that all of the area players haven’t yet been confirmed, but so far the lineup includes Kinney, George Cartwright, deVon Gray, Trent Jacobs, Jacqueline Ultan, Dan Zamzow, and Graham O’Brien. The next night, April 5, Sharp is at the Walker for the Sound Horizon series; he’ll play “Octal,” his work for eight string guitar/bass, at 6, 7, and 8 in the Perlman Gallery. All free. FMI.