Friday, April 27
Art Mart
WHAT: St. Paul Art Crawl
WHERE: Lowertown, St. Paul
WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m.
More than 300 studios in 25 buildings open their doors this weekend for the annual art crawl, this year featuring more performing arts than usual. A SoundCrawl parade will wind through Lowertown featuring Kill the Vultures and other bands along with art cars (6:30 p.m.). Learn more at stpaulartcrawl.org.
Friday, April 27
The Gang Was All Here
WHAT: Spirits of St. Paul
WHERE: Showplace ICON at the West End, St. Louis Park
WHEN: Various times
The father-son team of Gary and Brian Crask wrote and directed this locally made film about the gangster era of 1920s St. Paul, including a cast of 230 and settings ranging from Forepaugh’s restaurant to historic courthouses throughout the east metro. It opens for an extended run at the West End and in several other cities across the country. Learn more at showplaceicon.com.
Saturday, April 28
Dreams Are Black And White
WHAT: Michael Crouser: A Mid-Career Retrospective
WHERE: Minneapolis Photo Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 12 to 6 p.m.
Photographer Michael Crouser, a Minnesota native, makes beautiful images out of some of the world’s most rugged traditions: bullfighting, for example, or the cowboy life out West. Arriving from the Leica Gallery in New York, this exhibition showcases his range of subjects and the exquisite use of light and shadow that runs through them. Learn more at mplsphotocenter.com.
Saturday, April 28
Not Too Old To Dance
WHAT: Carmina Burana
WHERE: Cowles Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 6 p.m.
The legacy of dance in the Twin Cities rests mostly in the leotard-covered lap of Minnesota Dance Theatre, founded 50 years ago by one of the first American female choreographers to make a name for herself in the international dance scene. This weekend, the legacy is celebrated with a remounting of one of its most acclaimed productions, Carmina Burana, with Bradley Greenwald and other vocalists providing a sensual soundtrack. Learn more at mndance.org.
Sunday, April 29
Still Life With Spring
WHAT: Art in Bloom
WHERE: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It’s the most fragrant four days of the year at the MIA. For the 29th time, the museum has invited 150 floral artists to arrange fresh blooms among the art in the galleries, creating the effect of seeing art in a garden. Learn more at artsmia.org.
Sunday, April 29
The Rat Pack Returns
WHAT: Steve Tyrell
WHERE: Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 p.m.
Tyrell (one of Bill Clinton’s favorite singers) brings a kind of easy Texas swing to big-band standards like “The Way You Look Tonight” and “It Had To Be You,” updating the Sinatra sound with something simultaneously relaxed and sophisticated; the Rat Pack for a more casual era. Learn more at dakotacooks.com.