Hillary Clinton to sign books in St. Paul; François Rabbath in concert

Artscape

The latest news and events across all forms of the arts. 

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Hillary Rodham Clinton will sign copies of her new memoir, “Hard Choices,” in the Twin Cities on Sunday, July 20. Not in the Mall of America rotunda or a big B&N, but at cozy neighborhood independent Common Good Books in St. Paul, owned by Garrison Keillor.

The event takes place from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., during which the former first lady, senator and secretary of state will sign up to 1,000 books. “It will be a fast line,” said David Enyeart, the store’s events manager. “It’s really just a signing event – a smile, hello, and a chance to shake her hand. I think you can shake her hand.” Is Clinton a Keillor fan? “I don’t think that’s the reason. We did an event with a Simon & Schuster author a couple of weeks ago, and we were fresh on their minds as a store that could step up and do this.” Clinton will come with Secret Service. Everyone will be subject to a security search. Cell phone pictures are fine; don’t bring a camera. A legally required area for protesters will be set up across the street.

You’ll need a ticket to join the signing line; tickets cost $35 and go on sale this Saturday (July 12) at the store, which opens at 9 a.m. In-person sales only. You may buy up to four tickets. Each ticket includes a copy of the book. If you already have the book and bought it before July 8 at Common Good, proof of purchase gets you a complimentary ticket.

Springboard for the Arts will receive $750,000 over the next three years from the Surdna Foundation to support its community development programs. The money will go toward three key project areas: the Artist Organizer (AO) program, Ready Go, and community development tools. AO places artists in organizations invested in their communities. A 2013-14 pilot program included Project for Pride in Living, Frogtown Neighborhood Association, Imagine Fergus Falls and others. Ready Go connects nonprofits, businesses and neighborhoods to artist-created, mobile tools that pique curiosity and prompt interaction. Community development tools allow Springboard’s work to be replicated and adapted. Earlier this year, the Surdna Foundation awarded grants of $75,000/year for three years to the Loft. Based in New York, the foundation has supported programs in the arts since 1994.

Belgian-based poet Éireann Lorsung is the latest writer-in-residence for Coffee House Press’s “CHP In the Stacks” program, which places writers, readers and artists in interesting libraries. She’ll spend the last week in July hanging around the Little Poetry Library outside the Blue Moon Coffee Café on East Lake Street. It’s one of the Little Free Libraries you might have seen around the cities – like big birdhouses on poles, except they’re full of books people can take and read. (They’re run on the honor system: take a book, return a book.) Lorsung, who is originally from Minnesota, has published two books of poetry with Milkweed Editions. She’ll read poems and talk about her residency experience on Monday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. above the café. FMI. 

The picks

Tonight (Wednesday, July 9):

• At Wolfe Park in St. Louis Park: Axis Mundi World Music Ensemble. Sambas, tangos, bossa novas, African pop-influenced tunes and more on what should be a perfect summer evening. Glen Helgeson (guitar), Gary Schulte (violin), Chris Bates (bass), Dave Stanoch (drums) and Daryl Boudreaux (percussion). 3700 Monterey Drive, 7 p.m. Free. Take a look at the rest of SLP’s summer concert series.
• At the Film Society’s St. Anthony Main Theatre: “Snowpiercer.” Although MinnPost’s spring reader survey told us a lot about our audience, it apparently didn’t ask if you enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction. So we’ll take a leap and recommend Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s film, which is getting the kind of reviews directors dream about (94 percent Fresh on the Tomatometer). Briefly: Climate change has triggered a new Ice Age, Earth is uninhabitable and what’s left of humanity lives on a train that circles the same track year after year. The rich are in front, the wretched at the rear, and you can guess what’s about to happen. The cast includes Chris Evans, John Hurt and the marvelous, mysterious Tilda Swinton. “Snowpiercer” was originally scheduled to choo-choo out of Minneapolis on July 10 but has been extended through July 17. FMI and tickets ($5-$8.50).

Tomorrow:

• At the History Theatre at McNally Smith: François Rabbath in concert. The great Syrian-Lebanese-French double-bassist is here for the Twin Cities Bass Camp, and we hope his students know how lucky they are. Here’s our preview in the Star Tribune. Here’s a review of the concert Rabbath played last Monday in Kansas City (“technically staggering and rapturously beautiful”). 7 p.m. Tickets online or at the door ($15).
• At Studio Z: The All Originals Jazz Series begins with a concert by the Illicit Sextet, a composer collective formed in 1987 to focus on its members’ original compositions. The 10-week series features 10 different area jazz ensembles. If you want to know more about jazz, think of this as jazz school. If you already know a lot about jazz, this music will still be new to you. Studio Z, maintained by the new music group Zeitgeist and equipped with a splendid piano, is a true listening room. Concerts start at 8 p.m. Tickets online or at the door ($10).

The weekend:

• Friday at Regis Center for Art at the U: “Ink: Zen or Revolution: Contemporary Chinese Painting.” The first Chinese students at the University of Minnesota arrived in 1914. Part of the U’s yearlong “China 100” celebration that began in Oct. 2013, this group exhibition features a selection of ink paintings from Chinese master artists. Public reception: 6-8 p.m. Free. If this is something that interests you deeply, there’s a public symposium Saturday and Sunday that includes a roundtable discussion with Chinese art experts. The exhibition ends July 26. FMI.
• Saturday at Northern Clay Center: Summer Open House. Get your hands dirty during a free workshop; make picnic-themed projects in clay; try out the pottery wheel; visit with dozens of studio artists; shop the galleries and the library sale. 1-4 p.m. The exhibition “Six McKnight Artists” opens the same day, so you can also view new work by recent McKnight Fellowship and Residency recipients. The exhibition runs through Aug. 31.

Plan ahead:

• If you saw the Oscar-winning documentary “20 Feet from Stardom,” you know who the real star was: not Mick or Bruce, but the jaw-droppingly talented backup singer Lisa Fischer. She’s on her own tour now, at the front of the stage, and she’s coming to the Dakota Sept. 11. FMI and tickets ($50-$40).