Powerful theater for two, by phone; MNspin is open for submissions
ALSO: “Extraordinary Women” to open at the Minnesota History Center; the New Standards to livestream from the Dakota; and more.
Pamela Espeland
Pamela Espeland writes the Artscape column for MinnPost. She also writes for the Star Tribune, NPR and mnartists.org, blogs at bebopified.com, and is an Art Hound for Minnesota Public Radio. She can be reached at pespeland@minnpost.com.
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Red Eye Theater to have a new home; JazzMN Quintet to perform
ALSO: History Theatre at Home: “Rez Road 2000”; Schubert Club International Artist Series presents David Finckel, Wu Han and Friends; and more.
‘MPLSART Sketchbook Project’ surveys our visual arts community, supports local artists
From July through December 2020, five sketchbooks traveled around the Twin Cities. Whenever one moved on, it carried with it something new: a sketch or two by an artist.
After $563 million in funding for the arts, Sheila Smith steps down
In her final week as executive director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA), Smith talks about her tenure, the arts scene in Minnesota, and her plans.
SPCO to resume livestreams; remembering Barbara Field
ALSO: The 20th Annual Bicycle Film Festival – Minneapolis; a live reading of “The Fisherman’s Wife”; and more.
Zeitgeist’s COINCIDENT, Ep. 1: Music that autodestructs, with visuals from under a kitchen table
ALSO: A virtual Jearlyn & Jevetta Steele concert from the Dakota; the Science Museum to reopen; and more.
Italian Film Festival to open with ‘The Best Years’; book launch for ‘Funny Thing About Minnesota …’
ALSO: Heid Erdrich in Fireside Reading Series; Eduardo Porter at Club Book; and more.
A song for Michael Osterholm; Minnesota’s two new U.S. Artists Fellows
ALSO: Streaming on demand: “Our Right to Gaze: Black Film Identities”; the Jake Baldwin Quartet at Crooners; and more.
Minnesota Opera’s MNiatures expand our view of opera; ‘Illuminate the Lock’ returns
ALSO: At the Dakota, Robert Robinson Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month; Zealous Hellions: Nataki Garrett at Mixed Blood; and more.
Austene Van on her new role with Yellow Tree Theatre: ‘Absolutely a dream’
Knowing it’s very early in the game and we’re still in a pandemic, we asked Van to talk about her goals and ambitions for Yellow Tree. She was full of ideas.
An abundance of book and author events, all virtual, most free
And looking ahead to March, the Star Tribune and MPR have announced a special Talking Volumes series, Talking Volumes: Talking Race.
Singer-songwriter Joyann Parker: ‘If I’m not being real I don’t want to do it’
Her second album, “Out of the Dark,” will be released Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Dakota and Feb. 19 at Crooners.
Socially distanced doo-wop for Valentine’s Day; Theater Mu’s ‘Today Is My Birthday’ is worth celebrating
ALSO: Selby Avenue Brass Band with Thomasina Petrus; Davina and the Vagabonds: A Vagabond Valentine Show; and more.
Money for the arts; art by Black artists; Yaa Gyasi at Pen Pals
Thirty-eight NEA grants totaling $957,500 will come to Minnesota, supporting projects in several disciplines from dance to design, literary arts, music, theater and visual arts.
Movies you won’t hate yourself for watching; register now for Arts Action Week
ALSO: deVon Russell Gray in Schubert Club Courtroom concert; Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele perform “A Time to Heal” at the Dakota; and more.
Minnesota Orchestra’s year-end results: Let’s not get hysterical
ALSO: “Beyond the Rainbow” streaming on demand; virtual book launch for “Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic”; and more.
Marking Black History month, J.D. Steele makes a film about racism
ALSO: “21 Extremely Bad Breakups” streaming now; the Walker reopens; and more.
Regina Marie Williams opens Theater Latté Da’s virtual cabaret; Club Book announces biggest season ever
ALSO: A virtual service to honor Debbie Duncan; a French animation film festival; and more.
Minnesota Book Awards finalists; Arts Advocacy Day is now Arts Action Week
Of the 36 books up for awards, 13 were published by Minnesota-based presses and one was self-published.
Guthrie reports financial stability, plans a new ‘Christmas Carol’
ALSO: Alec Soth & Dave King livestreamed from The Parkway; the SPCO’s Piano Quartets with Stewart Goodyear; and more.
