Tonight in Saint Paul, Erica Spitzer Rasmussen dishes on her wearable paper garments at an artist talk at St. Catherine University. Read about it below along with my take on the Guthrie’s “Richard II,” and tips and tricks for this year’s Independent Bookstore day.
Also this week, PaviElle French has had a tremendous four year outpouring of creative work, and will be sharing some of that music in a bill that also features Queen Drea. I’ve also highlighted Barbara Cohen and Little Lizard heading to Open Eye Theater, and Dreaming our Futures, now at the Rochester Art Center.
Dress Codes: Erica Spitzer Rasmussen artist talk
There’s a whiff of Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale” in Erica Spitzer Rasmussen’s solo exhibition at The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, called “Dress Codes.” With delicately constructed shoes and garments made of paper and other fragile materials, the artist layers analysis around gender, labor, and the experience of living in one’s body. I love her “Red Tape Cape” made of bright red painter’s tape and lined with paperwork, and her ritualistic assemblage of high heels made with tissue paper and Elmer’s glue, among other materials.
Spitzer Rasmussen will give an artist talk tonight, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University (free). The exhibit runs through May 19, 2024. More information here.
Richard II
I ventured to the Guthrie Theater to see the first installment of its history play cycle, this one starring Tyler Michaels King as the sniveling ineffective monarch. Read about it here.
Related: History Plays: Richard II at the Guthrie
“The SOVEREIGN Suite” An evening of music featuring Queen Drea and PaviElle French
Music maker, vocalist, community-engaged artist and educator PaviElle French’s monumental musical works “Sovereign” (2021) and “Sovereign Suite” (2022) were germinated amidst the racial reckoning and the pandemic that began in 2020. They speak of rebirth and cosmic imagination, and focus on Black liberation and French’s ideas about what freedom means for Black and marginalized communities. Those two works ground a night of music over at the Icehouse, also featuring the looping magic of Queen Drea. Also performing are Ted Godbout, Tiyo Siyolo, Nick Dodd, Deevo Dee, and Sean McPherson in this night of Afro-Futurism, soul, and Black excellence.
Friday, April 26 at Icehouse ($21-$35). More information here.
Independent Book Store Day
Do you have a favorite local bookstore? Show it some love this Saturday for Independent Bookstore Day. I’ve got the deets and some special offerings here.
Related: Your Twin Cities guide to Independent Book Store Day
Dreaming Our Futures in Rochester
Did you miss the incredible “Dreaming Our Futures: Ojibwe and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Artists and Knowledge Keepers” when it was at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery? Good news, you have another chance to check out this incredible exhibition at Rochester Art Center.
I felt captivated with the narrative richness of Cole Redhorse Taylor’s ledger art-inspired works, the mix of myth and fantasy of Rabbett Before Horses Strickland oil paintings, Leah H. Yellowbird’s intricate Anishinaabe designs and so many terrific artists. RAC is holding a free family day this Saturday, with Indigenous art-making activities, Native vendors, performances, guided tours, and storytelling happening throughout the day (free). More information here.
While you’re there, you can catch Anne Labovitz’s “Will to Meaning” before it closes May 12, plus Pat York’s celebrity portraits, ceramic work by Bill Gossman, and catch the last day of Chris Allen’s nature-focused art.
Barbara Cohen and Little Lizard
If you missed Barbara Cohen re-unite with Little Lizard at the Hook & Ladder last summer, you get another chance when the team reconvenes, this time in a concert-like setting at Open Eye Theater. Have a taste of some Armenian wines and take in a mix of folk, Americana and enveloping soundscapes as Cohen mixes her dreamy vocals with the layered sounds of cellist Jacqueline Ultan, guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker and percussionist Marc Anderson. Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. ($25 in advance, $30 day of show) at Open Eye Theater. More information here.
Sheila Regan
Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts journalist. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column. She can be reached at [email protected].