GUIDO’S GUIDE TO THE ARTS FOR APRIL AND MAY

Bemidji Community Art Center: through 4/25 area high school students in the 9th annual multi-media invitational. Then 5/1-5/16: 5th grade invitational. Bemidji Symphony Orchestra presents “Final Fanfares” on Sunday, 4/26 @ 3 @ the high school auditorium. For all the other art sites and schedules around Bemidji: bcac.wordpress.com (link to the Region 2 Arts Council’s newsletter)

Edge Center/Bigfork: 4/30 Pat Surface in concert (website doesn’t list a time). 5/6: high school band and choir @ 7. 5/8: student art show in the gallery, opening reception 5-9 5/8. Deadline is approaching (5/11) for entering “Art on the Edge: 5th Annual Juried Exhibition”---for guidelines/application: the-edge-center.org

Ironworld/Chisholm: through 4/30 “The Apron Chronicles”, then 5/23: “The Scoop on Poop: The Science of What Animals Leave Behind” (e.g., learn how long it takes an elephant to poop its body weight) through 9/7. ironworld.com

Range Art Center/Hibbing: annual meeting 5/11 @ 6 (potluck dinner, election of officers). For late-spring early-summer classes: rangeartcenter.org Also in Hibbing: Dylan Days: May 21-24: dylandays.com

First Stage/Lyric Center for the Arts/Virginia: “Open Water”, a large group show by area artists celebrating the fishing opener, reception tonight (4/23) @ 6, exhibit runs through 5/30.

Brainerd area: “Great River Dance”, featuring the Great River Strings Community Orchestra in their spring concert at Crosby-Ironton High School, 4/25 @ 7:30, and at First Lutheran Church in Aitkin, 4/26 @ 2. On 4/25, 11-2, at First United Church in Little Falls: Heartland Symphony Orchestra Fashion Show/Luncheon. On 5/1 @ 7, Tornstrom Auditorium: Tonic Sol Fa (Habitat for Humanity benefit). Brainerd High School, 5/9, 9:30-4: Spring Arts and Craft Festival. brainerd.com

Ripple River Gallery near Deerwood, through 5/3, Sonja Larsen, nature prints, closing reception on 5/3, 2-4, with demonstration & book signing. Up next: pastels by Denise Bunkert, opening 5/6. Tina Fung Holder’s doing a workshop 5/9, 9-1: recycling cardboard paper tubes into baskets (not related to “The Scoop on Poop”). Don’t care about cardboard basketry?---sign up to be in Tina’s company for a few hours---you won’t regret it. ripplerivergallery.com

Jaques Art Center/Aitkin: through 5/2 in the Carnegie Gallery, student art from all over Aitkin County. 5/8-6/13: “Coming Home” by McGregor artist Julie Barta, opening reception 5/9, 1-4. jaquesart.com

MacRostie Art Center/Grand Rapids, throughout May: in the MacRostie Gallery, Britta Urness (paintings, prints and installation art), and in the Minnesota Gallery “Small Art, Big Ideas: An Exhibition of Miniatures” (the 2nd annual) by MAC-affiliated artists (nothing bigger than a foot in any dimension, nothing over $100), all sponsored by Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital. And on 5/16, 7-9: “The Art of Beer: A Tasting”, featuring Mike Hoops/Town Hall Brewery and Chef Matt Taylor/Rivers Italian, underwritten in part by Deerwood Bank. Then in June, sponsored by Paul Bunyan: paintings by John Cox and, drum roll, John Bauer & Heidi Holtan: Reveal, photographic and audio art---DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW. macrostieartcenter.org

Brewed Awakenings this month: photos by Kelly Klatt. Next: Mike Jasper. Live jazz tonight (4/23) @ 6.

Reif Center: “Tapestry: Souls of our Feet” (a tap dance extravaganza) Sunday (4/26) @ 7:30. Friday, 5/1 @ 7:30, at Davies Hall Theater on the ICC campus, and underwritten by ICC: Atwater & Donnelly (Traditional American/Celtic folk music). Thursday, 5/7 @ 7:30 (at Reif), sponsored by Grand Rapids GM: Craig Carothers (folk-country guitarist/singer/songwriter). 5/9 @ 7:30, Itasca Symphony Orchestra (featuring soloists Kate Ophoven & Sage Jenson) and with the Itasca Youth Chamber Orchestra, proceeds to benefit the Strings Program, reception provided by Bovey Coleraine Youth Center---a very special night. 5/14 it’s the larger group of Itasca Youth Orchestras. Itasca Children’s Theater is doing Jungle Book 5/1-5/3. The high school’s “Beauty & the Beast” is this weekend (4/24-25), there are school band concerts 4/27, 5/4, 5/5, and more: reifcenter.org

Heading to Minneapolis? “The Shape of Time” opened at The Walker last week, up through 11/1. Pop, post-war, post-modern, post-you-name-it: a massive, comprehensive, diverse who’s-who of international art stardom. Plus, it’s a fabulous show.