GUIDO'S GUIDE TO THE ARTS

By Steve Downing

Lyric Center for the Arts/Virginia: through 8/29, “From The Woods”, paintings & drawings by Bonnie DeFresne. First Stage, first Mondays of the month: live open-stage reading/writing @ 6:30. More @ www.lyriccenterforthearts.blogspot

Minnesota Discovery Center/Chisholm: “The Scoop on Poop” still rules, through 9/7; Iron Range History Players daily through 8/30; Lake Superior Zoo Zoomobile/Poopmobile joins “The Scoop” on 8/8; All Slav Days 8/9; The Dweebs 8/14. Details @ www.mndiscoverycenter.com

Range Creative Art Center/Hibbing: Summer Art Camp 8/24-8/28 for grades 3-7. Range Artists Association will be ‘superintending’ the Fine Arts Division at the St. Louis County Fair again this year. www.rangeartcenter.org

Brainerd neighborhood: in Nisswa tomorrow (7/17) & Sat. (7/18) from 9-4, the Annual Majestic Pines Art Festival, a juried show w/more than 100 artists, live music, food. Wed. (7/22) @ 8 @ Gull Lake Conference Center in Nisswa: a free concert by pianist Mary Beth Carlson & vocalist Mark David Williams. The Crosslake Outdoor Music Series continues every Sat. through 9/5 @ 6:30 @ Town Square. Visit & watch artists @ work in their studios during the North Crow Wing Studio Tour Fri. 7/31 8-5. For details on this and other Brainerd area happenings: www.brainerd.com

Ripple River Gallery near Deerwood: through 8/9 carved ceramics by Deb LeAir, reception Sat. 7/18 @ 3. Beautiful vessels & tiles, functional & not. Next month: woodcuts by Charles Beck, on whom Bob & Amy have a lock---a must-see exhibit. www.ripplerivergallery.com

Jaques Art Center/Aitkin: tomorrow (7/17) @ 2, the Annual Plein Air Awards & Reception; that show will be up through 8/22. Sat. (7/18) is also the “Art in Bloom” event, 11-4, when the Lakes & Woods Horticultural Club will design floral arrangements to mirror/complement the Plein Air paintings. www.jaquesart.com

The Edge Center/Bigfork: this Sat. (7/18) @ 5 & Sun. (7/19) @ 2, magic, w/Reza the Illusionist. “Art on the Edge”, the 5th Annual Juried Show, is up in the lobby through 8/1. Next month: the “Piano Bar Event” on the 15th, “Wine in the Wilderness” on the 21st. Details @ www.the-edge-center.org

Bemidji: this weekend (7/18-7/19) it’s the 42nd Annual Art in the Park Art Fair & Centennial Celebration. “In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre” is in town for performances both days. At BCAC through 8/1: “New Work”, a group show w/Vivienne Morgan, Marlon Davidson, Don Knudson, Butch Holden, Jay Jones, and Marley Kaul. www.bcac.wordpress.com

MacRostie Art Center: more Bemidji art, in another group exhibit, and Butch Holden & Vivienne Morgan are in this one, too, w/Jason Clark, Terry Garrett, Linda Brown, Steve Sundahl, and Natalia Himmirska, in the Minnesota Gallery. In the MacRostie Gallery: Nathan Bray, functional & decorative ceramics. More @ www.macrostieartcenter.org

Mississippi Melodie Showboat tonight (7/16) through Sat. (7/18) this week and again next week.

Brewed Awakenings: tomorrow (7/17) @ 5:30, a CD release party for singer/songwriter Robi Meyerson. Next Wed. (7/22) jazz w/Sam Miltich & friends. First Fridays are open mike nights. Art on the walls this month by Keith Thompson & Helen MacDonnell. www.brewedawakenings.biz

Reif Center: next Tuesday (7/21) in the ‘Indies on Tuesdays’ series, “Men at Work”, a very (darkly) funny film about manly mid-life crisis, in which a blatantly long tall rock at the center of the narrative & the setting is really the main character. Thanks to the Grand Rapids Area Library for the films & Rivers Italian for underwriting. www.reifcenter.org

Also at Reif: the Itasca Orchestra’s Summer Youth Program is in concert Thurs. 8/13 @ 7.

Out of town? How about Duluth: the Smithsonian’s travelling photography exhibit “Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes” at the Duluth Art Institute, which fills both the George Morrison & John Steffl Galleries w/fantastical images, some 5’ wide, literally otherworldly: i.e., other planets & their moons & rings & sunsets, spacey photography in every way, through 8/9.