Guido's Arts Round-Up

>by Steve Downing

Bemidji: Bemidji Community Art Center: “Reveal” by Heidi Holtan & John Bauer, photo-portraits & stories, as powerful an exhibit as you’ll ever see & hear, hitting the road now, @ BCAC through 8/29. More art at Brigid’s Cross Irish Pub, Gallery North, Wild Hare, Bad Cat, and elsewhere---it is Bemidji.

Brainerd area: benefit wine tasting tonight 8/13 @ 4:30 for the Crossing Arts Alliance @ Prairie Bay in Baxter w/food, music & art. Saturday 8/15 @ 6:30 the Crosslake Outdoor Music Series continues w/Boss Grant Johnny Cash Review in Town Square. Next Saturday 8/22: the Squires Band. Sunday 8/16 @ 7 the Summer Concert Series in Staples presents Eric Neznik @ Northern Pacific Park or Centennial Auditorium if it’s raining. Note: the “Lakes Bluegrass in Pine River” program scheduled for 8/27-8/30 has been cancelled. brainerd.com

In Crosby tonight 8/13 @ 6: Cayuna Range Music in the Park. Tomorrow 8/14 @ Terrapin Station in Nevis @ 8: Greg Herriges, who’ll also be in Virginia @ the Lyric Center @ 7 Saturday 8/15. In Walker next week 8/20-8-22 it’s Cajun Fest 2009 under the Big Top @ Northern Lights Casino 11 a.m.-10 p.m. all 3 days.

Ripple River Gallery near Deerwood: Bob & Amy have an exhibit up now by Charles Beck, the woodcut master, opened yesterday 8/12 & runs through 9/13---reception this Sunday 8/16. Classes the next two Saturdays: 8/15, pastels w/Denise Bunkert & 8/22 basketry w/ Tina Fung Holder.

Jaques Art Center/Aitkin: now through 8/22 the 4^th Annual Plein Air Event exhibit. Up next: “What’s So Funny?”---the fine art of cartooning---exhibit & events 8/28-10/3. Brown bag lunch next Thursday 8/20 @ noon.

Edge Center/Bigfork: this Saturday, 8/15 @ 7, the Piano Bar Event, on stage, music to dance to (think “Stardust” & “Sentimental Journey” & “Misty”) by the Northern Lights Trio. Saturday 8/22: folk music w/John Perkins. Sunday, 8/30 @ 2: Expressions Concert, featuring area youth. In the gallery through 9/5: “Threads of Art: Explorations of Textiles”, a group show by some of the best fabric artists around here. Friday 8/21: Wine in the Wilderness, a wine-tasting fundraiser at Richie’s in Marcell.

Lyric Center for the Arts/Virginia: (besides Greg Herriges) in the gallery, “From the Woods”, watercolors & field drawings by Bonnie DuFresne through 8/29. First Mondays on the First Stage: spoken-word-art @ 6:30.

MN Discovery Center/Chisholm: “Scoop on Poop” for another 3 weeks. Tomorrow 8/14 it’s the Dweebs @ 8:30 (doors open @ 7). On 8/22 @ 2: the Golden Dragon Acrobats. Tuesday through Sunday during the summer the Iron Range History Players do 3 short interactive shows on the history of northeastern Minnesota.

Range Creative Art Center/Hibbing: summer art camp 8/24-8/28 for kids in grades 3-7. And check out their website, where the Featured Artist right now is Jeff Warner: some very powerful photos of postwar Bosnia & Croatia, especially Sarajevo.

MacRostie Art Center/Grand Rapids: 17^th Annual Juried Exhibit through 8/31. Juried work in the MacRostie Gallery, juror Jordan Acker Anderson’s work in the Minnesota Gallery (big bold bright paintings). Sponsored by Grand Rapids State Bank. macrostieartcenter.org

Brewed Awakenings: tomorrow 8/14 @ 5:30 a drop-in writers workshop w/Nathan Bergstadt. In the gallery Kelly Urevig. Wednesday 8/19: jazz w/Sam Miltich & friends @ 5:30. Thursday 8/20: jazz w/Jon Dallas & Pat Downing.

Friday & Saturday (8/14 & 8/15): “2 on 4^th”, a show & sale by Donna LaBeau & Glenna Olson at their studios across the street from one another on NW 4^th AV in Grand Rapids, the 1200 block, (Fri. 3-7, Sat. 10-5, 218.326.6167) and the “3^rd Annual Art in the Garden Show”, 6 miles north on the Scenic Highway (follow the yellow flags) featuring work by Joan Beech, Mary Augustyn & Stephanie Stevens (Fri. 10:30-6, Sat. 10-2:30, 218.245.3994).

At the Myles Reif Performing Arts Center tonight 8/13 it’s the Itasca Orchestra & Strings Program’s summer concert @ 7---free!---several different groups, large and small, of youth, although Itasca Orchestra staff will be joining the kids for certain numbers. “Indies on Tuesdays” only has two more screenings @ 7:30 both nights, “In Love We Trust” 8/18 & “Under the Bombs” 8/25, the films provided by the Grand Rapids Area Library, underwriting by Rivers Italian. reifcenter.org

Out of town: the New York International Fringe Festival opens tomorrow 8/14 and runs through 8/30. 200 theatre companies from all over the world---and some of them look to be from parallel universes. 20 different venues all across the city, including parking lots and bridges. Some of it’s even free. www.fringenyc.org