Guido's Arts Roundup

GUIDO’S GUIDE/ARTS ROUND-UP/KAXE/September 18, 2008

Over at Ironworld: re: the Night Sky Observation, originally scheduled for last Thursday. It’s tonight (9/18). Representatives from the Paulucci Planetarium and the Hibbing Community College Astronomy Club will be there to show you how to use telescopes to pick out any number of items-of-interest passing by in the night sky. This accompanies the main exhibit, “In The Dark: Start Seeing Things”, now through 1/4/09, where you can actually get a context-expanding sense of what life is like for a mole or termite. Then 10/2, in the Film Series, it’s “Seeing In The Dark” by Timothy Ferris, 7 pm in the theater. More info: ironworld.com

At Range Creative Art Center in Hibbing, fall classes are now gearing up---woodcarving, pastel portraits, fused glass, and more---rangeartcenter.org

Up in Bigfork at the Edge Center, check out “Natural Perspectives” in the lobby gallery---pottery, drawing and prints---by Keith Williams, Marko Fields and Stephanie Hunder, and on 10/11 it’s Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club, at 7 pm. Details at the-edge-center.org

Bemidji Community Art Center, through 10/25, in effect three shows: “Natural Motion” by photographer Sean McCroy (slow shutter speeds, long exposures, turning nature surreal); “Color Studies” by GeGe Holden (fabric art, featuring seasonal themes); and “The Dolls: Homeless Women Telling Their Stories Through Art” (autobiographical dolls, each one with a unique narrative)---this, by Sandra Haff and the artists at I Love A Parade, and some of those folks will be on hand 10/3, as part of First Friday, 5-7 pm. These dolls will tell stories, some of them heartbreaking, all of them thought provoking. bcac.wordpress.com

At Jaques Art Center in Aitkin it’s still the western and Native American displays (Barb & Rod Furan, Linda & David Hommes) through 9/27. Coming soon: “Apples to Abstracts” by Stephanie Mirocha (watercolors) and “Turning Trail” by Tom Larson (woodcarvings); opening reception on 10/8 4-7 pm. Brown Bag Lunch (3rd Thursday) today, 9/18, at 12:15. jaquesart.com

Ripple River Gallery: closing out this weekend, “Imaginary Friends”, paintings & collage art by David Norstad, dolls & toys by Tracy McMan. Up next, 9/24-11/2, Diane Rutherford (batik) and Bob Carls (wood turnings). And on 10/4 a very special event: an open house and raku pottery demo/firing with Jim Loso---the raku guru---for more: ripplerivergallery.com

MacRostie Art Center, GR: two September exhibits, sponsored by Hawkinson Construction. In the MacRostie Gallery, “Dysphoria” by Jesse Albrecht (a must-see) and in the Minnesota Gallery, mail art, another very cool Paula Brandel idea. The reception for this is actually a closing reception, a week from tomorrow, 9/26, 5-7 pm. Lots of fall classes starting in October: paper, pottery, drawing & painting, woodcarving, gift-making---check out the whole list at macrostieartcenter.org And next month as part of the October Minnesota Gallery exhibition John Zasada & Tina Fung-Holder & others will be doing demos of baskets & containers, functional & not, with birch bark, twine, twigs, grass, and other stuff that grows in your yard.

‘Goods From The Woods’ this Sat. (9/20) 9-5 & Sun (9/21) 9-3 at the IRA Arena---the 6th annual---always a showcase of art and artistry and exceptional how-to demonstrations. goodsfromthewoods.org

At Reif: tonight, 9/18, “A Fine & Pleasant Misery”, Pat MacManus, sponsored by Arrow Embroidery/Photo Express, 7:30; tomorrow, 9/19, “James & the Giant Peach”, sponsored by Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital, 7 pm; Saturday, 9/20, Jayme Stone, sponsored by Grand Rapids GM, 7:30; a week from Saturday, Riders in the Sky, over in Greenway, sponsored by Ogle’s Marketplace Foods, 7:30; 10/4, Glenn Miller Orchestra, sponsored by Woodland Bank, 7:30; 10/12, Cathie Ryan, sponsored by Timberlake Lodge, 7:30; 10/16, the Rose Ensemble, sponsored by Itasca Community College and an anonymous Reif donor; 10/18, 7:30, “Marilyn: Forever Blonde”, sponsored by Carlson/Wagonlit/Rapid Travel, featuring Sunny Thompson, aka Sonia Peterson when she was in high school here in GR. www.reifcenter.org for tix, calendar, links, & more. In Reif’s lobby, through 10/12: photography by Mark Harlow, large-format, up-close pictures of very wild animals, land- & sky-scapes.
Other/Fabulous Category: 9/27, 8 pm, at Ted Mann Concert Hall (U of M, West Bank): Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra---legendary, cutting-edge, unabashedly political, not PC---do the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) walk in the Minnehaha Park neighborhood, then go to this show. A great day. Guaranteed