Haven’t caught on to the vacation cheer yet? It is likely to be difficult to muster up what with war, inflation and an iceberg thrice the scale of Latest York City floating loose within the Arctic Ocean. Possibly a visit to the State Theatre to see “The Latest Standards Holiday Show” will help stir some good feeling, or perhaps the infectious energy of Balkan party band Orkestar Bez Ime on the Cedar could put a smile in your face. Nordic mythology more your thing? Head to Within the Heart of the Beast’s Avalon Theatre to catch Fox & Beggar’s “VANAHEIMR: Stories of the Lesser.”
Also this week, local art curator Mike Curran has organized an exhibition of L.A.-based photographer Markele Cullins, who finds inspiration from an idea that comes up in a conversation between photographer Carrie Mae Weems and author bell hooks in hooks’ “Art on My Mind.” Within the dialogue, Weems ponders the opportunity of Black subjects representing universal concerns, or “undocumented emotional realms.” Cullins riffs on that notion, particularly focusing queer friendship, spirituality and human’s relationship with nature. This week also marks the opening of the much anticipated John Biggers Seed Project on the Olson Memorial Highway bridge over Interstate Hwy. 94, and a silent auction/fundraiser for a brand new documentary about Lake Hiawatha (Bde Psíŋ).
‘Stories of the Lesser’
Live music, puppetry, poetry and contemporary dance fill Fox & Beggar’s production of “VANAHEIMR: Stories of the Lesser,” a bit that brings Norse mythology to life. Kat Parent has written an original rating inspired by Scandinavian folk music, which is sung in Norwegian and accompanied by violin, cello, percussion and bells. Nat Allister produces and directs the work, with choreography by Gabby Abram, and shadow puppets created by Becca Mellstrom and Alex Young.
Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1, and Sat., Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m., through Dec. 9, at Within the Heart of the Beast’s Avalon Theatre ($25-35). More information here.
‘Bde Psíŋ: Stories from the Water’
Back within the early twentieth century, Lake Hiawatha wasn’t a lot a lake as a marsh called Rice Lake. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board purchased the land around it and created a municipal golf course, and dredged the lake in an effort to divert more water toward Minnehaha Falls. A brand new documentary aimed toward telling the story behind the lake, and its relationship with the Dakota people and Indigenous communities is within the works. It’s called “Bde Psíŋ: Stories from the Water,” with “Psíŋ” being the Dakota word for Rice. The filmmakers are doing a final push for funding, hosting a silent auction that can support completion of the brand new film.
Artist Sean Connaughty, who has spent the last nine years advocating for the lake, has donated several framed drawings, photographs and art objects for the auction. Meanwhile Falcon Gott, the documentary’s director, and film artist Bee Kakac can have photographs on the market.
Thursday, Nov. 30, from 6 to eight p.m. at Northern Coffeeworks (free). More information here.
‘The Latest Standards Holiday Show’
Minnesota’s own supergroup, fabricated from Chan Poling of The Suburbs, John Munson from Semisonic and Trip Shakespeare, and vibraphone player Steve Roehm have been putting out their holiday extravaganza for 16 years, and it never disappoints. With a great deal of special guests, jazz standards, holiday cheer and plenty of love, it’s a feel-good get-together that can turn any Scrooge into a vacation season enthusiast.
Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 at 4 and eight p.m. on the State Theatre ($55-$135). More information here.
Honoring John Larger
The John Biggers Seed Project is a protracted time within the making. Over 25 years ago, Patricia Phillips, owner of the Black Renaissance Gallery, got here up with an idea to position a mural covering the sound wall at Olson Memorial Highway and Lyndale Avenue in north Minneapolis. John Biggers, a nationally recognized Black artist, designed the brand new mural, with the thought being that artists aged 15 to 72 would complete it. Local artists Seitu Jones and Ta-Coumba T. Aiken then commissioned emerging artists to color Biggers’ design on a series of 16-foot panels, and an enormous celebration took place in October 1996. Maya Angelou was at Black Renaissance gallery as a part of the opening weekend celebration, as was Biggers.
Five years later, the mural was torn all the way down to improve access and visibility for a brand new housing development called Heritage Park. On the time, city officials said they intended to switch the mural with a brand new work that honored Biggers. Now, it’s finally happening. The “John Biggers Seed Project” replaces a sequence link fence on the Olson Bridge across Interstate Hwy. 94 with a creative railing designed and engineered by SRF Consulting Group. Over 300 enamel panels are inserted within the railings, designed by local artists. Original project leaders Ta-Coumba T. Aiken and Seitu Jones have once more been a component of the brand new project, together with local artists Roger Cummings, Sayge Carroll, Adrienne Doyle, Esther Osayande, Chris Harrison, Jeremiah Bey Ellison and more.
Celebrations for the mural happen each on the bridge and on the Capri Theater. Saturday, Dec. 2, from 2 to six p.m. (free). More information here.
‘A Melody of Kinship’
A brand new exhibition at Mirror Lab gallery in Minneapolis tests the capability of photographs to capture human connection, intimacy and the many various kinds of affection, especially for folk from Black communities. Exploring queer platonic friendship and more, “A Melody of Kinship” is Los Angeles-based interdisciplinary artist Markele Cullins’ first solo exhibition within the Midwest. For this body of labor, Cullins photographed pairs of best friends and had them write letters to one another. Curated by Minneapolis-based curator Mike Curran, the exhibition brings together Cullins’ photographs, taken in places each friend couple felt stirred a way of intimacy, and recordings of the letters themselves. The gallery also holds a reading area stuffed with texts on loan from Midway Contemporary Art, and a text by Tara Kaushik.
The opening reception takes place Saturday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m., with the work on view through Dec. 16. More information here. More information here.
Orkestar Bez Ime
Balkan party band Orkestar Bez Ime is sufficiently old to drink as they have fun their twenty first anniversary on the Cedar Cultural Center. With tunes from Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania, in addition to from Roma traditions in Eastern Europe, the high-energy group can have you dancing. You possibly can pick up the group’s recent album, called “21,” on the show. The Ukrainian Village Band opens, joined by fiddler Colleen Bertsch.
Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. on the Cedar, $16 upfront, $21 on the door. More information here.