Art Hounds: Hungarian dances, The Vault, and remembering Rondo circa 1956

The hounds discover traditional Hungarian folk dance in a St. Paul church, a new student run art gallery that's bringing a bohemian flavor to downtown St. Cloud, and a theatrical portrait of St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood just before it was annihilated by Interstate 94.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up here!)

Local songwriter Erik Brandt and his family lived for a time in Budapest, Hungary, and grew to love Hungarian folk dances or "Tanchazes." He's been able to re-live those experiences with the help of the group "Minnesota Hungarians," which is sponsoring a Tanchaz at Unity Unitarian Church in St. Paul on January 15th with music by the Madison-based band Szaszka.

St. Cloud visual artist Char Hopela predicts The Gallery Vault, a new St. Cloud State University-sponsored, student-run art gallery will bring a new aesthetic and creative energy to downtown St. Cloud. The Gallery Vault will feature mainly student exhibitions, with occasional faculty shows as well.

If you're looking for a meaningful and musical way to mark the upcoming MLK holiday weekend, uber-vocalist Maria Jette says you should strongly consider "Rondo 56: Remembering St. Paul's African American Mainstreet." Commissioned by the MN Historical Society and written by Dan Chouinard, "Rondo 56" is a look back at St. Paul's most prominent black neighborhood on the eve of its destruction by an interstate highway. It features an all star roster of local singers and will be performed at the Church of St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis on Sunday, January 16th.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

And you can get an early sneak peek at the Art Hounds' picks every week by texting the word ART to 677-677.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.