MN Shortlist Aug. 28-Sept. 3: Celebrations of Prince and Dolly, a new basketball court mural, spooky lakes and more
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MN Shortlist is the MPR News weekly roundup of arts and culture recommendations. This week’s picks include a new Prince album party, a ceramics extravaganza, the Millstream Art Festival in St. Joseph, remembering Dolly Parton through film and more.
‘TIMELESS’ Global Album Release Party at Paisley Park in Chanhassen — Aug. 28
Prince spent his career bending genres, rewriting the rules of pop stardom and making sure the world knew exactly where Minneapolis was. The new collection “TIMELESS” features music from across five decades of his career.
Celebrate its release inside Paisley Park with a panel discussion of the stories behind the music, then dance into the night with longtime Prince DJ Dudley D.
Parking is limited, so organizers recommend planning ahead or carpooling. The party starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. (Annie Russell)
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American Pottery Festival at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis — Aug. 28-30
The Northern Clay Center hosts its biggest event of the year — the free American Pottery Festival, now in its 28th year. The weekend welcomes ceramic artists and clay enthusiasts from around the country, as well as artist talks, studio demos and workshops. Hundreds of pieces of pottery will be on view. Visiting artists include KyoungHwa Oh of Colorado, Celia Feldberg of Philadelphia and Marissa Childers of Oklahoma. (Alex V. Cipolle)
‘Art of the Game’ mural celebration in Ball Club — Aug. 29
Arts and culture collective Fire in the Village will celebrate what the group says is the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s first mural on a basketball court at the Ball Club Community Center on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. It features the imagery of two medicine wheels – a circular symbol that represents interconnectedness – as well as a turtle and a bald eagle.
Leech Lake citizen Annie Humphrey, who co-founded Fire in the Village, painted the artwork. According to a release, she worked with youth in the community who play basketball at the court.
The community will celebrate with a family-style basketball tournament during the day followed by an evening concert and fashion show. (Chandra Colvin)
Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph — Aug. 30
Downtown St. Joseph becomes one big open-air gallery for the 45th Millstream Arts Festival. The free celebration features 60 juried artists, live demonstrations, local authors, music, street performances and hands-on activities for kids. Organizer Alicia Peters says attendees can expect everything from metalwork to woodturning to basket weaving. “We don’t charge for any activities at the festival,” Peters said. “We want people to buy the art. We are there for the artists, so the community can see how amazing the area is.” The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. (Emily Bright)
‘9 to 5’ at the Twin Cities Liberation Center in Minneapolis — Aug. 30
“Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life,” Dolly Parton once said. Wise words from Saint Dolly, which could also be applied to the 1980 film Parton starred in with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. To honor the passing of the country star, the Twin Cities Liberation Center is hosting a memorial screening of the feminist labor comedy at 4 p.m. Sunday at 301 Cedar Ave.; $5 suggested donation. (Alex V. Cipolle)
Midnight screening of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ at Parkway Theater in Minneapolis — Aug. 29
If you’re also grieving the death of Tim Curry, another pop culture icon who entertained the world and challenged norms for generations, The Parkway in Minneapolis hosts its next midnight screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with a live shadow cast Aug. 29. Tickets are $10-$15. (Alex V. Cipolle)
‘Geo Rutherford: Spooky Waters of the World’ at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona — Through Feb. 14, 2027
If you suffer from thalassophobia (the fear of deep bodies of water) or megalohydrothalassophobia (the fear of large, submerged objects or creatures in bodies of water), you might want to avoid this new exhibition by Sauk City, Wisconsin-based artist Geo Rutherford. The artist-educator and TikTok creator went viral for Spooky Lake Month, an annual October video series where Rutherford talks about what lurks in the deep of the Great Lakes and beyond. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum exhibition features original illustrations from her 2024 nonfiction book, “Spooky Lakes,” and the forthcoming “Spooky Rivers,” due out Sept. 15.
“Spooky waters or spooky lakes are not really about ghosts or ghouls or anything haunted,” Rutherford told MPR News. “It's actually more about disasters, nature being spooky all by herself and humans interacting with nature, like diving or shipwrecks.”
Rutherford will also display sculptures, collages and collections of curious objects she found on the shores of Lake Michigan. She will give a museum talk on Oct. 3. (Alex V. Cipolle)
