MN Shortlist Nov. 6-12: Queer & Funny fest, Leslie Odom Jr. in Winona and a U.S. poet laureate
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MN Shortlist is the MPR News weekly roundup of arts and culture recommendations statewide. This week’s picks include a colorful art exhibition at the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, a new show about the power of portraits at the Minnesota History Center and more.
‘Roots that Roam’ by Hillary Kempenich at MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids — Nov. 6-Dec. 31
Artist Hillary Kempenich recently relocated to Sioux Falls, S.D., but she misses the crows at her former home in Grand Forks, N.D., where, over 20 years, she had developed relationships with three in particular. “I really enjoyed watching them in their curiosity, and they're so intelligent,” Kempenich said. “We were even giving each other gifts, where I was feeding them, and they would leave little trinkets of rocks and feathers and stuff like that.”
Kempenich, who is originally from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, said she’s also a descendant of Chief Little Crow on her mother’s side, so it’s no surprise the black birds show up in her work, including several paintings on view in the Giinawind Gallery at the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids. The dark crows make a stark contrast to the bright candy-colored florals in her work, which is inspired by Anishinaabe beadwork. The show “Roots that Roam” is Kempenich’s first solo exhibition in Minnesota, and she will be in attendance for the First Friday ArtWalk and artist reception 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. (Alex V. Cipolle)
25th annual Twin Cities Book Festival in St. Paul — Nov. 7
Rain Taxi Twin Cities is hosting its annual book festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Union Depot. There will be 150 exhibitors, including Read Minnesota Books, University of Minnesota Press and Weirdpunk Books as well as two keynote speakers, U.S. poet laureate Arthur Sze and children’s author Kate DiCamillo.
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There will be several presenting authors such as Brenda J. Child, Kao Kalia Yang and Gloria Muñoz. Magers & Quinn Booksellers and Red Balloon Bookshop are the official book vendors of the event.
MPR News is an event sponsor. Staff from its books and literary newsletter, The Thread, will have a table with exclusive stickers for book lovers. (Sam Stroozas)
Queer & Funny Improv Festival in Minneapolis — Nov. 7-8
The 6th annual Queer & Funny Improv Festival returns for two days at the Phoenix Theater in Uptown. The fest centers queer comedic voices with performances, workshops and community events including an improvised soap opera and “A Minnesotan’s Nightmare,” a workshop on direct communication with Neco Pacheaco. Founder and director Jada Pulley said the festival, a “celebration of queerness and improvised goodness,” is bringing in talent from around the country, including Cleveland, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Pulley recommended checking out the L.A. improv duo Pinque Pony, who perform at 6 p.m. Sunday. “They're a real life couple in real life, so they play off of that in their work together,” Pulley said. They’re part of a show that Pulley said is great for improv newbies because it includes Festival Ensemble, a group of improvisers that have never performed together.
“I love that because it's just one of those things that creates a community really quickly,” Pulley said. “It's also improv that perhaps at its purist, right? Because these aren't people who have rehearsed together. These are people who are just coming in and like fully making it up within just meeting each other.” All shows are pay-what-you-can with a $25 suggested donation. (Alex V. Cipolle)
‘See & Be Seen’ at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul — Nov. 7-June 13
The “See & Be Seen” exhibition presents dozens of portraits, from the 1850s to the present, from the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota artists included are Leslie Barlow, Dewey Albinson, Tom Arndt, Lamar Peterson, Frances Cranmer Greenman and Rose Smith, who grew up in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood and is known for works depicting Black life in America. Look for Smith’s large and quietly intimate 2008 oil painting “Journey to Minnesota” of a woman and child with luggage waiting on a bench. The Minnesota History Center will host an opening celebration, with art activities and a photo booth for attendees to create their own portraits, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $8-$15. (Alex V. Cipolle)
‘An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr’. at Winona State University — Nov. 12
Aaron Burr has the floor. Leslie Odom Jr., who won a Tony for originating the role in “Hamilton,” takes the stage for a moderated conversation followed by a three-song performance. The event starts at 7 pm Thursday, Nov. 12, in the university’s Harriet Johnson Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for Winona State students and $30 for the public. (Annie Russell)
