Friday, March 22
Art Party
WHAT: After Hours: Under Construction
WHERE: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 9 p.m. to midnight
The preview party of the Walker’s vibrant new exhibition, Abraham Cruzvillegas: The Autoconstrucción Suites, samples Cruzvillegas’ native Latin America with music by the hot Afro-Cuban band Malamanya. There will also be a kind of digital playground (designed by local digital gurus Playatta) and a chance to win a staycation at Le Méridien Chambers Hotel. Oh, and art: Cruzvillegas’ found-art fantasies infuse the genre with renewed gusto—one man’s garbage truly is this artist’s treasure. Learn more at walkerart.org
Friday, March 22
Bewitched by the Congo
WHAT: War Witch
WHERE: St. Anthony Main Theatre, Minneapolis
WHEN: Multiple showtimes from March 22 to 25
This Academy Award nominee for best foreign film puts a face on the child-soldier conflicts in the Congo. The story: a girl is kidnapped by rebels at age 12 and forced to slaughter her own parents. But her ability to see ghosts in the trees makes her a sorceress—a war witch. In a place beyond normalcy, she’s nonetheless compelled to make sense of her actions. Learn more at mspfilmsociety.org
Saturday, March 23
Whimsical Abstraction
WHAT: Juicy Steak Moustache II
WHERE: Kolman & Pryor Gallery, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m.
The second iteration of this unconventional art show brings together some of the Twin Cities’ most inventive artists (Betsy Ruth Byers, Kate Casanova, Patrick Kemal Pryor, and more) to celebrate the gallery’s integration of Pryor as a full partner in the enterprise. From a flock of butterflies powered by a hand crank to a performance where guests are invited to draw on the walls and kiss the artists, it’s art for the love of art—and artists. Learn more at askanita.com
Saturday, March 23
Tell the Truthiness
WHAT: More Real? Art in the Age of Truthiness
WHERE: Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Playing on the word coined by Stephen Colbert, it’s art that challenges belief, from a full-size recreation of a truck bearing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to the office of a supposed MIA curator who hasn’t been seen in years. Learn more at artsmia.org
Sunday, March 24
Play is the Thing
WHAT: Shakespeare Classic
WHERE: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 1 p.m.
This 14th annual show for young theater fans brings in Britain’s brilliant Propeller troupe to perform Twelfth Night. The comedy of deception, transformation, and mistaken identities should play well with the younger set. Learn more at guthrietheater.org
Sunday, March 24
The Blues of Portugal
WHAT: Ana Moura
WHERE: Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 p.m. (also 7 p.m. on March 25)
Fado, the traditional Portuguese music of beautiful blues-like ballads, has been drawing international attention lately, and Ana Moura is a major reason. Her soulful voice and exotic looks have prompted the Rolling Stones to bring her onstage during their latest European tour and Prince to fly to Portugal to sit in with her. On her latest album, she invited stars from other genres—Madeline Peyroux, Tracy Chapman—to join her, infusing tradition with new voices. Learn more at dakotacooks.com.
