Art Hounds

Art Hounds: Children's literature, a Solstice blessing and Hanukkah goblins

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Songs and stories with Kao Kalia YangMelissa Meyer works at Way to Grow, which focuses on education for families, including literacy, music and the arts. She's excited to attend “An Evening of Children’s Literature with Kao Kalia Yang and Friends” this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul.In an evening of songs and stories, Yang will read from all her picture books, and Leslie Damasco and T. Mychael Rambo will perform songs Yang wrote specifically for the evening. Jocelyn Hagen, who composed music for the event, will play piano.Melissa says of Kao Kalia Yang: Let me tell you, she has a gift. She really wraps you into the story. Her stories about are about her own personal experience as well as her family's experience coming here to the United States. [The subject matter in her stories] can be difficult to hear at times, as far as just some of the difficult experiences, but in the end, it really inspires you to love community and love one another.— Melissa MeyerA ceremony of renewal for the Winter SolsticeMelanie Shirley of St. Paul is looking forward to attending the 24th annual Winter Solstice Blessing. She went last year and says she emerged from this theatrical, shamanic ceremony feeling refreshed and ready for the year to come. The event is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7 – 9:30 p.m. at the Minnesota Opera Center in Minneapolis. This event is not recommended for young children.Melanie describes the event: It's a blessing led by Jamie Meyer and Patricia Choate, and they lead the audience through a two-part ceremony about letting go of what's ready to die through the solstice and receiving blessings for new life. So there's the Old Bone Mother who helps us to release what needs to go, kind of like a spiritual composting. And then in the second act, there are reindeer women who move through the audience with rattles and blessings, and they fill the space with new life. There's storytelling and singing, and it ends with a wild drum jam. And so it is dealing with heavy themes, but there's a lot of lightness and humor. Jamie is hilarious, so there's hilarity and sacredness all at the same time.— Melanie ShirleyHanukkah Goblins in dance theater formShari Aronson of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz has taken part in many productions of Eric Kimmel’s beloved children’s book, “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins,” but she says she’s never seen a dance theater production of the story. Enter Little Tanz Theater, which was formed this year, led by Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies. Their family-friendly dance theater production of the classic story is Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Southwest High School in Minneapolis.Shari says: I find [dance theater to be a] really a great way to express this story of bringing light to dark times and to really using your wits to overcome what seem like insurmountable forces against you. The production incorporates klezmer music with some of my favorite local klezmer musicians, and that just adds such a feeling of being back in those small Eastern European villages — the shtetl.— Shari Aronson

Art Hounds: Holiday folk concerts, a beloved musical and symphonic cheer

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Concerts at the Cedar Cultural CenterRenee Vaughan, who plays the Swedish folk instrument the nyckelharpa, recommends a concert on Friday that will bring a mix of musical holiday folk traditions.Red Thread will perform along with Minneapolis and Duluth-based folk band Ponyfolk, Friday at 8 p.m. at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.Renee says: Red Thread is fronted by one of my absolute favorite singers, Sarah Larsson, with her lush, warm voice, coupled with these incredible harmonies, and it's mixed with a deep love of cultural lineage. Their music spans from Yiddish and klezmer and Slavic, Scandinavian, Irish, English and American winter traditions, and they'll be sharing the stage with Ponyfolk. They're able to have this folk sound that creatively blends folk and rock and jazz and Nordic influences. I'm sure there'll be opportunities to get up and move, but you can also sing, and it'll be like this lovely musical quilt covering the audience.— Renee VaughanWhile you’re looking at the Cedar website, musician Leslie Vincent recommends you check out a performance there on Sunday at 2 p.m. by Ben Cook-Feltz, with Ann Reed and Zippy Laske.Leslie says: He's an INCREDIBLE singer and performer. His “Holiday Shindig” is coming up on December 14 and features lots of my other favorite performers in town, including Zippy Laske, who I'm obsessed with.— Leslie VincentA musical classic in RochesterVoiceover actor Rebecca Brokaw-Sands is excited to see Rochester Repertory Theatre’s production of “Little Women: The Musical” this weekend. Based on the classic story by Louisa May Alcott, the musical follows the four March sisters from childhood to adulthood. The remaining performances are tonight through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.Rebecca says: “Little Women” itself is a fantastic, heartwarming story that focuses on family and dreams and hope and following your own path, even when it's not the one that others would have chosen for you or the one that seems traditionally laid out by society.The music is fantastic and supported very well by the voices in this cast. Amber Feind as Jo knocks it out of the park.— Rebecca Brokaw-SandsSymphonic celebration in Grand ForksStacy Bach is a band director at East Grand Forks High School, and she suggests coming back to her school’s auditorium this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. for the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Concert. Expect holiday favorites, including Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” plus classic carols that invite the audience to sing along. The winner of the Young Artist Concerto Competition will also be featured.

Art Hounds: A Sherlock Holmes–Scrooge mash-up, classical guitar and comedic letters to Santa

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.A Holmesian holiday twistHeidi Dybing of Lanesboro loves the arts scene in her community. She’s seen the Commonweal Theatre’s production of “A Sherlock Carol” twice and plans to go back for more. The story, she says, is equal parts Sherlock Holmes mystery and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” with recognizable lines from each woven into the script. The show runs through Dec. 21.Heidi says: This show is absolutely fantastic. It's eye candy because of the amazing sets with the amazing vintage props all over the stage and the walls and the ceilings. It is very Victorian, with authentic Victorian costumes and music.— Heidi DybingClassical guitar meets civil rights anthemJoe Haus, former president of the Minnesota Guitar Society, recommends seeing the vibraphone and guitar team of Vincent Hyman and Robert Ekstrand in concert at Lynnhurst Congregational UCC in Minneapolis. The duo will perform music spanning three centuries, including classical, jazz, and tango. The Lynnhurst choir will join them to perform Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom,” a civil rights anthem. The concert is 7 p.m. Friday. Admission is free, with donations accepted for the Sabathani Food Shelf.Joe says: Vince Hyman is one of the best vibe players in town. Bob Ekstrand has been playing guitar forever: playing in rock bands, playing as a solo blues artist, jazz ensembles studying classical guitar. I can't recommend them enough.— Joe HausSketch comedy meets Santa ClausMegan McDonough is a high school theater director who celebrates the season by seeing “Letters to Santa... With a Twist,” a one-woman show by Janelle Ranek. Each year, Ranek co-writes and performs 10 new and returning characters who update Santa on their year and share their holiday wishes. This year’s run is at Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis, Dec. 5–22, with all shows at 7 p.m.Megan says: This show is hilarious! It is, it is essentially an individual sketch comedy... the likes of a “Saturday Night Live,” or like a Smosh comedy, where she creates a character, runs with it for a few minutes, and then we change characters, and we get to meet somebody new right afterwards. My favorite is Marjorie. She's a motivational speaker, and there's usually a prop that the audience gets when Marjorie comes up to talk to you.— Megan McDonough

Art Hounds: Women's choir harmony, Latinidad film fest and jazz with a mission

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.A harmonious gathering of voicesSinger and voiceover actor Jen Maren always enjoys seeing the Twin Cities Women’s Choir perform. Their fall concert, whose theme is “Ignite!,” takes place 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 at South High School in Minneapolis.Maren says: This is an incredible group that is 140 voices, all non-auditioned, but incredibly professionally sounding. There's percussion, there's a string quartet happening. There's some great jazz arrangements that are happening. There's all six-part harmony of all these women's voices raised in song. And I don't know about you, but we're living in a rather divided time right now, so a little bit of harmony would actually be soothing to my soul.— Jen MarenCelebrating Latinidad on screenFilmmaker Maxie Rockymore is looking forward to the inaugural Serpentina Arts Film Festival at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 25. at The Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. The free event promises a range of styles of short films, all created by Minnesota-based Latin filmmakers. The theme is “Celebrating Latinidad Through Short Films.”Rockymore explains why this film festival is important to her: When people share stories, and share other people's stories, that's when we connect and realize that we are all one. That's what filmmaking, I think, does for people.— Maxie RockymoreHoliday jazz with heartAaron Lohmeyer is an associate professor of music education and jazz band director at Winona State University, and he wants people to know about the holiday album release of a Winona band that’s also a family affair. H3O Jazz Trio is the work of Eric Heukeshoven and his sons, Max and Hans, with wife Janet Heukeshoven as a frequent musical guest. They celebrate the release of their second album, “Combo Carols,” at the Steele County Historical Society in Owatonna at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. The songs are mash-ups of holiday carols and jazz standards.The trio also holds jam sessions at Two Fathoms Brewing in Winona on the third Sunday of every month.Aaron says: One neat thing about the H3O trio is that their jam sessions also function as a fundraiser for area nonprofits. So it's not only a family band, but it's a band with a mission, and their commitment to give back to the community through music is really unique.— Aaron Lohmeyer

Art Hounds: Theater rooted in lived experience and more

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Centering voices of experienceMankwe Ndosi is a community-engaged artist at Pillsbury House + Theatre in Minneapolis. She admires the work of zAmya Theater, whose original plays focus on housing and homelessness, drawing from the lived experience of the communities in which they perform. Their show, “Living in America: The Waiting List is Full,” takes place in conjunction with Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The hour-long performances are today through Friday, Nov. 21, at venues across the Twin Cities, including Minneapolis Central Library, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis and 825 Arts in St. Paul.Mankwe says: I think this group is really important, because a lot of times when we talk about making change, often things are happening from the top down, from large institutions or academics or policy makers, and we really seldomly actually are listening to folks who are in some of the hardest challenges situations, but they actually have the most information about what works and what doesn't work. And so I think in this time, when there is room for change and transformation, it's helpful to be able to see people who are living it, who are the experts, who are also the visionaries of how to transform what can be some of the toughest situations that people can experience.— Mankwe NdosiWordplay and wonder in LongfellowSara Rothholz Weiner is an architect and potter living in Minneapolis, and she recommends a visit to the Snakpak Gallery in the Longfellow Neighborhood, where a sidewalk community makers event is also happening this weekend. The gallery features the work of Jim Ockuly.Sara says: Jim Ockluly’s witty and evocative art explores the relationship of image and language. It's quirky, it's fun, it's thought-provoking, and it's accessible to all audiences. He explores our world with a sense of irony and a big dose of wonder that's very relevant to our times.This [weekend] event, importantly, includes several local artists and craftspeople from the Longfellow neighborhood on a sidewalk art show and yes, bundles of local firewood [will be] for sale with proceeds going to Soup For You Cafe, a local soup kitchen that's free for all.— Sara Rothholz WeinerJazz and emotional honesty on stageMeghan Kreidler is a musician and actor in Minneapolis, and she’s shining a light on fellow musician Leslie Vincent, whose new album “Little Black Book” has its Twin Cities premiere on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. The jazz album of original songs explores the ups and downs of dating and marriage. Leslie and her band will be joined on Sunday by guest musician Jeremy Messersmith.Meghan says: It's really hard not to fall in love with [Leslie] the minute she steps on stage. She just creates a really warm and fun atmosphere. I remember the first time I ever saw Leslie perform, and it just felt really accessible and fun and kind of new, and it broke my kind of preconceived notions about what jazz can be and how it can feel from an audience perspective.— Meghan Kreidler