Twin Cities' 5 must-see art exhibitions this weekend

Above: Sally Cruikshank's Make Me Psychic, 1978. Photo courtesy Justin Ayd

FILM SCREENING

"Animatedly Yours"

Bentson Mediatheque at the Walker Art Center (725 Vineland)

Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m.

Free

What is extremely 70s, sexuality-driven, and shot on rare 16mm? The six selections in this funky film program at the Walker Art Center's Mediatheque. Co-curated by Bentson Research Assistant Alyssa Davis, archives volunteer Emma August Welter and Bentson Archivist/Assistant Curator Ruth Hodgins, the films in this series were dug up out of the Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection, and include Suzan Pitt's "Crocus" (1971) and Kathleen Laughlin's "Madsong (1974), both of which explore being a mother and a sexual being at the same time, while more psychedelic vibes emanate from Lisze Bechtold's "Two Stars" (1976) and "Impasse" (1978) by Frank and Caroline Mouris. There's also a tripped out journey to an amuseument park and some fantastical bodies, because no film programming would be complete without that. More info here: https://walkerart.org/calendar/2018/animatedly-yours

ONGOING

Allen Ruppersburg: Intellectual Property 1968-2018

Where: Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Pl., Mpls.

Admission: $7.50-$15; free for 17 and younger, and for all Thursday evenings.

Info: 612-375-7600 or walkerart.org

A conceptual artist with assemblage tendencies, Ruppersberg moved to L.A. from Cleveland in the 1960s for art school. Inspired by mass media such as newspapers and books, archival films, street signage, the landscape of Southern California and even Harry Houdini, the artist has produced everything from parody-like built environments such as "Al's Café" to conceptual paintings like "The Picture of Dorian Gray" — a copy of the entire Oscar Wilde novel — and portraits of himself as other people. This hearty exhibition is a journey through not only the artist's vast body of work, but his mind as well. Exhibition ends July 29.

Above: Essma Imady, "History Book" (2017). Seawater, book. Courtesy of Minneapolis Institute of Art.

ONGOING

Essma Imady: "Thicker Than Water"

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Wed. & Sat.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.
Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Av. S.
Admission: Free.
Info: 888-642-2787 or
newartsmia.org

The intimacy of the objects makes the war feel immediate and extremely personal — a teddy bear; a kid-sized life vest; a year's worth of e-mails from the artist's grandmother, who remains in Syria. And then there is "Receiving Blanket," a plush blanket imprinted with an image of destruction from Syria, juxtaposing the safety and warmth that a blanket is supposed to offer with the result of violent warfare. Exhibition ends June 24.

Event: "A Performance in Honor of Mays," a young Syrian refugee whom Imady interviewed shortly before her death (7 p.m. April 19).
Artist talk: 7 p.m. May 17.

Above: From Karen Sherman's exhibition. Image courtesy of the author.

ONGOING

Karen Sherman: "Minor Bodies"

Hours: Thu-Fri, 3-6 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 1-6 p.m.

What do soft bunnies, a blood bank and horses have in common? They're all a part of choreographer/artist Karen Sherman's semi-autobiographical exhibition "Minor Bodies," which also marks her first foray into a full-scale visual art project/installation. Her father ran a 24/7 blood bank, and her grandfather bred race horses. At the blood bank, rabbits were often times used as part of experiments (the gallerist assured me that they treated the bunnies well, however – they had to be healthy, of course). A variety of other jagged, at times violent-seeming wooden tools or objects are also on display – they are abstractions in and of themselves, but also referencing blood itself. There are many more "bloody" surprises in the basement. Exhibition ends March 31. More info: https://hairandnailsart.com/current/

Above: Mic Stowell, "Untitled 2," "Untitled 4," and "Untitled 3" (all 2017). Image courtesy of the author.

ONGOING

Untitled 14: SooVAC's 14th Juried Exhibition

Hours: Wed. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thurs., Fri 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.