Fall arts guide: With diverse styles and subjects, art galleries explore unsung pockets of culture
Artistically speaking, this fall is the season of cultural history.
With Indigenous portraiture and beadwork, explorations of Somali dance, underground Soviet and Eastern Bloc art and more, galleries across the Twin Cities are using art as an entry point into discussions of community and identity. And through painting, photography, glass, even religious icons and book covers, the styles are just as diverse as their subjects.
Here are some of the many gallery shows and exhibitions coming up this fall in St. Paul and the greater Twin Cities.
September
Openings
Monthlong, “A Rumble in the Twins: Love Conquers All” — Night Club Gallery, St. Paul: The downtown modern gallery presents this collaborative show by artists Nathan Hollis and Gabrielle K. Brown. The exhibition closes Oct. 1, and the duo is hosting a live reception/performance at 3 p.m. that day. Free; 340 N. Wabasha St.
Monthlong, “Mankato Community Collage” — Coffee Hag, Mankato: A bit further afield, but this show features a large collage that artist Josh Madson created from more than 800 portraits of Mankato residents he took this summer. On view at the Coffee Hag through Sept. 30; 329 N. Riverfront Dr., Mankato.
Sept./Oct., “Sacred Klown” — Friedli Gallery, St. Paul: “In modern times we can speak to our brothers and sisters all over the world. We are not gone, we remain, and we contribute as we always have. We flourish as we reclaim,” writes the Indigenous artist Shaun Chosa, whose paintings and portraits will be exhibited at the Friedli Gallery. Free; 943 W. Seventh St.
Sept. 11, “Dhaanto” and “Saturday Mornings and The Faces We Remember” — Public Functionary, Minneapolis: Dual exhibitions focus on community-centered dance history. “Dhaanto” by Yasmin Yassin explores a troupe based out of the the Somali Museum of Minnesota, and “Saturday Mornings” by Za’Nia Coleman examines the legacy and impact of Hollywood Studio of Dance in North Minneapolis. Both galleries run through Sept. 30 and include various public events, too. Free; Northrup King Building: 1500 Jackson St. N.E., Minneapolis.
Last chances
Go before Sept. 17, “ReVisión: Art in the Americas” closes — Minneapolis Institute of Art: This exhibition, organized by the Denver Art Museum, links ancient and contemporary cultures with nearly 130 objects from the museum’s Ancient and Latin American collections. Tickets required: $20 for general admission; free for youth and members at the “contributor” level or higher. 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Go before Sept. 17, “Towards a Common Future: Banners for Solidarity” — Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis: Textile artist Rachel Breen’s banners are inspired by worker movements worldwide, including the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in the early 1900s. The show is part of the Wakpa Triennial, a monthslong art festival hosted by Public Art St. Paul. Free; 333 E. River Pkwy., Minneapolis.
Events
Sept. 30, Open House — Second Shift Studio Space, St. Paul: From 6 to 8 p.m., see the work of the gallery’s four incoming residents. The East Side arts organization is geared toward providing resources to women and gender-nonconforming artists. Free; 1128 Payne Ave.
October
Openings
Oct. 2–8, book cover design by Patrick Redmond — Merriam Park library, St. Paul: A quick exhibition of more than 50 published book covers by local designer Patrick Redmond as part of National Design Week. Free at the Merriam Park branch of the St. Paul Public Library; 1831 Marshall Ave.
Oct. 6, “Urban Cadence” — Weisman Art Museum: This exhibition of photos and videos by African artists explores city life and industrialization in Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Oct. 22, “In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now” — Mia: More than 150 photographs of Indigenous communities across North America, by Native photographers across generations. Tickets required: $20 for general admission; free for youth and members at the “contributor” level or higher.
Last Chances
Go before Oct. 22, Leningrad Underground: Unofficial Artists of the Soviet Era — The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis: During the Soviet era, censorship was heavy, but an underground arts scene still persisted in the city of Leningrad. Nonconformist artists and dissidents were shunned and punished but continued making the work shown in this exhibition at TMORA. Museum entrance is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, $5 for students, free for kids and members; 5500 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis.
NOVEMBER
Openings
Nov. 3, “We Are Still Here” — Friedli Gallery: The third annual Indigenous arts showcase moves to the Friedli this year. Artists can apply to be included in the show through Sept. 15; the exhibition is juried by a group of local Indigenous community leaders and elders.
Nov. 4, “Hazel Belvo: For Love” — Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul: Gallery shows finally return to the downtown museum after years of window exhibitions! Kicking things off is this retrospective of Belvo’s seven decades of paintings and drawings. Free; 350 N. Robert St.
Nov. 9, “Fooling the Eye: Optics of Vasarely and Kuhn” — Cafesjian Art Trust, Shoreview: The third exhibition at the new Shoreview museum juxtaposes two artists skilled in perception tricks: pioneering “op art” painter Victor Vasarely and modern glass artist Jon Kuhn. Entry is free, but timed tickets are required — and, if the museum’s expertly curated Highlights show was any indication, will sell out quickly. 4600 Churchill St., Shoreview.
Nov. 11, “Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s” — Walker Art Center, Minneapolis: Works by nearly 100 artists from East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia, including less frequently exhibited women and LGBTQ+ artists, show creative responses to authoritarian power and ideology. Included with museum ticket: $18 for general admission; $16 for seniors; $12 for students; free for kids, teens and Walker members. 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis.
Nov. 11, Once Upon a Mansion: ASI’s 73rd Holiday Experience — American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis: The American Swedish Institute’s annual holiday celebration and market also contains plenty of art, including an installation by Tia Keobounpheng, immersive Finnish fairy tale rooms by Anita Jain and objects from the collection of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa. Entrance to the American Swedish Institute is $13 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for youth; it’s free for members and for the general public after 3 p.m. Thursdays; 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis.
Last chances
Go before Nov. 26, “Icons of the Late Empire: Story and Art” — The Museum of Russian Art: Religious icons were ubiquitous in the Russian Empire and remain central to Eastern Christianity and the Orthodox church. Icons from the 19th century, according to the Museum of Russian Art, are particularly under-explored — making this exhibition, composed of objects from the collection of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, Collegeville, Minn., particularly interesting.
All season
“Among Friends: The Generosity of Judy and Ken Dayton” — Walker: Longtime Walker trustee Judy Dayton and her husband, former department store CEO Ken Dayton, amassed a sizable private art collection, which was donated to the Walker after Judy died in 2021. This exhibition contains artworks by prominent 20th century American artists including Alexander Calder, Agnes Martin and Andy Warhol. Included with museum ticket price.
