Can You Handle This? By Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1988 as a joint project between the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, the Walker and mnartists.org are bringing back Artist-Designed Mini Golf. The set up is comprised of two eight-hole courses. It's pretty much just like regular mini golf, except, you know, arty.

See also:
Summer Fun: Artist-Designed Mini Golf at the Walker [slideshow]


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Minneapolis is the 6th most creative city in the nation, according to the Creative Vitality Index's recently released 2013 report.
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Skein of Life by HOTTEA

"Inner Workings," a solo exhibition of pieces by HOTTEA (Eric Rieger) at Le Meridien Chambers Burnet Gallery, marks a more introspective approach for the artist, whose career over the years has gone from graffiti to yarn bombing. His projects have included grandiose spectacle, such as last year's 84-miles of yarn hung from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' ceiling at Northern Spark.

In his latest body of work, HOTTEA draws inspiration from his family, his heritage, and, perhaps, on a state of being.

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Dzine at Public Functionary

It's that time of year when northeast Minneapolis goes nuts with art, music, and activities as studios and buildings open their doors. There's always fun stuff to see and do at Art-A-Whirl, and you're sure to find something you'll like. While the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association has listings of different demonstrations and events on its website, as well as a directory guide to help you map your trip, we've got some favorites to recommend as well. The following list features some of the events and studios that we are particularly excited about.

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Mad King Thomas

Now in its fourth year, Northern Lights.mn's Art(ists) on the Verge mentorshop program recently showcased its latest group of fellows experimenting with art, technology, and interactive and participatory art-making practices. The emerging artists -- Chris Houltberg, Sarah Julson, Mad King Thomas Collective, Asia Ward, and Anthony Warnick -- are currently exhibiting their work at the Soap Factory.

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Photo by Thoth, God of Knowledge

Manidoo-giizhikens

For the last 50 years, 87-year-old visual artist Hazel Belvo has been painting the Spirit Tree, known by the Anishinaabe people as Manidoo-giizhikens, or "Little Cedar Spirit Tree." (In the past, it has also been called the Witch Tree by locals and tourists.)

The tree, which has stretched out toward Lake Superior on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation for the past 400 years, has spiritual significance for the Anishinaabe people.

Related stories:
The odd worlds of "The Edge of Camp" at Bockley Gallery
Top 10 galleries in the Twin Cities

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Allen Brewer

The Birthday Party as described by Michael Beech

Upon arriving at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' MAEP galleries, a group of young women squeal as they discover that two of them are actually a part of the new exhibit. For the show, titled "Verbatim," Allen Brewer has created new works of paintings, mixed-media pieces, and sculpture using descriptions from the public of different artworks in the museum as a starting point.

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Dzine, Club Gallistico

The much-anticipated opening of Public Functionary, the new gallery in northeast Minneapolis brought to you by director Tricia Khutoretsky, is finally here with an exhibition of work by Dzine, titled "Victory." The show, which has tons of glitz and glam, is appropriately celebratory for the occasion, and marks, hopefully, the beginning of something special here in the Twin Cities.


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Courtesy SooVAC

by Math.i

Imagine this: A storefront turned art gallery at 35th and Nicollet packed to the brim with scenesters, hippies, and a sprinkling of gutterpunks on Easter Sunday. They are rapt as performance artist Jaime Carrera, dressed in a loin cloth, castrates Jason Wade's dreadlocked Jesus and nails his phallus to the cross. Wade then squirts various condiments in Carrera's face for a good 10 minutes.

The Easter performance worked as a kind belated Christening to the new outlet of Soo Visual Art Center (SooVAC), called Soo Local.  More »