Art Hounds

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. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here. Artists examine democracy, power and belongingNicole M. Watson is director of exhibitions and collections at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul. She recommends seeing "The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness." This visual art exhibition is the work of seven South Asian women artists living in the U.S. "Paglee" or "pagli" means "crazy woman" — a woman who does not fit the norms — in several South Asian languages. Watson says this collection of nuanced work explores that concept and reflects on the "greater marginalization of immigrant women of color in the United States." The show runs through Dec. 12 at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery on the St. Catherine University campus in St. Paul. Among the works on view, Watson says she appreciates Minneapolis artist Fawzia Khan's weavings: "She has this really spectacular piece called 'We the People,' and you can see that Fawzia is making a commentary on the fragility of democracy; but at the same time, she's also reminding viewers that, much like her textiles, like our communities are really interconnected and interwoven. That includes all the best parts of ourselves as well as all of our flaws, and so we still have to stay stitched together." A monthly art walk brings downtown together Bill Rutherford lives north of Grand Rapids, and he has long admired the MacRostie Art Center. The center is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. He recommends attending the First Friday Art Walk, held on the first Friday of every month from 4 to 7 p.m., with artist talks at 6 p.m. He says it's a great opportunity to walk through the three galleries, see the new exhibits that are open for the month, grab a drink and a snack and connect with others. Rutherford says the monthly event extends beyond the gallery walls: "Many of the downtown stores and organizations have open art on the first Friday, and it's all kind of been spearheaded by the MacRostie over the years. So it's really been a very positive influence in the downtown area." A teenage resistance fighter’s story takes the stage Eric Heukeshoven is a jazz performer, educator and composer in Winona. He recommends seeing the play "Squirrel is Alive," based on the book by Mary Rostad. It was adapted and directed by Judy Myers, a retired theater professor from Saint Mary's University. The play tells the story of Mary Rostad's work as a teenager in the resistance against the Nazis during World War II. She later settled in Houston, Minn. Performances are Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts in Winona. Heukeshoven says projections help tell the story in this intimate black box theater: "It is a historical play, and there's a lot of facts that are put in there. But it's told in such an empathetic way that it really draws you into the character."

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.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Girl Scouts take on the zombie apocalypse Juanita Vang, executive director of the Southeast Asian Diaspora Project, is looking forward to seeing Theater Mu's premiere of "Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts." This is the third installment in local playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay's trilogy of kung fu zombie plays. This time, Girl Scouts Samoa, Do-Si-Do and Thin Mint must protect their Mount Airy community of St. Paul during the zombie apocalypse. Directed by Theater Mu artistic director Fran de Leon, the play opens on Halloween night and runs through Nov. 15 at the Frey Theater in St. Paul. Tickets use the company's pay-as-you-are pricing, starting at $15. Knowing that Vongsay is also a member of FAWK, the Funny Asian Women's Kollective, Vang is looking forward to a funny show. But there's more to it than that: "The show is a mix of so many genres and loves. We've got inspiration from sci-fi, kung fu, like hip-hop, Southeast Asian culture, and we need the innovation in Asian American theater because we need our stories to reflect the diversity of our experiences." ‘Three Houses’ brings the wolf to the door Megan Halloran wants people to know about Theatre Elision's current production of the musical "Three Houses." As the title suggests, this play is inspired by “The Three Little Pigs,” but it's not a play about architecture. Set in New York during the pandemic in what Halloran calls a "purgatorial karaoke bar," three women isolated at home must grapple with the wolf howling at their doors. The show runs through Nov. 7 at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal. This show is meant for an adult audience. Halloran raves about Theatre Elision: "The work they choose is so fresh and indicative of who we are as Minnesotans — it’s not just repeats of classic Americana, but a wildly beautiful tapestry of tales from every walk of life, every mood and mindset, every background and choice. Theatre Elision is the most intentionally and organically inclusive art space that I’ve ever been to — not just choosing shows from underrepresented playwrights, but casting and hiring tech folks who are predominantly women and gender-fluid folks of all body types and abilities, and always offering a range of ticket prices for financial access to live theatre. I’ve attended every show that they’ve done and I’ve never left a show that Elision does without having shed a tear and guffawed aloud, in turn." An all-female cast steps into ‘1776’ Norah Long made her Guthrie Theater debut nearly 20 years ago playing Abigail Adams in "1776," a Tony-winning musical about the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. She's happy to spread the word about a one-night-only version of the show this Friday, performed by an all-female cast. The hourlong performance presented as a staged reading is the work of Raison d’Être, an opera company for performers over age 55. The timing of the show is purposeful: Oct. 30 is the birth date of founding father John Adams, through whose perspective anchors the musical. The show will be at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis at 7 p.m. Long says this performance has a powerhouse cast, and there's one casting choice she finds particularly interesting: "There are four women who take one role apiece [John Adams, Abigail Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson]. The other three women play dual roles, and I think it's very interesting that they have specifically given them roles where one of each set of two is on one side of the aisle and one is on the other. So we have a liberal and a conservative played by the same person ... so that's kind of lovely, too. We get to hear and see that the same body can speak on both sides of the argument."

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.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Rourke Museum's Art Ghoullery in MoorheadDerek Dahlsad is a filmmaker, actor, and writer in Moorhead. Recently he visited the The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum in town to check out its ninth annual Art Ghoullery. Artists answered the call for Halloween-themed art of all varieties. This year's theme was "Nine Lives to Live." Unsurprisingly, cats featured prominently in a number of the pieces. The exhibit runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, with a masquerade artist reception taking place on the evening of Halloween from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. That reception is free and open to the public. Dahlsad said the themed art ranges from cute to creepy, including "a stack of zombie doll heads, sculptures welded from tractor parts, and paintings of a variety of devils and spirits and vampires." Who better to give life advice than stand-up comedians?Patrick Strait of Minneapolis is the owner of MNComedy.net and the author of two books about Twin Cities stand-up comedy from the Minnesota Historical Society. He recommends marking your calendar for "Advice Column," a series that takes place on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month at 7 p.m. at Sisyphus Brewing in Minneapolis. Hosts Sam Schedler and Lahiru Samarasinghe welcome a rotating cast of four comedians to join them at each show to give advice, win prizes, and keep the audience laughing. Their show on Oct. 28 is a Halloween edition, and costumes are welcome. Audience members must be 18 or older . Strait notes that November marks the show's one-year anniversary: "Really, they've found their stride,” said Strait. “They've got a lot of really cool people who want to be a part of this, and it's a well-oiled machine as well as I guess you can be when you have a couple of comics giving you therapy on a weeknight." Worthington celebrates its Steinway’s 120th birthdayKristine Stewart says she was very involved in the arts community in Worthington, where she lived until recently. She recommends the Sundays on the Steinway at the Memorial Auditorium for the Performing Arts in Worthington. There are three concerts remaining in the series designed to celebrate the 120th birthday of the auditorium's Steinway piano. The piano could have been lost to time, but 30 years ago a group came together to raise the money to have the piano fully refurbished. The free concerts each take place at 2 p.m. This Sunday, Kurt Haag will perform. Charlie Albright performs Nov. 15, and on Dec. 6 community piano teachers take the stage. Stewart adds a bonus tip: on Nov. 14, on the day before Charlie Albright’s solo concert, he will perform with the Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra. "They end the concert every year with holiday classics. It's kind of a kickoff to the holiday season, so it'll be a fun time. An amazing concert,” said Steward. “They always are."

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. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here. Dreamlike landscapes in clay Annie Dugan teaches art at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where she also runs the Kruk Gallery. She wants people to know about a retrospective of Jim Grittner's ceramic work at Duluth Pottery that opens this weekend and runs through November. There's an artist reception Sunday, Oct. 18 from 2-4 p.m. Grittner spent 47 years teaching at the University Wisconsin-Superior. "He taught artists that are now teaching the next generation," says Dugan. Now 92, Grittner's recent work is his strongest yet, says Dugan: "He works in this specific technique called terra sigillata. It's from Roman times. He's doing these abstract landscapes on these vertical pots or vases. They have this sort of ethereal quality, like landscapes from your memory or landscapes from your dreams. There's just this quiet power to his work that I think is really wonderful to see." Explore studios and galleries at the St. Paul Art Crawl Andy Lehner of St. Paul recommends that fellow arts appreciators check out the St. Paul Art Crawl this weekend. The event runs Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18, at 31 venues across the city, including studios, galleries and other art-centered spaces. Find a map of locations here. People who want to contribute to the event — and to St. Paul's Halloween spirit — can enter their carved jack-o'-lanterns in a competition at Mears Park. Jack-o'-lanterns can be dropped off between 10:30 a.m. and noon on Saturday, and visitors can vote on their favorites through 5 p.m. that day. If you’ve never been to an art crawl, Lehner says it’s an easy, drop-in event that lets you choose how much or how little you want to do: “It really is eclectic. You can choose something in your neighborhood because it's all throughout St. Paul. You can take in as much or as little as you like!” A documentary traces Minnesota’s mental health reforms Bill Adams of Fergus Falls is looking forward to attending a world premiere screening of the new Pioneer PBS documentary “Lost Souls: Reforming Minnesota’s Mental Health Institutions.” The screening is Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Fergus Falls Center for the Arts. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with Susan Bartlett, author of “The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota’s Mental Institutions, 1946-1954,” on which the documentary was based; the Pioneer PBS producers behind the film; and Chris Schulke, retired director of the Otter Tail County Historical Society. Adams offers a bit of background: “The reason that it's happening in Fergus Falls is because one of the people whose story is told in the book is Anders Schey, and 100 years ago, he became a resident at the state hospital in Fergus. His daughter, Engla Schey, began working in state hospitals — not in Fergus Falls, but in other communities in Minnesota — and she saw things that needed reforming.” The film follows the work of Engla and others who pushed for fair treatment of institutionalized patients in Minnesota and beyond.

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. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here. Monstrous laughs with ‘Young Frankenstein’Actor Dane Stauffer of St. Paul loves Mel Brooks’ movie “Young Frankenstein,” and he’s expecting the musical version of the show to be just as funny when it’s brought to life at the hands of Theatre 55. The show runs Oct. 9-25 at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. Theatre 55 casts actors ages 55 and older. Stauffer says, “As someone who is aging creatively, I enjoy seeing other folks get involved too without any barriers. There's so much talent on the stage, and so much talent behind the scenes in directing and everything.” Finding ‘defiant joy’ through dance Laichee Yang, an artist and designer based in Little Falls, was able to see a rehearsal of Ananya Dance Theatre’s new show “PREM | Love: An Occupation.” She says she was incredibly moved by the performance, which was created as a response to Operation Metro Surge. The dancers and artists move through grief, love and what they’re calling “defiant joy.” The show runs Oct. 10-17 at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Some performances include American Sign Language interpretation; others are designated “masks requested.” Yang describes the performance: "There were moments of shaking and trembling, and bodies pushing through space, and it really made me think about the idea of individual grief as well as shared grief. There was something really beautiful about witnessing all of the dancers carrying their emotions together, and it really made me think about just how we are feeling each other's humanity. And how can we feel it if we're not here to witness each other's grief?” The heart and soul of Fred Cogelow’s woodcarvings Rosemary Glesener is the director of the Bird Island Cultural Centre, and she adores the sculptures of master woodcarver Fred Cogelow of Willmar. Glesener attended the unveiling of two new sculptures as part of Cogelow’s exhibit “Coming Home.” The exhibit, presented by the Cogelow Art Center, features a large selection of his woodcarvings, along with work by four area artists, at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society in Willmar through Oct. 30. Glesener admires the way Cogelow captures the heart and soul of the characters he carves: “I personally call him the Michelangelo of contemporary times … [Fred] will do a sketch, whether it's at the farmers market or at the mall, of someone he finds intriguing, and from that sketch, he captures the emotion and also the physical animation of the individuals. He should be considered not only a Minnesota treasure, but an American treasure in the arts.”

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.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.What does a painting sound like? Rochester trombonist Jon Sievers suggests looking at — and listening to — “Canvas to Composition” at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. Minnesota composer Eric Heukeshoven created sonifications of four artworks in the museum’s permanent collection. The composer assigned sounds that describe the color, texture and feeling of the works. The compositions will be revealed Friday, at the museum’s New Look Masquerade Party, which is part of its 20th anniversary celebration.In the museum, Sievers says, you’ll be able to hear the music without wearing headphones: “It's like focused sound that's aimed at just at you, and there's an indicator of ‘here's where you should stand’ as you're appreciating the sonification of [each] particular artwork.” A prairie swaying on the gallery wall Kristine Chapin of St. Paul says she was captivated by Linda Snouffer’s installation, “A Prairie Stroll,” at the Dow Gallery in St. Paul. Snouffer’s botanical prints recreate the native grasses and varied shades of the Minnesota sky. Hung on dowels, the dyed and printed fabric sways as you walk through the room, which Chapin says gives you the feeling of walking through a tallgrass prairie. The show’s run has been extended through Oct. 17 to align with the St. Paul Art Crawl, and Snouffer will be on site Oct. 16 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Oct. 17 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Folk music for a cause, with room to dance Theater blogger Kendra Plant of St. Louis Park is looking forward to an evening of music when Soul Trouvère and Ukrainian Village Band perform an all-ages concert this Saturday to benefit Unidos Minnesota. Both Minnesota bands perform folk music from Eastern Europe, and Plant says dancing is encouraged. The show is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Celtic Junction in St. Paul. “I’m drawn to the way the event connects Minnesota’s Ukrainian and immigrant communities through music while supporting Unidos MN. It feels especially relevant to Minnesota right now, and like a strong example of local art responding to the communities around it,” said Plant.

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.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.An ice-fishing comedy at Commonweal in LanesboroIt's an all-theater Art Hounds this week. Let's start with Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, which opens "Eelpout," written by Paul Kruse of La Crosse, Wis., on Saturday. Writer Rayson Lorrey of Rochester saw a preview of the queer comedy about an ice fishing bachelor party gone awry. Its Lake Mille Lacs setting and take on Midwestern culture will feel familiar to audiences, Lorrey said. It runs through Nov. 1. Friday's preview show is County Free Night, where residents of Fillmore and Houston counties can attend free of charge. Lorrey appreciated the icehouse set, the takes on Midwestern male bonding and the unique costumes: "[The show] uses the conceit of a talking eelpout that interacts with the three main male characters: Sven, Ole and Lars. It's a hilarious idea that the Commonweal pulls off really well. There are beautiful eelpout costumes that most of the cast wears at one point, and Laurie Roberts does an amazing job of choreography. You get the idea that there is a school of fish under the ice, dancing. I've never seen anything like it." Morton: The Forgotten (Finnish) Founder As an immigrant to the U.S., actor Patrick Bailey of St. Paul says he's gleaned much of his knowledge of American history from books, screens and theater. He's looking forward to a new opportunity to learn a bit about a lesser-known founding father, John Morton, in a new historical play this weekend. Morton, of Finnish heritage, was a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. "Morton: The Forgotten Founder" was written by Laurie Flanigan Hegge and directed by Wendy Knox of Frank Theater. The free historical play with music takes place for one night only at the Minnehaha Park Pavilion, near the falls. The show is part of FinnFest, which takes place Thursday through Sunday in Minneapolis. The show is followed by live music and dancing with Twin Cities Finnish folk band Lauluaika. Bailey says: "It's kind of a gift from the Finlandia Foundation because it's a free show by Frank Theater, one of the most awesome theater companies in town. It's a fully rehearsed, fully staged [show], costumed with music, hour long. What's not to love?" A staged reading of a new play in MoorheadDerek Dahlsad of Moorhead loves the theater scene in his area, and he recommends seeing a staged reading by local playwright Em Christie.Dahlsad says: “‘Living the Dream’ is about employees at four different businesses trying to get through their day and not go crazy at the end of the world.” The reading is Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the FMCT Community Stage at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.

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 Teen Musical in the 4-H Building Erik Ostrom of Minneapolis is an improviser, composer and musician—and he always makes a point when he goes to the State Fair to see the 4-H State Arts-In Musical. The program brings together teen thespians from around the state, who spend three weeks creating an original musical, including sets, props, and costumes. Ostrom describes the show as a half-hour song-and-dance production with a live band. They perform three-to-four times a day in the 4-H Building through Labor Day. Ostrom loves seeing the kids’ passion for theater: “I was a small-town theater kid, and I had friends who were other small town theater kids, but it can be isolating, and I like the idea that there are these theater kids coming from all over the state and meeting each other and finding new friends who are excited about the same things they are." Meximalismo Mary Thomas is an art historian and Deputy Director of US Latinx Art Forum. She recommends visiting the exhibition "Meximalismo" at Northeast Sculpture Gallery in Minneapolis, which runs through Sept. 12. Here’s how she describes it: “’Meximalismo’ is a lively and thoughtful exploration of maximalist aesthetics within Latinx art. Curated by Silvana Agostini and Maria Cristina Tavera, this exhibition features a wide range of artists working in mediums that span photography, painting, installation, and multi-media work. The exhibition brings forward multi-dimensional understanding of the social and political significance of maximalism that resonates deeply in a moment that has been overdetermined by narratives of fear and scarcity.” Landscapes with unexpected points of view Looking for a space of beauty to take a breather before the fall arts season swings into action? Doris Rubenstein of Richfield suggests visiting Laura Andrews’ exhibit The Transparent Eye. These “dreamlike” paintings often adjust the viewpoint of typical landscape paintings inviting viewers to look up at the tree canopy or consider the natural world in a new way. The show is on view at the Kolman & Reeb Gallery in the Northrup-King Building in Northeast Minneapolis through Sept. 26. "No one is forcing you to buy a painting, but hold on to your wallet when you see these!”

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.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Austin ArtWorks Festival brings visual art, music, books and film downtown Gretchen Ramlo has been involved with the Austin ArtWorks Festival since the beginning, but lately she has stepped back and is looking forward simply to attending this year. The free annual festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29. The festival includes more than 80 juried artists working in a variety of artistic media as well as a stage with live music. This year’s author’s tent includes authors writing romance, crime and thrillers, and Austin history. The festival kicks off Friday at 4 p.m. with a talk by mystery writer William Kent Krueger. Ramlo says she is looking forward to that event as well as a film screening of the documentary “The Life & Art of Eric Anfinson.” Artists respond to Operation Metro Surge in Northeast Minneapolis exhibition Tricia Heuring is artistic director of Public Functionary in Northeast Minneapolis. She’s excited about a group show taking place in her neighborhood at a nontraditional space: findfurnish on Central Avenue. Titled “The Radical Act of Having Each Other’s Back,” the exhibit features the work of 26 artists created during and since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements' Operation Metro Surge. There is an opening reception Thursday, Aug. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m., and the exhibition remains on view through Sept. 20. At the center of the exhibit, four graffiti writers have created their own black-and-white version of Picasso’s painting “Guernica,” his response to the Nazi bombing of Guernica, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. Heuring says this version, and the show, allows artists to reclaim the narrative following the height of ICE enforcement activity during Operation Metro Surge. Visitors can add magnetic pieces to the Guernica mural as a way of interacting with the story it is telling. “I really hope this is the first of many, many shows by artists processing what's been happening in our cities and and in our country. And I really hope that it inspires more artists to start opening up about the narratives that they want to share, so that we can continue just resisting and talking about the things that are happening.” Dede Decker transforms latch hook into contemporary fine art Jes Reyes is an artist and arts administrator in St. Paul. She wants people to know about Dede Decker’s latch hook exhibit at Fresh Eye Gallery in Minneapolis, which runs through Sept. 27. Reyes says: “I'm drawn to artists who embrace intuitive making, blur the boundaries between craft and fine art and create work that is both joyful and deeply personal. As a fiber artist myself, I feel a particular connection to Dede's practice. I'm fascinated by the way she transforms latch hook — a medium many people associate with craft kits — into contemporary fine art through her own original designs. Dede's work also resonates with my own belief that fiber belongs firmly within contemporary art.” (Correction Aug., 27, 2026): A previous version of this story contained a misspelling of Jes Reyes. It has been corrected.

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.Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.A twilight circus takes over Raspberry Island Erinn Liebhard, artistic and executive director of Rhythmically Speaking, is looking forward to a one-night-only circus and cabaret performance Sunday, Aug. 23. Insomnia Salon Vol. 3: The River Night Circus takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Raspberry Island in St. Paul. The free event begins at twilight and is staged by Deeper Water Arts & Jackson Street Arts in partnership with St. Paul Parks. Liebhard notes that there's abundant free parking a short walk from the performance site. Liebhard says: "This show has brought together more than 45 performers to build an amazing twilight river circus, including fire dancers, aerialists, installation artists, giant puppets, food trucks, all manner of dancers and singers and musicians, tarot card readers, and a mysterious woman who tells your fortune by creating a custom fragrance for you. I'm so excited to bring my whole family to this. The show is going to be a totally delightful end-of-summer treat." Opera, drag and burlesque share the stage in St. Paul Isa Condo-Olvera is an actor and singer and St. Paul. She's a fan of both opera and drag, and she says these two high-drama performance styles combine to form "an absolute blast" in An Opera Theatre's Divas & Drag: Young, Sexy, and Baroque. Now in its fifth year, An Opera Theatre has partnered with the Bach Society of Minnesota, which will provide the musical accompaniment to opera, drag, and burlesque performers. The show takes place at the Historic Mounds Theatre in St. Paul, Aug. 21 – 24. Condo-Olvera says the combination "makes for really diverse audiences. There's the opera fans and there's the drag fans, and there's people that love both, like me. It makes for introducing new forms of art to both of those audience members, which is just so exciting and fun. It's also really fun to witness people discovering those new art forms, because the audience is such a huge part of drag." An upcycled quilt collects memories of Lake Superior Kristen McCoy creates designs from used clothes and textiles in Minneapolis under the brand ReThink and she wants to highlight two interactive, upcycled art opportunities at the Flock ArtFest taking place Aug. 21 and 22 at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. Resource Renew is hosting a Free Store where people can take gently used art supplies that were locally donated. Visitors can also contribute to Minneapolis-based artist Sadie Ward's Lake Superior memories quilt project by writing their memories of Lake Superior on denim from upcycled jeans. Ward will sew the pieces into a quilt in the shape of the lake. The choice of denim is intentional, McCoy says, not just for its shades of blue, but because cotton is a very water-thirsty crop. According to reporting from the U.N Environment Programme, making a single pair of jeans can take 800 to 1,000 gallons of water, with less efficient jeans soaking up as much as 2,600 gallons. "I like... everything coming together on this art project for Sadie. Having that parallel of using the denim to tell the stories of water, and also [having] a place where we can hold our memories close to us as climate change is making changes to our waterways and also with human impact changing our waterways too."