Art

Liz Sexton's "Watershed," a collection of paper mâché sculptures of wildlife that inhabit waterways from the source of the Mississippi to the seas, will be on display at Silverwood Park  June 6-July 31. Images of animal masks worn in a human-shaped world invite the viewer to explore our connection to nature and consider the far-reaching impact we have on aquatic ecosystems. Opening Reception: Thursday, June 6, 6-8 pm, 2500 Co. Rd. E.

"Echo Trail" reflects Laura Ahola-Young’s investigation of Critical Plant Theory, a new inquiry in the humanities that examines the human/plant relationship. Her paintings celebrate plants found in her homeland, the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, and look closer at algae, the study of photosynthesis, microscopic details and the role of oxygen and carbon in climate change. This exhibition asks viewers to consider their own relationship with plants. June 6-July 31, Silverwood Park, 2500 Co. Rd. E. Opening Reception: Thursday, June 6,…

In "RULE," artists Vernon Vanderwood and Miles Mendenhall navigate the in-betweens of process and material, creating kaleidoscopic landscapes that challenge and delight. Vanderwood's large-scale works juxtapose free expressions in dance and disintegrating mediums with the rigidity of silk binds and frames, questioning the poetic and political potentials of material and mark-making. Mendenhall's monoprints, crafted through a unique blend of gelatin, pigment and photographic chemistry, exist in hallucinogenic fractures that blur the lines between historical and futuristic, symmetry and asymmetry. Together,…

Syed Hosain’s "Dust in the Sky" offers a rich tapestry of painting that explores the unfixed histories and traditions of Middle Eastern geography and his own identity. His layered surfaces create a tension between recognition and obliteration, suggesting sprawling cities, molecular structures, and complex networks. Hosain’s works compel close examination, revealing new depths with each viewing. His technique of working into found surfaces, such as old encyclopedias, further obscures and reimagines factual information, creating a vivid visual smorgasbord that bridges…

Opening Thursday, July 25 in Public Functionary's Upstairs Gallery, a first solo exhibition by local Minneapolis photographer Bearboi. "Blackness in Transit: BGBM (Black Girl to Black Man)" presents a selection of works from the artist’s developing photography project that builds a visual homage to the unique experiences of girlhood from the perspective of Black transgender men and masculine people. Public Functionary, 1500 Jackson St. NE, Studio 247, through Aug. 27.  Opening reception: Thursday, July 25, 6-9 pm. Artist conversation: Thursday,…

Opening July 27 in Public Functionary's Main Gallery, Emerging Curator Institute’s 2023-24 Curatorial Fellow, Makeda Tadesse, presents her fellowship exhibition: Adera, Lije; Adera Lijen: a promise to protect. This group exhibition delves into the cultural dissonance experienced by second-generation East African diaspora communities in the United States featuring work by Elsa Lakew, Bereket Adamu, Nafyar, and addisalem alemu.Public Functionary, 1500 Jackson St. NE, Studio 144, through Aug. 27.  Opening reception: Saturday, July 27, 6-10 pm. Artist conversation: Thursday, Aug. 15,…