Party Saturday/ opening Sunday: The phrase "once in a lifetime" is way overused, but it's the best way to describe this exquisite jewel of an exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It features only 13 paintings and 12 drawings, but all are world-class, 16th-century masterpieces on loan from the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh. Executed in the lush colors and graceful elegance for which Venice was famous, the paintings by Titian, Veronese, Bassano, Tintoretto and others have been celebrated in art history for 500 years. Two of the Titians -- made for the king of Spain and once owned by French royals -- have not left the British Isles in more than 200 years and are unlikely to travel again. Ancient mythological gods and goddesses romp through some paintings while Christian saints and holy figures populate others, plus there are insightful portraits. Titian's "Virgin and Child With Saint John the Baptist and an Unidentified Male Saint," shown above, has all the tender beauty and glorious colors that make this one of the season's most spectacular shows. Fittingly, it opens with a fancy-dress party ("Bella Naughty") Saturday evening. Regular admission, starting Sunday, is $8 for adults -- and requires timed and dated tickets. See Sunday's Variety section for a story about the show. (Party 9 p.m.-midnight Sat., $45. Lecture 2 p.m. Sun. by Paul Joannides, art history professor at Cambridge University, $15. Regular hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Wed. & Fri.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thu. $8. Ends May 1. 2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls. 612-870-6323 or www.artsmia.org)

MARY ABBE