Claes Oldenburg: The Sixties
Sept. 22-Jan. 12 • Walker Art Center
Now most famous for such playful public sculptures as "Spoonbridge and Cherry," Oldenburg launched his career 50 years ago on a more domestic note with "The Street," sculptures inspired by urban life; "The Store," featuring soft sculptures of pies, hamburgers, clothes and other shop goods, and "The Home," filled with hard and soft sculptures of housewares including electric plugs, light switches and toilets. In this retrospective, these iconic whimsies are joined by the Swedish-born artist's "Mouse Museum" and "Ray Gun Wing," walk-in installations filled with inspired collectibles and concoctions. The show will also feature notebooks, snapshots, home movie and slide projections that reveal the inner workings of one of the 20th century's great creative minds.
Preview party 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Sept. 21, $30. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Av., Mpls. Museum admission $8-$12, free for 17 and younger and for all on Thursday evenings. 612-375-7600 or walkerart.org.
Also:
"The Audacious Eye: Japanese Art From the Clark Collection": A self-described "crazy collector," Bill Clark amassed a famously expansive and eccentric collection spanning more than 1,000 years of Japanese paintings, screens, ceramics, prints, textiles, lacquerware and bamboo artifacts. Recently acquired by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Clark's hoard will be sampled in seven sections from Buddhist paintings and Chinese-influenced ink paintings to Edo luxury goods, eccentric visions, 19th century exotica, and 20th century East-West fusions.
Oct. 6-Jan. 12. $12 adults. Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 3rd Av. S. 612-870-3000 or www.artsmia.org.
"Material Journeys: African Art in Motion": Flush with iPads, interactive wall maps and 3-D displays, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' redesigned African art galleries will recontextualize the continent's cultural, spiritual and tribal materials.
Permanent display opening Nov. 10. Free.
"The Romanovs: Legacy of an Empire Lost": On the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Romanov dynasty, the Museum of Russian Art will survey the family's history via photos, paintings, books, textiles and rare memorabilia on loan from more than 15 museums, libraries and private collections.
Nov. 16-March 31, $9 adults. 5500 Stevens Av. S., Mpls. 612-821-9045 or www.tmora.org
"Contemporary Prints from Central Taiwan": Traditional craft and lifestyles collide with contemporary realities and attitudes in expertly executed woodcuts and other prints by 20 artists from Taichung and Miaoli, Taiwan.
Sept. 14-Nov. 23. Free. Highpoint Center for Printmaking, 912 W. Lake St., Mpls. 612-871-1326 or www. highpointprintmaking.org
"9 Artists": Billed as an international, multigenerational group show, this mélange at the Walker will showcase 40 new and old sculptures, drawings, installations, videos and ephemera by Yael Bartana, Liam Gillick, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Renzo Martens, Bjarne Melgaard, Nastio Mosquito, Hito Steyerl, and Danh Vo. Augmented with performances, talks and other events.
Oct. 24-Feb. 16. $8-$12 adults. Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Av., Mpls. 612-375-7600 or walkerart.org.
"Will Steger: Inside an Explorer's Mind: Survival, Innovation, Design": Photos, videos, drawings, clothing, woodwork, and other designs by the polar explorer illuminate his savvy designs for tough climates and his vision for a sustainable future.
Sept. 14-Oct. 6. Free. Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2501 Stevens Av. S., Mpls. www.mcad.edu or 612-874-3700.
Minnesota Marine Art Museum expansion: The addition of a new 2,500-square-foot gallery enables the Winona museum to reinstall its expanding collection of water-themed Impressionist and European paintings.
Dedication weekend Sept. 28-29. $7 adults. 800 Riverview Dr., Winona, Minn. 507-474-6626 or www.mmam.org.
"American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition": Booze was banned in that bygone era dubbed a "constitutional hiccup" in the Minnesota History Center's sassy exhibit of films, music, photos and rare artifacts and multimedia activities, including a recreated speakeasy.
Nov. 9-March 16. $11 adults. Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. 651-259-3000 or www.minnesotahistorycenter.org.