pick of the week: The Twin Cities male vocal ensemble Cantus is kicking off its 23rd season with a program that explores what it really means "to see." The show "Discovery of Sight" includes "Coffee With Borges," a commissioned piece by composer Gabriel Kahane that is loosely based on "Blindness," an essay by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. There are three shows coming up: 10 a.m. Friday at Colonial Church of Edina, 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul and 3 p.m. Sunday at Wayzata Community Church. Tickets are $20 to $40 and vary by location (student rate is $10 at all shows). Tickets at cantussings.org.
Award winner: Minnesota artist Jimmy Reagan has been named the winner of the inaugural Purpose Award, honoring creative young people who "make a difference in their communities and positively impact humankind." Reagan, 24, was diagnosed with regressive-onset autism when he was 2, and his parents were warned that he would have be institutionalized by the time he was 10. It hasn't worked out that way. Reagan has earned an international following for his brightly colored expressionist paintings that depict objects the way he sees them. His work is on display through Nov. 30 in the gallery of the Wilson Yates Center for Theology and the Arts at United Theological Seminary in New Brighton. The gallery is open weekdays from 10 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
Day by day: Long before the existence of autocorrect and spell check, there was Noah Webster, who spent 27 years verifying the spelling and usage of the 70,000 words he included in his first "An American Dictionary of the English Language." Monday is national Dictionary Day, so designated because it's Webster's birthday. If you want to drop him a card, he'd be 259.
recommended reading: A pair of health advocates are working up a sweat trying to get American Indians to exercise more. Catch up with them in Wednesday's Variety.
JEFF STRICKLER
![(left to right) Josh Harrod, Patrick Reagan, Peg Reagan, Brian Reagan, Jimmy Reagan, Ned Reagan, Laura Drake and Jack Reagan will be running in the Life Time triathlon. Story is about this family of five that is running the Life Time triathlon together with their 20-year-old son who has complex autism but is also an esteemed artist with paintings in the Minneapolis Institute of Art and other galleries.] Photographed on 7/9/14. Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune bbisping@startribune.com Josh Harrod, Patr](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/JWC7UUDCIMRGNMZ7SHF4MIB6EA.jpg?&w=1080)
