'Extra/Ordinary: The American Swedish Institute. At Play'
Twenty-nine objects from the American Swedish Institute's collection pop up around the Turnblad Mansion and the Nelson Cultural Center in odd ways. A small-scale wooden replica of the Vasa, a Swedish warship that sank in 1628, sits in a glass case atop a bathtub. A drawing of a tiny white mouse hides in the closet around the corner. A giant vat of blue balls occupies the mansion's ballroom (get it?).
It's all part of "Extra/Ordinary," an exhibition marking the ASI's 90th anniversary that pairs artifacts, from original wood carvings to hair bracelets, with watercolor paintings and ink illustrations created by mom-son artist team Tara Sweeney and Nate Christopherson for the new picture book "A to Zåäö."
It opens Saturday, with special Family Day activities on Sunday. (Preview party 7 p.m. Fri., $20. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Thu. & Fri.-Sat.; noon-5 Sun.; 10-8 Wed. Ends July 5. 2600 Park Av. S., Mpls. $6-$12. 612-871-4907 or asimn.org)
