Spring into spring at these four Twin Cities art exhibitions

Spring is on the way, even if it does snow again in April. Here are reviews of four exhibitions in the Twin Cities.

'Field Moves'

If the neon 1970s and shag carpeting had an art baby, it would be Minneapolis-based Rachel Collier's show at Hair + Nails Gallery. A magical mystery tour for the eyes, every painting and sculptural work is abstract and palpable in its weirdness, although at times predictably so.

"Fig eater" consists of amorphous, blob-like, squiggly, colorful shapes of dyed rug, like a texture-y coral reef. Things get trippier in "Magic Ladder," where the tentacles of a blue beast (again made of dyed rugs) explode against a rainbow-hued background. These excessive works shout "go Maximalist or go home," but are still worth experiencing. (1-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. or by appointment through May 15, 2222 ½ E. 35th St., Mpls., masks required, hairandnailsart.com or 415-987-3037)

'The Art of Still Life'

Sometimes life moves too fast, and one's racing thoughts turn to simpler moments: fruit rotting, a half-empty cup of coffee sitting on the counter. "Still life surrounds us in real life," writes Crimea-born, Minneapolis-based Alek Buzhaker about his exhibit at the Museum of Russian Art. It is an astoundingly obvious statement but, like meditation, unnoticeable unless one slows down.

Although the artist has some ways to go before he achieves mastery, his style generously calls to mind post-Impressionist master Paul Cézanne. Earlier works, such as "Cheese Plate With Bottle," thickly lather on paint, while the more recent "Turkish Coffee Pot and Peaches" is smoother yet just as appetizing. (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10-4 Sat., 1-5 Sun. through Aug. 14, 5500 Stevens Av. S., Mpls., $5-14, free for kids under 13, tmora.org)

'What Moves Between'

Seven people are graduating from the University of Minnesota's MFA program and soon will be "real artists."

Cody Hilleboe's photos of shuttered buildings and open landscapes with various ceramic shapes create an eerily placid environment that's almost Lynchian. Mumbai-born Prerna's poetic six-piece installation uses sculptural installation and materiality to meditate on immigration, familial bonds and memory. Most haunting is "The volume of loss," a variable stack of sarees tied with jute string, affixed to a wall.

Black multiracial artist Lela Pierce's "The persistent practice of imagining transformation is vital for seekers of freedom" creates a futuristic tautology all its own. Inside a black-painted gallery, drawings, paintings and ceramics of symbols seem to offer portals toward transformation and ritual. One is the Sankofa bird, originally found in Akan art of Ghana; its feet are pointed forward but its head is turned back, suggesting that one must look to the past in order to build a future.

That spirit of futureness — with each of these artists preparing to blast off into it — underpins the show, which left me feeling hopeful. (11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue. & Fri., 11-7 Wed.-Thu., 11-3 Sat. through April 23, U of M's Katherine E. Nash Gallery, 405 21st Av. S., Mpls., nash.umn.edu or 612-624-7530)

'Echo Portraits'

Pre-pandemic, before Bachelor Farmer Café in the North Loop shuttered its doors, photographer Amy Anderson used to stop in for a coffee and conversation, always bringing her film camera. Collaborating on pictures with strangers became a way to connect, and that's what passersby will notice in these large portraits that hang inside the windows.

A shy-looking girl with dyed blond hair leans on the counter, looking into the distance; a Black woman with curly hair closes her eyes and poses in front of a wall of grayish-black rocks in a cage. These pictures make the café feel alive again — a portal to another time — though it's problematic that Anderson doesn't list the names of the people with whom she "collaborated." (50 2nd Av. N., Mpls., photos on view 24/7)